An email from a resaler:

I have my blog but I have not blogged because I am scared.  What to blog about the first time????

Well, that’s easy: Your First Time! Think about your audience, which is of course your current and potential clients, and how you relate to them.

And keep it natural. Sentence fragments, local expressions and even your shop lingo is fine. Your goal is to make your writing sound “just like you,” not some stilted formal version of you.

Natural’s perfect. Sloppy spelling, lack of punctuation, muddled thoughts aren’t. But don’t let that scare you…you can always write it quick and easy, then let it sit for a while and go back to it to check for clarity.

So, what about your “first time” would have those who know you nodding their heads in sympathy, and those who don’t know you yet, WANT to know you?

• Fear of making a silly a** of yourself in public (everyone can relate to THAT!)
• The fearsome 4th-grade teacher who scarred you, spelling-wise, for life and how much spell-check has improved your quality of life
• How you quit typing class when you were 14 because the teacher wanted you to cut your nails, and took Latin instead
• The long and winding road to blogging…including the steps along the way that turned you into a shopkeeper

Okay, that’ll get you an introductory entry for your blog. Next you can talk about relating your blog beginnings with the beginnings of your shop… or how resale is changing just about as fast as the Internet is… or or…why, there’s a ZILLION things that you can write about, that you and your audience care about. Keep a notepad in your pocket all day long and you’ll get 6-8 ideas every day you’re in your shop!

Next question?  🙂