What happened yesterday? Listed 5 items, Sold 1, Gained 1 Shop Heart.
Financially? Made 9.99, Spent 1.34 (listing fees, plus .34 for the sale) for a net profit of $8.65; Less cost of goods, and well it is a little less than $8.65 hmmmmmm.
On the bright side I did sell an item and gain a heart so here's to repeating a sale today and more sales in the future.
Yesterday, I mentioned promotional efforts. I divide promotions/marketing into two types. Passive and Active. Today I wanted to talk a little bit about active. I think those are things like Twitter, Facebook, Plurk and whatever other social media you use. It is active because it requires your time to interface with the platform and users. You just have to be careful how much time you spend. It can get addicting, but it does work. Last week I sold an item to @MerCuriosJewels. She saw it on twitter from her phone and bought it from her phone. Hey, marketing in action. Her Etsy shop is pretty great too, check it out http://www.etsy.com/shop/mercurios
Tracy with an awesome etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/polishedtwo who recently hit 5000 sales (GASP) uses facebook a lot for her marketing. So I guess it is kind of what you are comfortable with.
What's your favorite form of active marketing and why? Submit what works for you by commenting. I'd love to hear and I'm sure others would too!
Until tomorrow, Jamie.
My Journeys through Kids, Crafting, Etsy and Life
Showing posts with label marketing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marketing. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Friday, October 2, 2009
Twitter and Branding, Casual Cottage
First of all Thanks ! to all of you at Creative Bloggers and your lovely posts regarding my blog last week. For those of you new to blogging it is a great group that really helps you out in the "blogosphere".
Next I'd like to talk a little bit about twitter and promoting your craft business. I just visited Marilyn's blog Cottage Reflections . Her current post is about her revamped website, Casual Cottage. The new graphics are super cute, but the first thing I noticed is that her twitter avatar matches the graphics on her website. She also is promising a revamp to her blog, so I bet that will match too! What does that have to do with twitter? Well she is being consistent in her marketing, I immediately made the connection between her, her website, her tweets and blog, it is a nice clean, consistent presence that is not confusing. Every time you see her avatar you are being reinforced with an image that will lead to familiarity, comfortability and hopefully more clicks and sales. So while it is essential on tools like twitter to give back to your audience, really we are all there to create our own brand, something that Marilyn is well on her way to doing and something yours truly needs to work on!
Next I'd like to talk a little bit about twitter and promoting your craft business. I just visited Marilyn's blog Cottage Reflections . Her current post is about her revamped website, Casual Cottage. The new graphics are super cute, but the first thing I noticed is that her twitter avatar matches the graphics on her website. She also is promising a revamp to her blog, so I bet that will match too! What does that have to do with twitter? Well she is being consistent in her marketing, I immediately made the connection between her, her website, her tweets and blog, it is a nice clean, consistent presence that is not confusing. Every time you see her avatar you are being reinforced with an image that will lead to familiarity, comfortability and hopefully more clicks and sales. So while it is essential on tools like twitter to give back to your audience, really we are all there to create our own brand, something that Marilyn is well on her way to doing and something yours truly needs to work on!
Monday, November 10, 2008
UWIB Testimonial
Okay, I know "testimonials" are for things like acne products, but, UWIB, Unique Women in Business is so different it deserves something that testifies to its attributes!
I've been selling online for over 5 years now. First on Ebay and then on etsy starting just a year ago. In all my time selling it has been such an alone experience. You list your items, you take questions, you hope they sell and you deal with sometimes rude buyers. You deal with competitors that spam your buyers, badmouth you and just aren't friendly and then you start all over again when you list another item. Etsy is a little different in that the crafters and buyers are friendlier to one another and you meet people in the forums, but UWIB beats it all. I found them through twitter and signed up being a little skeptical. It seemed like it was kind of like a buying club, but I was going to buy things anyway so what did I have to lose. I have only been impressed with the other members since I have joined.
When you post something in the messages, the members actually read them and they click on your links. They provide feedback and encouragement to the members and sincerely are interested in what is going on. There are opportunities to show your products in chat room parties and the leader of the group is always promoting the members stores and merchandise in every online venue you can imagine. Twitter, myspace and the UWIB blog all are pumping the members items. It is the only thing I have done outside of etsy that I can be 100% sure has increased my sales and not just because other members have bought.
So if you want to become part of a truly amazing group, that is positive and does what they say, this is it, Unique Women in Business http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/Unique-women-in-buisness/
I've been selling online for over 5 years now. First on Ebay and then on etsy starting just a year ago. In all my time selling it has been such an alone experience. You list your items, you take questions, you hope they sell and you deal with sometimes rude buyers. You deal with competitors that spam your buyers, badmouth you and just aren't friendly and then you start all over again when you list another item. Etsy is a little different in that the crafters and buyers are friendlier to one another and you meet people in the forums, but UWIB beats it all. I found them through twitter and signed up being a little skeptical. It seemed like it was kind of like a buying club, but I was going to buy things anyway so what did I have to lose. I have only been impressed with the other members since I have joined.
When you post something in the messages, the members actually read them and they click on your links. They provide feedback and encouragement to the members and sincerely are interested in what is going on. There are opportunities to show your products in chat room parties and the leader of the group is always promoting the members stores and merchandise in every online venue you can imagine. Twitter, myspace and the UWIB blog all are pumping the members items. It is the only thing I have done outside of etsy that I can be 100% sure has increased my sales and not just because other members have bought.
So if you want to become part of a truly amazing group, that is positive and does what they say, this is it, Unique Women in Business http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/Unique-women-in-buisness/
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Twittering or Not?
Since I'm sort of new to the online promotion and marketing of my etsy store, I thought I would review some of the things I come across as I journey along that road. It has been an eye opening experience so far. Today I'll post about Twitter.
Twitter is something I came across in an etsy thread. The author was raving that it was the only thing she could actually say she had gotten a sale from. I looked at it and it really seemed harmless. You make a short profile and poof you are twittering. Like magic people will "follow" you. Basically all that means is that when you make an entry on your home page it will appear on theirs. If you elect to "follow" them back, their entries will appear on your page. You end up with a page full of random and not so random comments on everything from merchandise to what to have for dinner. There is an @ function so you can reply to someone specific but it still appears on all your follows pages.
Entries are called updates and are limited to 140 characters. Most etsy sellers that I have run across use it to promote their merchandise posts, treasuries and blogs. Some are manic about it and definitely tire you out. Some are very sincere and don't overuse it. Then there is a group of "marketing gurus" that tirelessly post useless things that most of us as sellers have already thought of. There is your sprinkling of really scary people too.
Bottom Line - Twitter is a fun social networking thing that can get you clicks if that is what you are after. I haven't had any sales from it, but have met some really creative people and had fun online with it. It tends to suck up time. If you have limited time, for sales, put your time elsewhere: If you are looking for a fun diversion that might help defray stress, intro you to new sellers etc it is well worth it.
Twitter is something I came across in an etsy thread. The author was raving that it was the only thing she could actually say she had gotten a sale from. I looked at it and it really seemed harmless. You make a short profile and poof you are twittering. Like magic people will "follow" you. Basically all that means is that when you make an entry on your home page it will appear on theirs. If you elect to "follow" them back, their entries will appear on your page. You end up with a page full of random and not so random comments on everything from merchandise to what to have for dinner. There is an @ function so you can reply to someone specific but it still appears on all your follows pages.
Entries are called updates and are limited to 140 characters. Most etsy sellers that I have run across use it to promote their merchandise posts, treasuries and blogs. Some are manic about it and definitely tire you out. Some are very sincere and don't overuse it. Then there is a group of "marketing gurus" that tirelessly post useless things that most of us as sellers have already thought of. There is your sprinkling of really scary people too.
Bottom Line - Twitter is a fun social networking thing that can get you clicks if that is what you are after. I haven't had any sales from it, but have met some really creative people and had fun online with it. It tends to suck up time. If you have limited time, for sales, put your time elsewhere: If you are looking for a fun diversion that might help defray stress, intro you to new sellers etc it is well worth it.
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