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Rabu, 15 April 2009

Team Treasury

Treasury created by HuayruroPeru.etsy.com Click and comment before it expires on April 18th!!

Clicking on each item and leaving a comment on the treasury moves us up the rankings!

Team Treasury

Treasury created SumikoShop.etsy.com. Click and comment before it expires on April 17th!! The more clicks and comments we get, the higher up the rankings we go. Please put those mouses to work with the clicks!

Minggu, 12 April 2009

Shop of the Week: L'élephant Rose


Sherisa Vassel, of L'élephantRose.etsy.com creates jewelry and hair accessories for women to feel gorgeous in. Filled with a rich palette of color, her shop has many unique items. Her earring designs bring out the curves of a woman’s face and cheekbones.

Sherisa herself is a rich palette of interests and histories: Temple University Alumni; lover of color, music, laughter, nature, warmth, her man; writer; jewelry and accessories designer; mother of a duckling; and daydreamer extraordinaire.


“Major life influences: stories from my childhood, French, my wild imagination. I'm heavily influenced by the past. And very intrigued by what lays ahead in the future. I try to find a point to balance in between it all.

One thing I think is paramount is that I take great care in attention to detail when making anything. It is a blessing to be able to follow a dream through and I attempt to pass that blessing on through my work. I care deeply about what I make.

L'élephant Rose is for the bold woman. Those not afraid to exude confidence. The woman who understands that they define their sensuality. We are effortlessly cool. Dare to be bold! Adorn yourself accordingly.”
I encourage you to accept her challenge to see yourself as bold, confident, and sensual. Maybe some new jewelry would help! I know this cute little shop that’s just the place.

Free shipping on any US domestic orders and 50% off international shipping on orders placed this week. Use code “ETT” in message to seller to redeem.


Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade
lelephantrose.etsy.com

All photos © Sherisa Vassel/L'élephantRose

Jumat, 10 April 2009

Shop Talk Friday: Branding


The concept of branding is actually very simple, and it can be a powerful tool for the handmade entrepreneur. When you create a brand, you are using design to create a unified picture for the customer of a way of life, an idea, value, or feeling that you wish to relate to your products.

Victoria’s Secret is a good example of branding - everything from their packaging to their signature colors, signs, ads, and stores reflect a cohesive idea that resonates with their customers.

Another example of this is Starbucks’ emphasis on the coffee house atmosphere - the idea of a European-style, relaxed environment where people could come, drink excellent coffee, and relax is integral to the image they want to create in their customers’ minds. That initial concept formed the foundation for their brand, and they built upon it with colors - peaceful, darker greens, beiges, wood and earth tones, signage that was recognizable but lower-key (no neon), and so on.

There are three things you need to know to create a brand for yourself:
  1. Your target audience and your competition
  2. The visual identity that you want to create - product, packaging, logos, promotional items and ads
  3. How your products and services are/will be delivered to your customer (quality, reliability, uniqueness, price, speed, etc.)
Think about what makes your product unique. We’ve covered this part in past Shop Talk articles, but if you need some help, ask friends, coworkers, family, teammates for some help in this area. I will also be recommending some links and books at the end.

What makes your product different from the competition?

Think about who you are talking to (potential customers) and what you want to tell them. How you do this is your visual identity.

A well-designed product is the most important part of the branding idea. You can have all of the other components in place, but without a good product that people connect with, you won’t be successful in the long run.

Now, let’s boil this down to the practical:

You can design everything you need (banners, business cards, promotional postcards, etc) with simple tools like Gimp, Picasa, Microsoft Publisher, and other software, or you can research online printers like Vista Print who can provide templates, or work from your own designs. It may cost you time, but it doesn’t need to cost you a lot of money, and it pays for itself in the long run.

The goal of branding is to create a recognizable look for your items that set them apart from the parade of things people see on a daily basis. It takes creativity (the Chick-Fil-A cows, for example), consistency (Budweiser’s Clydesdale horses appear in every holiday ad they create) and a cohesive idea of what you would like people to think about when they see your products (every Old Navy store emphasizes relaxed style).

So your homework over the next two weeks is to gather together your current business cards, your shop banner, website colors and signage, promotions, ads, packaging. Do they look cohesive? If yes, do you like the look? If not, what changes can you make? Experiment with various looks, colors, and type styles to see what you like, and what appeals. Ask yourself what kind of “look” your design has - does it fit your product and the people you are trying to sell to?

Some additional resources for practical application:

D.I.Y – Design It Yourself , Edited by Ellen Lupton. Covers everything from basic design, to business cards, branding, packaging, and more. A very helpful beginners’ resource.

The Creative Entrepreneur- DIY Visual Guidebook for Making Business Ideas Real by Lisa Sonora Beam.

The Etsy Storque also has articles on branding, packaging, and more that can be very helpful.

~ Kristen
Team Co-Leader
FirebirdHouse.etsy.com

Kamis, 09 April 2009

Plaincraft: “The Best Handmade Items Picked By You!”

Looking for a venue where you can gain free exposure for your handmade wares? Want impartial feedback for your creations? Plaincaft is a website where you can have both!

Plaincraft’s concept is simple. You may submit up to three handmade items to their website per day. Each submission includes a photo and link to the item for sale (i.e. on Etsy). Visitors to Plaincraft then rate your submissions from 1 to 20. The current Top 10 items remain on Plaincraft’s front page along with the five latest submissions.

Plaincraft is also on Twitter and has over 1400 followers. When you submit an item, @plaincraft sends a tweet asking followers to rate it. It also sends a tweet when a new Top 10 is selected and for each item in the Top 10.

Although the popularity of Plaincraft is growing fast and the competition is stiff, it is possible to get into the Top 10. I have personally had many items in the Top 10 and a few of my items have been rated number one. My Pretty Petals bracelet is currently in the Top 10 and has been since I submitted it over a week ago [as of this posting].

Here are some tips for ensuring the highest possible rating and exposure:
  • If free exposure is most important to you, submit examples of your finest work. I don’t submit an item unless I believe it will be rated highly.
  • You can be the first to rate your item. If you feel it’s worth a score of 20, why not give it a 20? I don’t always rate my own items, but you should follow your conscience.
  • Send tweets with a link to your submission on Plaincraft asking your followers to rate it. Make sure to include the #estytwitter tag so your team will see it. Post on Facebook, Google groups, etc. as well. Do it as often as you feel comfortable, but don’t spam or tell people how high to rate it!
  • Make sure to include your shop name in the title of your submission. For example, when I submitted my latest item, I titled it “Pretty Petals Bracelet – joslinjewels.etsy.com”.
Remember that brand name recognition is a process. There is no way to know for sure if I have made a sale via Plaincraft, but I have received an Etsy convo and tweets complimenting my submissions so I know my jewelry is being seen. My submissions have also resulted in photos of my jewelry being shown on the popular jewelry blog, The Beading Gem’s Journal, in a post about Plaincraft. The website’s author recently contacted me to ask if she could write a feature about my jewelry.

There are only a couple limitations to keep in mind:
  • Submissions must be approved if you don’t have a Plaincraft account.
  • To prevent the same items from remaining perpetually in the Top 10, submissions expire after two weeks.
  • Plaincraft only allows links from Etsy, iCraft, Dawanda, 1000 Markets, Winkelf, Folksy, Shop Handmade, Misi, Madeitmyself, Handmade Fuzion, as well as any independent artist websites.
So why not try Plaincraft? It’s simple, free and fun.

Sheridan Joslin
joslinjewels.etsy.com
http://twitter.com/joslinjewels

Photos © Joslin Jewels/Sheridan Joslin

Team Treasuries

Click and comment on this lovely Team Treasury by HuayruroPeru.etsy.com before it expires on April 10th!!


These expire on April 11th!!

by Threepeats.etsy.com

Minggu, 05 April 2009

Shop of the Week: Curious Mess


I, for one, would not call Starla Petersen’s Etsy shop, CuriousMess.etsy.com, a mess at all. It’s a shop filled with curiously wonderful items! And the item photography is delicious to boot.

“When I first opened my shop, I was only making the wood paintings. But as things have progressed, I've begun to work my love of fabric into it as well, with the newest items being fabric bowls and fabric brooches/pendants. I love fun and whimsical.”

And it shows in her work. Her fabric bowls are stunning in their design and detail. You can really see the fine craftsmanship in her new line of embroidered brooches, too.

“Everything you see in my shop, I truly enjoyed making. It makes me so happy to be able to express myself creatively, and I hope that comes through in my artwork. I want my work to make people smile.”


What inspires her to create? “The whole entire process inspires me. From start to finish... sketching out ideas... playing around with fabric... picking colors. My absolute favorite part of it all is that first spark of a new idea or design. I get giddy. Unfortunately, my ideas usually come to me as I'm lying in bed about to doze off. It's very hard to get to sleep once I've got a new idea bouncing around in my head.”

When asked about her Twitter habits: “I like to make sure I keep my Twittering fresh. I want people to see not only the shop updates and the things I create, but get a good glimpse of my personality as well. You want to be memorable in a good way. Reply to what others are saying. Make connections. Yes, I just added a new bowl to the shop. But I also LOVE 80's movies!”

Free shipping worldwide April 6th - 12th. Just mention “EtsyTwitter” in your message to seller and shipping will be refunded.


Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade
curiousmess.etsy.com

All photos © Curious Mess/Starla Peterson

Sabtu, 04 April 2009

New Team Participation Policies


Being part of a team means working together for a common goal. This means that you actually have to do something in order to reach that goal.

So I am implementing new Team Participation Policies effective immediately.

In order to participate in our team promotions and events you must be considered an Active Member. This includes all shops that are currently signed up for future spots as Shop of the Week.

In order to be considered an Active Member, you must do ONE of the following:

• Twitter about something team related at least 4 times per month. You must use the team hashtag #etsytwitter or I will not see your tweet. Of course I strongly encourage you to tweet about the team much more frequently than this as well.

• Blog about the Team at least once per month. If you can, please blog about each Shop of the Week as well as write up promotional posts about other team members.

• Create an Etsy Twitter Team Treasury

Additionally, I expect you to check in every month during our monthly roll calls in the Etsy Forum. This simply involves a quick hello in our thread as well as a quick tweet about the shop above you in the thread. This takes about 2 minutes to do. Checking in is mandatory to be considered an Active Member.

April's Check In thread can be found here: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6104094. Please check in if you have not already done so.

Failure to do these things will be grounds for one warning. If you do not do these things within one month after your warning, you will be asked to leave the team. If you receive more than three warnings during one year, you will be asked to leave the team. If you are signed up for a Shop of the Week spot in the future, you will forfeit your week if you are asked to leave the team.

I’m not asking for much of your time at all. Tweeting something takes less than five minutes. A blog post can take up less than 30 minutes. If you have time to work on and promote your Etsy shop and use Twitter, you have time to promote the Etsy Twitter Team.

Please, as always, feel free to email me with any questions or comments you have about this new policy.

Thank you!

Vickie
Etsy Twitter Team Leader
etsytwitterteam[at]gmail.com

P.S. We are not currently taking new memberships right now. Keep your eye on the blog for the next few months to see when we open up again. Thanks.

Team Treasuries

Click and comment before they expire on April 6th!



This one expires on April 7th! Click and comment!! It is by curiousmess

Kamis, 02 April 2009

Shop Talk Friday: Project Wonderful

Kristen, from FirebirdHouse.etsy.com, has some tips and tricks for getting your advertising feet wet.

I want to Advertise. Now what?

When it comes to deciding where and how you promote/market your shop, do you find yourself lost in a maze of blogs, sites, and complicated information?

If so, take heart. Deciding where to put your promotional efforts, ads, and budget really only requires some good information, a little common sense, and occasional trial and error.

Decisions, Decisions

The Internet can be a lot like a circus, where there is something going on anywhere you look, and all the activities look equally promising and fun. If you have ever been to a three-ring circus, however, and had so much trouble deciding which ring to watch that you ended up only getting bits and pieces of all three, you know that trying to do it all just means you end up scattered.

So let’s start with a good place to begin advertising on the Internet:


Project Wonderful
(PW) is an unusual and inventive way of providing ad space to people for what the demand cost actually is, by setting up an auction. If there is no demand or it is small, your cost is equally small, while ads on pages with much larger page views and visitors will cost you more, but only up to what you are willing to spend. This is a great way to spend what you can AND maximize the effectiveness of a smaller budget. They provide excellent stats that are easy to understand, will walk you through the process, and have a lot of help available. It’s a great way to get your feet wet.

Here’s how it works:

You, as the advertiser, bid on advertising slots on websites, which you can choose and target to your needs and to your customer base. If you’re the highest bidder, your ad will appear until someone outbids you. It’s that simple. Your ads can appear immediately, or you can schedule them to appear on a specific date. You set the amount by telling PW how much you want to pay per day to appear on that site.

For example, if you say you want to pay a $1.00 a day for a week, your total cost will be $7.00 max. If someone bids higher, you have the option to raise your amount per day and bid again. It’s all within your control. Since you pay by the day and not per click, you don’t have to worry about fake clicks and fraud.

PW’s powerful search engine can help you find the perfect match for reaching your customers, and you can also set up Ad Alerts, which can tell you immediately if a space you want to advertise on becomes available. They provide extensive data, allow you to compare, see bidding trends for sites, and more. All you need to make really good decisions is right there and easy to read.

You can also set up Google Analytics to track your PW ads by configuring a correct URL that Analytics will read.

Remember: You maximize your advertising dollars by placing ads on sites which reach the maximum number of potential customers for your shop for the least amount of money.

Other good sources of information include:
So go over to the Project Wonderful website, read through the ins and outs, then dive in. Got questions? Let us know here on the blog and we’ll be glad to help!

April Check In and Chat

I have started an Etsy Twitter Team April Check In and Chat thread on Etsy forums. I expect EVERY CURRENT MEMBER to check in with a very short message. Then go tweet about the shop above you in the forum thread. (Do not forget to use our team hashtag on Twitter! It's #etsytwitter) Take 2 minutes to do something for the team!

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6104094

I have not heard anything from many members of our team in some time. I want to know you're still alive. :)

Thank you!

Vickie
Etsy Twitter Team leader

Our New Co-Leader

Meet Kristen, from FirebirdHouse.etsy.com, who has gladly accepted a new role on our team as Co-Leader. You all already know Kristen as she has been writing the “Shop Talk Friday” series. I’m really excited about this new change. It’s a big step forward and a nice bit of growth for our team. Kristen will be helping with marketing our blog and writing articles, as well as planning promotions and events.

A little bit about Kristen: “I am a 38 year old (soon to be 39 on May 13th) artist who spent 15 years in sales and marketing while doing art on the side, before jumping into the deep end as a full-time artist about a year and a half ago. My jewelry reflects things that are really important to me - respect for the past, celebrating the connections we all share, recycling, and finding beauty in simple things often overlooked. I have lived in Atlanta for 9 years, and am happily married to Eric, my college sweetheart, and mom to five furry ‘kids’. I am a little bit crazy, love to laugh and have a good time, and cherish my friends and family.”

Welcome, Kristen, to your new role! I really look forward to working with you!


Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade
FirebirdHouse.etsy.com

Rabu, 01 April 2009

What is Twitter Influence?

Becki, from Ambient Lights, wrote up a really nice article explaining Twitter influence and the site Twinfluence. Enjoy!

To quote Twinfluence.com: “Twinfluence is a simple tool using the Twitter API to measure the combined influence of Twitterers and their followers, with a few social network statistics thrown in as bonus.”

Basically, your Twitter influence shows how many people you could reach by tweeting and by the retweeting of your tweets by your followers.

For 14 days, I tracked the number of those I follow on Twitter and those who follow me. I didn't make an extra effort (too much at least) to gain new followers or tweet more. I really just tweeted and followed as I normally would. Some days I wasn't on Twitter much, some days I was on a lot.

At the beginning, I was following 573 fellow tweeters and 576 were following me. At the end of the two weeks I was following 697 tweeters and 717 were following me.


My Twitter influence rank at the beginning on 2/16/09 was 3,542 (86%) with 1,593,565 second order followers. Secondary followers on Twinfluence are calculated by collecting the “raw” numbers of your followers’ followers, but not your followers’ followers’ followers’ followers. Let’s use some simple numbers for an example of what secondary followers are. Let’s say only 10 fellow Twitterers were following you on Twitter but each of the 10 following you has 100 followers. The secondary followers that would be in your reach (i.e. retweets!) would be your 10 followers multiplied by each of their 100 followers = 1,000 second order followers! Do you see the power of retweets?

Twinfluence quote: “The number rank and percentage number is explained by Twinfluence as 'Reach Ranking'. Reach rankings take the form of 'Rank: #XXX (YY%)'. The #XXX score is your overall rank compared to all other Twitterers that have been analyzed by Twinfluence. If your rank is #400, that means there are 399 other Twitterers in the system that have higher reach scores than you. The (YY%) score is your grade; if you have a grade of 75%, it means that you have a higher reach than 75% of the other Twitterers we have analyzed.”

A full explanation about Twinfluence can be found here: http://Twinfluence.com/about.php

On 2/24/09 I went through all the tweeters I followed and unfollowed some, 38 to be exact. I did not unfollow all that did not follow me back (I did follow them for a reason), but I did unfollow some that had not followed me back, some I found that hardly ever tweeted, and/or tweeted things that I decided didn't truly interest me all that much.

The day I unfollowed some tweeters, my Twinfluence was ranked at 3,059 (89%) with 1,850,594 secondary followers.

For the people I newly followed during this time, I checked out what I normally check out when I follow people, but I did so a bit more thoroughly. I looked at the number of those they followed and the people who followed them, their web site if one was linked, read a page (maybe two) of their tweets and their Bio on Twitter, too, of course. I know that sounds like a lot but I mostly skimmed through it and was able to check out many tweeters in a fairly short amount of time... with just a few distractions of looking at interesting random links I ran across in their tweets.

At the end of the time that I was tracking my followers and those that followed me, my Twinfluence rank was 2,648 (90%) with 2,160,468 secondary followers. So, with out too much extra effort my rank rose 4% in two weeks and I gained 566,903 secondary followers as well as 141 awesome new direct followers.


Everyone uses Twitter for different reasons and in different ways, but I feel one reason that many of us tweeties use Twitter is for the network reach it has - be that making new friends, sending out inspirational quotes, promoting your business, charity or blog, whatever the case may be... it's about the network, however small or large, and Twinfluence is a great tool to find out exactly what your potential reach may be.