Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
You're currently viewing Splitcoaststampers as a GUEST. We pride ourselves on being great hosts, but guests have limited access to some of our incredible artwork, our lively forums and other super cool features of the site! You can join our incredible papercrafting community at NO COST. So what are you waiting for?
Oops, my ignorance is showing again! Are blogs necessary for being on a design team? I don't have one because I really don't think people want to hear about my washing machine throwing up water into the shower stall or about the cat stalking my children. Is a blog a must? What's everybody's feelings on that?
SusieQStamps4U....I agree with you. I don't go onto blog websites anymore since I don't give a hoot to hear about someone's personal matters. I had gone onto a few that I thought were from crafters, but to find most chatter was about family.
If you want to be on a design team, most of the ones I have seen seem to require a regular blog. And you don't want your blog to be heavy on the personal stuff (I really don't care about reading a bunch of personal stuff - I'm there to look at cards, etc.)
Many people have two blogs, one crafty and one personal, or they do one craft blog and use facebook for personal stuff.
I have seen a lot of great blogs through the blogging forums here on scs. A large percentage are focused on projects, not the author's life. As if there weren't enough ideas here, I find a ton more in my blurfing.
I do think most dt's require a blog to share your projects and promote their product.
I don't use my blog as a personal diary. It is 99% just my artwork. Sometimes, I throw in a tidbit but not that often and what I do is usually pretty generic.
I like having my stuff together and under my own control. I do see blogs and DT being as one, but that is because I am in the blog world. I don't see people's stuff otherwise. I guess, the people offering DTs have a desire to see their stuff out there and a blog is an excellent delivery option.
Cheers,
Michelle
Quote:
Originally Posted by SusieQStamps4U
Oops, my ignorance is showing again! Are blogs necessary for being on a design team? I don't have one because I really don't think people want to hear about my washing machine throwing up water into the shower stall or about the cat stalking my children. Is a blog a must? What's everybody's feelings on that?
I use my blog 99% for paper crafts with a few photos thrown in here or there.
As for needing a blog for DT, I know a lot of places require it in as you are supposed to be promoting their products. I started a blog for my work before ever getting on a DT and I would say that it definitely has helped my work "get out there".
I don't find it a lot of work to blog bc I just cut and paste my supply lists etc. while I'm uploading to galleries. Plus I like to "power blog" while I'm watching TV---I can set up a week's worth of blog posts during my viewing time.
After being on a couple of design teams. They ask me if I had a blog. I think they really wanted for you to be able to share their Sneak Peaks and link from your blog to their website.
Promotional reasons I think.
I had just one blog at the time, But since I'm a Demo for The Angel Company aka TAC.
TAC requested that we didn't link our blog to our TAC website. And because I had other stamp companies on my blog. I created another blog for other companies.
So now I have two blogs. that I need to keep up on.
I love the paper craft blogs! I have about 50 that I subscribe to in my google reader. I don't read them all, but I glance at them to see if something really catches my eye.
My very very favorite blog is from one of our SCS - her blog is Paperlicious.
So, yes, I love the blogs.
__________________ A good dog, a sewing machine, and an old guitar......
All your points make sense. Free publicity for a product is always good. The blogs that I have visited from links on SCS have been craft related as opposed to family oriented. I'm starting to see the light:-) Thank you.
Oops, my ignorance is showing again! Are blogs necessary for being on a design team? I don't have one because I really don't think people want to hear about my washing machine throwing up water into the shower stall or about the cat stalking my children. Is a blog a must? What's everybody's feelings on that?
I, just like many others here you have heard from, also have a blog. I have it mostly for my design work.
However, I occasionally chat about life- (like yesterday's post) because I look at blogs for MANY things, not just paper crafts. Recipes come to mind first, and occasionally anything humorous can always be enjoyable. I keep my personal blah blah blah to a minimum because I do agree that most do not care! ;) I do have a few friends that read it though, and they are usually the ones who will comment on the personal stuff.
Some people like to know you are dealing with the same thing as them with your 3 yo or what have you-and sometimes mixing it up is welcomed imo. sometimes. ;)
I use my blog for both...but I hardly post text without a card or creation. So those there just looking for that can see my card and move on. My friends and family can read the actual content.
Most Design Teams require you to have a blog so they can get more exposure. Not very many people search through the galleries on here like before.
Oops, my ignorance is showing again! Are blogs necessary for being on a design team? I don't have one because I really don't think people want to hear about my washing machine throwing up water into the shower stall or about the cat stalking my children. Is a blog a must? What's everybody's feelings on that?
It used to be that the primary means of promoting product was via print media; designers would have to physically send in their design samples to the company.
Now the primary marketing tool it is the internet and blogs are a a very useful online marketing tool for many companies, so they often require that their DT members have blogs. Not all companies do, but, I'd be surprised at this point that any company doesn't.
HTH!
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
I agree that most companies will want you to have a blog. The way that I look at it --it's a 'portfolio' of your work, as well as a good place to list supplies used, sources, techniques, tutorials, etc. Very helpful for your fans who may want to learn how to make cards like yours, which I consider the ultimate flattery. It's very easy to get started, and you'll soon discover how rewarding it is to receive wonderful comments from your blog readers. It is a big motivation for me to keep going, since I want to please my readers!
Oops, my ignorance is showing again! Are blogs necessary for being on a design team? I don't have one because I really don't think people want to hear about my washing machine throwing up water into the shower stall or about the cat stalking my children. Is a blog a must? What's everybody's feelings on that?
I also meant to say that people have blogs for a gazillion different reasons and some have multiple and blogs for a variety of topics--family, craft, maybe a cause they support, etc.
I started my blog to document my creative journey and development as a stamper. But, occasionally, I blog about my family and even my dog.
Readers can take it leave it.
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
I generally only put card projects on my blog. I may make an announcement or two on my blog, but that's often because many people know me who also read my blog. But I don't make posts about things that are not card/art projects. Almost every company that i have seen wants you to have your own blog to post projects on if you are going to be on their design team.
There are hundreds of reasons to blog and there are blog communities for just about anything you can think of (politics, religion, model trains, renaissance reconstruction, family updates, yadda, yadda, yadda). If you don't fit in the category of wanting to read about duff washing machines and psycho cats and you want a readership that is also not interested in those things, don't write about them! Like many others here, I use my blog to share my crafting, not details of my personal life.
Even those companies that do not require a blog as a prerequisite for being on the DT tend to like it if you have one. As Julie said, the internet is now the way most of us get to see new stuff first so using blogs and online galleries is an important way for companies to get their stuff out there. A blog shows that not only can you make stuff, you can photograph it and present it in an attractive way. I think most DT work is not about making samples and sending them in to the company for use at trade shows or in stores (although there is undoubtedly some of that) - it's about getting as wide an audience as possible for what you do and a blog is one way to achieve that.
Apart from all that, blogging can be fun and a great way to "meet" different people
Are Blogs Necessary?
