What Percentage of your Blog is personal/business

[Former_Member]

My blog isn't always about business, although I guess it should be. What percentage of your Blog is business or tutorial, and what percentage is rant or personal? How do you decide what you are going to Blog?

http://queennmyownmind.blogspot.com

[Former_Member]

Good question. I'd love to hear what other say because mine is pretty new still and I'm trying to find the best balance for it. I'm shooting for 50/50. I want it to tell people about my shop, give useful tools (not sure if I'm going to do tutorials) to others, and also let them know a little bit about myself.

Tricia
http://HowSweeterItIs.blogspot.com

[memoriesforlifesb]

I started out doing only business and quickly found out that I liked blogs that mix in personal stuff as well...so I started doing the same.
I would say I'm doint 75% biz and 25% personal. People like to see the person behind the art :)

[fivesixteenths]

mine is probably 40% business & then a mixture of my life, tutorials, what i love, what inspires me...etc.

I try to throw in as much as I can to make the blog seem like a friend rather than a name dropper or self promoter.

I first started off blogging just to say heres whats for sale..but no one wants to read that. So I started just being myself & sharing what I would tell a friend.

good luck!

[Former_Member]

Mine is more personal than business. I think really in all my post I try to keep true to my voice as a writer and let my "personal" come through even when I'm writing about my "business" or featuring others.

[Former_Member]

I suppose it's about my life and that does include my many jobs.

[Former_Member]

Mine is basically all personal.

[Former_Member]

I guess I try to have a happy mix with my blog. I blog about my work and what inspires me, which is nature (so that means I show lots of photos) I will also show pics of me and my hubby and dogs sometimes. However, I don't blog about deeply personal stuff, I know some people do but I stay away from blogs like that as a reader and on the flip side, as a blogger, I don't want an excess of personal info about me out there. I don't feel people need to know when there is a death in my family or if I have surgery etc....etc....I keep that to myself....but that is just me.

Ruth

[Former_Member]

Mine is mostly personal with business mixed in. I usually just mention my shop along with whatever I'm posting but recently I did an all business post.

[Former_Member]

I started my blog to simply promote other shops (and include little stories about myself)...I've just re-invented my shop and am now wondering if I should do one posting on myself...but now I feel bad because I had promoted my blog as non-self promotion...(does that make sense).

NOt sure what to do...!

http://thehandcraftedcottage.blogspot.com

[Former_Member]

Mine is 99 percent business.

http://www.thepapermoonstudio.blogspot.com

[KaelMijoy]

Mine is only about 25% business and that's almost all tutorials. I started off wanting to promote my shop with it but then I had so much fun blogging that it seemed a shame to not share all of the other stuff I wanted to share. Now it's more for me than my shop...

Korrina
http://www.kaelmijoy.blogspot.com

[JNOriginals]

I think any blog can work if you keep in mind what your readers like to read. Likely they will not be interested if all you promote is yourself. Readers look for three things, not necessarily in this order: (1) useful information (tutorials, videos, links, etc., (2) entertainment (stories, photos, musings, etc.), and (3) connections (interactivity via polls, conversations, prompts, challenges).

[SensoryFelteds]

That's a great question. In the beginning I included family, but now it's about my art - I do include my dog, though. I post maybe once a week. I'm usually encouraged to post when I'm creating something - I like to show how it starts straight through to the finish. I have done one tutorial. I also like to use humor and I write like I would be talking to someone.

http://sensoryfelteds.blogspot.com/2011/02/our-best-wishes-bowl.html

[Former_Member]

My blog was created for my business. I always tend to have some latest happening with my business in my posts but try and tie that in with tutorials, or links to great shops I've found, etc. I try to keep personal stuff such as... "yay my 2 year old finally went potty on the potty chair" away from that particular blog =)

www.threelittlecrochethooks.blogspot.com

[Former_Member]

Mine is tightly targeted w/ a few personal stories thrown into the mix where it fits. I've turned into just buyer on Etsy so I don't really write about craft but I do enjoy reading & buying.

[Former_Member]

I do a post about my business maybe once every two weeks. It is a personal thing only because I hate reading blogs that are all about someone's etsy shop. I like to blog about other things and then when I do blog about my shop people usually are actually interested!

Just me though I think it is different for everyone, some people enjoy reading blogs all about someone's business...

[Former_Member]

I think most of us don't like to read blogs that read like an newpaper avertisement for their products. I do a little promoting, once in a while, but it is about what has inspired me to make what I have made. I write about creativity, featuring other Etsyian and artisans. I love promoting other shops! I was writing a story in my blog, bu t have recently moved my writting to another blog, featuring writing and writing exercises.

http://pruitthandcrafts.blogspot.com
http://atticReflections.blogspot.com

[Former_Member]

Hi,

Through my blogs I try to pass useful and relevant infomation to my readers.

http://theartinquirer.blogspot.com
http://mygourmetguide.blogspot.com

[Former_Member]

My blog mostly features new products in my Etsy store (journals, paintings, art prints).

On the personal side, I do have a pic of my Corgi, Duchess, smiling for the camera!

http://stevenjameskeathley.blogspot.com/

[Former_Member]

While my blog is primarily there as another promotion for my shop, I decided early on that it would be more...personal than other venues.

I would say it's a good 50-50 mix for me. Even when I'm promoting an item or showing a WIP, I hope that I'm doing it more as someone excited to show off the shiny new thing than a business owner trying to get sales. I mean, I'm both, but I'd like to leave the business-owner side on Facebook and Twitter.

[Former_Member]

A friend of mind just brought to my attention this article:

http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/content-pyramid/

I thought that others who posted in/read this thread might be interested in his philosophy!