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[EnMartian]

I don't know how many of you out there currently write blogs,  so you may not be able to identify with my pain,  but I need some help.  I currently write two blogs for EnMart,  one blog for Stitches and have just been asked to write a bi-monthly column for Stitches Magazine as well.  I love the writing and am flattered to be asked,  but I'm running out of ideas.  So, I'm throwing myself on your mercy.

What sort of posts would you like to see on the blogs I write?  What topics do you find interesting, useful or helpful?  If you currently write a blog, where do you get your ideas?  If you don't write a blog, what do you wish others who do write blogs would write about? 

All suggestions will be considered.  Thanks in advance for your help.

[mizgemini]

DO U KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT USING THE MULTI POSITIONAL EMBROIDERY HOOP.

CHOOSING FONTS TO DIGITIZE

KNOWING WHAT AND WHEN A GARMENT CAN OR SHOULD BE EMBROIDERED.

NEW EMBROIDERS SUPPLY LIST.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT STABLIZER FOR THE RIGHT MATERIAL.

KNOWING YOUR LIMITATIONS WITH YOUR EMBROIDERY MACHINE.

HOME EMBROIDERY MACHINE FOR BEGINNERS.

THE RIGHT THREAD FOR THE RIGHT JOB.

MAKING PATCHES


HOPE IT HELPS IF I THINK OF MORE I WILL POST

[American logoZ]

Here are a few suggestions:

Embroidering on a t-shirt

How to use tools & gadgets: magnetic hoopmaster, gator clamp, tension guages

Stitch types, names & photos/examples

Specialty threads - what are they and when/how to use them

How to choose a digitizer

Office management - suggestions for organizing & storing art (computer and/or hard copies), client files, apparel catalogs, unique finds, how-to instructions, vendor information, and the other mountains of paperwork that seem to collect on my desk!  (sorry - that one gets a little personal)

Time management suggestions

Work flow ideas - maybe including work area layouts

Someone offers screenprinting-specific Quickbooks files -- sure would be nice to have an embroidery version, or maybe a suggested list of embroidery-specific tools/files (chart of accounts, inventory, etc). 

How to make placement templates for common products/brands & sizes

[EnMartian]

YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!

Thank you for all the great ideas.  They make so much sense, and I'm sure I could do them justice. 

I appreciate the suggestions so much.  I'm so out of ideas right now. 

[mizgemini]

well there u go hon, enough for the rest of the year. lmbo! if i think of more i will post. 

[heatpressvinyl]

I like blogs that keep me awake while reading them,, some get so boring I wake up with my keyboard in my face,,, I also like short subjects, the same goes for videos,, 10 minute videos,, boring,,, 3 to 5 minute videos = Brilliant,, short to the point and keeps my attention...

[MonkeyMeMe]

Ok now do this for me,, please,,,,please , please,,,, how do you think i got MeMe

think about it,, meme,, pick me me!!!!!!

Blog ideas I would love to hear,,,,,,
Wow we have a great group here,,,

[EnMartian]

Ok, MMM, since people made suggestions for me,  I'll make some for you.  I don't know much about rhinestones, so some of these may not be applicable, but I'll throw them out there.

Rhinestoning for beginners,  what you need to set up your shop

What equipment do you need for using rhinestones

How to choose rhinestones/ how to tell if the rhinestones you're buying are a quality product

What size of stone is best for what type of design

Unique or unusual things you can rhinestone

Rhinestone terminology

Designing a rhinestone template

Step by step instructions on how to create a design/ put a design on a garment

How to sell your products once they've been decorated

Different types of rhinestones and what each is used for (if there are different types of rhinestones)

I'm coming at it from a seriously novice point of view,  so these topics may be too basic,  but they're what I'd want to read if I was going to get into using rhinestones.

[EnMartian]

well there u go hon, enough for the rest of the year. lmbo! if i think of more i will post. 

Oh, if only that were true.  I write 6 posts a week for the two EnMart blogs and a two or three a month for the Stitches blog.  I go through a lot of words, and ideas, in the average week.

[EnMartian]

I like blogs that keep me awake while reading them,, some get so boring I wake up with my keyboard in my face,,, I also like short subjects, the same goes for videos,, 10 minute videos,, boring,,, 3 to 5 minute videos = Brilliant,, short to the point and keeps my attention...

I tend to write a little longer when it comes to blog posts,  but I try to keep them interesting.

Right there with you on the videos.  10 minutes is too long.  We try to stay in the 3 - 5 minute length.  Seems to be optimum for instructional videos.

[heatpressvinyl]

Look at the information that is gathered by the viewer in well done 60 sec. tv ads,, its just mind blowing, so yes the 3 to 5 min videos are the way to go,

Back to the blog thing,,, and this is just my opinion (and I should practice what I preach),,, I reckon a blog to a soap opera,, if its short and keeps the readers interest then they will be craving more,,, so here is my take on the whole thing.   

Sit down and write the whole article or blog post in word or some other type of processor keeping in mind that it will be segmented, then you will have the blog post done for the week or how ever often you post, then paste the segments into the blog daily or how ever often you like..

This does a few things,, if written correctly it will create interest and being a on going article it will also induce the reader to come back to the site day after day to reach a conclusion.

This also makes it look as if there is fresh content daily when in fact its just the same article that has been segmented to look as if it was written daily.. 

[mizgemini]

at sandy, yes maam u need to do a blog on rhinestones hon. would love to see or better yet read it. lol
although i'm interested in them, nothing has really captured my interest other than the finished product after you have finish one of ur beautiful designs. i too would like to do the bling thing. maybe not on the scale you're on but would like to have it included in my business line. i have cutters... and that's all i know so far.

i have asked the questions on a couple of forums but no real answers to where to start.

[American logoZ]

i too would like to do the bling thing. maybe not on the scale you're on but would like to have it included in my business line. i have cutters... and that's all i know so far.

That's exactly where I'm at.  I have Cutters & Corel & Luis' macro - and no desire to spend a lot more money.  I bought a little starter package of template material & stones from Sandy Jo and another little package of Xpel & stones & a couple of designs from Mike.  I've read a lot and asked a lot of questions.  Now it's time to actually take the little goodies out of their packages and stick something into my cutter.....exciting and terrifying!

[American logoZ]

Ideas for MMM:
What makes a good rhinestone design.

What makes a good rhinestone font.

Step by Step - design to finished product.

Ideas for MMM & EnMartian:
Multi-decoration.  Put your heads together and show folks how bling can put excitement back into embroidery.

Another idea for EnMartian:
CPSIA.  Somewhere on ADF I posted info I received from someone supposedly "in the know" who claimed that embroiderers do not need to be concerned with CPSIA because we fall into an exemption.  If that's true and able to be verified, that's puts us at a HUGE advantage and we should be mopping up the kids markets.  Of course, that means we need to know how to legally decorate a little league jersey using embroidery    so we'll need to know our applique limits.

[MonkeyMeMe]

Guys you are fantastic,,,,  I can see if i take all the suggestions you guys have,, and mix it up in one segmented blog, like roger said,,

that would be perfect,,,,

ok, now a blog is info i put on a blog,,,,
Do others respond to it?
and where would you like to see this blog,, is this attached to my website,,

Would you keep this blog clean and instruction orientated or include sales and new ideas to it, as you go,,,,,
or have seperate blogs?

I have a blog now on my webiste, but I have not attended it regular....

good info guys,, and i do have alot of info to give,

I am very much torn at giving to much info, and putting my self out of buisness by training others or oh crap let it rip,,,,there is enough work for everyone.
I usually just let er rip,,,,,,, lol
Have you guys ever felt like that,,,,,,?

[boomerbabe]

Take a look at PimpaShirt. They don't have anything new just yet as they are upgrading their vid equipment.. Short and sweet with great information.

[MonkeyMeMe]

Great idea, boomer,, short and sweet and hit it with a video,,,
like it,,

[EnMartian]

Ideas for MMM & EnMartian:
Multi-decoration.  Put your heads together and show folks how bling can put excitement back into embroidery.

Another idea for EnMartian:
CPSIA.  Somewhere on ADF I posted info I received from someone supposedly "in the know" who claimed that embroiderers do not need to be concerned with CPSIA because we fall into an exemption.  If that's true and able to be verified, that's puts us at a HUGE advantage and we should be mopping up the kids markets.  Of course, that means we need to know how to legally decorate a little league jersey using embroidery    so we'll need to know our applique limits.

The rhinestone and embroidery combined idea is a fun one.  We don't do much with rhinestones,  but it would be interesting to see what could be done.

As for CPSIA,  we don't deal with it much on the embroidery side,  but it would make a good series of topics for the blog.  I'll have to see what I can find out,  or what experts I can connect with for information. 

[EnMartian]

MMM,

EmbroideryTalk http://blog.myenmart.com/
and
SubliStuff  http://www.sublistuff.com/

are the blogs that I write.  It's a different approach than what has already been discussed here, but it seems to work for us. 

Our blogs are pretty much standalone.  EmbroideryTalk was the first blog so it's a little more connected to the website than SubliStuff.  The blogs do direct traffic back to the website and the store,  so the identification that is there seems to work. 

As for content,  that is whatever strikes me at the moment or what seems useful.  I talk about specials and sales.  I write how to articles that give tips on how to use our products.  I talk about the company itself,  how it came to be and what our philosophy is.  I have two main goals.  One is to provide information that helps customers use our products more efficiently and better.  The other is to help our customers and potential customers know and like our company. 

We also have two blogs for our two main product areas.  One blog deals with machine embroidery and associated supplies and the other deals with sublimation and associated supplies.  It just seems to keep things cleaner.  I suppose we could have combined both into one blog,  but the separation just seemed to make sense. 

Others will respond in the comments section,  if you allow comments.  The rule of them is that probably one out of every ten readers will comment and sometimes not even that many.   

[MonkeyMeMe]

The rhinestone and embroidery combined idea is a fun one.  We don't do much with rhinestones,  but it would be interesting to see what could be done.

As for CPSIA,  we don't deal with it much on the embroidery side,  but it would make a good series of topics for the blog.  I'll have to see what I can find out,  or what experts I can connect with for information. 

This is a sample of embroid and stones