This week’s question is from Jennifer, and she asks:
To gain a readership or keep interest, how often should one blog? Daily, or just a few times a week…?
Thanks for your question, Jennifer – it’s a common one, for sure.
So, how often should you blog?
Honestly? I hate to say it, but it’s really up to you. How much time do you have to blog? Can you set aside an hour every day or a few hours on the weekend to write a week’s worth of posts? Or are you already hard-pressed for time to devote to your business, and even the thought of blogging once a week sends you into a tizzy?
Would you be better served sharing your work daily on social media like Instagram, Facebook and twitter and only blogging a few times a month?
This is one of those questions where there is not right or wrong answer – but let me give you a few basic principles that should help you make a decision as to what is right for you.
Be Consistent
Consistency in blogging is key. If you blog once a week… then blog once a week. Put it on your calendar and consider it as vital a part of your business as answering your email.
This is great for your sanity, as you’re not constantly wasting mental energy on whether or not to blog today… you just commit to yourself that yep, Wednesday is the day I need to get a blog post out there, and you make it happen. Then you can relax into the habit, and use that mental energy elsewhere in your business.
It goes without saying that the more often you can blog, the more posts you’ll be adding to your blog, which – over time – will mean more ways for people to find your blog and therefore, find you and your business. But don’t beat yourself up if you can’t blog every day, or even three times a week. And if you forget to blog one week, or just can’t? PLEASE don’t write one of those ‘oh hey, sorry I forgot/sorry I haven’t blogged in a while’ type posts. Because, to be frank, most people won’t even have noticed! But they WILL notice if they come across your blog and see an endless string of these apology posts.
Just get back to it and blog like you always do.
In short: do what you can, do it well, and give yourself a break!
Be Real
Most handmade peeps get this one right already, but I thought I should throw it out there. Don’t be afraid of being a real person and sharing your life. I always say that online you should always be you… but be the BEST you. Remember, everything you put out there on the interwebs will be there FOREVER, and it can all come back to reflect upon your business and brand.
Handmade is all about the connection between the maker and the buyer. Capitalise on that!
Be Focussed
What is the point of your blog? Is it to promote your products?
Then you need to write about them! But not necessarily in a ‘look what I made now go buy it’ way (though that’s okay once in a while, too!). You can share your design process. You can blog about your studio. You can blog about other aspects of your life that intersect with your product. If you make jewellery or apparel, do a ‘what I wore’ post that includes one of your own pieces. You can do a round-up post with a theme and include one of your own pieces. The choices are pretty endless.
Just remember: your blog is there to do one (or all) of three things – to inform, entertain, and inspire. If you’re doing one or more of these things with every blog post, you’ll be on the right track.
I hope that helped you, Jennifer! I believe that blogging creates an invaluable place for you to connect with your customers and fellow makers – it should be part of the foundation of any online business.
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Homework
Answer the following questions in the comments:
- What is the purpose of my blog?
- How much time per week can I allocate to blogging?
- What amount of blogging can I realistically commit to for the following 3 months?
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