Do you write a blog? Does it bring traffic to your shops? Why not tell us about it and share a link 
We have blogging advice aplenty here!
If you havenāt started a blog, what aspects of blogging put you off? - maybe we can change your mind!
Hi Hilary
I am a keen blogger, been a bit lax last few months as been busy painting more than ever !!!
Iāve blogged for many years on www.artinwax.co.uk/blog and another web blog unrelated to art. I find it brings traffic to my website, I wouldnāt say it brings traffic to my folksy shop, but I think name awareness is essential and the blog helps with that for sure.
I donāt just do advertorial posts, I think to keep people interest you need a balance of promotional posts, news, whatās going on type of thing and for me some āhow toā and demonstration posts. I find the demonstration posts bring people who are looking to learn about Encaustic art, but they buy things too sometimes.
Because of the blog I have also been asked to guest blog, been featured in magazines and was even commissioned to make some videos for an American encaustic supplier, who found my blog via Twitter.
I do believe having a blog is only part of the picture though, publishing blog posts on social media, Twitter Facebook G+ etc all adds to the presence of the blog.
I also thinking blogging can be fun
Hazel
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Thanks Hazel - off to have a good look at your blog post and learn a little about encaustic art I hope! 
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I am one of the worldās worst bloggers.
Every January I make an apology for being rubbish, and promise to do better, manage to post about 4 times in the first 6 weeks of the year then give up!
I feel guilty in about June (which I didnāt this year!) and post an update claiming that Iāve been busy/lazy, then donāt look again until January!
This year I even uploaded all the photos (from my camera onto a pcā¦) I wanted onto untitled posts on blogger so I could just update words when I was out and about on the ipad thing. But noā¦ the ipad thing is hideously unresponsive with blogger, so I gave up!
I find it hard enough saying anything on FB anyway, so composing paragraphs with actuals words is a bit daunting!
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I blog with blogger. Iāve had sales via my blog but Iām not sure if it drives traffic to my shop, although I do have the Folksy Widget on there. I take part in a weekly blog hop, this helps with comments and visits, I also read and comment on lots of other blogs.
I get daily views from other bloggers as well as plenty of views via google search, my fb page and online shops.
The correct SEO is important for a blog, titles, links, labels and naming photographs are all helpful in being found.
But itās not all about advertising my wares, I add snippets of daily life, and photoās of outings or inspiration. I like to show the occasional WIP or tutorial. But most of all itās something I enjoy doing You can find my blog hereā¦
x
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Thanks for all these responses @HandcraftedbyPicto and @bojanglies
@HandcraftedbyPicto - I just had a look at your shop link on the blog and the link above your widget links to https://beta.folksy.com/shops/HandcraftedbyPicto which has the beta. section in it so it doesnāt work 
Just needs to be changed to https://folksy.com/shops/HandcraftedbyPicto
PS lovely blog - I am an obsessive gardener, love learning about new plants
Oooh, Iāve just checked my blog, and it turns out I got as far as April this year!
Although blogger has now eaten a bunch of photos.
I remember now why I got sick of it! It kept loading photos then losing them, and I couldnāt work out how to fix itā¦
www.bojanglies.blogspot.co.uk
(If anyone has any suggestions Iād be muchly grateful!)
I really enjoy writing in my blog for my followers - it gives me chance to explain how I do things, which also clarifies things in my head, and gives them a chance to get to know me a bit ā¦
Here is my mosaic blog - do have a read - http://justmosaics.blogspot.co.uk Felicity x
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I love blogging, but, like many, find itās at the bottom of the list when it comes to updating it! I wasnāt happy with how my blog was looking at the end of last year so started a-fresh with Tumblr and found it wasnāt being viewed. Have today sourced a new template through Blogger and returned to my old blog as I found google analytics often showing a link to my shops via my (old) blog. A current post will be typed up over the weekend (she says 
)
Elaine
hi - have been trying to work on my blog after not doing it for a few monthsā¦
thanks for advice
https://sallyandthefreckles.wordpress.com/
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This is a really useful thread! Iāve been blogging on and off for many years and have several. My first one is the one I still post to most, which isnāt saying a lot http://indigoblah.blogspot.co.uk/ I began it when living in Cyprus when the content was a mix of art work in progress, local happenings on the island and anything that took my fancy. Over time it has attracted sales but not much in the way of visits to my online shops I donāt think. Iām fairly new to Folksy and, naughty me, only just added a Folksy widget. So Iāll see if anything happens from now on.
I post intermittently and these days it continues to be mostly about my own art, which is too inward looking. I would very much like to spend more time on it and make it more varied by including content, articles and how-tos by other artists and makers. I do visit many interesting blogs but need to shake myself up and get permissions to share more.
Fascinating Bargue drawing article Stevie. Your blog is intrigueing ā¦ couldnāt find an update to your pending spinal surgery postā¦! Hope all went well.
Hello! Iām very new to bloggingā¦ I have just done my third post last night! I have a fairly detailed plan about how Iām going to progress with it after reading lots of Folksy advice and making notes! Iām still developing how it looks and links and so on, any further advice would be great 
My latest post wasnāt really shop related but definitely a part of my creative life https://shirleyrainbow.wordpress.com/2015/07/02/dressmaking-in-my-spare-time-silk-cami-by-sew-over-it/
I started a blogā¦ now to remember to blog in it!
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Really useful article, thank you. Here is a link to my new blog.
http://www.aisonart.co.uk/blog/4589976655
Enjoy
I started my blog when I opened my shop but really have no idea what I am doing. Have yet to put links and buttons and all the business essentials on it. Then the lymphoma whammy knocked me for six and I couldnāt concentrate on it. However have done a little inspired by folksy Twitter and plan to work on it in the future.
http://enticingthreads.blogspot.co.uk
I am using my blog to link to my shop in order to try and get my SEO higher in google ranking, hereās todays offering,
EDIT: I just re-shared my blog again forgetting I had already shared so Iāve removed the link as not to spam!
