How To Get Started Blogging as a Florist
“IN A WORLD WHERE COUPLES WANT CONNECTION WITH THEIR WEDDING VENDORS AND SEARCH FOR THE PROS THEY WORK WITH ONLINE, YOU CAN’T FORGET ABOUT YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE.”
-Ava, Ava and the Bee, guest blogger
As a florist, you wear so many hats. From designer, to accountant, to project manager to marketer. And adding one more piece to your plate might not seem ideal. But what if that piece could capture your audience and increase your SEO rankings while giving you endless content for social media? It's possible, and it starts with blogging!
Starting to write can leave you feeling a bit overwhelmed, especially if you're unsure where to begin. The last thing you want is to invest time in crafting a blog post only to have it go unnoticed. That is why we are covering how to start your first blog post, step by step.
Why Should I Blog as a Florist?
Blogging offers big advantages for your floral business, starting with its impact on search engine visibility. Google's number one goal is to deliver helpful and relevant results to searchers. So, for Google to do that, they are always looking for fresh, new, and relevant content to share. By consistently creating and publishing blog posts, you provide Google with the new and relevant content it craves, improving the chances of your business being discovered by potential clients (and going up in the rankings!).
Beyond enhancing your online SEO and visibility, blogging increases user engagement on your website. The longer visitors stay and interact with your content, the more favorably Google views your site. Blog posts offer informative and engaging material for users and create additional opportunities for them to explore different pages of your website. Google recognizes and prioritizes websites that can captivate users since longer stay times are a positive signal that your content is valuable and user-friendly.
What Does a Blog Post Need?
Crafting a successful blog post involves a strategic combination of engaging written copy, visually appealing images, and some SEO sprinkled in. First, the copy. Without written copy, Google may struggle to understand your blog's relevance, negatively affecting its SEO ranking. Aim for a word count of at least 300, with the ideal range falling between 500 and 800 words.
When including images, limit them to around 35 to maintain a fast-loading speed, which is a factor Google considers important. Diversify your image selection, ensuring a mix of horizontal and portrait shots. As a florist, highlight your work and its integration into the wedding theme. And, of course, include images of the couple!
Include internal links to keep your readers on your website longer and clicking around to other pages. Internal links guide readers to different sections of your website, such as the contact form or gallery, keeping them engaged. Outbound links, particularly when crediting vendors and linking to their websites, also contribute to SEO and overall blog post quality. Make sure these links open in new browsers to keep readers on your site.
Where To Start Blogging
To kickstart your blogging journey, the first step is selecting the right platform, which will be based on your current website platform. Almost every single website builder, from Showit to Squarespace to Wix and Shopify will have a blogging feature. Don’t create a separate website just to blog.
Select The Topic
A well-rounded post revolves around a specific topic. For florists, we recommend focusing on four key topic buckets: real weddings, styled shoots or inspiration, educational posts, and vendor features.
Real Wedding or Styled Shoot:
A real wedding or styled shoot is just that – a 300–500-word write-up about the event, with 30-40 images showing the work.
Educational Post:
An informative piece that educates your target audience, emphasizing local keywords.
Examples: "Top 5 Wedding Venues in XYZ City" or "Top Ceremony Locations in XYZ City."
Vendor Post:
A feature highlighting local vendors you admire and love working with. These are great to do with other vendors (so they feature you in return!) to build some backlinks to your website.
What To Write About for a Real Wedding
One of the most challenging parts of blogging is what to write about for a real wedding. For educational blog posts, you can start with FAQ around the topic. But for real weddings, it’s all about storytelling!
Give readers a behind-the-scenes look at your creative process, from concept to execution. By striking a balance between showcasing the couple's journey, acknowledging the vendor team, and emphasizing your role, the blog post becomes a comprehensive and engaging reflection of the wedding day, appealing to both the couple and potential clients.
#1: What You Did for The Couple
When writing a blog post for a client's wedding or a styled shoot, the story of the couple and the wedding day should be the main point of the blog post. Every couple's wedding is unique – so shine the spotlight on their day! This is also where you can bring in the vendors involved in the day and how you worked together as a team to make the day happen.
But don't forget to highlight what you did for them! As a florist, you are a key part of their design and vision. Outline the services you provided, the personalized touches you added, and how your expertise elevated the overall wedding experience.
What was the couple's initial inspiration? How did you help select flowers and create one-of-a-kind arrangements and bouquets?
Did you do any large setups and installations during the day?
#2: About The Couple
This can be pulled from any questionnaires you send them to get to know them or from your meetings with them. Highlight how they met, why they chose you as their florist, and special elements from their wedding. Whether it's the sentimental value of the venue, the thoughtful selection of colors, or the inventive ways flowers were woven into the celebration, these personal touches allow each blog post to stand out from the rest, while giving the couple something they are excited to share with their friends on social media.
#3: The Location & Venue
One of the first things couples search for when planning a wedding is venues. So, make sure every blog post focuses on the venue! If you have previous experience working at the venue, share your insights on why you love being a florist there. Highlighting your experience with the venue brings confidence to potential clients and showcases your design expertise. If you provide sketches or mood boards, include them in the blog post to illustrate how flowers transformed the venue.
#4: The Details
The wedding day is all about the details! Write about the overall design details that went into the wedding. From the color palette to the textures to the flowers that you used. Go through the wedding from start to finish - from the boutonnieres and bouquets to the ceremony, to the reception, and any floral installations made.
You can also highlight any seasonal items, like colors, or if you chose specific flowers due to the season of the event. This also allows you to showcase your experience regarding flower selection! As an expert, you know peonies are not in season all year long and will be much more expensive in the off-season. But your couple doesn't know that! So be the guide that walks them through why you chose the flowers you did and if the couple had to adjust their budget to include a dream flower.
Finish Your Blog with a Call to Action
Wrap up each blog post with a compelling call to action (CTA), guiding readers to the next steps. The CTA serves as a strategic prompt, encouraging engagement and interaction!
The CTA can be tailored for each blog, depending on the final goal of the post. For example, it can invite readers to take specific actions, such as reaching out to inquire about your services, exploring a free resource you offer, or navigating to other relevant blog posts.
Blogging As a Florist
While quality content is crucial for social media platforms, a blog allows you to dive deeper into your expertise and share in-depth insights on real weddings and events. By consistently delivering valuable and informative content, you connect with your audience on a deeper level and position yourself as a go-to resource for couples seeking expert floral guidance. And with this guide, you are on your way to writing your first (or next!) blog!
P.S.
Want to learn more about blogging as a florist and how to repurpose your blog post content to up your social media game?
Join us on Thursday 2/1/24 at 3:00pm eastern / Noon pacifc time for our next EveryStem community zoom with guest speaker Adrienna McDermott. Ava not only wrote the guest post above, but is also the owner of Ava and the Bee a digital marketing agency for wedding professionals like you.
She is an ex wedding pro turned marketing expert! And you are in luck because she’s going to dive deep into the art of blogging for florists. And you’re invited. You’ll come away from this fantastic EveryStem community conversation with 3 things.
1. The nuts and bolts of how to start a blog using your work from real weddings
2. How to repurpose a blog post to blast your social media accounts with more content
3. How you can differentiate your services through your blog posts to attract ideal clients
Members, the zoom invite is on the updates page of EveryStem.
Login to your account.
Click on the EveryStem logo at the top of the screen and check out the first announcement on the updates page.
Not yet a member of EveryStem? No problem! Simply email LuAnn the founder and CEO of EveryStem and ask for the link. She’ll send it your way!
Thanks so much to Ava for guest writing this post and for being an amazing asset to our community of floral designers who want to use technology to book ideal clients and make a healthy profit doing it!
Until next time,
The EveryStem team
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