Why You Need A Blog On Your Website

A young woman working remotely on her laptop by a calm waterfront.

Buckle up, folks! Here’s me adding another to-do to your list! But, if you do it right it won’t be that much extra work. If there is one thing to add to your website, it’s your own blog. And I don’t necessarily mean a personal blog where you’re writing about what you ate for dinner last night but rather a carefully curated art blog or page on your website that is enriched with an abundance of relevant and intentionally selected keywords that will help your website rank and be found by the right audience. And today, I’m going to talk a little about how to create an art blog, how to curate your content or blog posts and how to integrate this marketing strategy into your workflow process and drive prospective buyers. In other words, I’m going to show you how to make writing blog posts a natural extension of your business and how doing so will help you sell art. It’s all about the full circle, guys! Here’s why you need a blog on your website!

Let’s get right into it!

Why You Need A Blog On Your Website

A blog is a type of website or page where individuals, groups, or organizations regularly publish content in a chronological format. The term “blog” is a shortened form of “weblog.” They will typically feature entries or posts displayed in reverse-chronological order, with the most recent content appearing first. A blog is a great way to share information and can be used as a tool for expression, dialogue, how-tos, reviews, brand values, best of posts, guest posts and updates. In most cases, when you search for an answer to a question, you find and click on a search result that is part of a blog post, even though you may not realize it. Here’s why you need a blog on your website.

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Ok, Cool. But How Is A Blog Going To Help My Business Grow?

I could write a literal dissertation of this topic because it’s not only one of my most favourite topics to write about but because the opportunities are rather endless. Truly. But, to keep you from snoozing through this post, I’m going to summarize the top six ways your own art blog on your website can help your creative business.

Increased Website Traffic: Regularly publishing high-quality and authentic blog posts can attract more visitors to your website. This means no fluff! By creating valuable content that addresses the specific interests and needs of your target audience, you can improve your website’s search engine visibility and attract organic traffic from search engines like Google. I’m going to elaborate a little here because this is important to understand. I can’t stress the relevant content factor enough. If you’re an artist but you decide to write a post about your scuba diving experience on the coast of Australia, that content is not going to help you get found. It might get read by your existing loyal followers or someone browsing your site for other reasons but it won’t help your organic traffic. Why? Well, the main reason is Google. When your website gets indexed and categorized by Google, the majority of your content is what will matter. And in most cases you’ll want this to be your art, right? That’s the content you want to continue feeding Google so that it can do an even better job of putting that content in front of your potential customers. If you then go and add a post about scuba diving, Google will simple ignore it or worse, it’ll get confused and lower your overall ranking all together. The MUCH better thing to do is to create content that is consistently relevant so that it can help you gain further industry authority and a higher helpful content ranking. While that scuba diving trip may be really interesting, it’s not relevant to your business so keep it off your website. Be sure to always consider the right keywords and larger audience you’re trying to attract.
Establishing Authority and Expertise: Through blog posts, businesses like yours can showcase your knowledge, expertise, and industry insights. By providing valuable information, tips, and solutions to your audience’s specific problems, you can position your brand as a trusted authority in your niche, which can help build credibility and trust with potential customers. It’ll also help your helpful content score, meaning you’re consistently delivering useful information to your audience and that content is being engaged with. That tells Google, “yup, this site is legit!”
Engagement and Interaction: Blogs offer opportunities for engagement and interaction with your audience. Readers can leave comments, ask questions, and share their thoughts on your blog posts, enabling you to build relationships and foster a sense of community around your brand. They’re also a great way to start conversations with potential customers and give them a sense of your presence and support of their needs. It’s also a way to build personal connection as your style and tone will come across in your posts.
Driving Conversions: Here’s a little bit of blog post science! What you place at the beginning, middle and end of a blog post matter. Well-crafted blog posts can help drive conversions by educating and informing potential customers about your art, products or services. By including calls-to-action (CTAs) within your blog content, such as inviting readers to sign up for a newsletter, download a free resource, or explore your product offerings that relate to that post, you can guide visitors further down the sales funnel. Here’s an example. You write a blog post about your favourite way to create an gallery wall along a staircase. You include some tips and how-to information and then link to your prints that would work well in that same design. You also provide a link to some of your favourite store-bought frames as affiliate links, meaning if someone purchases them you’ll get a small commission from the sales.
Diversifying Income: If you’re looking for additional income streams to your business (I mean, who isn’t?), blog posts are great a place to start. The affiliate marketing link I mentioned in the previous point is one example. Another example could be to a downloadable guide that you’ve created that supplement your product. Say, you’re a ceramicist and you create a little e-book on how to make beginner-friendly holiday ornaments. Then, you’ll write a blog post about your favourite DIY ceramic holiday gifts and include a link to your e-book sales page. Another example are sponsored posts, where you can reach out to the brands that you use in your business and see if they’re interested in a collaborative or sponsorship posts when you illustrate how to use their product and how it’s features.
Supporting SEO Efforts: Blogs can play a pivotal role in your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. The amount of opportunity that a blog posts has in the way of keywords is siginficantly greater than any page you’ll create on your website. Imagine a product page with 250 words versus a blog post with 2500 words. By targeting relevant keywords and topics in your blog posts, you can improve your website’s search engine rankings and attract more organic traffic over time. It doesn’t happen right away but you’ll notice a steady growth in organic traffic if you post regularly.

How To Create A Blog On Your Website

Most platforms will have a blog section where you can add a few posts to get started. Depending on the platform you’re using, it may or may not have integrated SEO tools which will help you write a post that is optimized for SEO. If not, here are a few tips to get you started with structuring your blog posts.

1. Create a captivating Title. I don’t just slap any old thing up there! It needs to be attention-grabbing without being misleading, and informative without being boring. I usually write out a selection of 3 or 4 title ideas before I settle on one.

2. Your first paragraph should reiterate your post title and what your post is about. Make it short and catchy, otherwise people will hop right off!

3. Use H2 Headings for each new content paragraph. H2 headings are important as they tell Google what is most important and how to summarize your blog post. Any further sub headings, use H3 headings.

4. Write your content in short, snappy and human language. Sort of like you’re telling a story to a friend. Use short sentences and create breaks in your copy to create pause and focus.

5. Add Call-To-Action (CTA) Buttons such as how to opt in to your mailing list, download a freebie or browse related products or content. A contact form is also another method.

6. At the end of your post, include a related content section. These are internal links to related blog posts, favourite or best selling products or where to find something else on your website. Also include a little bio or something that tells a reader how they can connect with you. This is an easy way to redirect traffic to another page on your website and keep visitors on your site longer.

Since most of us are visual learners, I’ve created a little cheat sheet that elaborates on the perfect structure of a blog post! Download that here! (and yes, if you’ve been paying attention, that’s a Call-To-Action!)

How To Use A Blog Post As Part of Your Marketing Strategy

For creatives your blog posts are very much going to be about your creative process and how to customers can implement your creative offering into their lives – be it styling, framing, decor, gifting, organization, etc… Consistently publishing blog content allows you to increase your brand’s visibility online and how customers can use your products. When you create valuable and shareable content, you can attract new audiences and expand your reach across social media platforms and other digital channels, ultimately increasing brand awareness.

But blogging can also be an effective lead generation tool for businesses. By offering valuable content that addresses the pain points and interests of your target audience, you can attract qualified leads who are more likely to engage with your brand and eventually convert into customers.

Pinterest is a great tool for sharing your blog posts and driving traffic to your site. While it may be challening to get someone to click on a specific piece or art or product, if your blog posts offer solutions while using these products, you’re much more likely to get a click. For all things Pinterest and how to create really great pins, head to this blog post.

How To Make Blogging Part Of Your Workflow

Here is where some of you get worried. But I promise you, I’m going to show you a really simple way to use content in various ways so that you’re not spending all your time thinking of what to write.

I use a platform called Trello to create a workflow for each product, collection, group of pins, blog post, newsletter… It helps keep me on track but also organized and calm.

Here’s a real life example I worked through last month. When I launched prints with Maison Blonde, I wanted to create a workflow for that content that stretched across all my platforms, primarily Instagram, Pinterest, my newsletter and my website. I created a board that indicated how I would use that content on each platform and when I would create share each one.

The idea is to use your natural workflow and process and create content around that process. If you do that, you’ll also be ensuring that you’re supporting your work in all the right ways rather than creating content that doesn’t necessarily relate well.

If you’re wanting some help with creating a blog on your website and generate blog post ideas for you to work on feel free to reach out and book a free discovery call. We can chat about your platform and how to create posts relevant to your specific business and how to make it part of your regular routine. Book that call here.

Commonly Asked Questions

1. Do I need to have really strong writing skills? To be honest, no. Unless you’re writing on metaphysical concepts of space and time, your blog should be written in a very simple, easy to follow and conversational style. This means nothing overly complicated or pretentious. Proof reading and editing is easier than ever with online tools, so no worries there.

2. How often should I write and post? Ideally, once a week. But if that’s not sustainable than once every two weeks. For those that want to grow their blog and website traffic quicker, I suggest 2 posts per week.

3. Can my blog replace my social media accounts? There are some business owners that have grown their website enough that they don’t rely on social media anymore but it’s probably not a great idea to remove them all together. Perhaps you can use your social media to share when you’ve written a new post. Social media is a great way to connect with others “directly”, while your website is a great source of information. They work well together.

4. Can I share new work on my blog? Absolutely! That’s a wonderful way to maximize your blog. A post about upcoming collections, new work and a link back to your art content is exactly what it’s for. Think of it as an art blog, where you’re using written form to communicate an idea or creative vision. That’s exactly what a successful blog can do.

5. So, does this make me a blogger? If you want it to! I like to think of online presence as a combination of many things. I think the best way to grow your business is to understand the various platforms available to you and use them intelligently. If blogging becomes a big part of your business (like it has mine) and you want to call yourself a blogger, by all means. It’s not so much as the label or term as it is what’s working for you and your business.

6. What are some creativity related blog post ideas? Here’s a list of some blog post ideas: Your art world or space, upcoming exhibitions or markets, your favourite creativity-inspiring books, creative ideas for DIYs, your artistic vision and new ideas, why you use the medium or craft you do, collaborations, why you chose creation as your career, how you create in your home, gift idea bundles…

Wishing you great things!

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ABOUT THIS POST

This post is written by Donata Delano – A Professional Artist, Graphic Designer and Architect based in Canada and Mexico. She specializing in visual communication and web design, creating branding solutions and websites that are thoughtful, unique and aesthetically pleasing.

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