Blog Challenge – Learn Blogging Techniques

HandmadeMarketing.org reader Tara Gentile, from HandmadeInPA.net, is announcing the HiP blog challenge.  Tara says the challenge is for those “looking to make your blog a little HiPper, or at least make it reflect your business and gain readership.”

Tara will have different topics each Saturday in April on her website.  Readers will learn everything from “blogging your brand” to search engine optimization (SEO) teachniques.  “Each post will have both basic and more advanced tips, and a small homework assignment to take back to your blog,” Tara says.

Our team wondered why Tara decide to start the series. “While running the marketing for a separate Etsy shop,” Tara said, “I had the opportunity to read up on the technical matters of running a blog and marketing a creative business. When it comes down to it, this is my “craft.” So I started the series to help those people in the creative community who would rather concentrate on creating instead of learning about code, social media, and search engine optimization!”

We asked Tara what she feels is lacking in the blog community.  Tara replied, “I think the blog community is amazing! And the full-time bloggers are lacking nothing. The great thing about the blog community is that where one blog may be lacking, another blog will pop up to fulfill that niche. That’s been the key to Handmade in PA.net for me. It would be difficult compete with the major design/handmade blogs in for a piece of their own pie – so I baked my own pie and decided to concentrate on building a community around shopping locally.”  Wonderful work Tara!

Tara thinks blogs created by handmade sellers may need some extra attention.  “Etsy sellers’ blogs do suffer, often, from a lack of attention. And rightly so! If sellers spent the amount of time that I do on their blogs each day, they’d have no time to create. If you are creating, you aren’t going to be making any money! Most need to work on consistent branding between their shop, blog, & other social media. Sellers also need to concentrate on a way to make regular posts that further their creative mission. But I’ll cover more of that in the series!”

Tara’s blogging challenge series kicks off on Saturday, April 4.  We can’t wait to share Tara’s wonderful tips with our readers.