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Hot Seat: Choosing an Angle for Your Blog

Lesson 12 from: Blogging to Sell Your Products

Megan Auman

Hot Seat: Choosing an Angle for Your Blog

Lesson 12 from: Blogging to Sell Your Products

Megan Auman

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Lesson Info

12. Hot Seat: Choosing an Angle for Your Blog

Lesson Info

Hot Seat: Choosing an Angle for Your Blog

This si what we're figuring out. So tell us who you are and what you do. My name's Annette Thomason. I own a jewelry business on Etsy. And my jewelry is: silver, stones, copper, some enameling. And it has a very strong nature based aesthetic. Okay, so what is your approach going to be? My approach is going to be, See, that's like, um? So that's like are you doing lifestyle or are you doing How-to-- Oh gottcha. Lifestyle. Okay, so we're doing Lifestyle. Yeah I've been thinking more of a Lifestyle, Occasional How-to's, but more of a Lifestyle blog. Okay. So lifestyle, some How-To. Alright and then what topics are you going to be, Should be generally, big-bucket topics. Big-Bucket is going to be Nature and the Outdoors because it inspires-- Okay. So much of my jewelry. And travel 'cause I love to travel. I've been all over the world. And also a bit of Food and Drink and Healthy Living just because I feel like my ideal customer would be interested in that. Okay. K...

inda, as if, you're into Outdoors and Hiking you're into, you know, Healthy Living and stuff. So um, Food and Drink. Healthy Living. So, here is the one thing, that I want you to think just a little bit about. Is that all of them? Yes Okay. Is that none of these tie very directly to your jewelry. Yes. So is there one kind of, Big-Bucket topic idea you could see relating? I-- Or do you at least even see yourself blogging about your jewelry? Well the Nature would be a big one because Okay I'd like to have some of my profits going to nature organizations-- Okay. Environmental organizations. Okay and so when you kinda talk about nature, what kinds of things are you thinking, about? Just about places to go: The Natural World; national parks I've gone to. hikes that I've taken-- Okay. That kind of thing. So this is kinda definitely like together. Yeah. Like, it's Travel as related to Nature and Outdoors. Okay. And then what do your aesthetic is going to be? I was thinking more of a clean and clean but rugged, kind of a natural aesthetic. You know, just Simple; I don't want anything, you know, nothing too cluttered. Or, you know, frilly. (chuckles) Clean. Rugged. Like a little bit minimal, no, no frills. Yeah. Okay. And then what's your tone going to be? It's gong to be upbeat and inspiring. Conversational, 'cause that's just like how I like to write. And direct, you know? Like you say or honest. Right. You know. Direct. Conversational, alright. And then what about your sustainability strategy? For me this is all stuff that I'm interested in-- Okay. And have my whole life. So it's pretty easy for me to write about those things just because, it's what I do. You know, my off times. If I'm not making jewelry, you know, I'm out hiking and looking for inspiration. That's kind of thing. Okay. So um, okay. So I think that makes sense. So the one concern I have in kind of hearing you talk? Is I hear, like, a lot about you, and it feels like: A, still not quite enough connection to your product. But B, you haven't really givin' me a compelling reason why this is what your ideal costumer is interested in. From what I've seen of my customers, you know, they're all over the country, but I get, I do get lots of sales from like Alaska. And you know, the West. Okay. So I think the people that buy from me, tend to like the same things that you know, I enjoy doing. So I guess my ideal customer is going to be into those kinds. Obviously Nature and the Outdoors-- Okay. Because of my aesthetic. Okay. Okay, so I would like to see you maybe, like ditch this a little bit. Okay. Just cause that one feels like the biggest stretch. Yeah. Um, and like, this to me, is sort of a question mark in that like, it's doesn't feel, like maybe, it's going to fit with this like upbeat/inspiring.` If feels like' maybe it's a little bit-- Yeah Could get a little bit like Yeah Preachy. Like, if your customer's interested in these things, this sort of happens naturally without being, needing to be instructed on Healthy Living-- Gotcha. And things like that. Okay So this one, I feel like, is a little bit more of a question mark. So then my challenge to you. Which is in thinking about your topics. Is to think about Really, how you're going to, kind of, be direct in sending people to your product-- Mm-hmm-- When your talking about these categories. Yes. And we can look at this more in the next segment. When we get into, like, Direct Product Posts versus In-Direct Product Posts. But this is where I still, I want this. (Annette chuckling) Because this is what you make? Yes. I want Jewelry to be listed, for you, as a topic that you write about. Yeah-- So that you remember to write abour your own product. (both chuckling) I know, yes, that's-- 'Cause, I think that's what your missing. So in the next segment we're gonna talk more about different type of posts that relate directly to your product. But I want to make sure this is actually on your list. Good thing we got a list Yeah. So that it becomes part of your content strategy. Okay Okay? Right. Perfect! Thank you.

Class Materials

Bonus Materials

Blog Post Promotion Checklist
Blog Post Template
Blog Post Types

Bonus Materials

Blogging Workbook

Ratings and Reviews

Trang Le
 

I don't agree with Megan's assessment that writing a how-to process will only attract your peers and competitors, not your ideal customers. I know a lot of graphic designers who post design tutorials frequently and it only helps raising their profiles. Writing a how-to post doesn't have to be like shooting in your foot because: * You don't have to share everything. There's more to great designs than knowing how to draw a certain thing. Composition, color, typography etc all come into play. * Even if you're given a step by step tutorial, it's very likely that you will stumble into a lot of issues or it takes you too much effort and time to complete it and it's better to hire a professional designer. Web building tutorials are everywhere, but web developers and designers still have their places. There's a big difference between knowing and understanding. * Even if you're professional designer, sometimes it's better to buy from your colleague than to make it on your own because no designer is excellent at every aspect of design and for a designer, time is as much valuable as money. For example, web designer may need to purchase custom typefaces from a font designers, and reading a blog which indicates that the writer knew his stuff will inform the web designer to make a rightful decision. Other than that, the course is rich information packed with a lot of actionable strategies and real fact about the blogging landscape.

Varvara Lyalyagina
 

I went straight to Polyvore and created a blog post. Not as fast as Megan was talking but who cares the blog post created and this is the best result of the training. http://hometocome.com/2017/05/plany-na-leto-2017.html Feeling super motivated. Megan makes it sound easy to complete and absolutely not overwhelming. This training is like a fresh air. Thank you!

a Creativelive Student
 

Lucky me! I stumbled upon this class and watched in live on air last night. I've now bought it! There is gold in this class and totally recommend it to anyone. Megan is so easy to listen to and I'm looking at her other classes too! Thanks Megan. You just made blogging a lot more fun! x

Student Work

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