Modish

Modish is one of those blogs that I strive after. I realize I’m not in their “league” (Ahem, YET) but it’s something I am working towards slowly but surely.

The other day I was browsing through the Etsy Forums and saw that Modish (Jena) has an Etsy profile! Very cool. She was linking to her blog (see, even the big blogs promote themselves in Etsy Forums!) because she had made this great entry on marketing. Not only are there tons of links, but there’s also a short discription on what the blog / company will look for when you present yourself to them. It’s really something to read through, if not act on just yet.

While I was at the Modish Blog, I clicked on an entry I saw about Trashy Diva. It’s a shop full of great clothes, shoes and accessories. Really, it’s vintage style, but they’re super cute and could fit any style. And the prices are pretty reasonable too! There’s a pair of boots that I really really want…but they’re a bit out of my price range (as good boots usually are!).

I love Modish. It’s actually one of the sites that I’m going to try to advertise on. Oh, I didn’t write about advertising here did I? Nope, that was in the other blog.

                             

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I have a Showcase today! Whoooohooo!

Selling on Etsy #3: Promoting

                              

The above cards are original designs by Shannon Johnson for applesandchalkdust.etsy.com

This is the third of the Selling on Etsy series! Make sure you’ve checked out #1: Laying Your Foundation and #2: Apply it!

For me, promoting my Etsy store is the fun part…other than actually creating my products. There’s so many options and so many fun ways you can promote your store! Here’s some ideas I’ve come up with:

• Get custom made stickers and place them on suckers. You can either hand out the suckers when people ask about your products, send a few with sold items or ask stores to keep a cup of them on their counter.
• I love the thought of promo magnets. The idea that people are constantly looking at their fridge makes for such a perfect long lasting promo plan! I have a magnet that Traci Bunkerssent with my purchase of some of her stamps…I see that magnet every single day and every time I do, I think “I need to go look at her new items”. And because I see that magnet every day, I remembered her name off the top of my head. That’s a huge asset!
• Business cards, of course. You can get these as a template which you can print out yourself, pre-designed ones printed and sent to your doorstep, or sellers can work with you to design something completely custom. When you receive your cards, as business owners to set your cards on their front desk.

With any of these ideas, it’s always good to take a few tester products with you while you hand the promos out. This way, business owners (or managers) will see what exactly they are helping promote. Not only that, but they might become interested in one of your items and you might even make a few sales!

Lately, I’ve been using one of my bags as I do my errands around town or make business calls for the radio station. I’ve had so many compliments on the style the fabric, “ooo! Where did you get that?”. It’s been great to make connections about Etsy and my personal items even when that wasn’t even the purpose.

Always make sure you have some type of promo item with you when you go anywhere! When people ask about my bag, I hand them a card and let them know how easy it is to buy off of Etsy.

I used to visit Starbucks quite a bit (I had a gift certificate and had developed a lust for their Chai Tea!). I’d chat with the girls there while they made my coffee. I handed out several business cards and brought in samples of my work whenever they asked.

Remember, it’s always important to make friendly contact and let them know where to find you! Promotion is a huge part of selling on Etsy! If people don’t know about you…how will they find you? Don’t be afraid to go into stores and ask about them displaying your promos, the worst they can do is say “no”. And really, that’s not that bad!

                                

Blogging 101

Ok, so I’m not an expert obviously, but I’m always looking up stuff to help me improve as a blogger. As I was researching it a bit today, I came across a couple places I wanted to share. If you’re looking for some articles or sites on blogging here’s a clickable list for ya!:

Postcards from the Funny Farm – Damien always has great articles on how to improve your blogging, writing or person in general. It’s always inspriring and challenging.

Skellie – Just found this great article on how to get more views and readers on your blog…it’s really helpful!

Wriging – A new site I just hooked up with to attract more readers and to just make more friends! Btw, the name is a combo of “Blogging” and “Writing”.

9Rules – A site run by the same guys as Wriging but apparently your blog needs to be approved by them before you join the site. The next “approval session” happens in August. I’m totally going for it! Read more in Damien’s interview with the big boss!

Pearsonified – A great blog I just found with super helpful tips on how to make your blog better, how to improve your writing and how to get more views.

I keep on promoting sites that advise how to get more views and comments, and honestly, at first that kinda thinking was making me feel bad! I felt greedy. But then I read this comment in Skelliewag’s Blog

Always focus on building your blog’s vital signs: your comments and subscriber count — the marks of popularity that people can actually see.

And this made me realize that wanting more views and comments isn’t about being greedy, it’s about seeing first hand the success of your blog. And of course there’s nothing wrong with that!

I’ll be making more posts like this as I keep researching. I really find it helpful to read what other people find helpful, tips and links, books and interviews.