Having a digital business is great and I wouldn’t trade it for anything! However, when your business is all digital, you might feel like you miss opportunities to connect with your customers. When your salesmanship is all online, you don’t get to have those face-to-face conversations with your customers where you take them through the steps of your product and all its benefits. 

If your digital business is on Etsy, then the challenge is even bigger. While Etsy is an awesome platform, it also has its downsides such as making it hard for you to nurture leads or grow your email list since everything is through Etsy. It can also be challenging for you to stand out amongst all the other digital sellers and there may even be times when one of your leads clicked through to Etsy and ends up buying from one of your competitors. For those reasons and more, it’s important that you start to think beyond Etsy and visualize building your own website. When you have your own website, the leads are 100% yours and you get to market directly to your clients. 

Whether you have your own website or you’re running your digital planner business through your Etsy shop, an important part of building relationships with your clients is blogging. When you write blog posts about your products or services, you get a chance to talk directly to your audience and offer your tips and advice on how to get the most out of your products. Also, writing a blog helps you build a following and establish yourself as an expert in your area. 

Still not sure you should invest in writing a blog? Here are the top reasons why you need to build a blog for your Etsy shop: 

#1 Helps you answer FAQs and educate your audience

Ever since I started my blog in 2018, I cut down the time I spend on answering Etsy messages from customers. Having a blog means I can easily send a link to a step-by-step tutorial that answers my customer’s questions.

A blog also helps you to answer the most commonly asked questions about your products. This allows customers to easily find the answers to their questions and helps them solve the issue for themselves instead of having to wait around for an answer from you. In this busy world, who doesn’t like to have the answers right at their fingertips? 

Another benefit to having a blog is that you’ll be able to share your knowledge with your audience, establishing yourself up as an expert. This will help build your following and bring in more business.

#2 Blogs make it easier to build your community

When you have a blog on your Etsy business or website, you’re able to collect leads through opt-in forms. Make sure your opt-in forms are enticing to your audience. Think of something you would give your email address for - like a free e-book or tutorial or entering a digital planner sweepstakes.

A blog also gives you the opportunity to nurture your leads. Be sure to include an About Me page on your blog that engages your audience by telling the story of how you got started, how you grew your business and your passion for digital planning. 

By building interest in your business and having the chance to express yourself through your blog, you increase the likelihood of converting your blog readers into customers. 

#3 Blogs bring traffic to your site

You may be under the impression that writing blogs is a lot of hard work for little reward, but, actually, the opposite is true. Writing blogs and sharing your ideas and expertise is a fun way to engage with your customers. Not only that, but it can help new customers find you, too. Having a blog can bring more traffic to your Etsy store or website. By using SEO to use keywords that your target customers will search for and including them in your blog posts, you bring more customers to your online store. 

So, now that you understand why you should start your blog, here are some tips on how to start it!

#1 Build a website

Of course, if you’re going to have a blog, you’re going to need a website. Today, websites are DIY affairs. All you need to do is choose the right platform that suits your needs. I recommend Squarespace as it’s super intuitive. Their drag-and-drop interface means it’s easy to start from zero and build a great looking website in no time. They’re also famous for their templates, so you can choose a look that represents your brand. Also, it’s easy to integrate e-commerce functions into your Squarespace website once it’s up and running. That means you can easily make the switch from your Etsy shop to your own e-commerce website. 

Make sure your website includes:

• An About page – This is your chance to tell your story and let your audience get to know a little bit more about how you got started and why you’re so passionate about digital planning.
  

• Blog page – Give your customers advice and tips and set yourself up as an expert by including a blog on your website.
  

• Link to your Etsy shop – Of course you want to make it as easy as possible for leads to find your digital products on your Etsy shop. Include a link so that your hard-earned customers go right to your Etsy shop. 

• Reviews and testimonials page – Give your happy customers a voice by allowing them to give you a rave review on your website. Having good reviews can make a difference to new customers who are unsure about which digital product to choose. Knowing that other people have used and loved your products can give them that little nudge they need to make a purchase.
  

• FAQ or tutorial page – Your customers will really appreciate you providing these types of pages. This way, they can easily find the answers they’re looking for without having to get into contact with you and wait around for a response. If you notice a lot of customers have the same questions, make life easier for you and for them and include a FAQs or tutorial page. That way, all the information they need is right there and you only have to say it once. 
  

• Contact page – Let your customers know how to reach you in case they do have questions or would like to discuss a purchase. 

#2 Create your content

When creating content, it’s important to remember that you want to share things that will drive sales and establish you as an expert in your area. 

Some ways to share content:

• Behind the scenes – Show your customers how you design your digital planners. What is your creative process? What tools do you use? How do you go from concept to finished product? Show them how their favorite digital planner got made. 
  

• Step by step tutorial – How can your customers get the most out of their digital planner? How can they use the planner on their iPad? What kind of features such as stickers and extras do you offer that they might need? Show them how to use your product so that they can enjoy it even more!
  

• Benefits of your products – How can your product make their lives easier? For example, a digital planner can help people set and accomplish goals or experience better work/life balance.

• What makes your product different from others – How is your product better than other products on the market? What sets yours apart? Whether it’s your style or features or the extras you include, make sure that your customers know why they should choose your digital planner over the competition. 

#3 Select an Email Marketing Platform

After you’ve nurtured your leads and collected emails, you’ll need an email marketing platform to send customized and branded emails to your customers. My favorite platform is Flodesk as it’s easy to use and has great templates that match my brand’s style. An email marketing platform is important to keep in touch with your customers and leads and let them know about the exciting new products you’re offering. 

#4 Share everywhere!

Now that you’ve done all the work of creating your blog, you’ll want to share the heck out of it. Seriously, what’s the point in going through all that effort if nobody’s going to see it? Get the word out on social media. Your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest should all be bursting with blog snippets. Get your followers looking forward to your next post and don’t let them down. Set a schedule and post consistently so people can anticipate when your next post comes out. 

The Takeaway

Having a blog is an essential tool to growing and scaling your digital business or Etsy store. It helps you nurture leads, connect with customers, build relationships and establish yourself as a knowledgeable expert. Blogging is a great way for small businesses like yours to build a following and generate leads. 

If you’re interested in becoming a digital planner designer or want to improve your digital planning design skills, sign up for my Digital Planner Academy. Learn how to design and sell digital planners and earn a great income with your online business.