So, that’s not really true. Everything I know about blogging, I learned through experience and from reading the typical professional blogging blogs like Problogger and [insert your favorite Problogger copy]. The truth is, that kind of information doesn’t really click for most creative type bloggers. Whether your gig is selling your craft on Etsy, writing about interior design, or documenting your passion for gourmet comfort food, the usual tips and tricks don’t pass muster. In fact, most of the time, they’re not even speaking your language.
But I did learn key pieces about this blogging life that I have been able to translate to the world of creative blogging.
And then I noticed that those lessons could have been learned just as easily by taking a good long look at my daughter’s bookshelf.
Well before my daughter was even conceived, I loved looking at the picture books in the bookstore I worked at. Do they even write these things with children in mind? Beautiful illustrations… haunting stories… great literature. Picture books are tiny complete works of art. And I like to think of my blog in the same way – the words, pictures, stories, comments, all come together to form a unique piece of art.
I think if you treat your blog with the same care, humor, and aesthetic eye as a picture book, you’ll be doing your business a world of good.
Here’s what I learned:
1.) Pictures are everything.
In a picture book, even one that is beautifully written, pictures are more than half the story. Whether your blog is your business or you’re blogging to market your creative business, your pictures tell your story. The best blogs feature clear product pictures, well-staged and styled images, and personal photos that add personality to your writing. Your words should complement, never compete with, the story being told in images.
2.) Stay focused.
A 20 page picture book simply doesn’t have the space to ramble. The story has a clear beginning, middle, and end. The characters are focused on a common goal. Do your posts have a tendency to ramble? Is the focus of your blog unclear? Having a clear and narrow focus may seem, at first, to be confining but in the end it brings a sense of comfort both to you as a blogger and to your readers.
If you stay focused, your readers will know what to expect and you’ll be able to stay on track with the purpose of your blog.
3.) Make a statement. Then repeat it.
In a picture book, the lesson to be learned is generally repeated often. Whether the lesson is an emotional or moral one, or simply a new word, it’s repeated often enough to drive the message home. That sounds an awful lot like SEO (search engine optimization: the art of helping search engines understand what your website is about) to me. Identify the topic that you want to bring in more readers around. Then write a post being sure to include that topic and its keywords in conversational – yet repeated – ways.
4.) Write for a variety of audiences.
If toddlers could actually read the books purchased for them, picture books would look very different. But they don’t, they listen as an adult reads the story. The best picture books are those that engage both the adult and the child. When you write a blog, you are addressing a wide variety of readers. Some are experienced, others are reading to gain experience, some are current customers, some are deciding whether they should become customers – each type of reader deserves to be engaged by most of your posts.
Keep in mind those readers who may want to learn more about a subject – provide links for more information. Keep in mind those who may not understand advanced concepts in your field – define keywords and provide links (preferably within your own blog) to catch up on background information. Ask questions and provide plenty of opportunity for engaging your readers in the comments section.
5.) No one else tells the story just like you.
There are so many wonderful picture books. And it’s one of the few parts of the book industry that’s always hungry for new authors. With all that interest, you might think there are a lot of copies. But each author & illustrator brings a unique perspective to a story.
Again, whether blogging is your business or just a marketing vehicle for your business, your blog should tell your unique story in your unique voice. When you blog with that type of authenticity, no one can copy you. And your readers will want to engage your brand more & more.
{image credit: stephanie corfee}
I’m Tara Gentile. I think big. I set lofty goals, execute ambitious projects, and get sizable returns. I'm not satisfied to stop at good-enough or moderately successful. I’m in the process of building a web empire. True tale. I can help you build yours too.
Your first point really hits home. Mostly because my son has just begun reading. At first he told the story just by looking at the images and interpreting them. Now as he recognizes words and we read together, he gets an entirely new story.
As I was reading your post I wondered if my images tell a different story than what I am writing and wonder if other bloggers think about this. I didn’t until now, it’s definitely something to keep in mind.
an interesting point, diane! i have a feeling i get something out different out of your images than you might intend, actually, since i don’t come from a graphic design background. although, i try really hard to match up your words with your images so that i learn something new every time you pop up in my reader!
Hey Tara,
I love this idea! I tried it right away with my latest blog post! Also, for me there is something else to be learned from picture books. I am from austria, and my first language is german. German speaking people tend to use long words and complicated sentences to proove that they are educated – but it usually only leads to ridiculus articles. So my lesson to be learned from picture books is this:
6). Keep it simple:
It is not neccessary to prove my education by using complicated words or long sentences. Normal words tell my story just as well!
Thank you so much – I’ll be checking your blog for more interesting artikles in the future!
Hugs from sunny Vienna,
Vee
hi veelana! so true! i have to say i fall into that trap sometimes myself. i love using big words & complicated sentence structure…. it’s just who i am! so i make a conscious effort to balance that with conversational prose.
and i’ve been to vienna and all around austria. in fact, that’s where my dad’s family is originally from (maiden name seefeldt). i would so so so love to get back some day… what an outrageously beautiful place.
I think it’s really cool that you’ve been to Austria (a lot of people get us mixed up with Australia – *sigh* the eternal doom of a small country…)! If you ever come back to Vienna, get in touch! I’d be happy to show you around.
Vienna is really beautiful, I love living here (mostly, anyways…)
Vee
tara! thanks for using my pic. i took 3 semesters in college of a class called “The Children’s Picture Book” and my advisor (an acomplished writer and illustrator of children’s books) taught the class. it was eye-opening. it is such a business. and your points are all so right-on-the-money! i dream of having a published work under my belt one day and now i’ll consider my blog good practice : )
thanks, as usual, for a unique perspective : )
you bet! at first i thought, “self – let’s find a photo of a neat stack of picture books.” but that proved fruitless. so then i thought, “self – how has illustrations that look like picture books? oh! i know!” hehe.
yes, the children’s book biz seems only second to the romance novel biz in terms of need of fresh authors & content. well, fresh is a relative term when dealing with the romance genre….
As a lover of books, I am surprised that this never dawned on me!
Thanks for the insight, and the direction to look at my bookshelves (and blog) from a different persective!
Karen
hey karen! right there with ya: when i came up with the idea, i was surprised it hadn’t come to me sooner! thanks for stopping by today!
wow, so true and i love picture books too. an awesome way to approach blogging.
thank you!
I enjoyed reading this post as it helps me give a structure to thoughts and ideas.
I would like to start a blog myself mainly as a marketing activity. I am still trying to figure out how to make it different. What you said on your 5th point – “No one else tells the story just like you” seems to be a good starting point for me… so – THANKS!!!
that’s a great place to start! if your blog is about your products and your passion for craft/art, it’s always going to be different because it’s about YOU. don’t try to reinvent the wheel when you have such a great source of inspiration to draw from!
I so agree, Stay true to what’s inside of you.
That’s where the most valuable blogs come from, I think…
To quote a very important Children’s author:
“There is no one in the World, that is YOUer than YOU.”
Guess who?
Something Tells me you will know.
Just found your Blog via Stephanie Corbee’s Beautiful Art on her site and On Etsy. She inspired a little poem, as I sat there really enjoying the Whimsy of her work, and how she lets her heart lead her work Which equals, I think, Beauty.
I think I can learn an awful lot from your blog here. Everything I’ve learned about Blogging has been trial and error–hunt and Peck, But that takes a very long time. Maybe you can help me jump ahead a little.
P.S. I’m from the Philly area, too.
hi gloria! welcome!! so glad you found stephanie – she’s quite a talent, huh?? thanks for stopping by today!