How To Market Your Craft Blog!

Comment
I hate to tell you this, but if you don’t comment all over the place, then no one knows you are there. Yes, you’re posting away happily each day… but it’s not enough! Get out of your cosy little blogging-haze, and go visiting. See what other people are up to. A great way find good blogs to visit is to go to a quality blog, like Nikkishell’s or mine and work your way through their links. BUT don’t just say ‘good work’ or ‘nice photo’ – you really need to actually read the latest posts (at the very least) and comment thoughtfully. The more you comment about the place, the more other bloggers will say.. ‘Oh, there’s that Miss Banana-Bread (or whatever your blog name is) again. I must pop over to hers and see what she’s all about’.

It’s really important to have a cute picture uploaded to your profile. It’s a little thumbnail image – and coupled with a great blog name (and nice commenting), it will help other readers form their first impression of you. It will show up on most blogs each time you comment. So make it a nice image that will look good in teeny-tiny thumbnail size. If you are extra cute a photo of yourself is great, if you’re a bit crepe-y-around-the-thirty-something edges, you might want to take a photo of something you love and use that. Sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.

Blog Rolls
A lot of bloggers seem to agonise about getting onto other bloggers blog-rolls (it’s the list of links that shows on every page of their blog – you know, featuring all the writers favourite blogs). Blog rolls are an important part of getting people to click over to you – but you shouldn’t worry if you’re not making it to other people’s blog rolls. They probably don’t update their link list regularly, or they might only link to their buddies. So don’t fret if you’re not on many blog rolls. There are other ways of being popular in blog land. Like writing a good blog, for instance.

Having said that – several bloggers run regular meme’s (a meme is a day, week, month or even year of themed posts. Think ‘This is’ on Three Buttons ‘On My Desk’ at Kootoyoo or ‘The Friday Archive’s’ on Loobylu) Often if you join a meme, the lovely blogger who started the meme will link to you – either in the original post describing the meme them (which they will link back to often) or in their side-bar they may have a blog roll just for people who are joining their meme (like Angela does). This is a great way to get into a blog roll! BUT don’t just post along with their meme once, see your name go up in lights on their blog and then bugger off. If you say you are going to join the meme – try to contribute as regularly as you can. No one’s checking up, but it’s nice to honour your commitment, dontcha think? And its fun too! And it helps get you out there playing nicely with the other bloggers. They MAY even throw the ball to you!

NB – It is not nice manners to ask to be on someone’s blog roll. They will put you there if they want to.

Blogging Business Cards
Often, at the old Meet Me at Mikes Stitching Nights, halfway through the night everyone would whack out their Moo cards and swap blog details. If you’re going to devote your time and energy to building a good blog, then why not have a calling card you can give to friends, family, nice people you chat to in the library… and let them know how to find you. Moo is a wonderful site where you can print 100 cards for about $30US – and each card can hold a different image.. or you can make your cards all the same. They’ll print your image on one side and your contact details on the other. It’s a super cute, small, beautifully printed card – and it wings it’s way from the UK in no time at all – and they come in a nice box too. So if you’re serious about promoting your blog – get yourself a calling card. You can make it yourself, if you are so inclined, as long as it looks super good.

Memes
Memes are a good way of getting people to visit you often. If you want to start a meme, then there are a number of things you’ll need to consider. Firstly – does your meme already exist?! There are lots of meme’s going out there in blog land. In fact I’ve heard talk of meme-fatigue of late. So be sure that your meme is interesting, unique and positive. The theme of your meme should be open to interpretation in a number of ways – no point starting ‘Praying Mantis Party Thursday’ for instance – it’s too specific and exclusive. ‘I’m Going Outside….’ would be a better meme, with people posting their favourite images of outside (which might include praying mantises).