The Oakland Press – 3.6.07

Blog helps gift shops spring forward

by: Lara Mossa – of The Oakland Press 

photo: Vaughn Gurganian

Bright Easter eggs, bobble-head bunnies and windup chicks announce the coming of spring on the catching fireflies website.  The products are featured on the local company’s blog, which was launched last summer.

catching fireflies, a 6-year-old business, has locations in Berkley and Rochester and sells products online.  The stores carry wedding and baby gifts, bath and body products, handbags, kitchen and entertaining items, greeting cards, stationery and handmade picture frames and photo albums. More than 30 local artists sell products at the stores, ranging from handmade jewelry to stained glass. 

April McCrumb, co-owner of catching fireflies, started the blog as a way to communicate with customers.  Linked to the company’s website, www.catchingfireflies.com , the blog features information on new products, local artists, music reviews, special coupons and sales, and anecdotes from the owner.

As the popularity of the Internet grows, so does the prevalence of blogs, which are user-generated websites where entries are made in journal style.  Typically, pictures are included and readers are able to add their own comments to the site.

McCrumb came up with the idea after reading about blogs in Entrepreneur Magazine. 

"The blog is a running dialogue you can have with your customers at minimal time and cost," she said.  Sales have been slightly higher since the blog was launched, said McCrumb, who updates the journal every couple of days.  "It’s something we can offer a lot of the big-box stores can’t."  McCrumb said.  "They don’t have the personality we have.  There’s actually a person behind this store, not just a corporation."

Also to promote the business, catching fireflies sends an e-mail newsletter regularly and a mailed newsletter twice a year.  McCrumb obtains customers’ e-mail and home addresses when they sign up for a $63 shopping spree she gives away each month at the stores and online.