How I organically grew my blog to 20,000 visitors per month

“We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about.”
-Charles Kingsley

I have been creating and designing my popular needle felting kits, workshops, tutorials, and needle felted creations since the start of 2014. Everything is designed and made at my Lincolnshire home studio where I live with my husband, daughter (currently at University), and dog, Gin. As well as a thriving website and Etsy shop, I also have an award winning blog which last year saw 110,000 visitors: two thirds of which came directly from Pinterest. I’m now getting 20,000 visitors per month which is quite a jump from the 37,000 visitors I had in the whole of 2017. This year, in January and February alone, I got 40,000 visitors and 77,000 views; 47,000 of those views came straight from Pinterest!

Needle felting and Yorkshire tea are my passions and I happily admit to being addicted to both! The joy and excitement I feel at seeing a handful of wool transformed into a beautiful animal or sculpture, using just a barbed needle, is undeniable and I wanted to share what I have learned along the way… usually with a cup of Yorkshire Tea in my hand.

It all began in 2013 when a chance encounter at a craft fair with a talented artist, selling beautiful wet felted art and jewelry, started the business ball rolling. Amazed at what could be achieved with so little, I immediately booked a 3 hour workshop and loved it! Shortly after that, whilst trawling YouTube for tutorials, I came across needle felting. I ordered some wool, basic tools, and the rest (as they say) is history. Arts and crafts had always played an important role throughout my life, but needle felting changed everything. I had found my passion, and without realizing it, the wheels of my business would soon be set in motion.

Ironically, in 2013, I didn't even have a Facebook account nor had I heard of SEO (I had to Google it), I had no experience with social media, had never visited Pinterest, and was only familiar with Etsy from a shopper’s perspective. I had no experience running a business and had left a corporate job in 2002 to bring up our daughter. So, armed with a ‘can-do’ attitude, a bucket load of enthusiasm, and a passion for this addictive craft, I forged ahead.

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