When the idea was first suggested to Gina Halladay that she create an online blog about quilting, she laughed. A common response came to her, "Who am I to be writing about this for other people?" Her husband Hal Halladay, CEO of Know More Media, who had suggested the idea, convinced her to give it a shot, and QuiltersBuzz was born. Fast forward one year, and Gina has become the go-to authority for all things quilting. She has carved herself a prominent niche in the industry; she has cultivated an international readership of her blog, and is using all this attention to further her small quilting business, Threaded Pear Studio. I had a chance to sit down with Gina at her studio in
When I first thought of quilting I imagined a dusty old lady in a dim room, creepily rocking back and forth on a creaky rocking chair, quietly humming to herself, as loose dentures bob in her mouth. But this not completely true says Gina, "The average age of the quilter is 58. But, there is this new generation, smart, and computer savvy, and are really taking a love to the hand crafts. These are the people that are reading and posting on my blog." And the industry is beginning to take notice.
Businesses in the quilting industry are reading Gina's blog and are using it to figure out what this new generation is interested in, and they are able to adjust their techniques because of it. “Recently a company was about to release a new series of fabrics for the spring and they were looking for a way to quietly get the word out, and create some interest before the launch, to get people talking. They picked QuiltersBuzz, and I posted a sneak peak about what I thought about them. The response was huge, and they sold more yardage of material then they had ever done before, before they even released it.”
This is the attraction of the blog, in a world that is continually transitioning toward easy, more accessible forms of media and news, the blog is the answer. Blogs have huge advantages over print media, the main one being time. “It will take magazines and newspapers, 6 maybe even 8 weeks to report some things, if ever. But with my blog I am able to post whatever I want, and I can do it that second. And instantly it is available to people across the globe.”“People get instant gratification on a blog. It allows people to be heard, instantly, and people like that a lot. They can post what they think about the products, about me, about whatever. It gives everyone a voice. There is an unwritten rule in blogging. If you reference someone, you always give them credit.”
And therein lies the strength of a small business blog. It weaves a web across the globe, of friends, associates, and potential customers. It is the best way to get information out fast. It gives everyone the ability to access that information at any time. Unfiltered and unedited, a fresh view and voice on any topic you choose. And believe it or not, there are people out there interested in what you have to say and what you have to sell, so blog on.
Great story Miles. Keep up the great writing.
Posted by: Hal Halladay | January 5, 2007 9:24 PM | Permalink to Comment