Business Plus, JUKI Posts

Starting Your Sewing or Quilting Blog

by sewinwithjukiLeave a Comment on Starting Your Sewing or Quilting Blog

Have you wanted to start your own blog? In today’s post, we’ll teach you steps you can follow for creating your own blog today. Businesses, creators, influencers, and more can all benefit from having a blog. With this channel being a great way to back up your expertise, share your story, and inspire others, having a blog is the perfect addition to any business. Follow along as we go over what a blog is, where you can start yours, and tips for designing and writing your post.

What is a blog?

A blog can be many things. For some, a blog is a journal documenting their journey. For others, it’s a great way to promote their business plans and products. Focused on a specific topic, a blog is more personal than a news outlet and pushes toward creators having a deeper connection with their audiences. Whether we’re sharing our passions, teaching others, hoping to make money, or a combination of all of them, blogging can be a fun and rewarding venture.

Anyone can start a blog! Readers enjoy blogs because of the different personal perspectives they gain. With an informal and conversational style at the forefront, you can write about various topics without needing to be an expert, just a new view. In addition, readers want to know about your experience with techniques, projects, products, and more.

Now that you know what a blog is let’s start planning yours!

Blogging is also a commitment. You can choose the regularity for your posting; some will do it weekly, some monthly, depending on your preference and audience. The aim should be consistent and create content that people want to see. Bloggers rarely see results when they first begin, but those who stick to the idea find themselves in a new community.

Step 1: Naming Your Blog

Your blog name is a small preview of what readers can expect to find on your page. First, think about what you want to call your blog. Yourname.com? Yourbussinessname.com? Maybe you want to title the blog something creative and different and use a wordplay name like “That’s Sew Susy.” Get fun and creative when creating a name so it can stand out! Once you’ve written down a few ideas, the next step is confirming the domain name is free.

You can check with multiple ways to confirm if the blog idea is free. Depending on what platform you use to create the blog, they’ll have a check system that will inform you whether or not the idea is available. Some tips to keep in mind if your idea is being used, try different extensions (like .org or .net), or add small fluff words like “my,” “a,” or “best” (SewSusy.com vs. ThatsSewSusy.com).

Remember, most blog sites will offer a free domain with their site on front; (wordpress.thatssewsusy.com.) If you’d like to have a domain with only the blog name, this will cost a monthly or yearly fee; depending on the platform’s options.

Step 2: Finding Your Niche and Topic

Let’s go through those blog ideas now! While there are a wide array of blogs out there, there are always readers looking for new perspectives. So when it comes to choosing the topic for your blog, pick a topic that allows you to consistently create content without burning out the idea. The more breathing space you allow yourself, the more content you’ll be able to create posts that readers are interested in.

For example, if we’re creating a quilting blog, we don’t focus on only sharing patterns. Instead, by covering cover quilting as a whole and including pieces like projects, behind-the-scenes, how-to’s, personal messages, and more, readers get personal while learning new ways to approach their interests.

Keep in mind that blogs can often lead to opportunities for monetization. Whether through advertisements or connecting the blog to an e-shop, you want the message to align with your future goals. Just like creating videos for YouTube, or content for social media, look for what solutions and perspectives your blog can offer that differ from others out there.

Step 3: Hosting Your Blog

Once you’ve settled on the blog’s name and general topic, it’s time to research host sites. To fully create a blog online, you’ll need a hosting program and blogging program; luckily, these two programs usually come in a package deal.

The host is the website that readers will access. All your blogs will be stored and organized according to tags and design. On the other hand, the blog software is where you’ll write up and design the content for readers.

Below are 3 recommendations for hosting and building your blog. Each offers package deals that allow you to host and create your blog in one location.

WordPress.com: Designed to let you build your blog quickly, WordPress allows users to upload and manage media, text, blog posts, and eCommerce products online. Completely free and open to anyone who wishes to download the program, WordPress is both popular and influential.

Completely hosted by Automattic, bloggers only need to choose a free or paid plan and the domain. All other aspects of hosting are handled by Automattic and WordPress directly. Easy to use and set up, WordPress offers creators a variety of template designs that can be edited to fit their theme and topic. You can also include plug-ins for an eCommerce store, blogs, social media channels, and more.

There are multiple payment plan options, ranging from freelance bloggers to businesses requiring more storage and freedom in design and coding. Powerful, WordPress is known for being one of the top blog sites for creators.

Wix.com: Wix offers accessible design features and free or paid subscriptions for your site. In addition, you can easily add in media content like videos, photos, and PDFs, as well as a variety of applications that can interwork into the blog. In this case, you can easily add applications for e-shops, reservations, and so much more.

Like WordPress, Wix offers blog creators an opportunity to host and build their blog on one site. In addition, their site will offer full technical support, even on free accounts, and has a beautiful SEO system to help you get your blog up on search platforms.

Squarespace.com: Stylish and easy to edit, Squarespace is comparable to WordPress for its power and popularity. Offering over 140 template designs for your blog, Squarespace focuses on keeping a clean design for their sites, adapting the screen size for tablet and phone users on its own. Like the two programs stated above, users can host and create their blogs on one site.

The only cons of working with Wix is that larger websites exceeding 50 individual pages experience slow loading or difficulty. You’ll need to look for alternatives like WordPress for a more prominent website host.

Squarespace offers bloggers the opportunity to create teams with multi-author functionalities, engage readers with their comment features, and allows you to easily organize and schedule your blog posts. Thanks to their Squarespace application for bloggers, you can also blog on the go! With a larger page limit than Wix, hosting up to 400 pages while containing excellent resolution and speed, Squarespace can be a great alternative to WordPress for your website needs.

The cons of working with Squarespace are that you can’t create a large assortment of menu items, as this will slow to load down, and all save when editing automatically publishes onto the website in real-time.

Once you’ve decided on your host and blog site, you can begin designing! Look for designs that relate to your topic and theme while offering easy navigation for readers and a clean look. All programs we’ve recommended above come with built-in templates that can be edited and improved according to your needs.

Step 4: Writing a Blog and Publishing

Let’s begin with setting the site up and creating the content readers should view when they first find your blog. Some basics to set up on your blog are the about page, contact page, and any other page readers should browse with your focus.

Other items you can add to the site include a photo of yourself, a logo, images, a comment section, your social media channels, and other applications to which you’d like readers to have direct links. Your blog represents yourself and the topic you’ve chosen, so make sure to have fun designing and personalizing the site!

Moving on to the blogs themselves, focus on being informative and engaging! Our top recommendation for bloggers is to create a supply of idea topics and plan ahead to ensure you’re always on track for posting. Remember, consistency is what builds your blog following. Using a calendar or spreadsheet is perfect for keeping those ideas organized and will help the creative process go smoother.

When you write your blog, there are key aspects you should focus on like post titles, engaging and lengthy information, original content, and editing. No matter what topic you focus on, having an intriguing article title will bring a reader’s attention. Likewise, having engaging and informative information in your article while keeping it personal and including your perspectives will keep readers coming back.

Need ideas for your blog post? View below for posts you can include in your schedule.

  • Curated content: Focusing on your niche, these blog posts gather valuable pieces of information that readers are interested in learning about.
  • Topical content: stay in touch with current events and topics in your niche! Readers will enjoy seeing your perspective on current happenings in your community.
  • Visual content: Incorporate photos, videos, sound clips, and more to engage readers beyond reading.
  • Feature pieces: Interview popular creators and businesses in your niche! Networking and spotlighting others in your community is a great way to meet new friends and bring new readers to your site that are in the interviewee’s community. 
  • Evergreen content: answer your blog posts’ questions and educate readers on your niche topics.
  • Interactive content: Countdowns, quizzes, word finds, giveaways, and so much more will encourage audiences to interact with your site and blog. In doing so, they’ll help your SEO and give you a better insight into who your readers are.

Step 5: Getting Your Blog Out There

Now that your blog is running let’s get some readers! The first step is creating a plan to promote your blog. Then, follow along as we go over strategies you can implement to start getting your blog out there.

  • Word of Mouth: Contact your friends, family members, and colleagues to tell them about your new blog! By asking them to visit, read and follow, you’ll begin getting your site out there and raising awareness. Encourage them to share your blog posts, and don’t forget to thank them!
  • Social Media: Whether you use your personal page, or create a business solely for the blog, getting your blog link onto top social sites like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest is the place to start. Post relevant photos, videos, and announcements for your blog on these sites to bring attention to your brand and writing. Asking friends and family members to share your profile and links will multiply your reach and help you gain that following you’re looking for.

Another significant aspect of social media is networking and using their search systems to your advantage! Reach out to other members of your niche, and use notions like hashtags and profile tags, to raise your posts on the algorithms.

  • Interacting with other creators: One way to create a name for yourself in a community is by interacting with other creators’ content. Leave comments, like their posts, re-share and more to begin building those connections within the community.

When you build these connections, you have a higher chance of broadening your audience and the opportunity to speak with others in your niche. In addition, this is an opportunity to create bonds leading to future collaborations and new projects.

  • Interacting with your readers: Let them know you care and interact with them! Whether liking their posts, replying to comments, or discussing your blog topics, readers like to know the author cares about their community.
  • Post regularly and keep in contact: Consistency is vital when building your blog. So create that calendar we mentioned and follow a routine for posting. This will keep readers engaged and waiting for a new post each time. Also, don’t forget to create an email list! This way, you can keep in direct contact with your readers and keep them updated when new posts or news about your brand are happening.

Step 6: Enjoy Your Blog!

Whether you created this blog for your small business, or your hobbies and passions, remember to enjoy the creative process! While building your audience at first can be difficult, remember these projects take time. So post regularly, engage with your community, plan ahead, and you’ll begin seeing your audience and opportunities grow.

Focus on creating content you’re proud of; remember, this project can be a stepping stone to new opportunities!

JUKI Posts, JUKI Projects

5 Projects you can create this Spooky Season!

by sewinwithjuki4 Comments on 5 Projects you can create this Spooky Season!

It’s almost time for spooks and candy JUKI Lovers! For today’s blog, we will share our top 5 favorite Halloween projects you can begin creating this weekend. So whether you’re going trick-or-treating, or staying at home, follow along below for ideas you can start today!

Halloween Patchwork Quilt

Stay warm this fall and create a Halloween patchwork quilt! Using a variety of Halloween fabric pieces, think witches, pumpkins, and ghosts, you can begin making your very own patchwork quilt. Quilts are the perfect accessory to any home, used and loved by everyone.

We recommend checking out your local quilt shop for holiday quilt bundles. Great options when you want to create a patchwork quilt, and don’t have the scraps, are browsing charm bundles, jelly rolls, and mini-charms! Also, don’t forget to grab batting for your quilts and have fun by bringing texture to the surface using free-motion quilting techniques.

Some great tools to have when quilting is your Open Toe Quilting Presser Foot, Quilting Rulers, and a ¼” Presser Foot for finishing.

Costume Cape

The perfect addition to so many costumes, a cape can be used for various characters ranging from royals to superheroes. To use this cape multiple times, create your piece using basic colors like white, red, or black so you can enjoy this project through the years.

For creating a cape, we recommend having fabrics like stretch velvet, fleece, or wool! Usually, you’ll use about 2 yards of fabric for an adult cape and 1 yard for a child’s cape. This is an excellent apparel project for a beginner to try their hand at. For more advanced sewers, you can add features like trims and a hood for a more finished and professional look.

We recommend having a Cording Foot on hand if you plan to attach a string inside for the cape hood. Also, use a Decorative Stitch Presser Foot to add designs on your cape’s ends for extra personalization!

Spooky Placemats and Table Runner

Decorate your home with a spooky table runner and matching placemats! A fun and easy home project, you can accessorize and personalize your kitchen and dining table with fun fabric designs and colors.

When creating placemats and table runners, we recommend having some tools on hand. Inside your placemats and table runner, you’re going to place a fleece or batting; this will stabilize your project. Spray glue is an excellent adhesive for this! Once you’ve pieced together your mat, you can choose to leave it as is or add designs with free motion quilting.

For yardage, we recommend 2-3 yards of fabric. With one yard, you can create up to 8 basic-sized placemats, and with your other yards, you can create your table runner depending on your table length! Keep a ¼ presser foot on hand when you’re ready to complete your project, so you can quickly finish the edging.

Halloween Garland

Decorate your archways and doorways with a fun garland! Easily created with less than a yard of fabric for the hanging pieces and string, this décor piece is the perfect touch. For the hanging details, we recommend using backing fabric for stabilization.

For this project, keep your ¼” presser foot nearby! Perfect for creating a clean edging on each hanging piece and the edging on the hanging string, this accessory can be the only foot you need for the project.

Trick–or–Treat Bag

Lastly, don’t forget to have your trick-or-treat bag ready! Wishing you a happy spooky season, download our free instructions for our see-through trick-or-treat bag here. With a finished size of 14″ x 16″, this bag will carry all those treats home!

Happy Halloween, JUKI Lovers!

JUKI Posts, JUKI Spotlight

Behind the Collection with Mah-Jing Wong, JUKI Designer Ambassador

by sewinwithjukiLeave a Comment on Behind the Collection with Mah-Jing Wong, JUKI Designer Ambassador

Join us today as we go behind the collection with JUKI Design Ambassador Mah-Jing Wong! Inspired by Marvel and Anime, we get to see his studio and discuss his designs and looks.

Follow below for a transcribed version of our look behind the collection with Mah-Jing Wong.

JUKI: What inspired you to create a collection based on the anime ‘Sailor Moon?

Mah-Jing Wong: Alright, so this time around it wasn’t just Sailor Moon that inspired the collection. I did a little bit of Sailor Moon and Marvel X-Men. I blended the two together and created my own cartoon which is GALAXIA X and she is the powerful superhero from the sailorverse. So this time around I kind of created my own thing, you know?

JUKI: How did you decide what style and cut to create the fashion pieces?

Mah-Jing Wong: Well, this time around I wanted to keep the same silhouette and just kind of build on there. Because it’s our fall collection it’s a little more coverage, it’s a little colder outside we have jackets, skirts, some joggers, and oversized tops. We still have our sheer dresses, but they have a little more coverage within them.

JUKI: What was your favorite outfit to design and create for this collection?

Mah-Jing Wong: Now my favorite outfit, that is so hard to choose! Kinda like picking your favorite child is hard to do! I guess, maybe our GALAXIA dress which is the color block dress with the green patch over the breast. Awe man that one was super sick and it was very sexy to you know?

JUKI: Let’s talk about the modeling! How do the models bring your work to life? What vision did you see when creating this collection?

Well this time around our house model, which is my wife Stacy, she’s just absolutely amazing. We really want to channel LAness pose, high fashion pose. So we did bleached brows on some of the photos, really sleek and wet hair. She did some really out-of-this-world-like poses, I mean I’m not her so I can’t go do poses, but she’s absolutely amazing, and she really helps to bring the clothes to life.

She is GALAXIA X you know?

JUKI: What future plans do you have in store for the Anime collection?

Mah-Jing Wong: Well, just to continue to push to the masses and get some really cool placement and you know, drop our own cartoon which is something I really want to work on. Maybe a comic book. I mean the sky is the limit with fashion and Mah-jing Wong because the good thing about us is we’re so multi-fashionst, and multi-talented, that I really want to touch all areas especially when it comes to animation.

So you never know what you may see from us.

To learn more about Mah-Jing Wong join us here!

Interested in Mah-Jing Wong’s machine? Check it out here!

To find a JUKI dealer near you visit us here.

Business Plus, JUKI Posts

JUKI Small Business Seminar: Alternatives Marketing Ideas

by sewinwithjuki1 Comment on JUKI Small Business Seminar: Alternatives Marketing Ideas

Marketing and promotion can build or break your business. The good thing is that there are countless ways to promote your business! From paid advertising to alternative tactics, you can increase your business and product awareness in different ways to get your brand out there.

While many might recommend looking into paid advertisements on your favorite sites like Facebook, Instagram, or Youtube, you shouldn’t place all your marketing eggs in one basket. Creating different marketing channels is the key to success when it comes to getting your business out there.

Follow along as we stray away from those paid advertisements and offer other options for your brand and how to implement them in your marketing plan today.  

Guest Post on Relevant blogs

Opening a new website can be challenging to get traffic to without advertising. One of the ways you can link back to your site and drive up traffic is guest posting on blogs relevant to your niche and product. It can take time to see progress on this end, but it can boost your audience size.

You would also be applying backlinks in these posts that go back to your website, assisting you in raising your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and increasing your chances of being discovered on search engines.

Connect with bloggers in your industry to create a guest blog post with a relevant post to your business and theirs. Creating relevant content for your business will drive readers to your site and eventually become new leads and sales for you.

Request Product Reviews 

Product reviews are one of the best ways to push sales in your business. Many shoppers will check shop and product ratings on eCommerce sites like Etsy before checking out the items in their cart. Customers check reviews because we trust word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family.

Reach out to bloggers or influencers in your niche and industry and offer to ship them a free sample of your product in exchange for an honest review. If you have a great product, they’ll love it and rave while encouraging others to purchase from your shop.

You can also have an automated message that requests product reviews after delivery, encouraging shoppers to post on your website or shop page.

Research Affiliate Marketing 

Have you ever tried affiliate marketing? Think of it as product reviews but one step farther.

By creating an affiliate program, you’re incentivizing other people to drive traffic to your business by offering a commission on every sale, similar to referral programs.

Finding and choosing an affiliate might not be easy at first if you’re still establishing your business, so we recommend researching outreach campaigns and creating one to recruit your first affiliate members. Keep in mind to choose those who have an engaged audience and are also in your niche or industry group.

Look for Press Coverage

You don’t need a PR team to get PR coverage! If your brand has created something exciting or a product that you think people would love to know about, take the PR work into your own hands and start contacting bloggers and news outlets in your area or industry.

Getting placed in news outlets can bring you forward to a whole different audience off the internet and social media. For example, look into promoting your business in a newspaper. Journalists are always looking for a new and exciting story.

Focus on your industry and what outlets and sites you can contact. Stay away from contacting outlets that aren’t in your niche. For example, don’t contact a tech blogger about your fashion products.

Opening a new business is exciting, and your community and others would love to know about it! So whether you’re creating a new product, opening up a shop, or even a few months in, keep this in mind when you think it’s time to upgrade your marketing game.

Learn about Social Media tactics

There are many tactics you can bring into your marketing plan for your company. From the content you’re posting to the comments you’re writing, all this can be used to your advantage when it’s time to market your business. When creating your marketing schedule, let’s go over some marketing tactics you should keep in mind.

Consistent posting

One of the things so many will lack when opening their marketing pages is the scheduling of their posting. Keep in mind the phrase “out of sight, out of mind” when you’re creating your marketing schedule.

It’s recommended to post often, and this doesn’t have to be the same form of content. Create pieces like photos, videos, reels, TikTok’s, blogs, and more. Audiences will react differently to posting schedules, so take the time to study your audience and figure out the best times and days to post to get that traffic you want to see.

Know Your Hashtags

Knowing your hashtags and what’s trending in your industry will get you in the right spots when people start discussing your niche. Hashtags have become one of the easiest ways to organize social media platforms, allowing us to find relevant posts to our interest with just one sign, the ‘#.’

Study similar posts from others in your niche and industry and see what garners the most attention. Also, keep in mind what kind of posts are being created with these hashtags. By following along with trending hashtags, you can have a higher chance of your post landing in front of the right audience and increasing your sales or traffic.

It’s recommended to have 15 to 30 well-curated hashtags per post to reach your max audience. We recommend using applications like ‘Hashtag Expert’ if you can’t decide what hashtags to place on your post.

Market Locally 

With the recent changes in our society, small and local businesses are coming back into their communities. More people prefer to support those in their community when it comes to shopping, and if you’re a small business, you should be taking advantage of this opportunity!

Here are a couple of ways you can promote yourself locally and get your name out there:

Google – My Business 

An easy-to-use program, you can get your business out there on Google’s search and maps. A free way to promote yourself on the search engine, this offers you a chance to market your business on Google with a simple description of your shop and who you are.

With Google’s popularity, many will go here first when learning about your company to see if it’s legitimate. Take the time to create your profile, add products or location photos if you’re able to, and include relevant links. Using Google’s business is a great way to introduce your business and can lead to more trust from the customer.

Research Your Local Events

Does your community host events? Research what Artisan markets, craft shows, trade shows, and festivals are happening around you that you could attend to showcase your shop and market your business.

While online e-shops and sales have seen a rise in popularity, in-person events are coming back, and it’s a good idea not to overlook them. As people step out of their homes, they want to attend these community events and see what’s new. Use this as an opportunity to make real connections with buyers in your niche, and enjoy the chance to meet with them one-on-one.

Keep in mind what you can do for others as well! Being skilled at creating something can be a teachable moment. Take into consideration what classes and workshops you can offer to your community to raise awareness for your brand, build credibility and create new leads and sales.

Market

Whether you choose to go organic or non-organic, and whatever channels you choose, don’t forget the importance of marketing for your business’s success. We know that paying for advertising can take a toll on a business’s budget, which is why alternative marketing is a great idea! Look into what you can accomplish with low to no cost through these marketing tactics and more.

Start with one tactic and keep going as you find comfort in what you can handle and what channels work best for your industry and niche. We hope this helps you plan your marketing budget and find new ways to bring attention to your business. What would you recommend for someone looking to get attention to their business?