The 5 Ways a Blog Can Boost Your Handmade Business

Having a homemade business usually starts as a hobby.  Then you hear friends and family suggest you sell your items for money.  So you start up Facebook page and wait for the sales to roll in.  But they don't.  It takes a while to get your business to the point that it's successful.  There's only so much that family and friends will buy from you.  You'll need to get other customers.  One way to do that, is to start a blog.  Blogging is an excellent way to boost your business and here are the 5 main reasons why. 

1. Promote/Collect Emails 

I think this one is probably one of the most important reasons to start a blog.  Sure, people can have a blog without a business, but if you do have a business, having a blog is extremely important.  You can promote your business to a much wider audience with a blog.  People will come to your site from all over.  I know this doesn't happen immediately, but once you've been up and running or a while, you will start to see more and more traffic.  

When you set up your blog, make sure you set up an email collection button.  Whether it's an ad that pops up right when you open your site, or a sign up for email section, you need to collect emails.  I have it so if a customers signs up for my email list, then they get 50% off their pattern order on Ravelry.  If they get something in return, they are more likely to sign up.  

Once you have their emails, make sure to send out quality posts, otherwise they may start to unsubscribe.  This way, though, they will always have your name in the back of their head.  When they start thinking of gifts that they want to buy, or whatever it is that they need, they'll remember you and you've just made a new customer!

Related Article: 3 Tips I Wish I Knew When I Started Blogging

2.  Show Expertise 

Sometimes when you are promoting your items on Facebook or Instagram, you can only put a short description with it.  It's hard to get across to the customers, that you really do have a lot of knowledge in this area.  If they read your blog, you can show them how well you understand your craft.  You can show them how much you know, and that you are an expert in this area.  They are going to want to come to you to make their purchases, because they are going to trust someone who really knows what they are doing.  

3.  Explain Who You Are

A blog is a great way for somebody to get to know you.  You can really explain who you are as a person, through your writing.  That's also why I like to do craft fairs, so you can talk with your potential customers.  When people feel like they know you, even if it's only through reading your posts, they are more likely to buy from you over other people in your niche.  

4.  Keep Current Customers 

Having a blog keeps your customers aware of what you have going on.  This way they won't be a one and done customer.  If they are following you on your blog, they will see all of your new products and be kept up to date with your business.

  

5.  Distinguish Your Business 

A blog will set you apart from everyone else in your niche.  Because of all the points I mentioned above, you will be ahead of the game when it comes to your homemade business.  Also, the more blog content you have, the better chance you'll have that you show up in search engine queries.  This again will boost the chances of getting seen and generating potential customers. 

Having a blog is a lot of work.  There is a lot of research and time that needs to be dedicated to starting one up.  Even after it's started, you still have to put a lot of work into it with creating new content, obtaining the right ad company and affiliates for your genre, and keeping up with comments.  Even so, I still highly suggest creating a blog if you have a handmade business.  Once you get the hang of it, it's fun, and is a great asset to your business.