HandmadeMarketing.org’s article about Project Wonderful advertising, called “Online Advertising – Project Wonderful“, has received feedback from many handmade sellers.  Recently, one seller from Delaware told us her thoughts:

“Wonderful article and advice by Jean-Marie Buxton!” aquariann said in her comment on the article.  “I started Project Wonderful back in May and promptly raved about all the free advertising opportunities on my “It’s a Project Wonderful Life” blog post. Now that I’ve made a little money in my account from my own PW ad spots, I’ve been experimenting with $1 campaigns and keeping track of them on this Etsy forum thread. I also have about 20 active ads via manual bidding on sites I like that all together only cost about $.03 a day.“

Our team visited this handmade seller’s blog and wanted to share her thoughts with other handmade sellers.  On Monday, May 31, 2010, aquariann wrote an article called It’s a Project Wonderful Life:

“As its website states, “Project Wonderful makes advertising awesome.” All advertising through Project Wonderful is bought and sold using its “Infinite Auction” system. The advertiser that is willing to pay the most for a spot at that exact moment gets it, and only pays for the time to the nearest second that the ad remains in view before another advertiser outbids the first. Pretty neat, hmm?” the handmade seller says.

“After seeing many Project Wonderful ad spots sprinkled throughout my fantasy art and handmade craft web browsing, I’ve decided to try it on my own blog,” she blogs.  “I’ve added one spot to the right hand column, and will add a few more if it gets enough bidding and interest. [Edit: I couldn't resist - I added 3 more spots further down in the same column]The minimum bid is set to $0, so please try it out for free if the space is open! I’ve had a few bids in the first few days of it being active, ranging from $0 to $.02 – and have enjoyed visiting each site. Thanks to the Frog Bag, PhotoJewelryMaking.com and Green Haven Soaps for being my first paying advertisers!“

“Since I’m just starting out in the advertising world, it will probably take months to cash out the $10 minimum, so I plan to use any pennies made to advertise my aquariann Squidoo lens on other Project Wonderful sites. That’ll hopefully give my page enough traffic to boost its lensRank and increase the small amount I make there that funnels into my Willy Wonka Domed Dark Chocolate bar fund,” she tells readers.  “And introduce more people to my fantasy art, of course! Plus, it’s fun (and a bit addictive) – I’ve been discovering all sorts of splendid sites in my own search for open ad spots with a $0 minimum bid. Please comment if you use Project Wonderful so I can explore your site! I’d also appreciate any tips.”

Be sure to visit aquariann on ArtFire and aquariann on Etsy to see this seller’s handmade work!

Do you like to advertise with Project Wonderful?  What results have you seen using PW ads?  Do you have another form of advertising for your Etsy or Artfire shop that works well for you?

Tell us what you think about Project Wonderful and advertising your handmade shop online!  Post your thoughts in a comment, or consider telling us more by writing your own article here.

When is giving away handmade crafts worth the cost and effort?  Steven Baugh, a successful entrepreneur based in Auckland, New Zealand, outlined his thoughts behind giving products away for free in his recent article “Discover the Often Hidden Benefits of Giving Something Away For Free“. Baugh currently serves as a Managing Director, working with other family members, of two significant international companies in the photographic and wedding industries.

“With an open mind, you will discover the hidden benefits, and the money making power of giving something away for free,” Baugh wrote.  ”It seems almost impossible – making money giving away something for free. Yet, it’s probably the most powerful form of marketing you can use. Nothing attracts people more than the word free. We’re hardwired to gravitate toward it, and you can use this to your advantage. Here are 6 reasons why you should be giving things away free, and how your business can make even more profit by doing so.”

In his article, Baugh lists six reasons why giving your product away may actually be beneficial to your business:

1.  Capture Eyeballs.  Baugh insists that giving things away free free gets traffic to your site.  ”Free is hard to resist. By promoting a free product or report, you’ll get a lot more traffic, and the ability to slowly ease someone into the buying process,” he writes.

2.  Networking Opportunities.  When you give your product away for free, it opens the door for a relationship to develop.  ”Online businesses usually set up their site to that, in order to get the free report or gift, a person must first subscribe to their opt in list,” Baugh explains.  ”People are strapped for time, and you have a lot of competition out there. You have to offer them something extremely valuable to catch their attention with this type of marketing.”

One goal of giving handmade crafts away to those in the community for free is to create a relationship that will later result in financial gain.  ”Provide them with truly useful, valuable information, establish a relationship with them through your list, and they will be chomping at the bit for your paid products,” he explains.

However, Baugh cautions sellers that “the free line” has moved substantially in the last few years.  ”This means you have to provide even more value for free than you did in that past, before someone is willing to take a chance with you,” he writes.

3.  The Go-To Expert. Giving your products away have a great result – often times it establishes you as an expert in your field.  ”We all tend to be pretty skeptical these days, especially online, where anyone can claim that they’re an expert,” Baugh writes.  ”Most people want proof. They want to know you’re trustworthy, and that the image you present is who you really are. Giving them something for free helps you showcase your expertise, and speed up the ‘getting to know you’ process.”

One way to position yourself as an expert in your craft is to create an Ebook, and consider giving it out to the handmade community for free.  Check out this recent HandmadeMarketing.org article called “Get Creative – Writing Ebooks for Your Business” for a step-by-step guide to writing an Ebook.

4.  Give and Get. Baugh says that giving products away for free usually taps into the law of reciprocity.  Simply stated, if you give someone something, it’s human nature for them to want to give you something in return.

“The best way to illustrate this is to picture yourself standing on one side of a large scale, and the recipient on the opposite side. The natural state, the place we feel most comfortable, is to be in balance with each other,” he writes.  ”When you give something away, you tip the scales to your side, and people feel out of balance. They want to balance the scales, so they feel obliged to look at your offers, and possibly even buy your products. It’s a powerful emotion to tap into, and one that has enjoyed great success online.”

5. Talk of the Online Town. When someone is giving away their products online, word spreads.  Baugh says to use viral marketing to get more exposure – and “free” is oftentimes the best way to get going virally.

“Viral marketing is basically ‘word of mouth’ marketing, and free reports or information work very well with this method. The online community loves to share valuable resources with others. By providing free material, your information could be picked up and passed around by others,” he says.

6. Use Free as a Platform to Sales. Simply put, giving away your product for free can pre-sell your niche market on other crafts and products you are selling online.  Giving something away for free doesn’t mean you can’t recommend other products. In fact, Baugh says, you should.  In most cases, this is the best time to market to these potential customers.

Etsy seller Marge Brown, from a shop called ExtraFineCreations, shared her thoughts on giving away products with the HandmadeMarketing.org team.

“I have found that one way to get your product out there is to occasionally give one to a new friend as a gift, or donate an item to a charitable organization bazaar or shop. If you have recently moved to a new area it is a great way to let people know what you are about,” she said.  ”I have even given classes at my local yarn shop at no charge just for the exposure. Of course, when selling online, a free little gift with an order can also help.”

“Giving something away for free used to be considered foolish. The argument was that you would only be getting freebie seekers instead of real prospects,” Baugh writes in his article.  ”Nowadays, if you don’t embrace this type of marketing, you’re viewed suspiciously, as if you have something to hide. In fact, while it may seem hard to believe, you’ll make more money by producing free quality content than almost anything else you do in your business.”

Share your tips with us!  Have you ever given away your Etsy or ArtFire crafts for free?  What was the result?

Our team publishes ideas from handmade sellers, artisans, and crafters. Be sure to include links to your social media sites or handmade shop site in your article. Sellers receive free press for lending their knowledge, and both new and experienced sellers alike get new ideas. Share with HandmadeMarketing.org here.

Leanne Woods, a crafter from the United Kingdom, sells a beautiful range of knitwear, homeware and gifts all handmade in Newtownards, Northern Ireland.  Her shop online is located at Folksy, a place to buy handmade things, and for makers to sell their work and find supplies.  This website is based in the UK and aims to reclaim craft and showcase talented makers and their work.

Leanne recently shared her tips for selling handmade in her local community with HandmadeMarketing.org.

“If you would like to get the word out to customers not already familiar with the handmade community and especially in your local area, try asking your local newsagent if they would mind you adding a small leaflet or flyer to their carrier bags,” Leanne said.  “Most are happy enough to let you do this by taking a stack of their carriers home and sliding a leaflet into each before returning them to the shop.“

Leanne tells us that this has recently worked well for her handmade item business.  She attributes the success, in part, because she’s already friendly with her local newsagent and didn’t feel nervous about asking.

Leanne advises handmade sellers ton consider the ease for the agent.  “It causes no extra hassle to the agent whatsoever, they just grab a bag as usual,” she says.

Lastly, Leanne says this works because the majority of people who end up with a carrier bag in newsagents are the people buying glossy magazines. These consumers may be your prime target for your handmade shop!

“If you’re really friendly with you local agent you could even try targeted marketing,” Leanne suggests.  “Find out which colour bags he/she uses day to day and then buy a different colour yourself (they’re quite inexpensive) and add you leaflets asking the agent to use these bags only for fashion mags, wedding mags and so forth. Your agent will admittedly be more willing to do this if you already have a good relationship with them or for a small fee.”

Thank you for the marketing tip Leanne!

Do you want to learn more about Leanne’s craft?  Read her blog, or follow her on Twitter @SeetheWoods!  You can also browse her handmade items at her Folksy shop online.

Tell us what you have found works when marketing and selling handmade in your community!  If HandmadeMarketing.org publishes your tips and tricks, we’ll link to your shop or website.  Sellers receive free press for lending their knowledge, and both new and experienced sellers alike get new ideas.  Share with HandmadeMarketing.org.

Michele Gallagher, the Etsy seller behind the shop craftychick101, has tips for handmade sellers who want to be seen in the handmade community.

“Shout it from the rooftops! If you want your shop to be visible in the vast sea of handmade products, you have to be vocal,” Michele tells HandmadeMarketing.org.

Michele advises that the more visible you are as a handmade seller, the more potential buyers and others in the handmade community will get to know you as an artist and recognize the work you do as your own.

“My main selling venue is Etsy (craftychick101) and from visiting the forums I see that a lot of people are content with re-listing their items to get seen,” Michele adds. “While this does help, re-listing alone will not get you the sales/visibility you need to become successful on Etsy, or any other handmade selling venue for that matter.”

Michele says she utilizes Twitter as her main form of advertising her handmade items.

“I currently have around 7,800 followers,” Michele (@craftychick101) says. “When I list a new item and Tweet the link, my views often jump to 50+ in a matter of minutes.”

Michele reminds sellers to be an active member of the Twitter community.  “I make it a point to follow other Etsy sellers as well as people in my target market and they often follow back,” said Michele.  “Staying active on Twitter has [resulted in] most of my Etsy sales.”

Michele recommends responding to other people’s tweets, asking questions about other seller’s shops, re-tweeting links to handmade products or shops you like.

Recently, Michele made the most of a business success utilizing Twitter.

“One of my greatest successes was when I was featured on the front page of Etsy,” she told HandmadeMarketing.org.  “Many of my Twitter followers noticed and tweeted to me to let me know. It felt great that they recognized my product and made the connection that the item belonged to me.”

Do you have suggestions for handmade sellers looking for some extra exposure?  How do you introduce people to your craft?  Have you had success promotion online?

Share your thoughts with HandmadeMarketing.org!  Tell us your tips and advice for selling on Etsy.com here.

Recently opened shop online and stuck on how to advertise your new venture?  Megan Lewis, from Etsy shop Eiriel, recently told HandmadeMarketing.org her tip for advertising to those you know.

“When you’re starting out, send an email around to all friends, family, past customers who you feel may be interested,” Megan suggests.  “Include a code for something like refunded shipping or a small free gift with their first purchase.”

Megan shared her email with our team to help readers with ideas for writing their own:

Hello everyone!

I’ve just opened a new online shop for my handmade jewellery and I’m having a promotion drive. To try and get the ball rolling on sales I’m offering free postage! The shop can be found at www.eiriel.etsy.com.  For those of you who don’t know, Etsy is a large collection of online shops devoted to vintage and handmade items. There are some truly beautiful pieces, so I encourage you to take a look!  To get the discount, buy something from the shop and email me at saidar@gmail.com with the code (’Etsy22′) and what piece of jewellery you’ve bought.  Feel free to forward this to friends, family, anyone you tthink might be interested!

Megan

Megan emailed the text above to six past customers and roughly thirty friends through Facebook.

“I had no negative responses,” she told us.  “Several people replied saying how impressed they were and that they would come back closer to Christmas or when they had more money (many of the people I contacted are students and have little disposable income!)“

This advertising method worked for the launch of Megan’s Etsy business!

“My first three sales, all to the same woman, were as a direct result of the email,” Megan said.  “I occasionally hear from this particular customer – she asked to be kept updated with news and new designs and I expect to have some more sales closer to Christmas. The majority of people I emailed are now fans of my Facebook fanpage so they can keep updated without me having to email them!”

Thank you for the great advertising tip Megan!  You can connect with Megan via Twitter or on her Facebook page.

Do you have a tip for low-cost and effective advertising?  How did you let people in your life know you were starting an online business?  Do you have any tips for using coupon codes to generate more sales?

Share your tips with HandmadeMarketing.org!  You can either comment on this post, or send us more detail about your advertising avenues.  If our editors publish your detailed tips in a future HandmadeMarketing.org article, we will link to your shop, website, and social media outlets as the source!

HandmadeMarketing.org reader Constance Vlahoulis, from the The Conn. Artists Studios and Co.,  has a valuable press tip for handmade sellers.  “Tell your story to help others!” Constance says.

“When I was in Real Estate in Michigan,” Constance tells HandmadeMarketing.org, “our manager always told us: “Don’t Be A Secret Agent.” Of course what meant about that was to wear our name tags on the way while shopping and to talk Real Estate to all.  The same thing goes for artisans.”

Constance reminds handmade sellers that others are fascinated by talent. “I met a local magazine editor for Western North Carolina Woman at an art show about 6 months ago,” she explains.  “Upon meeting her I said, “Oh I have been meaning to write an article for your magazine.” I was half in jest – trying to get a foot in the door.”

What happened next shocked Constance.  “To my delight, she gave me her personal email address for me to send my crafted words directly, which I did,” she told HandmadMarketing.org.

Some months later, Constance was approached by a fellow gallery owner at another art show opening.  To her surprise, the owner said, “Hey, nice article in WNC!”

“The story of how The Conn-Artist Studios got started is now in print in a popular publication!” Constance said.  You can read the press at WNCWoman.com.

“You never know who may be interested in your story– if it is about inspiration and action– you have a great chance of being published or interviewed,” Constance tells other handmade sellers.

Have you been published by a local newspaper or publication?  How did you land the press?  What tips do you have for handmade sellers interested in getting their story out to their local community?

Share your ideas for how to get press for your craft!  If our editors publish your tips, you’ll get even more press!  We’ll link to your blog, website, or shop as a source of the great advice.

The handmade seller behind Etsy’s OnARoll and this informative blog, recently blogged about her experience with Etsy advertising.

“I’ve been trying to figure out better ways to advertise my Etsy shop online,” she wrote.  “Project Wonderful has beenquite good, but I thought it was time to try Google AdWords.”

According to Google, Google AdWords allows advertisers to create and run ads for their business in a quick, easy, and simple way.  Google promises that “matter what your budget, you’ll only pay when people click your ads.”

AdWords ads are displayed along with search results when someone searches Google using one of your keywords.  This makes it easy for advertisers to advertise to an audience that’s already interested in a seller’s handmade items.

In addition, advertisers can choose to display ads on content sites, i.e. blogs and websites, in the growing Google Network.  This is a great way to advertise to potential buyers using contextual targeting.  For example, if a potential buyer is reading a blog post about how to find vintage, they may see a Google ad about your vintage Etsy shop.

The seller behind OnARoll explains why she likes the idea of Google ads.  “It’s a small text ad on the right side bar and you pick the keywords that will trigger your ad being shown. You “bid” on the space and pay per click – more popular search terms like “iPod” come with a hefty price per click. I’ve limited my campaign to 5 cents per click and $1 a day to start.”

The Etsy seller says that her first ad didn’t seem to be working at all.  “Then I figured out it was active but not approved yet,” she wrote.  “My best guess is that I shouldn’t have used “iPod” in the ad. So I reworded it with “MP3 player” instead, and that one was approved right away. I also have an ad directed at people searching for coffee cup cozies.”

The Etsy seller from OnARoll noted that the tracking tools offered by Google are a little confusing at first.  “They seem to update at different times,” she wrote.  “It seems that my billing summary is the most accurate about current clicks.”

The seller included an image of her tracking snap shot:

Before advertising, Google recommends sellers look at the Google Keywords Tool.  The Google Keyword Tool is explained in this previous HandmadeMarketing.org article.  By researching the top keywords for your handmade shop, creating Google ads will become much easier and have more effect.

This seller agrees.  “I’m going to work on refining my keywords and trying out different wording in the ads, but I’m pretty pleased so far,” she wrotes.  “I’m not sure how to figure out exactly how many (if any) sales I’m getting from it though. I figure that if my sales seem to increase, especially if I get an increase in customers who signed up to Etsy the day they ordered, it must be working.”

For more information on utilizing Google for your handmade business, have a look at the articles below:

Google AdWords – Top Keywords For Your Shop

Google Analytics – How To Use The Data

Handmade Shop Advertising – Google Adsense

Do you utilize Google’s tools to help increase sales at your online shop?  What web tools do you use for your craft business?  Have you advertised with Google before?  Was it effective?

Share your thoughts with HandmadeMarketing.org!  Tell us what you think of advertising with Google by clicking on our “Join” tab at the top of the page.  If we publish your tips, we’ll link to your shop, blog, or website as the source.

Could publishing online tutorials be your key to ultimate online press exposure? Yael Falk, the handmade seller behind Etsy’s YooLa, was recently published in The Storque, Etsy’s online resource for sellers.  After this exposure, Yael contacted HandmadeMarketing.org to share her article with us.

Yael’s article is about how she found handmade sales success by stretching her design into new dimensions.  “Many Etsy sellers have successful designs in terms of high views, many hearts, appearance in Etsy Treasuries and even front pages, but somehow…low sales,” she shared in The Storque.

Yael said that her most successful item for press was her knitted wire pomegranates (available in her Etsy shop.)  “They appeared everywhere: numerous front pages, numerous blogs (small and big) with interviews, articles, even Etsy blog articles,” she said.

However, Yael said she saw very little sales.  In fact, only two of her pomegranates sold!

“I had to do something, and I felt I had to tackle it in an original way,” she said.  “I knew that if my issue was only a matter of price, it was a dead end. My work is time consuming, and I could not afford to cut my prices any more than I already had. I just wanted to translate my Etsy visual success into a financial one — this is where my stretching began.”

Yael said she focused on three assumptions. “First, maybe people just loved its visual impact, i.e. the photos. Second, maybe people just loved poms because of all that they represent. Third, maybe people were curious about how I make them,” she said.

After establishing these three assumptions, Yael found she had several potential directions to take the sales of this handmade item.

1. Develop a line of prints, greeting cards, or postcards with my pom photos.
2. Develop more pomegranate items that would resemble the big ones, but would be more affordable.
3. Write tutorials that would teach anyone to knit a pom.

“I decide to start with option 2, which is what I do best,” Yael said.  “I designed a mini pom bead, and it was received quite successfully. My mission was partially achieved, but I wasn’t yet satisfied.”

Yael said she debated for several months about implementing option 3 – publishing tutorials.  “After discussing it in the Etsy forums with many fellow Etsians, I came up with a list of pros and cons,” Yael shared.

Yael shared her outline of the cons to creating a tutorial below:

1. Risk of exposure to copycats and competition with the sharing of knowledge.
2. The item will no longer seem as special when it pops up everywhere.

However, Yael developed a list of pros as well:

1. Publishing your knowledge gives people get the opportunity to respect you as a designer and a pro.
2. There are many enthusiastic crafters who would love to have a pom, but would not be ready to pay its full price, and by offering them a tutorial I enable them make their own.
3. The wider exposure will benefit the finished products because more people will have a respect and appreciation for my skill and my vision, and so sharing how they’re made would enlarge its sales figures as well.
4. Different people would purchase my finished items and my tutorials, so its not actually one instead of the other.
5. The GREEN aspect – distributing tutorials creates less pollution than mailing items overseas.

Yael said she eventually decided to follow the pro path and offer tutorials on her blog.

“The tuts were and still are a great success in sales terms,” Yael told HandmadeMarketing.org.  “I’ve sold a couple of hundreds since it was published.  There was a sharp jump in Etsy sales when I published my first tut and it keeps on going up.  The interesting thing is that some people buy both my tuts and my finished items.  Some people only buy it out of curiosity to see how I work.”

“It’s been a success ever since! I am now encouraged to write more tutorials,” she said.  “The stretching, of course, can never end. Once the tutorials started taking off, questions about supplies started to emerge. Thoughts about offering my clients an easy and fast solution gave way to kits.”

What did Yael learn from the experience outlined in the Storque article?  “The bottom line is stretch, stretch, stretch — your mind, your media and your boundaries.”

Yael found that sharing her experience with Etsy.com was natural because of the success she has seen with the help of the selling platform.  “I find Etsy a great place to be in, I got tons of support form other Etsians and Etsy admin when I just joined and am happy to share what I know and accomplished with others.  The Storque is a great place to publish anything it has many readers that have the same interest as me, handmade and internet selling and buying. I felt it was my turn to share what I learned and accomplished.”

The press her Etsy shop received on Etsy.com was an accomplishment in and of itself.  “I received a lot of feedback both from people that have been following my work and Etsy shop for a while, and wanted to say well done, as well as from people that discovered me through the article.  I was also contaced by Etsy sellers asking for further advice,” she told HandmadeMarketing.org.

Where does Yael look for great tutorials online? “I love Ravelry.com.  It is a wonderful place for textile lovers to hangout and find unique patterns and tutorials.  I also like youcanmakethis.com.  That site has many cool tuts in various fields,” she told us.

Yael also shared some advice she has for sellers worried about sharing their craft via tutorials.  “Many sellers feel that by sharing and publishing their secrets they build their own competition,” Yael said. “People ask me, “But aren’t you afraid that it will be spread on the net with no control”? My answer is that the world is so big, there are so many people.  What if some will pass it from friend to friend? And besides, I will always be making new ones.  I gained was incredibly vast exposure by publishing tutorials online.”

You can follow Yael’s handmade happenings at her blog or by visiting her Etsy shop.

Do you create online tutorials showcasing your craft?  How has the tutorial helped increase sales?  Do you have any advice for sellers questions whether publishing a tutorial is right for them?

Share your ideas with HandmadeMarketing.org!  Submit your thoughts to our “Join” tab, or comment on this post.  If we publish your thoughts into an article like we did for Yael, we will link to your shop, blog, and website in order to give you added exposure in the handmade community!

Some find navigating how to advertise your handmade shop is more difficult than first thought.  When looking for free Etsy advertising, sellers find options are limited.  Instead, many turn to buying advertising on Project Wonderful to spread the word about their handmade items.

Tara Shenson, from KMT Graphic Design on Etsy.com, shared her experience with advertising her Etsy shop online.

“After months of selling ad space on Project Wonderful, I still hadn’t made a profit,” Tara told us.  “So, I decided to sell my own ad space directly from my blog.  Selling your own ads is easy and much more profitable for the blogger.  Plus, you don’t have to wait for your pre-defined “minimum” to start to see your profits – you get paid immediately.  And why shouldn’t you?  It’s your blog after all!”

“I quickly realized there was a demand for direct-from-blogger ad space and shared my discovery with my readers, who were equally excited about the idea.  Soon, the “Ad Directory” was born!” she told HandmadeMarketing.org.

“The Ad Directory is a list of all the Etsy bloggers who sell advertising space on their blogs direct,” Tara said.  “You as a buyer can feel good about your purchase because you know you are not only getting prime ad space with your target audience but you are supporting the handmade movement and everything it stands for by avoiding a big company like Google AdSense or Project Wonderful.” Tara explains that these companies oftentimes take a large percentage as well as hold the money from the blogger until a minimum is reached.

“The Ad Directory is a way to empower Etsy sellers and bloggers to take their advertising revenue into their own hands and to give them another option other than Project Wonderful or Google Adsense,” she explains.

Tara’s Ad Directory is free to any blogger who sells their own ad boxes.  “I will even walk any blogger through setting up a payment button on their blog if they don’t know how,” she tells HandmadeMarketing.org.  “I want to encourage other Etsy and Artfire sellers to buy their ad space using the Ad Directory-I personally have stopped using Project Wonderful and will be buying all of my ads direct from the bloggers from now on.”

What is Tara’s goal for the future?  “Once I have more bloggers on board, I want to create a separate site that categorizes all the ad sellers making it that much easier for the buyers to purchase space from a blogger that reaches their target demographic.  For example, specific art genres, pet accessories, marketing and tech advice, fashion, and so on. I’m so excited to get the word out about this exciting new opportunity for the handmade community.”

To view the Ad Directory, visit Tara’s blog.  Those who are interested in adding their blog to the directory for free can contact Tara via Etsy convo at Tara’s Etsy shop KMT Graphic Design or by email.

Very exciting idea for handmade sellers, Tara!

Have you had success with blog ad space?  Do you prefer direct-from-blogger ads or using another method such as Google AdSense or Project Wonderful?  Do you have any suggestions for handmade sellers interested in online advertising options?

Share your ideas!  Comment on this post or submit your thoughts to our team via our “Join” tab.  We want to know what works for selling handmade online.  If our editors publish your thoughts, like we published Tara’s ideas did in this article, we link to your shop, blog, or website.  Increase traffic to your shop by sharing your selling tips!

Giveaways are discussed often between handmade sellers.  Many times, the giveaways are held on a the blog of a shop owner or fan of handmade items.  Our team at HandmadeMarketing.org decided to ask handmade sellers what they think of giveaways.  We were surprised by the many different opinions!

Our team determined there are many reasons handmade shop owners and bloggers alike are drawn to giveaways.  Here are a few:

1. Boost Blog Traffic. If you have a blog centered around handmade items, some sellers suggest offering a giveaway as a way to boost traffic.  “I host a weekly giveaway on my blog,” said the Etsy shop owner of NatureManipulated.  “It definitely helps my blog views. I have gained a lot of blog subscribers in a short period of time. As for reulting sales, I’m not sure it helps but I don’t blog for that particular reason so I’m not too concerned. I blog and feature giveaways so readers can learn about new shops and artists.  My giveaways do increase views to the shop providing the items. My giveaway requires readers to visit their shop and post a link to their favorite item. Participating shops see an increase in hearts and some offer a discount to readers for the week their giveaway is up, although I have not yet received feedback as to whether they have received sales through that.  So far, jewelry, paper goods and art have had the strongest response.”  To see the blog, check it out here.
2. Increase Shop Traffic. Etsy sellers Amy and Misty, of Etsy shop HeathensHearth think giveaways are a way to boost Etsy shop traffic.  “We average 1 major (and sometimes 1 minor concurrent or overlapping) give away in our blog per month.  It definitely seems to help sales, if nothing else it definitely helps traffic.”  Using blog giveaways in your shop’s marketing plan could be essentially free Etsy advertising (minus the cost of your giveaway item, of course.)
   Monica, from an Etsy giveaway blog, says she thinks giveaways increase exposure to shops.  “On my blog I host free monthly giveaways,” she tells us.  Monica features and reviews a handmade item and it’s Etsy shop.
   “In the beginning of the month, a big feature is done on the seller and their shop with an interview which is submitted by seller approximately 3 weeks before,” Monica says.  She encourages shops that participate in the giveaways visit other shops featured, increasing shop exposure. 
   If you are interested in hosting your shop item giveaway with Monica, contact her at admin@myfunnybunny.com.
3. Spike in Handmade Sales. The shop owner of Etsy’s krugsecologic says giveaways are an easy way to attract potential buyers.  “Giveways are an excellent idea!!  Every time I do giveaways, I get a lot of views, and definitely sales.”
4. Socialize and Connect. “I’m just learning the importance of hosting and joining other sponsor’s giveaways,” said HandmadeMarketing.org reader Julie, from Etsy shop RockerJewlz.  “It’s provided exposure I was craving. The connections that are made can only continue the building of a necessary chain of promotion.  Once proper exposure is created, others naturally spread the word if you make the giveaway exciting enough!  Searching under your topic on the web was the best place for me to start,” Julie told us.  “I found blogs I never knew existed. I found a huge number of bloggers who happily provide free announcements for giveaways that all leads back to your very own little blog. And I will reciprocate and grow just like I’ve been hoping I would.”
5. Receive Feedback. Giveaways can provide a feedback opportunity for sellers.  Noelle Burke’s Etsy shop (Xenotees) has benefited from participating in handmade item giveaways.  “I’ve done a few Etsy giveaways on blogs and I do think they help my sales,” Noelle told us.  “More than that, they give me a great boost when I read people’s feedback. It also helps you realize what potential customers are attracted to most in your shop and what color shirts seem to be most popular. From a marketing standpoint it is a smart move, in my opinion.  I would highly encourage Etsy shops to participate in giveaways.”  Noelle suggests participating in giveaways at Etsy Giveaways and the Daily Etsian.
6. Advertising ROI. Giveaways may be a better return on investment (or “ROI”) compared to your other shop advertising options.  When advertising your handmade shop, our team suggests always keeping  your eye on getting “the biggest bang for  your advertising buck.”  Tara Gentile from HandmadeInPA.net agrees.  “My giveaways are driving at least 80 additional hits to each sponsoring shop just from the Handmade in PA.net site,” Tara tells us.  “Additional hits come from sharing the giveaway link on Twitter, Facebook, and other blogs.  For most giveaways, this is a much better ROI than placing an ad. Plus, giveaways generally give a personal story behind the shop, another thing an ad can’t do!”

However, we also found some reasons handmade sellers do not participate in giveaways:

1. Giveaways Don’t Necessarily Equal Sales. Although exposure may increase shop traffic, does the extra traffic always equal sales?  The shop owner of the Etsy shop BellissimaMinerals had a different experience with giveaways. “I tried a giveaway for 2 days a few weeks ago. I offered a free full size bonus gift with every purchase. I promoted it in my Shop Announcements, blog, email newsletter and Twitter. While my page views did increase (about 30%), I didn’t earn any sales from it.  I think that people who have already decided to buy will, and a giveaway is a nice bonus. Those that are ‘on the fence’ may be swayed by an incentive. But people who are not interested can’t be convinced with a freebie.”
2. Stand Firm. Jordan, of the Etsy shop OpulentOddities tells us bluntly why she isn’t interested in giveaways.  “I haven’t tried it, because I don’t think I need to give away my jewelry. I just won’t do it. I also won’t give away my items for it to be reviewed. I think its bollocks.”

In the handmade community, it seems natural for sellers to have interest in blog giveaways.  Giveaways seem to be a great way to boost traffic, potentially increase sales, and socialize with other artisans.  However, relying on giveaways as your only means to increasing sales may not be effective.

Our team suggests watching your shop traffic closely to determine if a giveaway you recently participated in is worth your time.  First, decide the dollar value for an hour of your time.  Depending on that number, making an extra $20 from traffic that came directly from a giveaway may be worth your time spent creating the giveaway item, contacting the blogger, and promoting the giveaway.

However, if the time sending Tweets, emailing past customers, promoting the giveaway in the forums, etc. far exceeds the sales your shop received from the item giveaway, consider another exposure option for  your shop.  Some sellers may not take the time to calculate the effort put into the giveaway – simply jump for excitement for the extra sale or two!

Thanks to all the shop owners who told us their experience with blog giveaways!

Have you had a positive or negative experience with giveaways?  What do you think are the pros and cons of participating?

Share your handmade giveaway ideas with HandmadeMarketing.org!  If our editors like your idea, we’ll post your thoughts and include a link back to your shop or blog as the source.  Adding your input helps the sellers here at HandmadeMarketing.org make up their own mind!

::  The “Shop Marketing on Etsy.com” Team ::