Marketing Monday!

totally random image that came up when I search Pexels for "marketing." Nice arts banana shot

Yay Marketing Monday is on its way. Ive updated the Linked In page. I am now officially listed as a coloring book artist!
Also learned some great info about WordPress! So I will be starting the redesign of my webpage this after noon.

Also learning how to balance all the tasks that need doing. Marketing, drawing, making jewelry, and life.

Its interesting how starting over takes a whole lot of learning, its also really exciting and a little bit intimidating!

Laura Learns Marketing

I think Marketing Monday, as I have decided to call it since its my day set aside to learn all about this was a fail.
I didn't do anything.
I worked on deadlines. Meeting deadlines is good.
Then again so is learning marketing. Im a creative, marketing is not a natural process for me.

I'm reading Platform by Michael Hyatt, so far I recommend it if you need marketing help in this world of social media and Web 2.0 products.

I watched a lot of podcasts from Self-Publishing school. Also good information, and time well spent.

Learn learn learn, so I can implement implement implement.

Oh and just found out about the whole new microchip on credit card thing!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-small-business/wp/2015/07/24/a-big-legal-burden-awaits-small-businesses-and-most-arent-aware-of-it/?postshare=5131437973853512

So time to order a new Square reader. :(

Marketing

Just a few days left for my super silver sale. Prices will increase on August 1st, or the piece will be removed for recycling. Nows the time to buy before prices go up, or the piece is no longer available.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/176338681/super-silver-sale-silver-and-amethyst

So this is what I cut and pasted almost 30 times today.

Why?

Because I am trying to harness the power of network marketing using social media.

Like most folks with an Etsy shop, or who sells product they make, the goal is to drive customers to the location of the sale. For me thats Etsy.

I can only post my links so many times on my facebook page, the regular "me" one and my art page-- btw you do follow me right? Laura Medeiros-Art Stuff

I need to leverage more exposure, drive more that my fans, to Etsy, and try to collect more fans.

I started by investing in a list of facebook groups I could join and post etsy link/adverts in. Yes I said invested. I purchased a PDF list someone collected. Their foot work was worth it to me.

Currently I try to post daily in all the groups Im in, and I tey to add 5 to 10 grpups each week. The numbers vary since Im still pending membership in a few of the groups. Those of course make me think about how active the moderator is, and how valuable that geoup will be for traffic generating.

Currently Im playing a numbers game. If I dont post in all those facebook groups, I will get maybe 3 to 7 organic views. Yestrday by 10 pm I had 2 views for the day. After I made my marketung post rounds, my views went up to 28, and today by 3pm I had another 34 views--those were left overs from my late night post. I post in between 19 and 26 groups currently, depending on the product Im pushing that day. Currently Im averaging 2 views per post.  What Im not tracking is how many new likes, or followers Im getting. And that number is increasing.

Im over 1500 views for this month.

Unfortunately my sales have yet to catch up with the views. Im at about a .2% return rate of sales to views. Thats the next target, how to get people who would be in the market for my stuff to do the viewing.

Im also building my Twitter and Instagram markets.

Please come follow me there. Im Zoeowyn in both places!

And Im focusing on not just posting sales or links to Etsy in those locations, but also trying to make sure I include what Im doing in my art world. Like the mini art camp Ive hosted  a few times.

I keep working on it, I keep trying to build my market.

Time to put down the pulp fiction and pick up some learning.

After yesterday's pondering I realized I cannot get clear on a few things without answers to certain questions.
Problem is Im not exactly certain what those questions are.
And once I have a list of questions, am I asking the right questions?

I'm still working on my list of questions. In the mean time I was wondering where am I going to find the answers that I need?
The internet is a vast resource, but its not every thing.

Books are super, but can get quite pricey. So I checked with the local library. We are fortunate in that we have access to a city wide library system, of a not too small city. We can check the entire catalog online, and request books to be sent to our library for pick up. Not all library systems are this easy, this user friendly, or this large.

I started looking at "selling crafts" as my subject, this lead me to more specific key words. This lead me to the key words the library and book cataloging people use.

Key words:
Handicraft industries -- Management
Handicraft -- Marketing
Selling -- Handicraft

From just a few words I have quite a reading list!
I'm including my list here. I can have easy access to it, and it might help someone else who is looking for this type of info.

The basic guide to selling arts & crafts
Dillehay, James
Torreon, N.M. : Warm Snow Publishers, c1994

Crafting as a business
Rosen, Wendy W
Baltimore, MD : Rosen Group, 1994

Crafts and craft shows : how to make money
Kadubec, Phil
New York : Allworth Press, c2000

The crafts business answer book & resource guide : answers to hundreds of troublesome questions abou
Brabec, Barbara
New York : M. Evans and Co., 1998

The crafts business answer book : starting, managing, and marketing a home-based art, crafts, design
Brabec, Barbara
New York : M. Evans & Co., 2006

Creative cash : how to profit from your special artistry, creativity, hand skills, and related know-
Brabec, Barbara
Rocklin, Calif. : Prima Pub., c1998

How to sell what you make : the business of marketing crafts
Gerhards, Paul
Mechanicsburg, PA : Stackpole Books, c1996

Crafters' internet handbook : research, connect and sell your crafts online
Crabe, Geneviéve
Cincinnati, OH : Muska & Lipman, c2002

Handmade for profit : hundreds of secrets to success in selling arts & crafts
Brabec, Barbara
New York : M. Evans and Company, 1996

The crafter's guide to pricing your work
Ramsey, Dan
Cincinnati, OH : Betterway Books, 1997

Entrepreneur magazine's start up : start your own crafts business : your step-by-step guide to succe
Lynn, Jacquelyn
Irvine, CA : Entrepreneur Press, c2004

The Craft register : directory of arts & crafts shows, fairs and other events