Want to communicate effectively with your website visitors and customers so they buy more often? Read this before starting a gift basket blog.
Five insightful questions
When you’ve been blogging about gift baskets as long as I have (at least 15 years), you tend to forget that other designers (yes, you!) may not be doing the same but want to blog.
Is that what’s happening with you now — thinking about starting a gift basket blog but are wondering:
- Is this the right time?
- What will I write?
- Is it possible to run out of topics?
- What if I get bored and stop?
- Are there possibilities to make mistakes?
Let’s go over answers to the above questions.
Blog rules 101
This is the right time to blog if you recognize blogging as part of marketing, a topic covered at length in another article. Marketing is the essential reason for a blog. It helps to tell your business’s story so prospects become customers.
You have lots of writing options. Write about what you see at trade shows that will soon be found in your gift baskets. Customers’ comments are another blog topic. You can also explain points about your website’s frequently-asked questions page.
Thinking that you’ll run out of things to say on your blog is similar to thinking that you will run out of gift basket design ideas. That won’t happen, right? Be ready to dig into your research file to uncover more topics.
You may not get bored with your blog, but you might allow a weakness in writing every week to overwhelm you. Stop that problem in its tracks when you and I review your marketing plan. I show lots of designers how to write so easily that they smile and shake their heads, wondering why they thought writing a blog was hard.
The big mistake that comes to mind about blogging is having excitement for it but not planning at least six months of content. It’s important to write down a list of 24 topics at a minimum to develop your writing habit.
Blogging extends your reach
As mentioned, a blog is part of your marketing plan. It also expands promotions in other areas to reach your audience in a variety of ways.
Blog topics can be re-stated as a:
- Video
- Podcast
- Instagram photo
- Pinterest visual
- Postcard mailer
- Newsletter feature
You have a vision for gift basket designing. Blogging allows you to expand your marketing vision, and that sells more of your designs to a wider audience.
Final tips as you read this before starting a gift basket blog
If you have a website, you also have access to start a blog. Your website’s host will either have a frequently-asked questions instructional, or you will contact support to learn how to create it. If someone else built the site for you, my hope is that the person can also assist you with creating your blog.
Your first step is to read my advice again before you commit. Starting a blog and ending it within a month is not beneficial. Spend your time on another part of marketing, one that consistently encourages orders.
If you notify customers about your blog and don’t continue with it, they will feel cheated. That customer belief may have them think you’re not committed to your business, and that could close your doors for good.
You can start a blog on your own, or you can have me show you the easy way how when I review your marketing plan. You’ll find it to be as easy as gift basket designing.
What reasons not mentioned here are keeping you from launching a blog?
