marketing.

my spanking new sparkly "moo" cards. aren't they lovely?

in my multiple daily check-ins on twitter, i came across rena tom's blog - where one of her contributors, tara swiger, posted a thought provoking article on "how to make time for marketing". marketing is something that i constantly struggle with, seeing has how having a full time job, juggling motherhood, and running a household tends to take up a good chunk of my time.  however, my little sideline jewelry making venture is something that i would love to expand and grow, and i know that marketing has a lot to do with it.

the thing that struck me most about ms. swiger's article is the fact that she emphasizes that if you don't have enough business, you have to make time for marketing.  which made me think about what i have been doing that has been effective, and that i can make time to do everyday.  also, making myself accountable to someone (other than the mini or the husband or the new baby) can help keep me on track - i know that for me, putting it out there most of the time keeps me goal focused.  while i am not the best marketing person out there, and this is definitely new territory for me, i can't afford to NOT do it, you know?

off to analyze what i do and how i waste my time... it's going to hurt, i'm sure!  but a great holiday season in sales might just be the reward i can reap...

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hammering away.

i have been off for the last little while from the day job, and have been mulling (more like hammering out) over ideas on how to expand the whole jewelry design business.  i've been cleaning out my workspace (yes, i still have much of my crafting stuff in boxes.  i'm slow, eh?)  and sorting and seeing what i have in stock, hoping it will inspire me to make some new things. 

i have had the opportunity to participate in three marketing ventures, and i am hoping it will help gain some needed publicity.  the first is a project by the fabulous sugarchills called 10xNine.  you have to check it out - i am featured in this wonderful collection.  we are tempting entrants with a $90 gift card to any of the shops included in this treasury!  there is also a discount code while the feature runs - if you use the coupon code 10xNine, you can get 10% off anything you purchase from the shops featured!

etsy has also rolled out an ad project - it's still in its infancy but of course i had to jump on the bandwagon.  you can check out the write up/explanation here.  similar to google ads or the ads on facebook, shops can choose to purchase "impressions" for a minimal cost.  i started with their $5 for 5000 impressions, and am hoping that it will bring some more traffic to my shop.  any attention is good attention, right?  mine starts today, so let's see what happens.  i haven't had much luck with the showcase ads, but perhaps this is a better way to invest my advertising dollars.

last but definitely not least, my second heartsy deal will be going live next thursday (next wednesday for VIPs!)  i am not going to disclose the discount this time, but let's just say it's bigger and better.  *wink*.  so go sign up!!!!

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