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Seven Ways to Get Creative With Your Marketing

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You’re creative, but is your marketing? Are you just doing what you see others do or are you infusing your message with a flair of its own — one that fits you, your style and your product?

Reaching outside the proverbial box is a great way to connect on a deeper level with your fans. It will draw the people who really get your products.

Take a look at your Facebook posts, your emails, your blog posts. Are they dry? Where could you spice it up and add some life and some of you? Because after all, that’s why people buy from crafters and artisans – they want a piece of you. Here are seven ways you can give it to them.

1. Product Listings

Yes, describe, but also inspire the sale with your enthusiasm for your product. My sister-in-law briefly opened a shop selling fabric-covered earrings. She listed a gingham pair that she described as a picnic for your ears. Probably my all-time favorite listing.

2. Twitter

Are you an auto-tweeting machine, or do you let your hair down a bit? Don’t be one of those listing-only Twitters. If you are going to be on Twitter, be sure to hop on there and link to others and share more of you than your shop.

3. Facebook

Most people are pretty good about being themselves on Facebook. Once you have your first 25 likes don’t delay in getting your own URL. It makes it so much easier for linking because it is simply www.facebook.com/your-user-name. Here’s a tutorial on how to do it.

4. Pinterest

I’m so in love with Pinterest. I’ve never been able to keep track of all the cute ideas I see on blogs and Pinterest is the answer! There’s not a lot of marketing pics to pin out there (thank goodness!) so anyone who follows me is going to see more of my personality and style than my marketing credentials.

5. Your Shop Banner

I saw the best, most effective shop banner the other day from featured seller Rich Neeley Designs. It’s simple, it’s effective and invites you to take action. You better bet that Moxie Tonic’s shop banner is going to take on some of those qualities…email me if you want one for yourself.

6. Communications with Customers

Do you go into auto-pilot when answering emails and convos? Yes, you’ve answered the same question 32 times that week, but it’s the first time your customer or prospect is getting the answer. Whenever a seller gives me a personal response, with a thank you for my interest in their product, it immediately warms me to them and makes me more willing to open my pocketbook too.

7. A Little Note

Speaking of thanks – do you include a little thank you or a hand-signed note with your shipped products? It’s such an simple touch, but again, it’s those little things that help people feel like they are buying from a person instead of a big business.

 

 

Filed Under: Blogging, Etsy, Marketing Plan, Uncategorized

The Secret to Becoming a Craft Fair Diva

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CraftShow

Craft fairs are perfect for so many things! If you are an online seller adding holiday craft fairs to your business plan can

  • Build a local clientele
  • Develop loyal relationships with customers
  • Show you how people react to your merchandise
  • Help you get a sense of what sells and what doesn’t
  • Move a lot of product in a short amount of time

But…

If you’ve ever tried selling at a craft fair, you know there’s always that possibility that you’ll sit there all day long and never even make  your booth fee.

I’ve had booths where I’ve sold tons. I’ve had booths where I’ve sat there all day. I’ve also worked closely with craft-show promoters and organizers and seen what goes into making a truly great show.

Having seen both sides of the coin, here’s what I think:

Half of your success depends on you and your product.
The other half depends on you picking the right show for your product.

Making Yourself Into Top Seller Material.

Unless you sell food (soup mixes and veggie dips) you’ll never be the top seller at a show. Those vendors do big, big business since their product has universal appeal. But these few easy (and one not so easy) steps will go a long way to boosting your sales.

Have an amazing display:

Just like you slave over your product photos on Etsy, you should put extra care and attention into your booth display.

  • Skirt your table to the floor (it looks pretty and it’s functional since it covers up your boxes of extra product)
  • Fill in empty spaces with seasonal decor (but don’t get so carried away that it distracts from what you are selling)
  • Bring in extra light, lots and lots of light! (strands of Christmas lights are perfect for illuminating dark corners)
  • Create a variety of levels to display your merchandise with shelving or boxes draped with tablecloths

Wrapped up pretty:

Attractive packaging goes along way to attract the sale. Little touches like cellophane bags and professionally printed labels are indications that you sell a quality item, made with care and attention to the smallest detail.

Dress to impress:

Avoid the desperate salesman look. No one likes to buy from someone with even a hint of desperation. It’s way more fun to buy from someone who looks successful. There’s something reassuring about it. So dress up – even if the show is in a VFW hall that hasn’t been updated since the Great Depression – and look like you could be selling at Tiffany & Co.

Picking the Right Show for You

Not every show – even really big, highly attended shows – are right for you and your product. You will greatly increase your chances of doing well if you hunt down shows that attract the right clientele.

Assuming you make hand-crafted items and don’t resell anything, these are some things to look for in a show:

  • A jury process
  • An absence of resellers and direct marketers
  • Longevity
  • Strong advertising presence
  • Recommendations from other crafters

Shows that jury their vendors and adhere to a strict policy of hand-crafted items only are the best shows for you. They have built their reputation on being curators of excellent merchandise and have a loyal following among buyers willing to pay for quality workmanship.

If they’ve been around a while (I like to see 10 years or more), if you’ve seen their advertising around town (on street corners, in the newspaper, etc.) and they come recommended by other crafters, chances are this is a solid show.

Ultimately, paying a booth fee and potentially a commission is a gamble – a bigger gamble than listing online. But if you do your research, you’ll reduce your risk and increase your opportunities for selling lots and lots of your stock.

Your challenge this year as you shop at craft fairs is to scout out which shows meet the criteria. Find out who organizes and promotes the show and be ready to contact them after the New Year. Some of the best shows fill their shows in the springtime. Happy craft-fair hunting!

 

Filed Under: Creative Process, Etsy, Marketing Plan, Uncategorized

Etsy Shop with Moxie: FlyTrap – Making Smart People Laugh

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Sometimes (against my better judgment) I spend a lot of time in the Etsy forums. I like to look around and see if anyone has questions I can help with, because, hey! I really like helping people. Plus after a day of breaking up fights and kissing boo-boos, I like feeling smart.

One of my favorite people to stalk is NeatThings. When I first read her thread on pricing I was blown out of the water. It was articulate and right on the money. Then I learned that she and I share a passion for the same amazing state and it’s unbeatable summer weather.

I knew right then and there I had to have her on the blog.

Her name is Jen and she runs a shop with the best tag line ever – “We make smart people laugh.” I admit to having had many a good chuckle while browsing in her shop. I guess that points back to my previous statement.

But enough about me. Gag! Let’s move on to the very awesome interview with Jen.

Tell a little about your shop and what you do.

Based in Denver, Colorado, USA,I run a small press greeting card, stationery, and paper goods company. We combine beautiful design with edgy copy to create the kind of products that make smart people laugh.  As for me, I mostly annoy or amuse people, depending on their disposition, and look for ways to turn my ideas into marketable goods.

What have been your most successful marketing efforts to get the word out about your shop?

I don’t market much.  The loudest part of me hates traditional marketing tactics. But we do have a Facebook page we update sporadically and a Twitter accountthat just pulls info from Facebook.  My best efforts involve really understanding my market and being where they are.

You’re pretty savvy about marketing and business and Internet stuff – do you have a background in that?

Are you kidding?  I’m a moron in those things!  But I do have a BA in marketing, half of an MBA, and nearly 20 years in marketing, advertising, design, writing, branding, customer service, employee communications, web development, and account management.  This does not make me savvy.  This means I’m able to write and speak just well enough to make people think I know what I’m talking about.

What do you like about the Etsy forums, how are they helpful?

I think the forums offer countless viewpoints, ingenious ideas, and support for anyone struggling to get their business up and running. The structure of the forums is a problem, though.  It’s very difficult to browse or search for information.  They’re also a great way to get people talking about you all over the Internet, if you’re annoying enough.

What advise would you give a new Etsy shop owner?

  1.  Make something magnificently unique (or market/position it magnificently uniquely).  Not “beaded jewelry” but “beaded jewelry that uses farm animals and muted colors for the sophisticated kid in you”.
  2. Understand your target markets.  And make them narrow.  Think, “Women between 25 and 35 who prefer Indians over Harleys, wear hats, watch ‘Modern Family’, and make over $75k annually. And, women between 40 and 55 who are educated, have self-sufficient children (no babies), wear hats, watch ‘Modern Family’, and enjoy reading and travel.” Not, “Women between 25 and 55.”
  3. Figure out where these people hang out.  And be right there with them.  Be what they’re looking for in your segment.

What advise would you give someone ready to take their shop to the next level?

  1.  Stay off the forums.  If you want to take your shop to the next level, you’ll need to start thinking bigger than Etsy.  And most people on the Etsy forums focus on Etsy.  So, make use of them however you need to, but don’t get lost in chatting or spouting opinions.  Nobody cares what you think anyhow.  If you’re going to hang around anyhow, do it with cognizance.
  2. Learn.  About SEO (and whether or not it can work for you – because it’s not always important).  About PR.  About marketing. About innovation.  About technology.  About your art or craft.  Focus on learning and applying that knowledge.
  3. Invent.  Constantly.
  4. Focus on what you do well.  Outsource what you don’t do well or hate.

And if there is any other wisdom you want to impart – go for it!

  1. Buy low, sell high.
  2.  ”Eat food.  Not too much.  Mostly plants.” (Michael Pollan)
  3.  Travel outside your home country at every opportunity. Being insular constrains your world view.

 

Filed Under: Etsy, Etsy Shops with Moxie, Marketing Plan, Uncategorized

Get More Results: The Secret to Etsy’s Relevancy Search

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Relevancy. In certain places this has become a very dirty word. With good reason, I might add. If you built your Etsy business on the listing and renewing model, the switch to a relevancy search has knocked the life right out of your business.

I don’t care who you are – a big shop, small shop, part-timer or the kind of shop owner that elicits jealously when mentioning monthly revenue and page views – it super stinks to have to revamp your modus operandi.

Robots v. People

The cool thing about the Etsy’s new relevancy search is that it’s beatable. Relevancy relies on a search engine algorithm and Etsy has told sellers what the robots look for when searching and cataloging listings. It’s like taking a math test where the teacher writes all the equations you need to solve the problems on the blackboard.

The key to unlocking relevancy is in the listing title and the tags. Titles with the search phrase at the front of the sentence are given the highest relevancy rank. Anything later in the title gets a lower rank. Tags are also important, although their order doesn’t matter.

Over the past two weeks I’ve researched all the information Etsy published about relevancy search results and brushed up on my SEO ninja skills.

I married the two into a 5-step plan, that after trying it in my shop for over a week, I’m landing on page one (often in the first or second row) of every keyword I want to rank for.

Etsy Relevancy Search Results

I want your shop to have the same results. Here’s how.

Step 1 – Determine your strongest keywords

Google AdWords’ Keyword Tool is a free resource that helps you figure out what people type into search engines when they are searching for the items you sell. Type in a phrase that you think describes one of your items and take a look at additional terms that Google comes up with. The results will show you how many searches per month are made for that key phrase – pick the most relevant terms with the highest search volume.

Another option is your Etsy Stats page. At the bottom of the page is a list of search terms people have used to find (and click) on items in your shop. Take those top 2-3 phrases and make those the focus for the next step.

Step 2 – Edit a listing

Take your keyword phrases and make them the first words in your product title. For example – I want to rank for the phrases blog button, blog design and blog buttons.

Google AdWords told me that “blog button” is the most highly searched phrase, so I’m going to give it top priority and put it at the front of the title.

Step 3 – Flesh out your title

By putting your top phrase at the front of your listing, you’ve satisfied the demands of the search engine. I find it helpful to place a colon (those two dots that are the eyes of a smiley face) after the keyword phrase. There’s nothing magical about the colon, it just helps me break from the key phrase and move on to the descriptions. You could just as easily use a dash, or leave punctuation out of the picture. It’s personal preference.

Dedicate the rest of your title to adding descriptive words – colors, materials, etc. You can also add secondary keyword phrases.

Going back to my listing example I throw in the other two key phrases and tell the buyer what they will get with their purchase.

Blog Buttons: Match Your Blog Design with 10 Social Media Buttons.

Step 4 – Edit your description

Using the same keyword phrases from your title, put it one or two times in the first paragraph of your description. Write the rest of the post how you would normally describe it to a potential buyer. This step doesn’t help for Etsy relevancy, but does help you rank on Google – and heck – who wouldn’t love to hit page 1 of a Google search??!!

Step 5 – Edit your tags

Make sure you repeat your exact key phrases in your tags. Don’t split up the words in individual tags. If you are trying to rank for “goat milk soap” then make that the whole phrase your tag. It’s hard to tell by looking at the page source how exactly tags fit into relevancy, but from what I read from Etsy Admin, keyword phrases in tags that match the titles boost relevancy.

That’s it! Easy-peasy (just a little time consuming).

Do this for each listing in your shop, coming up with unique key phrases for each of your unique products. To test it, type your key phrase into the search bar. I have had changes show up immediately, I’ve also had changes take a few days to take effect – just be patient with it and play with a variety of keywords.

Filed Under: Etsy, Marketing Plan, Uncategorized

A Fresh New Look

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Yippie!

Finally – Moxie Tonic doesn’t look like some boring corporate blog.

When I originally designed the site I was planning to focus on a more corporate market. Hence the stark blue and orange with the boring font and the boring everything. Then I switched gears, decided to have fun and was having so much fun writing about creative ventures there was no time to whip things into shape.

But finally everything is matching

Well, almost everything. A few little tweaks are needed. They will come. Sooner or later. Here’s hoping it’s sooner!

In the meantime, I’d love your feedback. Do you like the new look? Is it readable? Anything you would have me change?

P.S. Don’t forget to enter Annie’s giveaway of a free glass pendant necklace kit! The giveaway ends on Thursday.

Filed Under: Etsy, Marketing Plan, Uncategorized

Etsy Shops With Moxie: Annie Howes

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Be the expert in what you do. Be kind, be generous with your communications, be honest, be yourself and all the rest will follow. –Annie Howes of AnnieHowes on Etsy

Annie is offering a wonderful giveaway with this feature — this beautiful kit that makes six glass pendant necklaces. I’ve ordered from Annie before and can attest that your necklaces will turn out equally beautiful. To enter the giveaway, read the interview and leave your comment.

Annie Howes is settling in to her new surroundings – having gone from the woods to the desert and trading riding horses for riding bikes. She’s busy searching for new adventures in Arizona while trying to keep a balance between family and business – which is can’t be easy considering the huge success of her Etsy shop.

Annie is used to moving – having lived in Guam, Florida, Martha’s Vineyard and Kentucky in the space of 5 years. While in Kentucky the Howes lived in a rural area where she didn’t stand much of a chance to find work as an art director. So, she took her small online business to Etsy and from there…

…well, I’ll let her take over telling the story.

How did you develop your shop idea?

In late winter of 2008, I realized my first big idea: I could be a teacher. On Etsy, I would receive more questions about my technique and materials, and more requests from others on how I took my photographs. I paid attention to what I was hearing and took action by developing a unique product that would satisfy the desires of those who wanted to learn a new technique, or wanted to refine their technique.

After a few weeks of testing and procuring all the components, and designing the tutorial and taking the photos, and assembling the product, I launched the first DIY Pendant Kit. In addition to kits, I began a branding process of supplies which now include several supply items: Glamour Glaze, Glamour Glue, Luxe Jewelry Resin, and Bella Paint for Glass.

My focus is to provide the best quality products at a reasonable price with knowledgeable assistance because I know how frustrating and expensive it can be to learn a new process. My studio is part selling and part testing. I specialize in helping the customer get what they need and learn how to do it with minimal waste of their resources. If you want quality over quantity, I can help. If you want quantity over quality, I offer that, too.

Your blog seems to be a big part of your shop and marketing. How have you used it to push your business forward?

The best blog material has been offering advice on what products and processes have worked for me in what I do as an artist. I have a tutorial on there for making Scrabble tile pendants, a tutorial on how to adjust photographs for listings. I also like to give people a sense of who I am. If I have a few moments, and a photo to share, I get to the blog. I think if you run a blog, it’s really important to include at least one photo or image, mix that with tips, and ideas, as well as something personal and people will want to read it.

How did you find and decide on your suppliers for your kit items (like your bails, glue, glazes, etc.)?

I spent a lot of time researching companies. I’ve asked a myriad of questions and tested quite a few products under different conditions. I work with specific manufactures to develop formulas that will meet the needs of my customers, those who prefer to use safe, non-toxic products that will last a lifetime.  If I find a product doesn’t fit the profile of a quality item, I discontinue it. I don’t want to do a disservice to anyone, neither the customer nor myself, by offering a product that will fail in 3-6 months.

What do you use for marketing? What do you think is the most effective? [Read more...]

Filed Under: Etsy, Etsy Shops with Moxie, Marketing Plan, Uncategorized

7 Keys to Unlocking Etsy Success

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You create.

It’s part of who you are.

You can’t not do it.

The process is thrilling. And when you’re working you feel complete. You tweak, you refine and when a project’s finished, you know. It just feels complete.

What about your business?

Is it complete? Is it what you imagined it would become when you first opened your shop?

Do you obsess over the business details the way you do the creative process?

Yeah, probably not.

Why?

Because those business-y things fall somewhere in between less-than-thrilling and put-you-in-a-coma boring. Plus, working on the business end of your creative business takes away from the making.

But what if?

What if you poured the same passion into telling people about your products as you do in creating them?

What then?

Could you turn your shop into the business of your dreams? Could you unlock the freedom that comes from running a truly successful business?

Yes!

Yes you can.

But you have to have a plan.

It’s not what you think.

If you are suddenly imagining desks piled high with reports filled with numbers and projections all explained with complicated marketing jargon – don’t. Push that out of your head. Banish it. Those are boring and they are worthless. That’s not the kind of plan you need.

What you need is passion.

A true marketing plan begins with passion (it’s starting to sound fun again, right?). Use the exact same drive that got you started. Only this time focus that energy on one simple goal – telling people why you do what you do.

It’s much more creative than analyzing your return on investment. It’s certainly more fun.

It’s also much more effective.

As an artist you are uniquely poised to tell your story.

You can tell your story however you want. Tell it through your art. Tell it through your words. Just being yourself and interacting with your customers can be enough to share your story.

And once people are tuned in to the story they will start to care. Once they care they will like you and then they will tell others about you. They will brag to their friends that they found their fabulous (insert name of your product) on Etsy, made by an amazing artist. They’ll go on and on about your work and your story.

And as they talk, your customers will transform into your sales force.

And you?

You get to spend more time creating.

It’s not easy to get there.

I’d be lying if I told you otherwise. And even if I did, you wouldn’t believe me because you’re smarter than that.

There is no magic bean.

Building a business requires hard work and dedication. In fact, there are seven steps to move from being found to having a customer sales force.

Now, I can’t take credit for discovering these seven steps. That goes to someone much smarter than me, John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing.

But my free e-course takes his steps — meant for technology start-ups and brick and mortar businesses — and applies them to the business of selling creative things online. It gives you the understanding you need to create your story and the actions you need to take to get there.

Maybe you’re selling on Etsy. Maybe you’re running your own site. Either way, the same principles apply.

But again, you can do it. It takes work. But it’s not complicated. The best solutions are always the simplest.

And the most important thing is that you have fun doing it.

Otherwise, why bother?

If you are ready to take real action towards marketing your shop in a real and meaningful way 7 Keys to Unlocking Etsy Success launches tomorrow. Lots of creative business owners have already signed up to get this free e-course delivered straight to their inbox.

Have you?

If not, there is still time…Just drop your name and email in the box below and join your fellow shop owners in taking control of shop traffic, sales and building a community with 7 Keys to Unlocking Etsy Success.

Filed Under: E Course, Etsy, Marketing Plan, Uncategorized

Etsy Shops with Moxie – Speckled Frog Crochet!

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“I guess I see Speckled Frog Crochet as more of a community than a shop. I love to interact with people, see their creations and just have fun.” — Cyprianne, Etsy Super-star and totally amazing crochet pattern designer

Thanks to everyone who participated in the giveaway. Are you the winner?

Cyprianne Nolan’s shop, Speckled Frog Crochet,  is one of those Etsy fairytales – over 10,000 sales in a year and a half!

She’s going to divulge her secrets to success to us, but first I get to throw in my two cents.

In my opinion, the reason Cyprianne has true Etsy moxie is because she offers a truly amazing customer experience.

I know, because I’m one of them. (See, these are my monkeys and those are hats I made from this pattern)

One Saturday morning I emailed her with a question about a pattern. She responded within 30 minutes. In her email she apologized saying she had plans to head out with her family, would I mind if she got back to me with the answer (which was going to require her to get out her hooks and yarn and work something up for me) a little later?

I was stunned. Especially because before I went to bed that night, I had my answer. From that one conversation I bought three more patterns.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Speckled Frog designs are unique and amazingly cute. You can tell by being on Facebook with Cyprianne, she loves what she does and is having a blast.

On top of it all, the most admirable thing about Cyprianne is [Read more...]

Filed Under: Etsy, Etsy Shops with Moxie, Marketing Plan, Uncategorized

Etsy Shops With Moxie: Rebecca’s Soap Deli

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This is mostly a smelly business. Experimenting with fragrances is fun and new scents always bring new customers.

Rebecca Dillon runs a squeaky clean operation. She’s been on Etsy since the very beginning, back when it was free to list, there were no commissions and competition wasn’t nearly as stiff.

Thousands of bars of soap have passed from Rebecca’s molds into happy customers’ hands as she keeps selling in a very tough niche.

Rebecca’s rocking her off-Etsy marketing and is making the leap to her own website. The key to her success (aside from a fabulous product) lies in driving traffic to her Etsy shop from her blog and email newsletter and converting them into happy customers with very clean, smooth and silky soft skin.

Rebecca was kind enough to share her motivation and some of her marketing tips. She’s also sharing a special offer for Moxie Tonic readers (see below). [Read more...]

Filed Under: Case Studies, Etsy Shops with Moxie, Marketing Plan, Uncategorized

Marketing on Etsy Done Right

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Did you get the recipe for off-Etsy marketing? It’s one part social media, one part blogging, one part email and 100 percent being a kind, giving and approachable person.

But what about Etsy itself? Can you get further in your business by pulling the magical Etsy strings?

I know- silly, silly question. And it’s true there are so many opinions on this topic.

But after researching the subject I found that the world was just one blog short of having enough “How to Market Your Business on Etsy” posts.

So let’s fix that, shall we?

But this time let’s keeps in mind that off Etsy efforts are driving traffic to our store.

Do your homework

BORING!!!! But it’s so important to do your Etsy-market research. Investigate your niche:

  • See what other sellers are making.
  • See how much they are selling.
  • See what they are selling it for.
  • See how many people are selling what you want to sell.

Unless you specialize in crocheted cozies for naked mole rats there are 57 shops doing exactly what you do and another 319 that come close. Find the ones that do well and take lots and lots of notes. When you’ve figured out what makes their shop awesome (chances are it’s one or more of the things on this list) [Read more...]

Filed Under: Etsy, Marketing Plan, Uncategorized
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