Jo Whitehead, a handmade crafter selling items on Folksy, submitted her thoughts on running an arts business to the HandmadeMarketing.org team.

“All self help books have magic number tips such as 10 good tips, 7 bad tips (how not to do something) and 3 rules to live by!” Jo wrote.  “So, in the spirit of the self help book here are my top 10 tips to starting a successful arts business.“

1. Carpe diem! In the words of Los Campesinos, If it seems like a good idea then it IS a good idea. Start researching how you can turn your art into a business. Get some good business advice from your local Business Link or visit a business consultant.

2. Be honest with yourself. Do you have a product that people will want to buy or are you making art for yourself? a lot of people say they love your work but would they be willing to part with their money to prove this?

3. Be willing to put in the hours. Being self employed is great, you can work when you want and there’s no-one else to tell you what to do. Actually, being self employed can be very lonely and more demanding than working 9 to 5. Are you willing to stay late, burning the midnight oil when everyone else is at the pub?

4. Know your sums. Calculate the cost of everything you make, including your hourly rate and then work out your profit. Don’t forget to work out your overheads and running costs. Keep accurate records and, if you are not hot with figures, go on a book keeping course. Try and live by the expression “look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves”

5. Know Your Competition. Find out what everyone else is doing – look at their strengths and weaknesses, find out how they market their art, compare their pricing and look at how you can improve your business on THEIR performance.

6. Know Your Customer. Who will your potential customers be? Who will you appeal to? Where do they buy their art? What kinds of galleries/shops do they go to? What are they willing to pay?

7. Have a sure-fire Business Plan. Business plans are boring but, if you need to borrow money or to further your business, then you will need one. And you should WANT one too – a business plan can help you plan for the future, work out the direction you want to take your business in and identify all your strengths and weaknesses. (I will be blogging about business plans soon).

8. Organize. This means sort out your studio and make it an efficient place to work. Sort out your schedule – learn to prioritise your time so that you are not wasting time gazing at art on the internet instead of making it.

9. Networking. It’s all very romantic starving in a garret but sometimes you have to come out and meet people. You can network with Twitter and Facebook (easy) but you also need to talk to real people about your work. Visiting galleries and exhibitions is a great way to network – you are your art’s ambassador.

10. My Year in Lists. Make lists. Set targets. Stick to them. Lists give you a raison d’etre, goals to work toward. Lists include Your Strengths/Weaknesses, Mailing Lists, List of Tasks, Shopping Lists.

What do you think of Jo’s thoughts?  Which tip sticks out the most to you?  Why?

Share your ideas and thoughts with HandmadeMarketing.org!  Submit your article for publication here or tell us your thoughts via a comment below.

Etsy seller and blogger Bobbie, from the shop avisiontoremember and the blog Iamonly1woman, recently published a post titled “Essentials for Etsy Selling Success and a Gardening Analogy.”  Bobbie was kind enough to share her thoughts with the HandmadeMarketing.org team:

“Selling online for me is like growing a garden,” Bobbie writes.  “Get the seeds (your product, your time that you devote to selling, your links to your shop and other places online, advertising, etc). You don’t want to just plant potatoes in your garden, then you won’t get a good variety but also what happens if that potato seed is not good. You won’t have anything grown.”

After you have your “seeds” ready to go, Bobbie says the next step is to plant them.

“I like to plant my garden in a nice row, with all the different seeds planted in their own row or place,” she writes.  “I don’t just throw the seeds around and hope they grow. Some seeds need to be planted deep in the ground, others can be barely under the surface. Planting your seeds is like setting up your shop and starting to link to your Etsy shop.”

After planting the seeds, Bobbie says it takes a lot of work, energy, and care to produce a result.  “You can’t just walk away from the garden and come back in the morning and have a ton of produce for you to enjoy,” she tells other Etsy sellers.

For her own garden, Bobbie said she has to water several times a week, fertilize it, remove the weeds, protect it from the elements.

“This can all be likened to continuing adding items to your shop, taking out the items that are not helping your Etsy shop, promoting your items so they don’t get lost among everyone’s stuff out there,” she writes in her blog post.  “Then, after a ton of work and effort, you will start to see the fruits of your labor.“

Bobbie tells us she has been working hard on her Etsy shop for over a year, and is just now seeing her hard work being rewarded. In fact, she now has so much to enjoy, she is focused on preserving what she can.

“I am preserving whatever I can from the garden by canning the tomatoes, making salsa, digging the potatoes and storing them properly, and on and on,” she writes.  “That way, I can enjoy all that hard work during the next year. Same thing with my shop. I still have to maintain it. I need to preserve the hard work that I have put into it so that all that work does not go to waste.”

Bobbie cautions other handmade sellers to remember that not all the produce will mature at the same time.

“I canned beans several months ago, the corn about a month ago, but am now taking care of the onions, tomatoes, and potatoes. Different parts of your shop/garden start to reward you at different times,” she says.  “That has helped me keep going to start seeing my hard work actually produce something.“

Having a hard time with your Etsy garden?  Bobbie shared helpful tips for Etsy sellers in another HandmadeMarketing.org article “Etsy Checklist – Tips to Sell More.“

What do you think of Bobbie’s thoughts?  What helps you grow your Etsy garden?  If you are new to Etsy, what are your challenges right now?

Share your ideas and thoughts with HandmadeMarketing.org!  Submit your article for publication here or tell us your thoughts via a comment below.

Etsy seller and blogger Bobbie, from the shop avisiontoremember and the blog Iamonly1woman, recently published a post titled “Essentials for Etsy Selling Success and a Gardening Analogy.”

In a previous article on HandmadeMarketing.org, Bobbie shared that building a successful shop on Etsy.com is similar to starting, maintaining, and benefiting from a garden.  She was kind enough to share her tips for sellers looking to have more success selling their handmade items on Etsy.  Take a look at Bobbie’s 10-item checklist to see if you can improve your success on Etsy:

1. Sell a Winning Product. “Have a product that people want,” Bobbie suggests.  “This is the most important thing in selling anything. You need to have something others want. Maybe it is a piece of jewelry that is very unique.  Maybe it is something that is for men (because we all know that the handmade business has not focused on men).“

2. Photos, Photos, Photos. Bobbie advises Etsy sellers to take great pictures of their handmade items.  “Photos are by far my weakest thing. Blankets/car seat tents are very large and are hard to photograph and get the details without loosing what the item is. I really struggle with the photographs. I do however keep learning and keep trying. I have a point and shoot camera. Nothing fancy. It works. It takes decent photos.“  To see her before and after photos, visit her blog.  To get wonderful tips from sellers who pride themselves on outstanding item photos, visit the HandmadeMarketing.org Etsy Photography Tips article list.

3. List Items Often. “Get as many items in your Etsy shop as possible,” Bobbie tells others.  “I found that once I hit 50-60 items sales really started to do better. Then once I hit 100 I did even better. I am nearing 200 and I assure you that more is definitely better.“

4. Tag Your Items Correctly. Bobbie tells sellers how important it is to tag items correctly.  “If you don’t tag your items with the right keywords then people will not be able to find you. If you are wondering what the best keywords might be search Etsy for other similar items, or you can also use this Google keyword tool.”

5. Learn About SEO. Bobbie says Etsy sellers should take the time to learn the basics of SEO (search engine optimization).  “I have searched the Etsy Forums for SEO and have learned a ton. I attribute most of my success to learning the basics of SEO and implementing them. It works,” she says.  The HandmadeMarketing.org team recommends sellers take a peek at an article by James Dillehay, from craftermarketer.com, who shared his thoughts on how crafters can utilize search engine optimization best practices to increase sales online.  See the article here “Tips from a Pro – Improve Your Etsy Shop SEO” and comment with your SEO tips.

6. Network. “I read often in the Etsy forums of people that are not having any success and there are a few common denominators: they are not networking, or if they are networking they are not networking appropriately,” Bobbie tells other crafters.  “This topic kinda goes along with the SEO thing. The more links you have out there in the World Wide Web, the more chances you have of Google and other search engines of finding you. So place your links appropriately, don’t just throw them haphazardly around.“

7. Embrace Social Media. Bobbie tells Etsy sellers to start a Facebook fan page, begin tweeting, and create a blog. HandmadeMarketing.org readers have provided great tips for using social media for your Etsy shop, as well as advice for new and veteran bloggers alike.

8. Network Outside the Box. No one says you have to stay within the networking box.  “Try other networking places,” Bobbie suggests.  “I like theblogfrog.com, Martha Stewart groups, yahoo groups, etsy teams, and many more.“

9. Continue to Improve. “Again, it is a work in progress,” Bobbie says.  “There will never be a time that you can just sit back and watch the money roll in without much effort. Those stories are to go to be true. Your success will come after a lot of hard work.“

10. Start Now! “No time is better than the present to get going on it,” she reminds Etsy sellers.  “Remember that this will all take time. It will not happen overnight so the sooner you put in the time the sooner you will be seeing the rewards come in.”

If you would like to read more of Bobbie’s thoughts, check out her HandmadeMarketing.org article “Gardening Analogy – Essentials for Etsy.“

If your handmade items aren’t selling as well as you would like them to, consider looking to those who are succeeding.  Brooke Spears, from Etsy.com’s BrookesBotanicals, suggests a simple way to learn from the best:

“Spend some time (days if need be) looking at every detail of some of Etsy’s top sellers,” Brooke recommends.  “Benchmark Benchmark, BENCHMARK.  When you’re falling short you need to be aware of what others are doing to get ahead. Notice how they describe their items, how they layout that description and how they incorporate personal items like jokes or stories. By doing this you’re creating a personal relationship with your potential buyer and bringing them into your world.“

Looking for more inspiration for sprucing up your shop?  Take a peek at these past articles from sellers with great experience in the handmade world:

Top Ten – Ten Ways to Sell More Handmade

Selling Handmade Online – 3 Tips to Success

Etsy Pricing Matters – Marketing Using Pricepoints

Sell Handmade Online – 12 Ways to Improve Your Shop

Do you have some sales tips of your own?  What would you tell another seller struggling to make their first sale online?  Which shops do you look to in order to get inspiration?

Share your ideas and thoughts with HandmadeMarketing.org!  Submit your article for publication here or tell us your thoughts via a comment below.

Amanda Kezios, from Mojo Spa, recently shared her tips for how to brand you handmade business successfully with HandmadeMarketing.org.

“I have been making handmade beauty products and cosmetics for ten years,” Amanda told our team at HandmadeMarketing.org.  “I understand the power of branding.”

Mojo Spa began with Amanda’s quest for the perfect lip balm. Amanda began as a personal chef, and then turned into a beauty product innovator.  She quickly made use of her talents in the kitchen to create a unique and natural lip balm.

When she first started her business, Amanda said she wanted two things:

1. Make products that were natural
2. Make sure those products were fun to use for customers

“On one hand, I noticed that natural beauty companies had plain generic packaging,” Amanda told us.  “On the other hand, the fun and trendy beauty companies produced products that were based in artificiality.”

Amanda set out to combine natural with fun.  She created the slogan “Get Your Mojo On” for hear handmade beauty product line.

“I used “Get Your Mojo On” to spark interest in people whenever I was talking to customers, interviewing, and selling my products,” she said.  “I used it on labels and packaging. Soon people were remembering the slogan more than my name!”

For Amanda, branding was a simplification of what her company embodied and what the average consumer would remember about her products.

“I took a picture of myself mixing a batch of lotion and from this created a cartoon-like two-color image that was made into a stamp, t-shirts, and signs,” she said.  “I put this image on the sign outside of my store in Chicago, on my website, everywhere. When people thought we were a large franchise, this served as a visual reminder that all the beauty products were handmade.”

For those new to selling handmade both online and office, Amanda shares her valuable advice.

“Write down what you want to be known for and what you want people to know about your products,” she suggests. “Create everything around the intersection of these ideas. Also, keep adding to and improving these ideas.”

Amanda tells sellers to always remember that things change, and your shop’s branding should be able to accommodate and improve with changes.

“In the past 2 years my slogan changed from “Get your Mojo On” to “Where Beauty Meets Comfort”. I opened the comfort spa in at my store in Wicker Park and the products I was developing created a cohesive idea of comfort. It only made sense to modify our slogan to incorporate this,” she says.

Amanda’s business has grown over the years.  Today, Mojo Spa sells over 200 innovative bath and beauty products inspired by comfort foods and nostalgic treats. Each of her products utilize natural food ingredients, aromatherapy blends, positive affirmations, healing crystals and sound therapy.   Even after her success, all products continue to remain handcrafted in small batches.

You can learn more about Mojo Spa by following their Twitter feed @MojoSpa or by visiting Mojo Spa’s website.

Share your tips for expanding and growing your business!  Why share? Our team publishes ideas from handmade sellers, artisans, and crafters.  Don’t forget 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.

Jackie, from the Etsy blog called Etsy Item of the Day, featured handmade seller Rebecca D. Dillon, famous for her soaps listed at SoapDeli on Etsy.com.  In this feature on Etsy Item of the Day, Rebecca shared ten tips she has for handmade sellers.

Rebecca is 35 years old and has a Bachelor in Fine Arts from Roanoke College, where she studied a bit of everything from photography and screen printing to art history and poetry.

“I enjoy reading, shopping and making soap. I have a 13 year old son who enjoys playing soccer and running track. He currently wants to be a psychiatrist when he grows up though his career path seems to change from year to year. I am bipolar and my business is the one thing that I have been able to do to help keep my life on track and allow me to support myself,” Rebecca told Jackie from Etsy Item of the Day.

Rebecca shared an impressive list of tips for sellers who are selling their handmade items on Etsy.com. “Be sure to read these over and a big thanks to Rebecca for sharing all this info!” Jackie said in the Etsy feature blog post.

1. Branding. Rebecca told Jackie that she thinks branding for Etsy shops is very important. “It shows you are serious about your business and helps to promote familiarity. It also adds cohesiveness to your business and your shop and makes you appear professional,” she said.

2.  The Basics.  Rebecca tells handmade sellers they should have  the following for your Etsy shop:

• An Etsy shop banner
• Etsy shop avatar
• A logo for your handmade shop
• Business cards
• Related or matching labels and tags for items
• A description of what you are offering that tells consumers why your products are top notch.
• Clear policies on shipping and refunds for those buying your goods.

3.  Great Photographs of Items. Rebecca tells handmade sellers to be sure to have clear pictures of items sold in your Etsy shop, in order to give consumers the best perception of your products as you possibly can.

Rebecca says a focus on the item’s thumbnail is crucial.

“Always carefully consider which photo will be displayed in thumbnails for online venues. I’ve seen lots of photos that I often simply skim over because it’s hard to tell what is being sold in the photo due to the size of the thumbnail and a busy background,” she told Jackie in the feature.  “I’ve found that photos that highlight the item in detail or the most interesting feature of their item as the first thumbnail draw the most attention and encourage click throughs.”

If selling clothing on Etsy.com, Rebecca suggests including a shot of the product on a person or mannequin if possible so the shopper can see how the clothing is going to fit.

“I’ve seen clothing online and in stores that I thought looked horrid in the photo or on the rack, but when seen on a model looked fabulous. Consider how you shop and how others shop,” Rebecca said.

4. Purchase a Domain.  Rebecca tells handmade sellers that it may be a good idea to create a central location for your Etsy shop by purchasing your own domain.  If you are worried about the cost, Rebecca reminds sellers that there is no need to pay for hosting.

“You can have your domain point to a free blog such as blogger,” she said.  “This .com can then be placed on all of your business cards and on product labeling. On your .com be sure to list all venues that you sell on along with dates and locations where you will be selling in person. This makes it easy for your customers to find you even if you change venues and sell at different markets and fairs. They can’t buy from you if they don’t know where to go.”

5. Sell at Craft Fairs.  Rebecca encourages sellers to establish themselves locally or at craft fairs if at all possible.

“It really is in your best interest to sell in person if you can. Consumers enjoy touching products and looking them over in person despite how clear your photos are,” she says.  “It gives them a better sense of the quality.“

“Bath and body is especially important to sell in person because people not only like to see and touch, but they really want to smell as well,” Rebecca said on Etsy Item of the Day.  “Buying scented products online is difficult as everyone has different ideas of what things should smell like and describing scents is difficult and subjective.”

In addition, selling locally or at craft fairs gives handmade sellers an opportunity to tell potential buyers more about the work.

“Put your best foot forward when selling in person,” Rebecca advises sellers.  “Consider your display and make it as attractive as possible. Use a business sign if possible as well. We have bars above the tables at my city market for hanging signs so I had one painted to match my branding. A local artist was willing to do it for $100 and I thought that was a deal. It was a great investment. It makes finding my booth easier in addition to attracting attention.”

When selling crafts in person, be sure to remember those business cards!

6.  All Business (Cards).  “Always have business cards with you,” Rebecca reminds Etsy sellers.  “If someone walks away without buying, ask if they’d like a business card for future reference and let them know you are available online as well.”

Rebecca says she also includes business cards in the bag with every purchase at a local craft fair.  Although she knows not everyone keeps business cards, Rebecca thinks it’s still a great idea.

“You’re doing this for the few that will keep that card for later when they are looking for a specific gift or want an additional product from you. And if some of your customers are not local to your area – I know we get a lot of out of town visitors to my market – if they love your product, that business card makes it simple and easy to order from you again online,” she says.

7. Promo Items.  Rebecca says a goal of handmade sellers should be to get product into the hands of buyers on the Internet.  She says one of the best ways is to create “promo” items.

What is a promo item?

“Generally promotional items are samples of your product or a useful item that represents you shop – such as a magnet – and reminds a consumer that you are there and where to find you,” she says in her feature on Etsy Item of the Day.

If you’re lucky, these promo items will be saved or used, whereas business cards are often lost or thrown out.  Referring back to her fourth tip above, Rebecca reminds handmade sellers to always include your established .com on any promotional material.  That way, the potential buyer has an easy path to purchasing your items.

If you’re looking for tips on distributing your promo items, check out the ideas Rebecca shared in this article “In Buyer’s Hands – Distributing Etsy Promo Material“.

8. Engage the Handmade Community.  “The amazing thing about the handmade community is that there are many talented people who love other talented people and are happy to help by offering them a little free exposure,” Rebecca said.

She recommends sellers look for opportunities to get their business published online.  Many sellers, crafters, and artists have blogs where they feature interviews of Etsy sellers.

“Request an interview and be sure to follow up in a timely manner if possible,” she says.  “You may also be able to “swap” interviews or shop write ups as a form of cross promotion with other sellers. Many artists are very happy to cross promote especially if they like your work. But you don’t know what additional opportunites are out there unless you ask. The worst they can do is say, “no.” And if that happens, it happens. Don’t take it personally.”

9. Connect with High-Traffic Sites.  “There are a number of high traffic handmade targeted shopping blogs happy to take suggestions about the products they feature on their blogs,” Rebecca said in her feature.  “Review the guidelines for submission and then send a brief email highlighting your best work. It’s easy to find blogs more specific to your market with a simple Google search.”

10. Get Social! Rebecca, along with many Etsy sellers, recommend social networking to get your products out there for potential buyers to see.

“Social networking or marketing seems to be something a lot of people don’t understand or give up on too quickly,” Rebecca explains. “I’ve seen time and again where people have said they don’t “get” Facebook or Twitter.”

However, when Rebecca hears this from sellers, she brings up a great point.

“The thing is, it doesn’t matter if you don’t understand it right away because millions of others do,” she advises sellers.  “The key is to build your network. The larger it is the more effective it becomes.  The bigger it gets the better the chance your posts and tweets and updates will make rounds not just within your network, but within your follower and fan networks as well. That is where you start to see the effectiveness of social marketing.”

Rebecca advises sellers to take the time to get to understand social networks and pick at least two to get started on, whether it be Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, or a host of other social networking sites.

“It takes some time to build a good network, but your hard work will be worth it in the end,” she says.

Rebecca said there are lot of communities specifically built for artists and crafters on the Internet that are worth checking out because they are effective.

“There are many general and specific communities with a number of tools to help you market your product and get seen,” she says.

In fact, Rebecca says one such growing community is Ning.

“Ning offers users the ability to create communities around specific topics and offer resources such as blogs, picture uploads, forums, etc. to discuss similar interests with others. Ning recently reached 1M communities created through their software. One of the Ning communities you may be familiar with is Indie Public,” she said in her feature on Etsy Item of the Day.

However, keep in mind that not all communities are for everyone.  In the same way, not all communities work for marketing.

“My advice is to pick the ones you are interested in. Participate as much as possible. Then go back after a month’s time and look at your site statistics to see where your traffic is coming from. You can then start to weed out communities that aren’t working and put more focus into those that are,” she said.

You can connect with Rebecca by visiting her shop’s Facebook page, Twitter feed, or the seller’s website.  You can also visit SoapDeliNews to see the newest things happening at her Etsy shop.

Visit Etsy Item of the Day to see her full feature, including Jackie’s favorite item from SoapDeli.  You can submit your shop for a feature on this Etsy blog here.

Share your tips for optimizing your efforts on Etsy, ArtFire, or other handmade selling site!

Why share? Our team publishes ideas from handmade sellers, artisans, and crafters.  Don’t forget 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.

Hannah Piper Burns, a video and multimedia artist, art writer, and curator, shared her five tips for writing an outstanding artist’s statement with TheAbundantArtist.com.  Hannah serves as Communications Director for the Museum of Pocket Art and Research Club, and as Social Media Outreach Coordinator for artist and filmmaker Lynn Hershman Leeson.

“Artist statements: the bane of almost every artist’s existence!” says Hannah.  “Maybe it’s because artists are such visual thinkers, or maybe because it’s literally impossible to translate between mediums. Whatever the reason, writing a new statement is enough to make anyone pull out their hair. Am I right?“

Below is a quick overview of the five tips Hannah provides for improving any artist statement.  You can read more about these tips at TheAbundantArtist.com.

1. Start Off With a Bang.  Hannah suggests avoiding starting out with the words “My work is”, “My painting/drawing/sculpture/video/performance is inspired by”, or “In my work”.  She suggests taking a risk and standing out from the pack!

2. Less is More.  Hannah says her artist statement is six sentences long.  “If people need to read paragraph after paragraph, they might think your work can’t hold up on its own, and that is a big-time kiss of death,” she tells TheAbundantArtist.com. “So keep it short and sweet!“

3. Learn to Love Language. “Short doesn’t have to mean content-less,” Hannah says.  “Maximize your impact with unique, fascinating verbiage. You’re an artist, after all!” Hannah provides valuable tips for how to use onomatopoeia for effect, and also has recommendations on varying sentence length at her article on TheAbundantArtist.com.

4. The Words Should Match the Work.  Hannah suggests making sure your prose reflects the qualities of what it describes.  “Using verbs and adjectives that really match the qualities of your creative output will create a statement that both excites and informs,” she writes.  She recommends looking for inspiration online from those you admire or influence your work.  Artisans could also look to the art theory books gathering dust on shelves.

5. Get a Second Opinion.  “Just like when we make artwork, sometimes we are so involved in the process of writing a statement that it can be hard to be objective,” Hannah says.  For tips on how to make the most of a second opinion, be sure to read her article on TheAbundantArtist.com.

Looking for an example of a well-written artist’s statement?  You can see Hannah’s artist statement at her website.

A special thanks to Cory Huff (@AGoodHusband) for sharing Hannah’s article with the HandmadeMarketing.org community!  You can read more of the articles published by Cory at TheAbundantArtist.com.  Articles include website advice and outstanding interviews.

Get your tips and tricks published on HandmadeMarketing.org!  Tell us what you have found works best when writing an artist’s statement.  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.

Although it may seem difficult at first, new handmade sellers should consider looking to family and friends for feedback and those initial much-needed sales.

“Some of the best business is through referrals of family and friends,” said Cami Dettmer, from Summer Page Press.  “It was tough marketing to those I knew best.  However, they are the ones who send me big jobs, recommend me the most, were the first to become a fan on Facebook, and more.  Friends and family are so excited for you and want to see you succeed and can be the best (free!) marketing team you can have.“

When selling handmade, Cami recommends coming out of your shell both online and offline.

“My number one tip is don’t be shy – and coming from a shy person this has definitely been something I have had to learn!” she told HandmadeMarketing.org.

Looking for ideas from other sellers for how to market your crafts to family and friends?  Check out the following HandmadeMarketing.org articles for tips and tricks:

“Email Blast – Advertise to Family and Friends“

“Make Your Own Catalog – Ideas From Sellers“

“Private Sales – Use Social Networks to Draw Buyers“

Tell us what works for you!  If HandmadeMarketing.org publishes your information, 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.

The team at HandmadeMarketing.org is always on the look out for ideas from handmade seller’s for how to stay balanced while keeping up an Etsy shop or ArtFire studio.  Seller Michele Gallagher shared her tips in previous articles (”Press Outlet – Get Your Craft Noticed on Blogs” and “Get Noticed – Promote Handmade Online“), and is back with some awesome tips for focusing your energy.

“Managing three Etsy shops keeps me pretty busy,” said Michele, HandmadeMarketing.org reader and handmade seller behind the Etsy shop craftychick101.  “Not only does it take time to photograph, list and then package my goods (when I make a sale) I spend hours upon hours a week marketing my shops and trying to get my name out there. Like many other Etsy sellers, this is all on top of a full time job working for someone else.”

One of the most important tips Michele has found for people who are marketing their handmade creations online is to focus their energy.

“From spending time in the Etsy.com forums and chatting with other Etsy sellers,” Michele told us, “I can see that many people have the same problem I used to have – Where do I focus my energy?“

“Marketing your handmade products online can often make you feel like a dog chasing its tail,” she said.  “It’s an endless cycle of checking your email, responding to threads on forums, checking your email, tweeting out a link to a new product you have on Twitter, checking your email, listing a new product on Etsy or Artfire, checking your email – you get the point. A lot of this time and energy can be focused into creating and listing new items and finding more creative ways to get your items seen.”

Michele tells our team at HandmadeMarketing.org five simple steps for when you’re in a rut:

1. Focus Outside Forums.  “Don’t waste your time replying to Etsy forum threads just to be seen,” she tells handmade sellers. “These responses add no value to the conversation and will often be overlooked my potential customers. Only respond when you have something interesting or of value to say.”
   Michele explains that time spent in forum threads should be focused on either learning something or teaching something to someone else.
   “When you are a valuable player in the forums, that’s when people will take the time to visit your shop and see what it is you sell,” she told HandmadeMarketing.org.
   Need some additional tips on how to make the most of the Etsy.com forums?  Check out “Connect With Handmade Sellers – Etsy Forums“.
2. Check Craig’s List. “Creating an ad on Craig’s List is free,” Michele says.  “List your handmade item in your state and include pictures. Let people know they can contact you for more information.”
3. Visit Relevant Blogs. Michele recommends handmade sellers look to blogs for press.  “Is the blog owner willing to write a feature about you or your shop?” she says. “You won’t know until you ask.”
   Michele says getting featured on blogs is a great way to get different people looking at your handmade items. 
   “If they don’t want to do a feature, maybe they will sponsor a giveaway of one of your items for you. This will bring more traffic to their blog and will get potential buyers looking at your shop. Just make sure that the blog has a lot of followers and/or readers to make sure this venture is worthwhile for you too,” she says.
   For more ideas about how to find advertising and press opportunities for your Etsy shop, be sure to visit HandmadeMarketing.org’s “Advertising and Press” section.
4. Explore Twitter.  “Tweet, but don’t spend too much time on Twitter,” Michele suggests.  “Add new followers – find people who have similar interests and follow their followers. This will get new people looking at your shop as well. Tweet out new items you have in your shop with a link and tweet to a few people who are talking about things you can relate to. Then get off Twitter.”
   You can follow Michele on Twitter @craftychick101.
5. Keep Updating.  Michele says her most valuable tip is to keep updating your craft. 
   “Most importantly, keep updating and improving your craft,” she tells HandmadeMarketing.org.  “Oftentimes, we handmade sellers take so much of our time marketing our items, we can often forget to look for new and interesting ways to create. Look for inspiration in local stores, online, and around your house. It may be an interesting color combination you want to use, or even a new crafting technique. Just make sure you keep it new and interesting. This will keep people coming back to your shop and will make your marketing job a little easier!”

Thank you for the great tips Michele!

Interested in paid advertising spots for your shop?  Our HandmadeMarketing.org team likes one resource for sellers in particular.  If you are interested in paid advertising spots for your Etsy or ArtFire shop, check out Tara Shenson’s Ad Directory.

“The Ad Directory is a list of all the Etsy bloggers who sell advertising space on their blogs direct,” Tara recently told HandmadeMarketing.org. “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.”

Do you have tips for focusing your energy while selling on Etsy.com?  How do you make sure you are using your time online wisely?  How do you promote your handmade crafts?

Share your experience and tips by writing an article for the HandmadeMarketing.org community.  Submit your thoughts here! Be sure to include your social media and shop links so we can give you credit for the fabulous tips!

HandmadeMarketing.org reader Melissa Hamel-Smith shared why she sells handmade on ArtFire in a previous HandmadeMarketing.org article, and is back to tell sellers her 3 tips to success.  Melissa sells handmade at the ArtFire studio KaoticEkkosCuriosities and has wonderful ideas for new and seasoned handmade sellers alike.

1. Establish Your Brand.  Melissa’s first time is to establish your brand for your handmade business.  “Decide on a business name and logo that you love and won’t want to change,” she tells our HandmadeMarketing.org team. “Consistency is very important. Remember your ‘brand’ will be on everything: business cards, banners, online shops, etc. You really want people to be able to recognize your product. And the first thing you should invest in is business cards. They’re inexpensive, effective and versatile. But remember, make sure you love your ‘brand’ first. Otherwise you’ll end up with 250+ cards you can’t use and lots of trees crying.”
2. Start Small. She recommends sellers don’t invest too much in advertising at first.  “Don’t go crazy with the advertising just yet. Start with free directories such as Shop Indie Online, Indie Collective, and Handmade Directory. Advertise on your social networks. There are some awesome sites that have cheap ad spots such as Blockhead Radio. Don’t overspend. There’s no point in spending $100 per month on a site that doesn’t reach your target audience. That’s a very expensive lesson to learn!” she tells us.
3. Team Up.  Most online selling platforms have some way for sellers to connect.  Melissa sells on ArtFire, so she recommends finding an ArtFire Guild that works for you.  “A Guild is a group of artists whose art is along the same theme, same medium, etc. You’ll be promoting other artists, but remember they’ll be promoting you too!” she said.  “You can learn a lot from your fellow Guild members, especially those who have been selling longer than you. Guilds also set up promotion opportunities such as samplers, giveaways, sales, etc. What’s better than a group of like-minded people promoting each other?!“

Finally, Melissa tells handmade sellers to remember their passion when the work gets overwhelming.  “Never give up!” Melissa tells sellers. “It is a lot of work, but if you love what you do it’ll be worth it!”  Need more inspiration when promoting and marketing become time-consuming?  Handmade seller Amy Vander Vorste shared her advice on how to market your online handmade shop effectively without losing your life.

Thank you for sharing your 3 tips to success Melissa!  You can learn more about Melissa’s ArtFire studio by checking out her recent post, titled “Why Artfire is Awesome”, found on her blog.  You can also connect with her on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Plurk, her blog, and Flickr.

Share you thoughts with HandmadeMarketing.org!  If we feature your tips in a future article, we’ll link to your shop, blog, or social media as a source of the information.  Simply tell us what advice you have for selling handmade online under our “Join” tab!