Chapter 7

Handmade Blogging Essentials

I have been blogging for over three years in the handmade scene. I recently just hit the 3.5-million-page view mark for all my combined blogs. And when I started, I didn't even know what the word blog meant.

Actually, if it weren't for my wife, Christina, I never would have started. One day, she said, “You should start a blog.” I really did not know what a blog was, and it seemed silly to me. I started my blog, and now my blog is one of my top sources of traffic that drives people to my Etsy shop. I never thought that would happen!

Blogging has changed my Etsy business because it's allowed me to connect with so many different people from all walks of life and places from around the world. Blogging isn't just about making sales; it's about creating a dialogue with your readers and customers—a dialogue that will hopefully turn into some sort of a relationship. Relationships will lead to sales and even repeat customers.

Blogging is a powerful tool because it allows you to reflect yourself in a digital world. Think of your blog as your online home. Just like when you invite someone to your home, having someone stop by your blog is very similar.

The ultimate goal is to get each person involved in a conversation and keep them coming back for more. To create conversation, you need to be consistently writing about the things that both you and your audience are interested in. Your blog is about you and your readers. Without readers, you just have words written on a web page that no one will see.

Essentials for Blogging in the Handmade Scene

1. Time Commitment

Here is the bottom line. If you are looking to create a blog that is going to help your online business grow, you are going to have to invest some time. I'm not talking about the time it takes to tweak your blog to make it look good with banners, colors, and widgets. The time you are going to invest is in writing your posts as often as possible. We can talk about all the ways to gain more traffic to your blog (and I will), but if you are not consistently writing three to four times per week, your readers are going to lose interest. For Etsy sellers, posting more than that may be counterproductive. There are other areas of your business you need to focus on. Keep this in mind: you cannot publish a post two days in a row and then skip a week—your readers are looking for your posts and are interested in what you have to say and offer. Think about the blogs you read. If they stop writing for a week, how fast would you drop them from your list? Would you wonder what was going on? Would you forget about that blog?

Putting in the time commitment to create a body of work will also help your blog stand out in the blogosphere and beyond. The handmade scene is growing at a fast pace, which means the number of blogs popping up is increasing, too. Publishing posts on a consistent basis will ensure that your blog will stand out. This will also give you the opportunity to start becoming an authority in your niche.

Blogging consistently will allow Google and other search engines to find your blog. Search engines love blogs. They are content-filled and get ranked high in the search engines—that is, of course, with the proper SEO and keyword placement.

Being consistent also proves to your readers that you are in this for the long haul, which provides reader stickability! This means if you stick around, your readers will, too.

So, at the end of the day, to head down the path toward a successful blog, you have to be committed to writing consistently.

Here are some examples of topics to write about as a handmade blogger:

1. Talk about your own products. This is your blog, so talk about your own products. You can talk about new items you have listed, and new products you are working on for the future.

2. How-tos. Show your readers how to make something you make. This is one of the most effective posts to write to gain traffic to your blog. A how-to article can quickly turn into a pillar article that will stay around for a long time. Pillar articles stand the test of time, meaning their content is relevant now and in the future. Just like the keyword research you have done for your Etsy shop, you can do the same to find out what how-tos and tutorials are being searched for the most on Google.

3. Feature other artists. This is a great place to create a reoccurring article series. The features that you do should stick with the overall theme of your products. If you are selling crocheted items, then feature other crochet artists. This is a great opportunity to turn your weekly features into a place where your readers get excited and have to leave a comment to be featured.

4. Host giveaways.

5. Scheduled events. For example, Wordless Wednesdays, Top 10 Mondays, etc.

6. Write reviews. Review another product, shop, or blog.

7. Interviews. Interview artists and have them answer your most burning questions about their business/shop/blog.

8. Links. Link to other blogs, sites, artists—anything your readers will find interesting.

9. Lists. Create lists of favorites, reasons, mistakes, top 10 lists, and questions and answers.

10. Critiques. Critique others’ blogs, shops, and items.

11. Upcoming local art and craft shows.

12. Art/craft shows you attended.

Blog topic ideas from the top bloggers in the handmade and design scene include:

2. Where to Blog—Why Blogger/Blogspot Is a Good Choice for Etsy Sellers

There are many places where you can start your blog, but the blog platform that I have chosen is Blogger.com. It is very user friendly. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned blogger, it has a lot to offer. For Etsy sellers, Blogger is perfect because it has a low learning curve, and the time spent learning how to use it is minimal.

Starting your your blog on Blogger is simple. To get started, head over to Blogger.com. You will notice that you can with sign in with your Google account, if you have one. If you don't have a Google account, just click on the big orange button that says “Create a Blog.”

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This is where you are going to name your blog and give it an address. Make sure your title and your address (URL) match. You can check the availability of your address by clicking the blue text under the box where you type your address.

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When you're starting a blog, you want to be sure to pick a name that flows with your other online venues. For example, my main blog, Timothyadamdesigns, fits with all my other sites.

Another important thing to look for when starting a blog is whether the name is available. The name you want to pick may be available through the blog provider, but you have to check the domain or dot-com. To do this, just go to Godaddy.com or any domain name site. If the dot-com is available you, you may want to snatch it up—this will help in the promotion and branding of your blog.

The next setup in branding your blog is to create a banner that is the same across the board. Again, if you look at my blog and my selling venues, my banner is the same on my blog, Etsy shop, and my web site. This creates a familiar feel for your customers and readers.

3. Promote Your Blog and Get the Word Out for Free

Here is a list of free things that I do to promote my blog.

Twitter

I promote my blog on Twitter. I post links to my pillar articles, features, and blog events like the Top Ten Mondays and so on. The key to posting your newest blog article on Twitter is to make your tweet interactive. Ask your followers if they like the post or what was their favorite part of the article. If you featured multiple artists, ask which one they found most interesting.

Facebook

I will post important relevant articles in the Etsy groups and fan pages on Facebook. I will also find other relevant fan pages to post my articles on. If you are writing about fashion, there are many fashion groups and fan pages that you can join and share your links. Along with posting on other groups and fan pages, make sure you are posting on your own pages. If you have a group, you can send a message, just like an e-mail to your fans. If you have a fan page, you can send an update. There is very little difference between the two, and both are effective in reaching your fans. You can also set up and have your blog RSS feed directly linked to your Facebook fan page, so every time you post a new article, it automatically gets sent to your wall. I like to do this on my own. It gives more flexibility in the timing of everything. If I write a blog post at midnight, as I often do, I really don't want that posted on my Facebook page just yet. I want to wait until the next morning, when more people will see the post.

Networking Sites and Forums

Networking sites and forums are a great place to spark up conversations about your newly posted articles. Not only will more people see your posts, but you are also building valuable backlinks to your blog, which Google will like! Backlinks help your blog move up in the Google search. Some networking sites even have a place where you can have a blog. It is a good idea to post your articles there, but you have to be careful. Google does not like duplicate information, so I suggest just posting a short blurb about your post and leaving a link back to your original article on your blog.

4. Building a Community on Your Blog

Building a community on your blog is extremely important to keeping readers and generating traffic. Blogs are the perfect place to build social proof. What is social proof? Here is what Wiki has to say about it:

Social proof, also known as informational social influence, is a psychological phenomenon that occurs in ambiguous social situations when people are unable to determine the appropriate mode of behavior. Making the assumption that surrounding people possess more knowledge about the situation, they will deem the behavior of others as appropriate or better informed. Since observation of others usually provides only inconclusive information about what behavior is most profitable, the term “informational social influence” is superior. Social influence in general can lead to conformity of large groups of individuals in either correct or mistaken choices, a phenomenon sometimes referred to as herd behavior. Although informational social influence at least in part reflects a rational motive to take into account the information of others, formal analysis shows that it can cause people to converge too quickly upon a single choice, so that decisions of even large groups of individuals may reflect very little information.

Think of social proof like this: When you are at a craft show either selling of just buying and you see a booth that is crowded with people, do you wonder what everyone is looking at? Does the crowd make you want to go see what that seller has to offer? It works the same way with a blog. When readers see large comment numbers, they want to know what everyone is talking about. Within these posts you can even start to see conversations start to happen. One reader agrees or disagrees with another, and the cycle of conversation begins.

Following is a list of how you can build community on your blog. Create posts that prompt your readers to leave comments. As a reader, seeing a post that has many comments can draw you in to see what everyone is talking about. Make sure you interact with your readers.

Community-Building Post Ideas

Giveaways.

Hosting a giveaway that makes your readers leave a comment is a very effective way to gain comments and community. Having a post with hundreds of comments can build social proof.

Quick giveaway walk-through: There are two types of giveaways you can run. The first is one for your own items. This is always a good idea because you are promoting your own shop. This second is a giveaway for another seller's item. This is also a good idea because you are harnessing the promoting reach of another seller. The best-case scenario is to hold a giveaway with one of your items, and items from multiple sellers. Either way, you want to pick items that your readers are going to be interested in. Give away your best stuff. My giveaways have been most successful when I give away my most popular items. You want your readers and participators to be excited to win. When they are excited to win the prize, they are willing to jump through some hoops for you.

Why hold a giveaway on your blog, and why give away your items? Giveaways start a buzz and get people talking. They send traffic your way that normally may not be there. Holding a giveaway can get your items in front of more eyes in a shorter period of time than most other methods. Giving away your best stuff can result in more traffic, and more customers. If you want to increase your sales you have to get people to visit your shop and see your items.

Getting the most out of your giveaway is important. Yes you will generate traffic to your blog but you also want people to visit your Etsy shop. Remember; get those eyes on your items. The most effective way to get people in your Etsy shop from a giveaway is to require a few things from your participators. This is where the giveaway traffic cycle begins!

Giveaway Traffic Cycle

1. You want to build some social proof on your blog. Comments are the best and fastest way to get this done. Right off the bat, require your participators to leave a comment on the giveaway post on your blog.

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2. Let's get those people into your Etsy shop. The easiest way is to make the comment they leave be about your shop. Ask them to go visit your shop and pick out their favorite item and leave a comment, telling why they like the item, along with a link to your item. This does two things for you. First, it generates awesome traffic for your Etsy shop; and second, it gives visitors to your blog some links to click on that lead to your shop. Think about this: if Sue is going on and on about one of my necklaces in the comments, then most likely others will want to check out what she is talking about. The giveaway traffic cycle has started.

3. You want to spread the word about your giveaway—right? Why not have your participators do it for you? For requirement 2, have them share your giveaway post on Facebook, Twitter, or even their own blog. You have to give them some options, because not everyone is set up with these sites.

4. Here is where you want your participants to subscribe to your newsletter or RSS feed. Your readers are on your blog for a reason: they are reading your content, and in this case they are there to participate in a giveaway. The best way to let your readers know that you are posting new content is to provide them a place to subscribe. This can be done through an RSS feed or through a newsletter.

RSS Feed.

Your readers can subscribe to your RSS feed and have it e-mailed directly to them every time you post an update. The following is Wiki's description of RSS:

RSS (abbreviation for Really Simple Syndication) is a family of Web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video-in a standardized format. An RSS document (which is called a “feed,” “web feed,” or “channel”) includes full or summarized text, plus metadata such as publishing dates and authorship. Web feeds benefit publishers by letting them syndicate content automatically. They benefit readers who want to subscribe to timely updates from favored web sites or to aggregate feeds from many sites into one place.

I like to use FeedBurner for my RSS feed. It has loads of great stats and features—and it is free!

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Creating a Newsletter/Mailing List and Harnessing Its Power.

Having a newsletter for your readers to subscribe to is a very essential part of running a successful blog. With a newsletter, you can keep your readers and customers up to date with your newest products, sales, and blog posts.

The fastest way to build a mailing list is to host a giveaway. If you have your readers sign up for your mailing list to enter your giveaway, this will build your list quickly. Bravenet offers a limited free e-mail system that will allow to start growing your e-mail list.

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Interviews.

Interview top sellers, bloggers, or artists in your niche. Interviews are interesting and give a little peek into another artist's life. Make sure to add a few fun questions to your interview, such as “What are your three favorite movies?” or “What's your favorite snack?” Pick people that are interesting to you, and it will reflect in the quality of questions. The more you are invested in the interview, the better quality it will be, and your interviewee and readers will enjoy it more.

Critiques.

Critiques of items, blogs, or other Etsy shops can bring in the readers as well. People like to hear the opinion of others.

I ran a series of critiques on my blog where I would buy an item from an Etsy shop. I asked my readers to leave a link to their shops in the comments in a setup post about a week before I picked the item I was going to buy. Giving yourself a week allows you to spread the word about your upcoming critique and gives your readers and others a chance to post their shop. On these setup posts, you want to tell your readers what you are doing and how they can submit their shop. It's simple and effective social proof building. Once you pick the winning shop, buy the item and let your readers know who the lucky seller was. You can even post a picture and a link to the item. In my item critique series, I did a short video review. I got footage of the packaging and the item itself. You don't have to do a video, but pictures are a must. Pictures show your readers that you are actually following through with a real-life critique. This instills confidence in them the next time an item critique opens up on your blog.

Item critiques do three things for your blog: First, they give you an automatic three posts. Remember, post consistency is important! Second, your readers will start to see you as an authority figure in your niche. Third, they can bring in traffic and consistent readers.

Features.

Featuring items and shops will also prompt your readers to leave comments. These types of posts will also prompt the sellers you featured to share your post. They are excited to be featured, and they will share the news.

Scheduled Events.

Scheduled events will help your readers remember to come back on those certain times and days. These events can be your giveaways, features, critiques, or just a certain series you post every Friday morning, for example.

20 Tips for Handmade Blogging Success

1. Be interesting. Make sure you keep your readers’ attention with new and fresh info—but be yourself!

2. Get your point across. The coolest, newest-looking blog and your grammar and spelling mean nothing if you're not getting your point across.

3. Keep your steam. When you build up some steam, keep it going—press on.

4. Keywords. Find out what your readers want to know about, and write about that.

5. Track your stats. Keeping tabs on your stats will show you what techniques are working.

6. Celebrate successes. Talk about your own success, and your readers will celebrate with you.

7. Ask questions. Learn from questions asked.

8. Poll your readers. Ask them questions they can weigh in on.

9. Comment. Leave comments on other blogs and answer comments on your own blog.

10. It's not about you. Your blog is about your readers.

11. Keep on tweaking. Keep things fresh and new.

12. Be different. You have to stand out in the crowd, so do something different.

13. Interview. Look for other bloggers and artists.

14. Guest blog. Find other blogs to guest blog on.

15. Take on guest bloggers. Open your blog to other bloggers.

16. Never lose your passion. Make your blog your passion, not a chore.

17. Use Twitter. Connect and learn from others.

18. Be consistent. Post five to six times per week.

19. Be committed. You know what I mean!

20. Have fun. If you are not having fun, it's not worth it. Find out how to bring the fun back!

Commonly Asked Questions

How much time do you spend blogging?

I spend about two hours every day strictly blogging. I have two blogs active right now.

Why do you use Blogger (blogspot)?

I use Blogger because it is where I started my blog and I am familiar with it. It is free and very user friendly. There are endless possibilities with the HTML code. There are also tons of great free templates you can download to make your blog unique.

Why do you blog?

I blog to help grow my online business and my online presence. The more you have out there, the better chance someone will find you and your product. I also blog because I love giving back to the Etsy community.

Do you make money from blogging?

Yes, through ads and sponsors. But that doesn't happen right away. You have to work at it and build reader traffic before you gain advertising.

Do you make direct sales from your blog?

Yes, I have confirmed direct sales from my blog. As far as numbers are concerned, it is very difficult to tell, but my traffic from my blog to my Etsy shop is tracked with Google Analytics.

Top Blogger Interviews

Bonnie Forkner, goinghometoroost.com

Tell us a little about yourself.

Hello, lovelies! My name is Bonnie, and though I was born and raised in the Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina, the hub and I just relocated to Colorado. Wherever I am, I love to roost, which to me means nesting in my home and doing the things that I love.

Why did you start blogging?

The easiest answer? Because I'm always doing a project and then on to the next creative endeavor, and I longed to share them with others in the handmade community.

Where does your inspiration come from when writing articles?

Everywhere! I turn to other blogs, books, magazines, nature, and all of my surroundings. I keep my camera or a notebook with me at all times so that I can log what inspires me. I keep what I call “style files” and refer to them anytime I need a little inspiration pick-me-up.

Who taught you or how did you learn the technical (design, setup, etc.) side to blogging?

Ha ha, I'm not sure that I ever learned! Much self-research and trial and error has been the major source of info for me. I've always hired out help for the design of my blog, but have learned how to tweak things along the way.

How do you build a community around your blog?

I stay true and loyal to my readers, and everything that I do is for them. I write honestly, ask questions, and always try to stay engaged and personable.

How has social media like Twitter and Facebook helped your blog grow?

Oh my, they have helped so much! Some of my larger sources for traffic are from them both. When I started, I had no clue how to use them, but as I have grown and really gotten to know how they are most beneficial, they seem to be major facets of going home to roost.

Any specific tips you have for newbie bloggers who want to make it in the blogosphere?

As I sorta mentioned before, stay true to yourself and write from an honest place. Don't be so concerned with the numbers, but just with being who you are and making connections.

What is one thing you do that drives the most traffic to your blog?

Most certainly, social media!

Name 10 blog post ideas for a blogger in the handmade scene.

Oooh, how fun!

1. Write a tutorial on a craft.

2. Give a crafty book review.

3. Post a photo log of a recent trip you took, maybe to a handmade storefront.

4. Show how to do a do-it-yourself (DIY) project.

5. Show before-and-after pictures.

6. Do a trend roundup of handmade items.

7. Feature other handmade-inspired blogs.

8. Share some of what inspires you.

9. Share your workspace with them.

10. Interview a handmade artist.

How has your blog helped your Etsy shops?

Oh, I would say it's helped from the start. I started both my shops and my blog at the same time, so they have grown and supported each other the whole time!

Name three web sites you couldn't live without.

1. Etsy, of course!

2. Scoutie girl

3. Design∗Sponge

Top Blogger Interviews

Design∗Sponge

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Grace Bonney. I'm 28; live in Brooklyn, New York; and run a design blog called Design∗Sponge. I'm an obsessive fabric collector, flea marketer, and lover of all things food related.

How did you become interested in design/decorating?

Trading Spaces. Genevieve Gorder's work on the show back in 2000–2002 really influenced me and made me want to design my own furniture and decorate my dorm room. It sort of exploded from there, and I ended up changing my major to fine art and absorbing as much design history information as possible at school.

Why did you start blogging?

For two reasons. First, I wasn't sure how to find my way to my dream job (magazine writing) and my boyfriend (now my husband) suggested I start a blog as a way to get comfortable with my own voice and establish an online portfolio in hopes of submitting it to a magazine one day. I also really needed an outlet to talk about the things I loved. I wasn't seeing the design I liked on TV or in magazines, so I wanted to talk about the things I cared about anywhere I could—and hopefully find a few people who felt the same way.

Where does your inspiration come from when writing articles?

I'm sure most bloggers say this, but everywhere. Online, design shows, student fairs, walks around the city, travel—anything can inspire a post. Usually, what grabs me is a pattern, a color, or a composition that makes me do a double-take. That's almost always grounds for a post.

Who taught you or how did you learn the technical (design, setup, etc.) side to blogging?

I learned the basics from Blogger.com. I set up a free blog there back in 2004 and learned my way around basic HTML by looking at the “HTML” version of the post after I'd written it in the “visual” version. I would compare back and forth until I understood how links, font choices, and spacing worked in code form. I've since gone on to hire different people with designing custom templates, managing our servers, etc. That sort of thing is way beyond my scope of knowledge.

How did you build a community around your blog?

It grew naturally. There weren't many blogs around when I started in 2004, so I think I really lucked out to be in the right place at the right time with the right content. There was no Domino magazine or 200 design blogs to choose from. We were all looking for something that spoke to us, and I was fortunate to catch on to that early community; it's grown organically from there. I don't do outreach or press releases, etc. I really believe in letting something grown at its own speed. We've definitely gotten bumps from press stories, but the best—and most lasting—traffic comes from word-of-mouth.

Any specific tips you have for newbie bloggers who want to make it in the blogosphere?

Sure! Focus on finding your unique voice—what makes you you? What interests you that's different from other people? Grab onto that kernel of difference and uniqueness and focus on making that shine on your blog. The easiest way to stand out in a pack is to say or do something different, so focus on finding out what separates you from other people and really work to make that angle the focus of your blog. People always want to hear/read something new and different.

Name three web sites you couldn't live without.

MattBites.com (I love food—it's my other big passion, and Matt is the best food photographer around. And he has such a wonderful, relatable, and genuine voice.)

GoFugYourself.com (I love catty celebrity clothing gossip, and Heather and Jessica have a wonderful writing style.)

Ohjoy.blogs.com (Joy was the first blog I started following religiously and is one of the few I still do. She has really found her voice, style, and niche and does it beautifully.)

What are your three favorite Etsy shops and why?

I don't have favorite Etsy shops—they change and pop up so quickly that it's hard to pick just three. I really love artists like Diana Fayt, Alyssa Ettinger, and Karin Eriksson—they all sell their ceramics online at Etsy.

Where do you see your blog in 10 years?

Ten years? Oh man, that's an eternity in blog years. My gut reaction is “on the moon,” which is clearly laughable, but that's how hard it is to predict web futures. The blog changes so much from year to year, it's impossible for me to predict what it will look like, and if it will even still be in the same form. I'll be close to 40 in 10 years (yikes), so I hope that I've found a way to keep the site feeling fresh and new for me—because if I'm not excited about what I'm doing, I tend to move on. So, hopefully, the site will still be kicking if I've found a way to make it feel fun still.

Top Blogger Interviews

Amy, www.pikaland.com

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Amy Ng, and I'm an art and illustration blogger based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I was an architecture and design magazine editor when I started the Pikaland blog, but I was originally trained as a landscape architect. My love for books prompted me to go into publishing—and it's still an industry that I love, although I now do everything online!

Why did you start blogging?

The blog was started about two years ago, when I found that I was posting on more links to illustrators on my personal blog as I was trying to find my own voice as one. So I set up Pikaland so that I could dedicate my love of illustration and focus on collaborating with artists (because I love organizing and the idea of collaborating!) The site has now evolved to become a place where I connect illustrators with their audience!

Where does your inspiration come from when writing articles?

I usually post articles about new and emerging illustrators and artists, but I also love writing about issues that artists are facing. Subjects like creativity, plagiarism, and thinking out of the box are my favorite topics, as are book reviews that I do periodically on the blog.

Who taught you or how did you learn the technical (design, setup, etc.) side to blogging?

It's all self-taught! Down to the design and coding of the blog. I started by reading up on HTML and CSS, and also used the Textpattern content management system (CMS) to run my web site. They have a great community to help each other out and I've been a loyal user since 2004.

How do you build a community around your blog?

A lot of it is organic growth. I collaborate with artists by inviting them to participate in Pikaland projects. One project, called the PikaPackage Project, is a swap for artists that also functions as a collaborative marketing tool. Another is the Good to Know project, where artists, illustrators, and designers send in advice on certain topics that I compile in a zine.

How have social media like Twitter and Facebook helped your blog grow?

Twitter and Facebook have helped me reach my audience faster. I get a lot of submissions and also announcements via e-mail, and there's no way that I could fit all that into the blog. So I've decided that some contents are best shared through my Facebook page (http://facebook.com/pikapikaland), where it will also stream through Twitter. Dissemination of information happens faster that way and is best to convey messages that are time sensitive. This in turn has helped my blog readership grow, as I leverage different social media sites to convey different information suited for that particular platform.

Any specific tips you have for newbie bloggers who want to make it in the blogosphere?

I think the most important is to enjoy yourself. Starting and maintaining a blog is a time-consuming affair. But if you enjoy the subject matter and love participating in a dialogue with your audience, then it's something you should explore. Focusing on a niche subject also helps tremendously. Just be aware that you might not reap the rewards until very much later!

What is one thing you do that drives the most traffic to your blog?

I don't think there is exactly one thing that drives the most traffic to my blog, but rather a collective effort that pays out in the end. Writing articles about my points on creativity and issues that go along with it usually brings a lot of readers to the post, but it's also the whole experience when they're there that makes them want to see more.

Name three web sites you couldn't live without.

1. Etsy.com: A lot of artists use this as a starting point to share their art!

2. Facebook.com: I like to use my Pikaland page to connect with my readers!

3. ffffound.com: I get a lot of inspiration from all the images I see!

Top Blogger Interviews

Cuteable

Where does your inspiration come from when writing articles?

Goodness—it can literally be from anywhere! My children, believe it or not, are a big inspiration. I listen in on their conversations and find things related to fairies, pirates, or whatever they are talking about or drawing. I also like to browse Etsy and Folksy looking for things that might spark off an idea for a post—do the same with Flickr. I also get lots of e-mails from people wanting to share their cute handmade items and some of those can easily give me ideas.

Who taught you or how did you learn the technical (design, setup, etc.) side to blogging?

Luckily, the previous owner of Cuteable (we bought it in January 2008) gave me a step-by-step guide to how to use WordPress, as I was only familiar with Blogger. Also, Matt, my husband, is technically minded, so I always ask him if things go wrong/when I need changes made. Luckily, they haven't gone wrong for a while now (touches wood).

How did you build a community around your blog?

I regularly tweet about Cuteable—both about what I have written and sometimes, if inspiration isn't striking, I ask for suggestions about what to blog about. Cuteable on Twitter. I also have a Flickr group where people can add photographs, etc., and I try and visit the Etsy and Folksy forums when I can. Also, I always let the people who have been featured know that they have been featured so that they can pass on the word about Cuteable. Word-of-mouth, really!

Any specific tips you have for newbie bloggers who want to make it in the blogosphere?

Blog regularly—even if that is only once a week. People forget about you if you don't! And be yourself—no one will read a blog if they think you are being phony.

Name three web sites you couldn't live without.

1. Twitter: I'm nearly up to 10,000 tweets on there. Who says I talk too much!

2. Crafts Forum: This has been an invaluable forum to me; lots of advice about crafting and genuinely nice people. I should state that I am a moderator on there!

3. Oodles of blogs: I really can't name them all as I will be here forever, but I love reading about what people have made.

What are your three favorite Etsy shops, and why?

Ooooh, I am going to cheat a little here and have six favorite shops—three from Etsy and three from Folksy. I hope you don't mind!

1. Ric Rac: Just because she makes gorgeous things and is very inventive!

2. Tweed Plush: Because her things are beautifully well made and she is staying close to her roots by using Harris Tweed.

3. PearsonMaron: Take a look and you will see why!

4. CirquedeChaussettes: Quirky and cute circus creatures made from socks! Very well-made with lovely details.

5. LeighShepherdDesigns: Leigh uses fabulous images in her work and is lovely too.

6. Strangelord: Fabulously strange and quirky collages—they are brilliant!

Where do you see your blog in 10 years?

Hopefully, continuing to find gorgeous handmade items that I can share with my readers. Ideally, though, with a few more guest posts, so I can have a little time off!

Top Blogger Interviews

Handmade Evolution

Tell us a little about yourself. What is your Etsy story?

I started out on Etsy as a buyer, and it wasn't until I started volunteering at www.justwork.ca that handmade really took on a new, more special meaning for me. I set up an Etsy shop for them, Justwork, and really got hooked on the Etsy experience as a result. I love posters and origami art, so from there I decided I should start my own shop, Field Trip, where I sell typography posters.

Why did you start blogging?

I think it's been in me for a long time. I started my first “magazine” in grade 5, and since I was 13 or so I've been known to spend all my spare money on magazines and books. Then, this fall, I took the leap and started www.handmadeevolution.com.

Where does your inspiration come from when writing articles?

First and foremost from all the talented artists and designers in the handmade sphere. I'm constantly blown away by their skills and creativity.

Who taught you or how did you learn the technical (design, setup, etc.) side to blogging?

I've been working as a self-taught freelance web and graphic designer for four or so years now, so blogging came fairly easily. My recommendation for someone just starting out would be to get a couple of great books and to try to learn a new skill or two a week. That's what's worked the best for me.

How did you build a community around your blog?

Twitter is the number one way I feel connected to the larger blogging community. Once you get into it, it's a lot of fun!

How does your blog help your Etsy business?

I think by blogging on a daily basis I stay inspired, and it helps me to feel like I'm part of the larger handmade community—which in turn makes me want to create new, better items for my shop.

Any specific tips you have for newbie bloggers who want to make it in the blogosphere?

Not sure that I've “made it” personally! Going with it is realizing that I have something unique to contribute—my own tastes, views and values. What we do as bloggers is important, especially as members of the handmade community. We have an opportunity to influence the culture that surrounds us to think differently about our consumption of material goods and what that means.

Name three web sites you couldn't live without.

1. Youtube.com: Their favorites feature is awesome. Great music keeps me motivated big time.

2. Wikipedia.org: How can you not love it?

3. Scoutiegirl.com: In Tara I've found my e-doppelganger. While our blogs are very different, we share so many similarities in terms of vision and personal history—right down to having the same college major and being Virgos. Her site inspires me time and time again.

What are your three favorite Etsy shops and why?

1. Irene Suchocki: Her work is stunning and so pretty, yet always tells a story. I have a few prints up next to my desk.

2. Paper Leaves: I just discovered this shop recently, and I am a huge fan of not only Kristen's work, but also her outlook and sense of life purpose.

3. Hine: The best place to get a really cute iPhone case from the sweetest Etsian. Her shop is often only partially stocked, so you have to get items before they sell out.

Top Blogger Interviews

Design Milk

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Jaime Derringer, and I am a 30-something blogger/writer/editor/publisher/consultant/artist/designer from New Jersey. I live with my husband, Jordan, and two awesome dogs, Beans and Lulu. We are looking for a house right now. Fun times.

How did you become interested in design/decorating?

I worked my way through college by selling retail furniture. Most customers purchase sofas and chairs, and I just loved helping them mix and match fabrics, place and arrange furniture, measure for their room, etc. I've always been kind of “artsy” and creative, but did not go to school for design. It was a nice outlet, and thus began my love affair with décor.

Why did you start blogging?

I had some personal blogs and an online magazine back in the day, you know, when LiveJournal and Friendster were the social networking web sites. I've wanted to start and run a magazine since I was in grade school and enjoyed writing stories and poems and experimenting. It was a natural progression, especially after I realized how expensive and time consuming magazines were. I knew I could handle a blog all by myself!

Where does your inspiration come from when writing articles?

Mostly from submissions—people send me things left and right. It's pretty overwhelming, and sometimes I feel like there isn't enough time in the day to post about all the amazing things I see. Before I began to get submissions, my blog was primarily me finding cool stuff I liked on the Internet and just posting it as a “note to self.” It was a creative outlet that I desperately needed at the time.

Who taught you or how did you learn the technical (design, setup, etc.) side to blogging?

In 2001, I decided I had better teach myself HTML and how to build a web site because I saw where things were headed. I was in the publishing business, which was way behind many other businesses when it came to using the Internet. I eventually learned how to work WordPress and other types of management systems quite well. I still do pretty much everything for my web site (with some help from my tech-savvy brother) from layout and design to ad management. I'm kind of a control freak.

How did you build a community around your blog?

I have no idea. I got lucky. Right time, right place? If you build it, they will come? I don't know, but I am so very thankful. I have such great readers, and I am glad they've stuck with me.

I love that you have your blog split in to three sections—Art, Design, and Dog. How did you pick those three sections?

These are my three favorite passions right now, so for me, it was a no-brainer. I have other ideas, but I don't feel the passion and drive for them, so they are not worth my time. I'll only go for the things I feel in my gut and I know I will be able to throw myself into 100 percent. Otherwise, it's not worth it to me.

Any specific tips you have for newbie bloggers who want to make it in the blogosphere?

Be yourself. Don't try to be successful or fake. People will see through you immediately. Talk about what you're passionate about.

Be original. Don't copy another person's idea. Instead, go into a niche where you think there is a real viable need for content. This is what I did with Dog Milk, and the response has been great.

Stick with it and be regular and relevant. Don't quit after a few months if you don't see hundreds of subscribers. Regular and relevant posting will increase reader loyalty. Be patient—becoming successful takes time. I spent three years blogging before I quit my day job to blog full time.

Name three web sites you couldn't live without.

This changes each day, but today it is NOTCOT, Google Reader, and Stat Counter. The last two seem sad, but a lot of my web use is related to work these days! Twitter is also a big one, but I don't actually visit the Twitter web site. I use TweetDeck.

Where do you see your blog in 10 years?

Will blogging even still exist in 10 years? Who knows? We'll just adapt to whatever comes along. Hopefully, we'll still be here in some form or another trying to inspire people and bring them great content.

Top Blogger Interviews

Scoutie Girl

Tell us a little about yourself.

I'm an entrepreneur, a thinker, a mama, and a wife. Right now, my life consists of blogging, microbusiness strategy, digital publishing, and lots of time spent with either a Moleskine or a camera in hand.

Why did you start blogging?

I first started blogging in college. I was a geek and needed an outlet. It wasn't enough to write essays for class; I needed to succumb the whole Internet to it as well. I was immediately hooked and found the money in my nearly nonexistent bank account to purchase all the bells and whistles Xanga had to offer. Unfortunately, some rather odd decisions led to my giving up blogging for about five years. Of course, the whole medium changed fundamentally in that time. When I picked it back up, it was because I was at home with my brand new baby girl and wanted to keep it that way. Again, I needed an outlet, but this time I also need to earn some money. I saw other people making a living at blogging and started a slow but steady march toward that goal.

Where does your inspiration come from when writing articles?

My inspiration comes from all sorts of places. I don't write your typical “how to” or “three ways to blah blah blah” blog. So my inspiration comes from more varied places. I listen to a lot of NPR (National Public Radio), I read a lot of varied news sources, I ingest the thinking of other bloggers—though rarely in my niche. I think back to my college days, and I constantly mine my own life experiences for ideas and revelations.

Who taught you or how did you learn the technical (design, setup, etc.) side to blogging?

I learned the technical side of blogging and web design from the prestigious Internet State University. No, seriously, I'm completely self-taught and self-figured-out. I learn how to do new stuff every day. And I constantly allow myself to be challenged so that I am forced to procure new skills and techniques. It would be easy to be satisfied with my level of knowledge—I've achieved quite a bit. But I constantly want to know how to do things better. All the tools are out there. You can choose to find them and synthesize them, or you can choose to pay someone to help you. Either way is viable as long as you realize there is great value to be invested in both.

How do you build a community around your blog?

Building a community around my blog was difficult. Scoutie Girl had a great reputation before I took the helm in July 2009. However, I had very little vision beyond being a handmade and design blog. As my blogging style matured and my goals for my business grew, I learned that I had to distinguish myself in a very fundamental way. And I learned that I was different in a very fundamental way from the rest of the craft and design blogosphere. So I learned to magnify the differences that already existed: I would write posts that were stories, I would write soapbox articles, I would write funny posts, etc. Soon I learned that the blog had changed and that people were hungry for more of the unique offerings I had. A community was born. Finding out what made me unique and magnifying it really solidified my community. It gave them something to get excited about and latch on to. And it gave me a real opportunity to involve them in the narrative of the blog. I think that's something pretty unique to Scoutie Girl and something I'm very proud of.

How have social media like Twitter and Facebook helped your blog grow?

Well, as a terrifically introverted person, social media allows me the opportunity to be the person I always want to be but never can muster in social situations. And it turns out, people really like that person! Social media has helped me grow my influence tremendously. It's also helped me reach out to peers, colleagues, and mentors to facilitate my growth. Without that platform, I would probably still be working retail.

Any specific tips you have for newbie bloggers who want to make it in the blogosphere?

Find your focus. Don't try to copy what others are doing, even in the most well-meaning way. Look at their techniques and their methods, sure, but then do your own thing. Once you've figured out your unique focus, magnify it.

Don't worry about alienating people or creating content that “everyone” might not like. If you are the best you you can be, the right people will stick around. But while the right people might stick around, you do have to go out and find them. Introduce yourself, spread your content around, share your ideas, make friends. Don't be afraid to get some readers.

Finally, get yourself “a list” from the very beginning. Think you're not big enough to have an e-mail mailing list? Think again. Your list is the single most important asset your business has. Sign up with an e-mail provider like Mail Chimp or Aweber, create a list, post a form, and start collecting names. Then, don't be afraid to actually send e-mails to your list—it's a natural and powerful extension of blogging.

What is one thing you do that drives the most traffic to your blog?

Guest posting. A great guest post on a major blog can net hundreds of new subscribers and thousands of page views. A recent post on Design∗Sponge boosted my traffic by about 2,000 page views in one day and continues to send me traffic, as do my other major guest posts.

Name 10 blog post ideas for a blogger in the handmade scene.

Come on—don't you have tougher questions than this? Just kidding! How about instead of concrete ideas, I give you my foolproof and ridiculously easy method for coming up with blog posts.

First, grab a friend. It should be a pretty good friend who doesn't mind listening to you geek out a bit. Your husband or wife is probably not a good fit for this! Next, have them ask you about what it is that you blog about. Start slow. Maybe just a basic question or two. Answer directly. Then start rambling. As your rambling progresses, go into full on geeking out. Create catch phrases, coin witty aphorisms about your niche. As you're talking, have your friend write down everything that sounds like a blog post—anything that needs clarification, or that you get really excited about, or that you start to rant about, or that just sounds cool. Take those notes and pick out some blog post titles. You'll have more than enough to get you through a couple of months of blogging.

Why should Etsy sellers blog?

Anyone running a business online needs a web site. And blogs make killer web sites. And Etsy sellers should never once delude themselves into thinking that what they have is not a business. Etsy sellers need to blog to build good links back to their shop, to maximize their keywords, to make friends, to form alliances, to document their process, to share what inspires them. Although I'm sure things will eventually change—really, am I sure?—blogging is kind of a perfect 21st-century art form. It allows you to dig deeper into your art and yourself while also providing a wealth of technical benefits to a business owner.

Name three web sites you couldn't live without.

OK, this one's hard because, unlike a lot of people, I don't have a daily Internet routine. I don't have a set of web sites I must read before anything else happens. Right now, my web sites I couldn't live without include Chris Guillebeau's The Art of Non-Conformity (http://chrisguillebeau.com), Seth Godin's blog (http://sethgodin.typepad.com), and, of course, Etsy.

Top Blogger Interviews

Design for Mankind

Tell us a little about yourself.

Let's see. I'm originally from a small town in Indiana, then moved to Los Angeles shortly after graduating university. Six years later and I'm back in Indiana, living close to my family. I'm a family girl all the way! Other than that, I love pickles, cheese, and coffee (not necessarily together) and read anything I can get my hands on. Total bookworm.

How did you become interested in design/decorating?

I've always been very into decorating, but never really surrounded myself with the right community to foster that sort of love. This sounds crazy, but I always considered home design to be more vanity than anything else—why does it matter how your home looks? But the more I study it, the more I realize that it makes a tremendous impact on your life. When your space is clean, organized, and surrounded by items you love, you're happier. So, to answer your question, I'm sort of a self-taught design junkie. I know what I love (which is a lot of different styles!) and simply like to share those things. I consider my love for design as less of a curator/writer and more of a design ambassador—shouting to the rooftops about good design, with plenty of enthusiasm!

Why did you start blogging?

I think the same reason most people started blogging—I needed the creative stimulation, a way to categorize my finds and an outlet in which to explore my community.

Where does your inspiration come from when writing articles?

Oh gracious, everywhere. I wrote an article last week about chalkboard paint because I ran into an old elementary school teacher of mine. I think as a writer, it's key to keep your brain open and present at all times. You really never know what you're going to fall into.

Who taught you or how did you learn the technical (design, setup, etc.) side to blogging?

Oh, I'm fairly blogging illiterate. I taught myself Blogger in like 2003 or something (I've always kept a personal blog for as long as I can remember) and then sort of learned as I went. When it came time to change servers due to traffic issues, I switched to WordPress with the help of a fantastic programmer (Hi, Rob!).

How did you build a community around your blog?

I really threw myself into my blog at the beginning—commenting, making friends, building content. I released a monthly magazine that turned out to be pretty successful, and I think a lot of my readers stuck around because of my dedication to sharing design. I think it always helps to infuse personality into your blog. To this date, the posts that gain the most traffic are ones where I'm a bit more vulnerable and/or personal than the others. Sure, it's a design blog, but essentially, readers are there to sneak a peek at someone else's perspective. Never be afraid of your perspective.

Any specific tips you have for newbie bloggers who want to make it in the blogosphere?

I think blogging is such a saturated market these days that you really have to stand out to make it work. Spend some time thinking about what you're bringing to the table, what you'll do differently, and perhaps even establish an editorial calendar that works for you. Of course, you can't take blogging too seriously, but it does help to approach your work with some level of commitment.

Name three web sites you couldn't live without.

Oooh, I'll always be a die-hard fan of Flickr.com, and I'd be lying if I didn't say Gmail was my saving grace. Beyond that, I love my friend Jeff's web site, Booooooom.com (he's got an eye for all things awesome), and I can't live without KIOSK, my favorite New York shop's site.

What are your three favorite Etsy shops and why?

Hmm, I don't shop Etsy a lot (I'm not much of a spender!), but I do love visiting and seeing new work from my e-friends: The Small Object, Thief and Bandit, and NinaInvorm.

Where do you see your blog in 10 years?

Oh, dear, I have no idea. Will blogging even be around in 10 years? I hope so. Regardless, I always like to think of my blog as a catalyst for other opportunities. I'd love to finally publish my book, or perhaps re-release Mankind Mag in some form. I have a lot of various dreams, but the best part of them is that they sort of revolve around my blog in some fashion. I have so, so much to thank for Design for Mankind and the readers that support the site.

Top Blogger Interviews

Amanda and Jen, Kind Over Matter

Tell us a little about the both of you.

Amanda: Well, I'm one half of the Kind Over Matter team, and I live in western Pennsylvania, where I am a mama to my two-and-a-half-year-old son, Zenin, and we have another little light soon to make his appearance. I am a crafter, poet, lover, and run Pretty Messes and Verve Bath Press, a micropress that publishes handmade chapbooks. I am the author of several of poetry chapbooks including Love Notes and Bloodlines. You can connect with me through other social media outlets here, but Facebook is the best place to find me.

Jenn: I'm the other half of our dynamic duo. I live in northern Virginia and work for a nonprofit in D.C. doing all things social media and multimedia related. I'm a photographer and writer, alternating between telling stories with photographs and words. I like to help people find the positive in the neutral or negative. Yoga, chai lattes, and sunshine make my heart go pitty-pat, and I think snuggles from my kitten make the world go ‘round. The best places to find me are Facebook and Flickr.

How did you become interested in the handmade scene?

Amanda: For as long as I can remember, there has always been handmade goodness surrounding me, be it by my mom or grandmothers. All of them have been involved in crocheting, cake decorating, ceramics, jewelry making, sewing, knitting, gardening, so I guess it was the next natural step for me. When I joined Etsy in 2006 I never looked back. I love everything about the handmade scene, the community, the quality of goods, all of it.

Jenn: I found Etsy, I think, through Amanda, and I just fell in love with it. I really like supporting independent artists. I like that pretty much everything on Etsy is handmade, everything is so unique.

Why did you start blogging?

Amanda: I've been blogging for years, via LiveJournal and then Blogger as a personal outlet, a way to express myself and connect with like-minded individuals. Kind Over Matter was something that Jenn and I hardly planned out. I had made some printable cards for Card Drops to put in my shop, passed them along to Jenn, and she suggested we started a Flickr Pool—then that blossomed into a blog very quickly. The response has been so totally amazing and we are so grateful for our readers, their comments and encouragement! Working with Jenn has been so, so awesome, too. I can't think of anyone else that I'd rather work with on Kind Over Matter—we just click so well, very fluid and lax, we are very lucky! Blogging is all about connection and finding and providing inspiration for me.

Jenn: Ha ha ha ha. All of my friends had blogs in college, and I started blogging because it looked like so much fun! One thing led to another and I started a journal on LiveJournal, had one for years, and then moved to Blogger not that long ago. I really like using blogs because it lets me connect with people that I would never have met otherwise. I like sharing parts of my story to let people know that they aren't alone in this wonderful messy life.

Where does your inspiration come from when writing articles?

Jenn: Other artists, creatives, and bloggers. Kind Over Matter is very image heavy, and we often feature artwork that is positive and uplifting, blogs, projects, products that we come across that push us to live better or make us feel good.

Who taught you or how did you learn the technical (design, setup, etc) side to blogging?

Amanda: I'm a self-taught blogger. My dad does web design on the side, and I've had a few friends that have tinkered in it, so I've had some influence from them, but mostly I've taught myself how to maneuver HTML, etc. Same goes for graphic design—many hours spent learning Photoshop, which I adore! I am by no means an expert, though, and I am learning new things all the time.

Jenn: I've taken some classes here and there—HTML, Photoshop, things like that, but mostly, I taught myself how to do things. There were (so!) many happy accidents along the way with layouts and such. I pored over HTML tutorials, and when all else failed, I peppered my friends with questions; because they love me, they helped me tidy stuff up. Oh, how they love me.

How did you build a community around your blog?

Jenn: It's challenging to build a community; it's hard when you're just starting out. We spent a lot of time basically putting ourselves, this blog, this concept, out there—through Twitter, Facebook, Etsy, connecting with other bloggers, doing collaboration projects. When people e-mailed us, we e-mailed them back; if they left comments, we'd respond. We put our faces and names so readers would see that we're real. We made things personal and intimate, I think, and that's really the only way I know how to make a community. You have to be open and be willing to be open.

Any specific tips you have for newbie handmade bloggers who want to use their blog to grow their handmade business?

Amanda: I think updating daily, maybe even numerous times a day, is something that helps a lot. Find blogs/bloggers that are focusing on the same thing you are and connect with them; you can do that by joining an Etsy Team, too. Read and comment on other blogs. Offer tutorials, freebies, giveaways, make it fun! Just be you—you can't go wrong when you do that. Oh, oh! Patience is key; don't give up and don't be afraid to change or go in a different direction when something isn't working for you.

Name three web sites you couldn't live without.

Jenn: Facebook, Flickr, and Etsy.

What are your three favorite Etsy shops, and why?

Amanda: What a tough question—I have so many! Jessica Swift's shop: Her artwork is such a huge inspiration to me. Toadstool Soaps: Cheryl has been my soap dealer for years. You must try her Pink Candy and Sugar Cookie soaps—yum! Hydra Heart: I've been dying for a pair of her Keyhole Flats for ages—someday!

Jenn: Ooooh, so hard to choose. Definitely vol25—I love Jess's art; it's so pretty. Lunasa Designs—Rebekah's jewelry is simply amazing! And Jennifer Morris Photo—her photographs are so whimsical and light, they all make me swoon!

Where do you see your blog in 10 years?

Jenn: Ummm, well, we know it will still be on the Internet?! Ha ha ha! No, really, hopefully blogs will still be around and inspiring people. A decade is a really long time in blog years, though, so we'll see what becomes of Kind Over Matter. Hopefully, it will grow over the years. It could morph into something completely different—who knows! We really haven't thought that far ahead but we like to dream big, so watch out!

Top Blogger Interviews

Mallory: Missmalaprop.com

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Mallory Whitfield, and I live in New Orleans, Louisiana. I run an online shop and blog known as Miss Malaprop, both of which are dedicated to my handmade and eco-friendly finds.

Why did you start blogging?

I've actually been blogging since 2001 with a personal blog on LiveJournal.com, but I started my blog at Miss Malaprop in 2006 as a way to share my favorite indie artists and handmade finds. I started Miss Malaprop just a year after Hurricane Katrina, and I wanted a place to spotlight the positive things that were happening in my community at the time. I also planned even from the beginning to eventually build up my site to include an online store and a brick-and-mortar retail boutique. (I've made it to the online store—still working my way toward a full boutique!)

Where does your inspiration come from when writing articles?

Anywhere and everywhere. Sometimes I'm lucky, and I have a lot of artists who find me on their own and contact me to let me know about their work. So that's easy. Sometimes I have some idea in mind and I search for handmade goods that fit a certain theme. Lately, I've been trying to think about things that have always inspired me, like certain movies or musicians, and how I can incorporate the world of handmade with those inspirations.

Who taught you or how did you learn the technical (design, setup, etc.) side to blogging?

I learned a lot of basic HTML during my days using LiveJournal. When I first started, there were a few basic themes, and I saw people tweaking them to make them look differently, so I played around and figured out how to make the themes bigger, smaller, different colors. When I moved over to WordPress to create Miss Malaprop, I understood some of the fundamentals and just kept experimenting. When in doubt, a Google search usually answers most of my questions.

How do you build a community around your blog?

I think the very nature of my blog, where I try to promote other artists and designers, lends itself to building a community. When I feature someone, I always try to let them know that I've done so. They'll often comment and continue to follow what I do. I also try to comment and follow as many other blogs as possible. When people come to me with questions, I try to help as much as possible, and give back.

How have social media like Twitter and Facebook helped your blog grow?

Twitter and Facebook have made it easier to connect with fellow bloggers as well as fans on another level. It's easier to keep the conversation going and share links to posts and web sites I like. It's created extra ways to get in touch with bloggers and media—as an artist, you can create a casual conversation with a blogger or journalist via Twitter or Facebook without the pressure of writing a full introductory e-mail. Once you've broken the ice through social media, it's easier to reach out to people and then connect on a deeper level and collaborate.

Any specific tips you have for newbie bloggers who want to make it in the blogosphere?

Be humble and try to learn as much as possible, especially in your first year or so. It's gotten to the point recently where it seems like a lot of newbie bloggers expect to have huge traffic or make money from their blogs immediately. It just doesn't happen, unless you're super lucky. Almost any blogger with a huge following who makes a living from their blog worked their butt off to get to that point. Be gracious and try to make genuine connections with other bloggers—link back to them, comment on their blogs, and offer to write guest posts.

What is one thing you do that drives the most traffic to your blog?

My main source of traffic is from Google search, so I highly recommend educating yourself in SEO (search engine optimization) basics. I run my blog on WordPress and use the Thesis theme, which are both optimized for search already, but every little bit helps. Also, I try to pay attention to which search terms generate the most traffic to my site, and create more content based on those themes.

Name 10 blog post ideas for a blogger in the handmade scene.

  • Your favorite recipes/pictures of your homecooked meals
  • Craft tutorials or before-and-after projects
  • A photo tour of your studio or workspace
  • Pictures from a local craft fair or boutique you've visited
  • A story about how you got started making things
  • Pictures and the story behind your latest creations
  • Craft show or crafty business tips

Tell us a little about your indie shop.

My shop features handmade work by a variety of artists. Currently, about a third of the artists I work with are local and live in either southern Louisiana or southern Mississippi. I've got handmade jewelry, accessories, soap, art, cards, and more. I'm always adding new stuff, and I try to keep it fresh. My aesthetic is clean and modern but still fun and colorful. I work with a lot of artists that embody that spirit as well.

Name three web sites you couldn't live without.

Gmail, Facebook, and Etsy.

Top Blogger Interview Sum-up

Inspiration for writing blog posts can come from anywhere. Movies, music, artists, cool finds around the web, submissions, design shows, student fairs, walks around the city, travel, color, and patterns can all inspire blog posts. Erin, the editor of Design for Mankind says, “I think as a writer, it's key to keep your brain open and present at all times. You really never know what you're going to fall into.”

20 Tips Expanded

1. Be Interesting

Make sure you keep your readers’ attention with new and fresh info—but be yourself! Having a blog means you have a voice in the niche you are in. As a handmade blogger, we have a voice in the handmade scene. What is the handmade scene? It just means the community of people that are sellers and buyers of handmade items. There are hundreds of thousands of sellers on Etsy alone that make up the handmade scene/community. One of the things that helped jump-start my blog is to start featuring other artists from the handmade community. But I featured artists that interested me. There is no point in spending time writing a blog post about someone's art or handmade items just to get traffic if you they don't interest you. I started featuring other metal artists and furniture designers from Etsy. Stay true to yourself and your readers will come.

2. Get Your Point Across

The coolest, newest-looking blog and your grammar and spelling mean nothing if you're not getting your point across. Have a purpose and stick to it. Find a pattern so your readers will have something to look forward to every week. Make them want to come back for more. You won't be able to get your point across if you have no direction.

3. Keep Your Steam

When you build up some steam, keep it going—press on. Here is the deal about blogging: If you are not consistent, your traffic and readers will leave. When you start to build up some steam, stick with it—run with it. The new Handmadeology blog started on August 4, 2010. I am the head editor with eight writers. There are over 400 articles written. Handmadeology hit 23,000 unique visitors and 56,000 page views in its first 30 days. This didn't happen because I was lazy and got lucky. No, I built the steam and it is rolling, and as long as I keep at it, it will keep rolling.

4. Keywords

Find out what your readers want to know about, and write about that. Keywords should be the core of your blog. If you research what your audience wants to read about and what is hot in your niche you should write about that. But like I said before, don't stray away from what you are passionate about. Just because you find some keywords that are super hot, don't just write about it if you are just looking for traffic. This lack of passion will show in your writing.

So how do you find strong key words? The first step you should take is to analyze your blog. The best way to analyze your blog to see what your keywords are now is to use the free tool provided on www.webmaster-toolkit.com.

Here is the Keyword Analysis tool. As you can see in the figure, all you have to do is enter your blog URL and hit the “Analyze Keywords.” Here is a list of 553 keywords that the tool found that I have been using. Not all of these are good, and not all will bring in traffic.

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5. Track Your Stats

Keeping tabs on your stats will show you what techniques are working. Tracking your views on your blog is just as important as having stat tracking for your Etsy shop. Analytics are great because it can teach you exactly where you traffic sources are coming from, the sites that are linking to your blog, and a lot of demographics about your readers. This allows you to specifically target exactly what people like with your blogging messages. I like to use two forms of stat tracking so I can compare. The first is Google Analytics, which is in-depth and super powerful. The second is Stat Counter.com. This site is also free and provides a ton of great info.

Here is a tip for Google Analytics.

Time Trends on Your Blog

Do you want to know what time of day your blog is receiving the most traffic? Google Analytics can provide that information for you. If you already have a Google Analytics account set up and your site is already loaded, just follow these steps!

1. Go to your Dashboard for the site you want to view stats for. I have chosen my Etsy shop as the example, but this works exactly the same for your blog. Find the Visitors tab pointed out by the BIG arrow in the figure!

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2. After clicking on the Visitors tab, look below for the Visitor Trending tab. This will bring up the Visitors graph and some different graph options.

3. Next, find and click the Visits option.

4. Next, slide over to the right-hand side of your page. You will notice a nifty little clock. Click it and your graph will change to the time trends!

5. Below your time trend graph, you will see a bar graph. This shows you exactly what time you are getting the most traffic to your site.

6. Celebrate Successes

Talk about your own success and your readers will celebrate with you. Your readers want to know when you have achieved something, whether it be a goal you reached or even being featured on a local TV show like I was a few years back. The handmade community loves to celebrate success with each other so don't be afraid to let your readers know.

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7. Ask Questions

Learn from questions asked.

8. Poll Your Readers

Ask your readers questions they can weigh in on. Numbers 7 and 8 go together. There are different ways to interact with your readers. One is to ask questions right in a blog post. If you are posting a new item that you just created, show pictures and a little about your process, and ask a question at the end. Ask your readers what they think about your new item. This can help build social proof.

I have found that running polls on your blog will bring in great traffic. You can gain new readers just by posting a poll and promoting it a little on Twitter, Facebook, or even in the Etsy Forum.

9. Comment

Leave comments on other blogs and answer comments on your own blog. Visiting other blogs and leaving comments can really help build an awareness of your blog.

Tara from Scoutie Girl says:

But one thing that never fails is writing an awesome comment. Not a “that's great!” or “those are beautiful!” kind of comment, but a comment that adds to my post. If all I do is write or curate beautiful posts, my blog is less than it could be. When you add to the conversation, when you bring something to the table that wasn't there before, you make my blog better. A lot better. I keep this in mind when I comment on blogs, too. And I think it works. Even if I don't get a link, I'm much more likely to get a new friend, someone who will be interested in me as a person and someone who will be there when I need a favor. That's community building in the blogosphere.

10. It's Not about You

Your blog is about your readers. Wait! I did say that your blog should be about what you like and what you are passionate about. There is a fine line there that you have to discover. You have to know what your readers want to know and read about. Ask them questions about your blog. Ask them what they want to see next. Give them options that you like and let them pick from the list. I run a poll on one of my fan pages that asks what you want to know more about. This is a great way to find out what your readers are looking for!

11. Keep on Tweaking

Keep things fresh and new. Make sure you are up on the latest in the blogging world. Be sure you are keeping thing up to date.

12. Be Different

You have to stand out in the crowd, so do something different. Look at what other bloggers are doing and come up with something different. Use that creative mind!

13. Interview

Look for other bloggers and artists. Interviews are a great way to provide killer content and at the same time build traffic. When you interview other people, whether it be a fellow artist or even a big time seller on Etsy, you will gain traffic. People are interested in the process of an artist. Take the Etsy featured artist, for example. When you interview someone in the handmade community, they will promote and send traffic to your blog. They are excited and they want they friends, buyers, and followers to see where they are featured. The more you give back, the more others will be interested in interviewing you.

14. Guest Blog

Another way to start growing readership on your blog is to guest blog on other blogs. This may sound strange, but if you are writing on a more popular blog and writing good-quality posts, then the readers will want to check out your blog to see what is happening in your world. Look for blogs with more traffic and more readers. You will also want to make sure the blogs you are looking at fit with your writing style and niche.

15. Take on Guest Bloggers

One great way to add more content to your blog is to take on guest bloggers. Put the word out that you are looking for a few guest bloggers. Guest bloggers are great because they already have a readership, and when they guest write for you, they will spread the word. Make sure you spell out what exactly you need from writers and explain to them the direction of your blog.

16. Monetize your Blog—Make Daily Income from Your Blog

The easiest way to make a little income from your blog is using ProjectWonderful.com. Project Wonderful is an online advertising broker with an innovative model that brings fairness, transparency, and profitability to the advertising process. The first step is to create an account and load an ad. Once you have this done, you are ready to start an ad campaign. I suggest that you get familiar with running some ads on PW before you start to add them to your blog.

PW Question and Answer

Q. HelenesDreams—I keep getting e-mails that I am outbid here or there, and I find that I honestly do not have time to log in and mess around with trying to place bids every single day. Is there a way to defeat this? I need affordable advertising, but this one-cent thing starts to feel like a game of some sort.

A. TimothyAdamDesigns—Using the campaign option of PW is a great way to set it and forget it. If you follow the basic steps outlined in the video, you will not have to worry about placing bids every day. When you are using the campaign option, the annoying e-mails won't be sent. I recommend trying a campaign. You can always cancel it if you think it is not being effective.

Q. beadifulbaublesSC—Is there a number as far as averages go that connects views to purchases through PW? Because some say they get 500+ views per day, but views does not always equal sales.

A. TimothyAdamDesigns—Oh, wouldn't that be nice. We have no way to track direct sales from PW. Until Etsy starts providing us with those types of shop stats, we are in the dark about a ton of great info. Google Analytics can tell you a great deal of information, but not exactly where a sale came from.

Q. JessicaC—My question would be how many actual targeted views should I be expected to get?

A. TimothyAdamDesigns—With the campaign system, you are targeting a specific target audience. If you sell soap, you won't want to advertise on a car site—well, maybe you would; those guys are dirty! You get what I mean—when you can target your audience, take advantage and DO IT!

Q. bobnstitch—How do I know it is working and worth the money?

A. TimothyAdamDesigns—With the powerful stats that PW provides, you will know every 30 minutes if your ads are worth it. You may not know if the views are turning into sales in the short term, but track your ad campaigns long term and you will notice the difference.

Q. Waterrose—I would be curious to know if buying for just a couple of days gets results. I'm thinking that running a campaign for a couple of months, since the costs are usually pretty low, makes the most sense.

A. TimothyAdamDesigns—I like to run ads for about a week. That way, I am spreading my ads out over a broad spectrum. I have seen great results in running campaigns for only a few days.

Q. TheBrassHussy—I'd like to know your opinion on the value of a $0.01 click, versus a $1.00 click.

A. TimothyAdamDesigns—I have advertised on sites ranging from free to $15 per day. I have found that the best bang for your buck is running campaigns on the lower-priced ads. Sure, you can get lots of page views for the $15 ads, but that still does not guarantee the clicks, so why not diversify over hundreds of sites.

Q. bondagetea—What type of graphics work best as ads? Animated? Text only? Text + picture? Picture only? Should we advertise our shop (using our logo, avatar, something recognizable as representing the creator or online presence as a whole) or specific products? Does it depend on where we advertise?

A. TimothyAdamDesigns The animated ads are the best and most effective. With an animated gif ad, you can display more than one pic! I would advertise your entire shop or a section in your shop. If you are using a single product, when it sells, the page will no longer be there. When you are using your entire shop or section, the page will never change.

17. Use Twitter and Facebook

Connect and learn from others and drive traffic to your blog. Using Twitter and Facebook to drive traffic to your blog is the most effective for me. The first step to using Twitter to promote your blog is to add a “Retweet” button to all of your posts. The greatest thing about Facebook is its viral nature. When one person sees something that they like, they can share that, and so on and so on. This makes links so much more powerful on Facebook. Be sure when people comment on a wall post that you comment back. You will begin to create a community!

18. Be Consistent

Post five to six times per week.

19. Be Committed

You know what I mean! Here is the bottom line. If you are looking to create a blog that is going to help your online business grow, you are going to have to invest some time. I not talking about the time it takes to tweak your blog to make it look good, with banners, colors, and widgets. The time you are going to invest is in writing your posts as often as possible. We can talk about all the ways to gain more traffic to your blog, but if you are not consistently writing five to six times per week, your readers are going to lose interest. You cannot publish a post two days in a row and skip a week—your readers are looking for your posts and are interested in what you have to say and offer. Think about the blogs you read. If they stopped writing for a week, how fast would you drop them from your list?

Putting in the time commitment to create a body of work will also help your blog stand out in the blogosphere and beyond. This will allow Google and other search engines to find your blog—and this will also prove to your readers that you are in this for the long haul, which provides stickability!

So, at the end of the day, to head down the path toward a successful blog, you have to be committed to writing consistently. The number of handmade blogs is growing at an insane pace, so you have to stand out!

20. Have Fun

If you are not having fun, it's not worth it. Find out how to bring the fun back!