Marketing Tips - Part 3 - Spreading The Word

I think the most asked question on Etsy is, where do you promote your shop to get more business? First let me point out that promoting takes time, patience and some hard work. Shops that have been successful know, it doesn't happen overnight either. Today I'll list some of the ways you can promote your shop in brief detail so you'll have a starting point to work with.

Etsy Forums

If you haven't joined in, now is the time. A few pieces of advice, when posting, don't just post your item and run, go back through and actually click on everyone else's work and comment. If you are posting a link to a thread someone else has started, make sure you actually look at their item and comment before posting your link.

Blogging

Blog your little heart out! Yes, we do want to read about your life as well as your business. I like when people mix up the two and I like to learn about new artists all the time. If you post links in the forums about your blog, be sure to go back through and read the other blogs. Subscribe or 'follow' and post comments on the posts that you find interesting.

Twitter

Ok, I admit, I was skeptical of this one at first, but I have to say that I'm loving it! There is something about the instant gratification of posting and having 15 people immediately click on your link! I have gotten many views and some hearts in my shop since joining and several direct replies and retweets. It's a great way to meet fellow artists and just post about anything and everything, even the boring lunch you just ate!

Myspace

Myspace is a great way to get your work out there through friends and family. You can either opt to have your Myspace page completely about your business or throw in some pics, links and blog posts every now and then. I'm in the process of redoing my page and will post links once I'm up and running.

Facebook

All right, well here's one I just don't get. Only your friends can see your profile so I'm not sure how big of a role Facebook plays in the promoting game so if you have Facebook and have gotten results from it, please post a link here.

Project Wonderful

Project Wonderful is geared toward adding advertising space to a blog or existing website where people bid to put up their advertisment. Now, the banners can be made in several sizes; however, it is up the owner of the blog or site to determine what size is allowed on their site. I've heard a lot of mixed reviews on this and personally, I tried it, got a lot of clicks, but that was about it. If you have had success with this, please post a comment so others can learn about it.

Business Cards

Hand them out to everyone and anyone that will take one! It's a great way to get your info out there and let's face it, if you want something inexpensive there are plenty of sellers on Etsy that offer great packages or you can even go to a commercial printer and get a good deal.

Newsletters

Add a newsletter to your email, send it out to family and friends and ask that they forward it to anyone they think may be interested. By no means am I suggesting you spam all of your friend's friends! You can add a link that says subscribe/unsubscribe so if they want to continue to receive your newsletter they can do so very easily, if not, unsubscribing is just as easy. Create a link on your blog to let people sign up so they don't have to keep coming back to read your posts, they'll get it right in their email!

Website

Show of hands, how many of you knew that you could get an ad free, customizable website, totally free? Did you also know you could get your own .com web address for the first year free also? Well, officelive.com will give you all of this free! Yes, free! They have many templates available so you don't have to be a web designer to get a nice looking site either. You can use this to showcase your work, kind of like a portfolio, or you can even sell your products directly on your website! How cool is that? I would suggest using it as a portfolio until you gain a good following. We all know how great it would be to have a website all our own to sell our wares but let's face it, getting found on Etsy is hard enough, can you imagine how hard it is to get a website off the ground? The key is to start small and dream big!

My I have really rambled on this time. In the future we'll be visiting these topics in more detail, I just wanted to give you a good starting point and hope to see you back for more indepth information on how to get your business out there!

Wednesday Wishlist

I love sketching and doodling, but I never seem to have something close at hand when the urge strikes me. I did a search for sketchbooks on Etsy and came across this wonderful seller's shop. Bind Me (aka Owl Bindery) offers many different types of hand bound journals and notebooks which are small enough to stick in your purse or totebag giving you the opportunity to jot down your thoughts or doodles whenever the mood is right.

If anyone feels the need to buy me one of these, please feel free to do so! I would definitely not mind at all!

When Your Baby Isn't A Baby Anymore

They grow up to look like this!

Happy 17th Birthday to my baby! Am I really that old?

Marketing Tips - Part 2 - Incorporating Your Design

You've got your banner and avatar, now you need to incorporate your look into business cards, address labels, stickers, product tags, thank you notes, invoices, etc. Some things to keep in mind when you purhase a banner or graphic from a designer...

Get the Original Files

Don't be afraid to ask for either the original files or a .svg (scaleable vector graphic) file. If you ever want to have the design incorporated into printed materials, you will need these files as they will allow another designer to rework the files in case the original designer goes out of business or does not offer these services.

Ask if You Don't Know

A lot of banners are made in Photoshop or similar image editing software. They're wonderful for creating images for the web, but not always for print. The reason for this is the difference between bitmap images and vector graphics, which is a whole separate topic, but basically the difference is bitmap images become pixellated if resized too much, vector graphics retain their clarity. Also, drop shadows, gradients and special effects done in these programs don't always print out the best quality either.

Print Color

Another thing to keep in mind is that print colors are not always the same as what you see on your computer. Computer screens, web and printers all have different gamuts for color. Which basically means the entire range of colors available on a particular device such as a monitor or printer. A monitor, which displays RGB signals, typically has a greater color gamut than a printer, which uses CMYK inks. When a color is "out of gamut," it cannot be properly converted to the target device; for example, to a different type of printer. So the colors may vary slightly on your printed items.

Keeping your look uniform will help your business 'brand'. If you have a banner that has one design, a business card with another design and stickers with yet another design, you may be sending the wrong signal to your customers. Coming up with a look that is unique to you is another step in marketing yourself as a business and not just a hobby.

Thanks for stopping by!