I have been checking in regularly with Corner Violin Shop, a blog started by A. Cavallo Violins about daily life in a violin shop. This blog is an outstanding example of a small business utilizing the power of social media (like blogs, podcasts, Facebook, YouTube, and the like) to establish a connection with the music community and their customers.

Even though I’ve never met these folks personally or had any work done by them, I would feel comfortable recommending them to people for string repairs and purchases. This is solely due to having “met” them and learned about their projects through their blog. Blogging with honesty about even straightforward events (working a lathe at the shop, basses arriving in massive boxes, bass bow in the works) can engage readers and establish a reputation and a level of trust that one would never get through a traditional website. Blogging (especially the way these folks do it) adds a layer of transparency to the operation of a shop or small business, giving the reader a peek inside the team’s activities and helping to establish a relationship with them.

This blog also provides the reader with a very interactive experience, including photos, slide shows, and videos into their posts. Very smart and very well-done–this is a great example of how a small enterprise can use a blog to really move their business forward. Those of you with small businesses, whether private teachers, reed making business owners, arrangers and publishers, composers, or directors of arts organizations, take note of this shop and consider starting a blog of your own. And if you do, let me know! I’ll be sure to highlight you to readers.

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• Dynamic Growth Possibilities of Blogging and Podcasting
• Top 7 Ways that Blogs are Different from Regular Websites
• On An Overgrown Path – the power of blogging
• Regrets about using Blogger

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