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Nothing shows off a creative’s work like a photo, and that makes Instagram a great fit for artists like paper florists. But how do you master that tricky algorithm and reach the right audience? I recommend a hashtag platform, and you can compare two of the biggest ones in our last blog on IQ Hashtags vs Flick Tech. 

This time around, I want to go in depth and give some tips on how artists can best use IQ Hashtags. #letsgetlearning

• Make your own collection of hashtags

I know that this may seem like an obvious one, but personalizing your own hashtag collection can prove useful. IQ Hashtags makes it super easy for you to copy and paste your hashtags onto your caption. It can save a lot of time and trouble if you’re going to...

What's the difference between IQhashtags.com versus Flick.Tech?

Why do you even need it in your life, especially if you are trying to increase your SEO and when Instagram is forever changing its algorithm!

As of July 2021, Instagram is favoring saves firsts, shares second, then DMs, comments and finally likes. Yup, likes are no longer that important anymore. The biggest tip I can give you is be genuine and engage with your followers.

One thing that I like to do is track my statistics. I'm a number gal. Numbers makes me just happy.

Tracking statistics on social media can be very helpful when it comes to running your own business. You can track demographics, what gets the most interactions, and much more in order to improve your online presence. 

Why do this? What's the benefit of tracking all these numbers? Along with tracking, you have to look at the results and understand. It's worth that extra step to do this if you really want to grow your followers. By understanding all...

With spring around the corner and my new paper flower tutorial being released, I’ve had cherry blossoms on my mind. 

Three years ago I created cherry blossom installations for six stores in Seattle—a huge undertaking that taught me many lessons. To help artists like you along your paper flower journey, I want to share the story behind those installations and the wisdom I gained. 

My love of this tiny five-petal blossom started when I was a small child and first saw a cherry tree bloom. I was standing under the branches when it started to softly rain white petals all around me. Pure magic. That moment stayed with me over the years, but I never had an opportunity to really share that love until I started to make paper flowers.

Back in 2018, I had no active paper flower jobs and decided to take on a big project to really explore my love of paper crafting and my love of this tiny blossom. I made hundreds of cherry blossoms. I started to make cherry blossoms in...

Standing out in an increasingly crowded industry may feel like a monumental task, especially if you’re just starting out with your business. 

Looking at the competition may bring feelings of dread. That was certainly the case for many of our panelists at our last Paper X Talk lecture about pricing. But one thing stood out above the rest in all of our advice that night: competition should be viewed as a motivator, not a threat.

By the end of this article, you’ll feel motivated when you look at your competition, because you’ll learn how to work with competitors to build up your industry and keep customers happy—and when that happens, your business will grow and you’ll find the success that matters most to you.

Let’s dive in!

Collaborate with Your Competition

This may sound counterintuitive at first, but when you build up your industry, everyone benefits. Paper florist Jessie Chui of Crafted to Bloom is my competition, but...

Small business owners the world over have struggled with the same issue: how to price goods and services—and here in the paper flower industry, we’re no different. My journey with figuring out pricing as a paper florist started before I even knew I wanted a career in paper flowers. 

Some years ago I had surgery on my back and was easing back into my work as an event planner. One of my brides asked if I could make paper flowers for her decor. With my yes can-do attitude (that I know so many of you have, too!), I, of course, said yes. She wanted flowers made in purple and from music sheets since she and her husband were avid musicians. I scoured YouTube channels and books about making paper flowers, and this was before crepe paper flowers were very popular. It took some time, but eventually, I figured it out. 

Because it was my first time making paper flowers, I took on the brunt of the cost of making them. Luckily, I was able to roll the cost of supplies and a...