So I recently had the opportunity to sit down and chat with The Scrap Gals about the state of scrapbooking blogs and where we see blogs going in the future as a scrapbooking tool and also as just one more form of social media. Its always nice to spend a little time chatting with Tiffany and Tracie about topics we care deeply about and have opinions on.
I've been blogging since 2003, mostly about scrapbooking and cardmaking, with a few family adventures thrown in for some fun. The world of scrapbooking and scrapbook marketing is changing rapidly(and has been for a while) and I have felt for a while that blogs just aren't the prime media outlet that they once were. So many--ok almost all the blogs I used to read regularly have gone inactive or been removed.
I did a little bit of research in preparation for the show and it seems that crafty blogs surged in proliferation about 2004-2010. Since that time, with the influx of additional avenues of marketing via all the different social media platforms, its become apparent that in order to move forward, there are several questions that have to answered by bloggers:
1. Is my blog just a landing pad or a place to store my extended content? Or is my blog my online home where people who want more of my offerings go? Is my blog to be considered the "fall back place" or is it the "primary outlet"?
For me, with 16 years of content already stored right here, I see my blog as my primary outlet. Lets face it--I'm wordy. I enjoy Facebook and Instagram but I have come to realize that I really do prefer the space to show all the pictures and write down all the words and thoughts. I think I got sidetracked as of late because both Facebook and Instagram offer one thing that blogging seems to lack--instant responses.
2. What does it take to remind people to make the leap from a social media platform such as Facebook or Instagram over to a blog page?
To be honest, I'm not 100% sure. I read a ton of scrapbook message boards and Facebook groups and the general answer to this quandary seems to be "entice me". It seems that a blog will only survive and grow a readership if all the other social media platforms used by that writer are pointing potential readers to the home base and dropping crumbs of inspiration for them to follow along the way. Let's be honest--social media users tend towards a very short attention span. (Myself included!) Where it used to be that people were in the habit of going to individual blogs on a regular basis--now it seems that the habit is completely broken and as a blog writer seeking readers, you have to reach out and almost drag people into your blog space. and you definitely have to make it worth their while with usable content and top-quality ideas.
3. Is my blog a marketing tool for my business or a personal pursuit?
Obviously, this is an easy question to answer. I am not selling anything on my blog--its completely about the passionate pursuit of memory keeping and the paper-crafting life. I'm not marketing a creative business, although I do believe that blogging is an obvious and excellent tool for doing so. I'm a student of marketing in general and yes, blogging is a fascinating way to capture stories and share creative content the on the web with people who are like-minded and searching for creative inspiration.
I think there is great value in being a single voice with a blog offering continuity of style and topic. However, for those who are interested in the use of a blog for marketing a creative business, the team approach to content creation seems to be a very popular option that yields productive results. Obviously, having a steady stream of content from multiple creators (each bringing their own following to the fountain) will enlarge one's reach and do exactly what social media marketing was designed to do--expand the reach of everyone. Its simple math.
I have quite a few friends who are direct sales marketers for crafting organizations. The decline in blog readership doesn't seem to have impacted them the way it has the single-voice blog writers. I think perhaps its because they are finding ways to support each other. If all the Close to my Heart demonstrators are participating in a certain blog "hop", then they are all reading each other's pages and yet none of them will be gaining new customers as a result of their efforts...but big high readership numbers make them feel like they are investing their time into something that "works".
4. What exactly is my goal in blogging?
Certainly there are as many possible answers to this question as there are bloggers in the cloud. I see my blog as a tool to log experiences in paper-crafting, document creative pursuits and have a digital record of the things I've done with paper. If blogging is in fact old enough to have an "old-school" style, that's what I want to do.
One voice, one unique experience.
Documented on the internet, with pretty pictures and all the words needed.
In my chat with The Scrap Gals, I was reminded that there is an intrinsic value to having an online, easily-accessible journal of sorts. If something malicious happened to the physical scrapbooks in my home, I will still have the digital format to fall back on. I like that idea imme
The episode of The Scrap Gals podcast will air in a few weeks. You can subscribe for a tiny monthly fee at www.podbean.com/thescrapgals
So where does that leave me?
--Still believing that blogging (for me) is a contribution to the creative universe in which I participate as a maker and a writer.
--Still wanting to preserve memories and crafty pursuits and watching others who are also doing so.
--Combining all my blog content into one single page. This includes the most recently written content that was shared on my stamping blog over the past year. Links that are no longer active will be removed but the creative projects will still be shared.
Welcome to the reboot!
--Sarah
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