If you recall, I had some pretty valid reasons for even starting a blog for your Etsy shop. I truly do feel that it can make a huge difference in the success of your Etsy shop. Here’s a recap of why:
- Your business has a place of its own (off of Etsy)
- It gives you a way to really connect with your customers
- A blog can bring a large amount of traffic to your Etsy shop
- You’ll have a way to talk about other things, besides your products (which your customers will love!)
- It will give your business a professional image
- A blog can give your business “branding recognition”
If you don’t have a blog for your handmade business yet, I urge you to consider it. If you’re unsure of where to start, take a look at my post, “How to Start a Blog.” It has some simple steps to getting it up and running, and it’s very easy.
Things to write about on a blog for your Etsy shop
When you have your own blog for your business — no matter what kind of business — adding content is important. And if your blog is for the purpose of complementing your Etsy shop, then you have a huge variety of things that you can write about!
I suggest a mix of business and shop related posts, and also some fun, more personal posts.
Shop related posts
1. Your process
People who are interested in your products would most likely be interested in how you make them!
Write about the materials that you use, how you make certain things, and why you like certain materials. For example, if you crochet or knit and you love cashmere yarn (who doesn’t?!), write a post about that and tell your readers why.
This also gives you a chance to link to any items in your shop that are made from cashmere, which could easily lead to a sale — especially after you just told them why cashmere is so awesome!
Or, let’s say that you make jewelry and you really enjoy using Swarovski Crystals in your designs. Tell your readers why and then link to some of your pieces that have them.
That technique can work with just about any product. It makes your reader more informed about what you make, and that can make them more comfortable purchasing from you.
2. Where you find your inspiration
Your ideas come from somewhere, right?
Let your customers and readers know from where. Tell them what motivates you; what gets your attention; what makes you creative. Trust me — people love to know!
3. The benefits of your products
There are benefits to all of your products — I’m sure of it! Maybe they’re accessories that keep you, your children, or your family warm.
Maybe it’s artwork that adds elegance to someone’s home.
It could be something that will make an absolutely perfect gift.
The reasons could be endless. Let your readers know why your items are great, and how they will benefit from them.
4. New items that you’ll be adding to your shop
This is a FANTASTIC way to use a blog for your business. When you add new things to your Etsy shop, you want people to know. I’ll be the first to admit, getting those newer things seen on Etsy isn’t always the easiest. Not impossible, but not easy if you don’t have things set up just right.
To make the chances of getting those new listings seen by people, be sure to read my post, “How to Show Up in Etsy Search.” I’ve used those techniques for making a brand new item show up on page 1 of Etsy search!
Depending on how often you add new items to your shop (and it should be fairly often), you can plan these posts out to showcase more than one new item.
This type of blog post works especially well if you tend to add new items in groups or batches. Each time you have a few things to tell people about, write a post about them and share them with your readers.
5. Write a polling post
A “polling post” is simply a post where you ask your readers (and customers) a question. And they are extremely useful!
These types of posts are a great way to find out what your customers would like to see in your shop. Just ask them what they want, and they will tell you. Most importantly, follow through on as many of those ideas as you can! When you have your customers telling you what they want, the best thing you can do is to offer it to them.
You don’t only have to ask about products, either. You can ask about colors, customer service topics, or even what they’d like to read about on your blog. You might be surprised with what they’d like to hear you talk about!
6. Tell your story
This type of post can be very beneficial to your business because your readers and customers want to know about you. Share a little about yourself (don’t worry–you don’t have to get crazy personal!) so that they know who they’re doing business with.
There’s a lot to be said for making a professional connection with your customers, and it’s one of the main reasons that I suggest even having a blog. Let them know who you are and what you’re about, and they may feel more comfortable purchasing from you.
7. Customer appreciation and giveaways
People love these and it’s a great way to show your customers how much they mean to you!
Every once in a while, plan out a post where you tell your customers and readers that you appreciate them and include some sort of a prize or giveaway. It can be in the form of a discount, or a completely free item or product from your shop.
I’ve done many of these, and I know for a fact that my customers enjoy them a lot.
8. Announce sales, promotions, and events
Writing a post that announces any sort of sale, special promotions, or fun events in your shop is another way to inform your customers of what’s happening in your business. People love a deal or an interesting event, and it helps to keep them engaged in your business.
9. Behind the scenes
This is another topic that people seem to really enjoy! It’s interesting to see how and where things are made.
If you make art of any sort and have a studio, show it to your readers.
If you sell knit or crochet pieces, show your yarn stash. If you do woodworking, show your woodworking shop. Your readers will love it.
10. Seasonal posts
A lot of handmade businesses do some special things during each season or during the seasons that are most appropriate for their products. Some people release new “product lines” during certain seasons, which is always a good thing to share.
Besides Etsy shop and business-related posts for your blog, you can also add some more fun and personal content. Here are a few examples:
- A list of some of your favorite things
- What you enjoy doing on your days off
- Which books you’ve read recently
- Some of your favorite foods and recipes
- A fun DIY or craft project that you enjoy doing
This is just a small sample of ideas for these types of posts — the options are limitless.
And even though you might be thinking that your readers might not care all that much about some of those little things, that couldn’t be further from the truth (for most people).
So, there you go! You have a great jumping-off point for your new blog. And, as you’ve heard me say before, I honestly feel that it would be incredibly beneficial to your Etsy shop and handmade business.
If you have any questions about getting started, or what to do next, please just ask me. I’m always happy to help. :-)
Best,
Tammy
