Exposure

Exposure

This word gets thrown around a lot. Exposure. When I used to dabble in acting, I would often run across listings that promised exposure rather than pay. To whom? I'm not sure. Now, on Etsy, I hear that word quite a bit. Exposure. Mainly when someone says that word, it has to do with the front page.

I love being on the front page of Etsy. It's cool to see something you made pop up on the home page of the site. That being said, it's a really short thrill. Once the front page comes down, the exposure screeches to a grinding halt and you're left feeling empty and alone. Okay. I'm being a drama queen.

I have been asking myself how I can get regular exposure whether I am on the front page or not. In other words, how can I market myself and bring traffic to my website?

I do some things that a lot of people might not be willing to do. For one, I use LinkReferral to bring traffic to my blog. Yes, you have to click on 30 websites and do the reviews and it takes a little bit of time. But I have regular traffic to my blog and I can gauge how interesting the content is better than not having any traffic at all. I have also found some really cool sites (and some truly horrible ones.) Yes, I get some bogus reviews that make absolutely no sense. Every once in a while some one will review my site and give me the suggestion that I need to hear. That is a great thing!

I have also started using paid advertising. I know, I know. No one has the money for that and they don't want to advertise if they don't know it is going to work. I get that. I also get that quite a few of the most successful artists I have seen have pay for advertising. Businesses have advertising budgets, whether they be small or large.

Here are some options that I have been experimenting with.

www.StumbleUpon.com
www.ProjectWonderful.com

With both of these sites you can set a spending limit. A lot of sellers use $1 a day budget to renew items on Etsy. I have decided to use that $1 a day to advertise my blog and my Etsy shop.

Since I started doing this, the traffic to my blog has increased and I have gained followers and feed subscribers. So I know it is working. I am not looking for extreme growth but I do want to let it build.

Solutions

One thing I have learned about business is that you have to seek out problems and then give people the solutions to them. Sometimes, you will give a solution for a problem that no one knew they had.

Other times it will be glaring them in the face. And if you are looking for something to glare at you, I would suggest the ideas forum on Etsy. Why? Because there is no possible way that Etsy can address every single suggestion that shows up on that board.

There are always discussions about who gets to be on the front page and which categories are "exposed" the most. I have seen a few people really take the bull by the horns and create websites and blog features to get some exposure to artists. There are several people doing this, actually.

Some good ones:
www.ByHand.me
www.designstyleguide.net
www.timothyadamdesigns.blogspot.com

There is no possible way for every single seller on Etsy to reach the front page. The numbers are too big. Why not seek exposure elsewhere?

Another example...someone created a site where you can check to see if you are featured in an Etsy treasury. Now, if we are really being honest, we can admit that it is not that hard to check for the gold stars from time to time. However, it is nice to type in your shop name and have someone else check the gold stars for you. I am guessing whoever started this site probably read the forums a little bit. Maybe not. The good news is that they can sell advertising, bring in revenue to their business and provide a service to use at the same time.

www.craftopolis.com

I'll be letting you know how everything works out for me. If anyone has ideas, feel free to leave a comment below!

Take Care!
:::Liz:::

www.LizardoArt.Etsy.com

How To Use MySpace

How Do I Use MySpace For My Business?

I have made sales from MySpace and you can too. The key to this is letting it happen organically. How do you do something like this? Where do you start?

Add the right people.

I started by adding all of the galleries in my area. Every one, little and small. They send announcements of shows and calls for artists. It's a good way to get to know the gallery too. You will see what types of work they typically show and know if you are a fit or not.

This is how you find the galleries, for example. Everyone will be different. I try to add anyone organization that has shows or opportunities for me to meet other artists or show my work. I like to attend events and this is one way that I find out about them.

When you find a gallery, scan through their friends to look for more galleries or organizations. If you see an artist and like them, add them but tell them that you like thier work in the notes. They'll appreciate that.

Post pictures of what you do.

If you post the pictures, they will show up in the feed of what is going on. Then maybe, a bulletin or post in the blog section. But no need to advertise every five minutes that you have a painting. It gets annoying.

Also, be personal. MySpace and sites like this are a chance for people to see you as a person behind the art. Etsy is business. If someone is on your MySpace they are looking for clues about the real you. So post pictures of what you are doing in life too. You don't have to post 80 vacation pics but let people see who you are.

Make connections in person.

Whenever I am in an art show, I always make friends with the other artists on MySpace. If they post something I like, I comment. This is a great way to keep a business connection going. It's a two-way street. If you have an opportunity, why not share it with the other artists you know. They will do the same for you, most of time. A lot of artists will post information about openings and calls for artists.

Invite your MySpace friends to your openings.

It's amazing what people will come out of the woodwork to see a gallery show. At least one person I haven't seen in years shows up to every opening. Send out the invite. Make them feel special. It's nice to see the widespread support of others around you. It's also less scary when you see a familiar face or two at your shows.

So there you have it. This is how I use MySpace and Facebook to support my art.

Add me on MySpace!

Etsy Tip

Listing on Etsy

I have written my listings in a word processor document so that I can copy and paste the basics of each listing. After that I fill in the remaining information such as Title or Dimensions. This is especially nice for something like ACEO where the dimension is always the same.

Plus, it ensures that I do not leave out information that I want to include in every listing.

My Etsy Experience So Far...

I am having a lot of fun with Etsy. I have learned so much from hanging out in the forums and joining teams. (I make a real effort to avoid threads that have a negative vibe to them.) I would rather focus on the things that I can do rather than complain about things I have no control over.

I love how helpful people are. I am learning how to bring traffic to my site and to my blog. I think this experience will help me in other areas of my life too.

Gripes About My Job...LOL

I bartend in a hotel that caters to large conventions, mostly corporate type people. I am soooo spoiled! Until now...hahaha. We have a Christmas event that lasts all month long and people come from all over the area to attend. Well....these are not my business travelers and they are driving me crazy after one day!

I know that people want to get out and see things and brings their kids but come on! Do you really have to be this difficult? Kids aren't even allowed in the area that I work but people want to order all kinds of things from me and then try to get me to serve them out in the area they are allowed to be. I know they are trying to avoid the 2 hour wait in the dining area. I get that. However, making me serve you outside of the busy area I am already working just makes it bad for everyone. No one gets good service. That is why they have sections in the restaurant and don't allow kids in the bar. I know that this applies to no one reading this blog but GIVE ME A BREAK PLEASE!!!

Okay...I feel better now. Ha ha ha!