Modish

Modish Marketing: Bring on the Holidays!

The first week of November is coming to an end and the Holidays (with a capital H!) are now on the minds of many!  Although the state of our economy is poor and this year is expected to be a hard one for retailers, big and small alike, I expect that you can still make the next month or so a profitable one- you just need to market your shop well for the holiday season and be prepared for the (hopeful) increase in traffic!  So, stop singing those holiday blues; it's time to spruce up your store, deck the virtual halls and prep yourself for the biggest shopping season of the year!

Show me the customers!
How do you bring the customers in this time of year?  Especially since most of them are going to be shopping on a budget?  You need to get out there, make yourself known!

• Introduce yourself to blogs
  This is not the time to be shy, if you have a shop, let us know about it!  Have holiday specific items like holiday cards, calendars, gift wrap, ornaments?  Be sure to point them out, we may include them in holiday guides!  Have items that would make great gifts?  For who?  Tell us who your target customer is- if it matches our readership, you're more likely to get featured!  Check out the prior references on how to contact blogs and a big list of blogs to contact to get started.
• Advertise, advertise, advertise 
  As much as your own budget will allow, this is prime advertising season!  If you don't already have ads in place, it's time to start contacting your favorite resources to see if they have spots open still.  Take a peek at this past article on advertising outlets so you can be sure to have some ads running for December, at least!  And check out these free advertising ideas if your budget is already spent, or you need some more promotion to supplement!
• Send out a newsletter
  If you have a newsletter list, right about now is a good time to send one out!  Start talking about your holiday items, offer a special incentive for your newsletter subscribers, remind folks that you exist and that you also happen to have some great gift items!  Send another one early December, and perhaps another when you're nearing your shipping deadlines with a "3 days left to order, better act fast!" sort of reminder. 

Show me the sales!
Good job!  The customers found you, but how do you get them to buy??

• "Holiday-ize" your shop 
  Add some snowflakes, bring in the holly, light a few candles on the menorah- if you're ready for the holidays, show it!  Customers want to know that they've found a shop that's updated frequently, that's currently selling seasonal items.  Make it look like you care about the holidays as much as they do, just like a brick and mortar shop would create seasonal displays.  Update your shop banner!  If you make holiday specific items like cards, gift wrap, etc. highlight them upfront!
• Work on getting your stock up
  Get those little fingers cranking away so that your shop can be filled with great stuff by Thanksgiving weekend!  Most likely, once people start buying, you're not going to have as much time to make and list new items, so start stocking those virtual shelves now so you can focus on packing, shipping and keeping customers happy during December!
  
• Everything you sell can be a gift!
  Remember, at this time of year, you are selling gifts! Think like a shopper, make it easy for them to see your items as the perfect gift for their loved ones, get them into the gift giving mood!  If you have your own website, make a gift guide highlighting your favorite items and who'd they'd be perfect for (like Shanalogic does every year!)  If you have an etsy or dawanda shop, make gift specific categories, like "cozy knit gifts!" or "gifts under $25".  Update your product descriptions with "would make a great gift for..." type wording.  Just think gifting!
• Offer an incentive with purchase
  The holiday season is always super competitive, but this year is expected to be even harder than most to sell things without some sort of incentive.  Even the big box stores are gearing up with big discounts!  What will make a shopper choose you, over your competitors?  Can you offer free shipping?  Free gift wrap with an order?  A % off discount?  A free gift included with an order?  Think of things that will entice new customers who stop by your shop to place an order...they're going to be looking for deals!  Skimming a little off your profit margin may actually result in more sales for you!
• Offer gift certificates
  If you have a way to offer gift certificates in your shop, it's a awesome idea!  They make great gifts for picky recipients, are easy to ship (via email is standard now!) and you get money upfront with virtually no work.  It's one of the easiest sales that you can have come holiday time!  Offer them if you can!

Show me the little elves that help me with all this stuff!
Alas, most of us do not have elves to come help us with this stressful (yet hopefully successful!) selling season.  You can, however, help yourself by being prepared! 

• Figure out your shipping deadlines
  First things first, grab that calendar and figure out what the latest date, for you, will be to accept orders and still be able to get them out in time for Christmas delivery.  Factor in your shipping method with room for error (usps, ups and fed/ex all have shipping calendars online to help you out), how long it will take you to pack up and ship an order, if you create things upon order vs. already made items... all these things will affect your ability to ship things out in time.  Figure it out now to save yourself a lot of stress and hassle down the road come Dec 15th.  Starting Dec, be sure to state upfront on your site what those deadlines are so customers know!  Also, you might consider offering shipping insurance for an additional fee.  And don't forget about int'l shipping deadlines, too!
• Have your policies in place
  Make sure you have your return policy, shipping deadlines and responsibility for lost packages clearly worked out and stated in your shop.  When dealing with disgruntled customers, which really happens rarely, they'll need to know where you stand.  Of course, you'll have to deal with situations as they come, but having the policies as a guide can help protect you if something goes wrong.
• Serve those customers well
  Your customers may be stressed out, you may be stressed out, but be sure to handle everything with utmost attention.  Be very communicative with your customers- let them know you've received their order and when they can expect it will be shipped out.  Communication and kindness are key to keeping customers happy this time of year, and can help keep things running smoothly.  Get prepared now to give your holiday packages some extra attention: wrap your items up extra pretty, write out some thank you notes to include with orders, buy or make some cute seasonal gifties that can brighten your customer's day. The better you can serve your customers at this time of year, the more likely they are to come back and shop with you again!

Hopefully these tips can help you have a happily successful holiday season!  They're all things I've done in the past, so I know they do work!  If you have more tips of things that have worked well for you in prepping for the holiday season, please share them in the comments below!  Good luck this season, everyone!  Here's hoping even more people buy handmade this year!

<3 jena

Modish Marketing: Free (and cheap!) advertising ideas

Last week, we talked about online advertising: why you should, what to expect from it, and where you can do it.  But, maybe your advertising budget is all spent for the rest of year (budget? I'm supposed to have a budget?) or maybe you're just looking for some ways to supplement your current paid advertising to get even more people over to your shop.  Well, here are some free, and cheap, marketing ideas that'll help you spread awareness of your shop without breaking the bank!  None of them are new ideas, just little reminders of what you can do (especially during the upcoming holiday season) to help your business out!

1. BLOG!  If you don't already have a business blog, start one!  Blogging is a great way to gain rapport with customers, keep people updated on your business, and send people to your shops!  It's time consuming, so be prepared, but it can be very worth your while- plus having an outlet to share your creativity, passions and inspirations is always fun, no matter who's reading it!


2. Send a newsletter.  Newsletters are a great way to stay in contact with your past customers and give them incentive to shop again- you can send one out to announce a sale, a special deal just for them, a new line you just released, events you'll be participating in.  I recommend using a newsletter service to build your mailing list using opt-in forms (don't spam anyone- only send to people who've signed up!) and help you create newsletters- these are usually paid for services, but are inexpensive investments.  I use (and love and recommend!) iContact, but there are lots of similar services out there- google away and you'll find them!


3. Participate in giveaways.  You can donate some of your goods to a giveaway (like the monthly one I host here on Modish) and get instant traffic to your site for a really minimal investment!  There are many blogs who run giveaways often, and you may even try contacting ones who don't to see if they'd be interested in sponsoring a special one just for you :)


4. Participate in special blog features.  Getting your shop mentioned on one of your favorite blogs is obviously great exposure, but can sometimes be hard to do.  An easier (and often forgotten) way to get mentioned is by submitting yourself to one of their special feature topics!  Check out the blogs you read often.  Do they need people to interview?  Do they frequently feature guest bloggers?  I'm always looking for people for my handmade spaces feature.  Indie Fixx wants you to share your inspirations.  Poppytalk frequently features people from their art of display flickr pool.  Heart Handmade wants you to Shop + Tell.  These are great ways for your shop to get noticed, and you'll be helping us bloggers out too!


5. Do link swaps.  One of the first things I did to gain traffic to my first jewelry business was to find like-minded business and ask them to swap links!  If you have your own website set up, a links page is a great asset to keep your bookmarks handy and introduce customers to other indie businesses- if you have a blog, you can trade blog links with people as well!  We have a great community- introduce yourself with a simple email and ask for a trade!


6. Spread your business cards/promos around.  The initial cost of getting some business cards printed can be pricey, but you can also make some yourself cheaply!  Promos like stickers, buttons or magnets are a good idea too!  Once you have some, be sure to leave them anywhere you can!  Post them on community boards in your town, leave them at restaurants, hand them to anyone you meet whom you speak to about your business, include them in all orders- it's an easy way to network, one of the oldest ways in the book, but it works!


7. Social networking.  Yes, it's hard, nay impossible, to keep up with all the latest and greatest social networking doohickeys, but if you can narrow it down to a favorite or two that you have time to keep up with, it really does help bring traffic to your site.  You can show off your latest designs on Flickr, set up a Facebook, Myspace or Indiepublic page for your business to keep customers informed, Twitter your way til Sunday, get LinkedIn to business contacts...  The possibilities are endless, find the network that suits you best!


8. Participate in forums.  Not only are forums great places to go when you need some helpful advice or inspiration, they're also great ways to get some traffic!  At places like Craftster or The Switchboards, you can meet contacts, make friends, learn about business opportunities, share your knowledge, ask questions...all the while, sharing your site with people along the way!


9. The Sampler.  The Sampler is the first of its kind, wonderful way to introduce your shop to a greater community.  Check out The Sampler site for all the info on how it works- basically, you send samples of your items to them, the Sampler folks combine them with all the other samples they receive to make great little gift boxes, they send the gift boxes out to indie shoppers who have subscriptions and media people (like me!) who might write about the goods they find.  It's a cheap and fun way to get the word out!


10. Wear your goods.  If you make clothing, accessories, jewelry or anything else you can carry with you on your body, wear it!  And wear it often!  Then, when you get a compliment and a "Wow, where'd you get that?" next time you're out, hand them a business card!  Don't forget that you can effectively be a walking billboard, showing off how great your goods are around town!


11. Have an email signature.  One of the absolute easiest ways to share a link to your site (that I see SOOOO many people forget about!) is with an email signature!  Include a link to your shop along with a tagline perhaps and any other pertinent info you want to share.  It's standard, it's not spamming, it's not slimy, it's a must do.  You can also include a link to your blog, flickr site, or anywhere you wouldn't mind people checking out.  Include these same signatures on your forum profiles for a double whammy.  So simple!!
    

These are just a few of the ideas I've personally used to help with my own marketing efforts- they each take time and energy, which I know is often in limited supply for us indie entrepreneurs, but if you start implementing them, little by little, the pay off can be well worth it.

Know of other free or cheap marketing ideas that have worked for you?  Please share in the comments below, we'd all love to hear!

We'll continue on with How to be a Crafty Marketer next week.  Until then, sign up for the Modish Marketing newsletter to get these posts emailed to you so you can keep them handy-dandy for future reference!

Thanks so much for reading!
<3 jena

Modish Marketing: Advertising Outlets

Last week we talked about why you should advertise, but how about where you should advertise?  And what are the benefits and drawbacks to each?  There's lots of different advertising outlets specific to indie/handmade shops, so let's take a look at them, shall we?

Blogs:
Blogs, like this one, are a great place to advertise your shop!  Most blogs offer banner advertising, which are those colorful ads you see on sidebars- they each have different sizes available and often many options, so consult each one for particulars like that.  Most blogs sell advertising space at a flat monthly rate, often with discounts if you purchase multiple months at a time.  Their rates are based (or should be) on the amount of traffic their blog receives and can vary anywhere from $20 for one with a smaller readership to $300+ for one with a large readership (some are even $1000+ when you get to the HUUUUGE readerships!) 

When deciding on a blog that's the best match for your advertising dollars, the key information to know is how much traffic their site receives and who their readership is; you want to make sure the pricing seems in line with the amount of traffic you can expect to receive, and also be sure that the blog's readership is one that hosts your target customer, one that appeals to their tastes, price range, gender, age range, etc.

• Benefits: often there are discounts with multiple months purchases :: some blogs offer special write ups in the editorial section of the blog (like my "sponsor spotlights") that are a great way to gain additional exposure for your ad :: good blogs have dedicated readerships and lots of traffic coming in every single day, so your ad is guaranteed to be seen!
• Drawbacks: your banner will be competing with many others, so it needs to look good and stand out! :: the average click-thru rate for a banner ad is around 1%, which means of 100 people who see your ad, only 1 will click it- make sure you choose a blog with a large enough readership that's targeted to your customer base to make it worth your moola- you can also help to up that click thru ratio with a well designed ad

You can find a big list of handmade and design focused blogs here (on a prior post), many of which sell ad space (also look for their holiday gift guide offerings since it's that time of year!)  You can also check out blogads and project wonderful, two popular advertising networks that many blogs work with instead of running their own ads.

Co-op sites:
Co-op advertising is a great way to purchase an ad on a site that may otherwise be waaaay out of your budget.  Co-op sites are set up to list individual goods from participants' sites and usually link directly back to your own shop.  They work by collecting a small monthly fee from all the participants ($100 is common) and using that fee to advertise the co-op site on various blogs and magazines, often on those $1000+ month blogs that alone, you would not be able to afford.  They'll serve you best if you put extra effort into your participation, updating your listings frequently and making sure your photos look great.

• Benefits: Co-op ads get lots of exposure on highly trafficked sites/large readership magazines to bring you a share of that traffic :: they're much cheaper to buy into than the cost of advertising on the same site/mag by yourself would be
• Drawbacks: Co-op sites do not have a steady stream of traffic without advertising- you need to make sure the co-op owner is working hard to generate traffic to the site :: there is usually a cap on the # of participants and you may not be able to join a co-op until someone else drops out

Some great co-op sites to look at: I Shop Indie, Loungeluxe, Cutique (all run by Merkell Inc) & etsy has a new co-op program running print ads in magazines!

Virtual Craft Fair sites:
This is a newer form of advertising that I first saw introduced by Poppytalk, similar to a co-op.  They are run like a virtual craft fair with different "booths" set up by a variety of artists each selling their own wares- you get to list a certain amount of items with a photo and a link back to your site on each item.  Fees are cheaper than the co-op sites mentioned above because they have more participants, ranging from $45-60 per month. 

• Benefits: These types of sites are usually "juried" which means they select the best participants from their entries each month, meaning you're sure to be in good company, if accepted :: they're an inexpensive way to get the word out about your site, often cheaper than banner advertising on blogs
• Drawbacks: Like co-op sites, these do not have a steady stream of traffic without advertising- you need to make sure the site owner is working hard to generate traffic to the site :: like other forms of advertising, you will be competing with many other participants- you need to do you part and make sure your photos look great so they get clicked more often

Sites to look at: Poppytalk Handmade (the first of its kind!), the Indie Fixx Galleria, Paper & Stitch (a brand new site!)

Coupon/Discount sites:
A discount site is one created for shoppers to find deals and discounts on their favorite items, encouraging them to take action and purchase something, when they may not have otherwise.  You receive a listing with multiple photos and text that links directly back to your own shop (or an actual physical coupon people can keep by their computers.)  Fees are inexpensive ranging from $30-50 per month.  Those fees are used to advertise the site itself on a variety of blogs and magazines, increasing your traffic and exposure, or for physical coupons, the fees are used to produce/print and disperse them.

• Benefits: Your added incentive of a discount/gift offer will hopefully help increase sales and turn clicks into customers- everybody likes a deal! :: You will be exposed to a whole new customer base, either thru site advertising or coupon swapping, gaining lots of exposure at a minimal price
• Drawbacks: You have to offer a discount, which can be hard at times, but the thought is that the increase in traffic/sales will offset/surpass the loss in profit margin

Sites to look at: Modish Marketplace (my site, coming soon!) and Totally Indie Coupons (a physical coupon swap- cool!)

My brain is turning to mush now, as well as yours may be, so let's conclude things there.  Next time, I'll try to talk about some free advertising ideas for those of you who just can't shell out any cash right now, or who are looking for ways to supplement your paid for advertising and get the word out to even more people!

Until then, thanks for reading, and happy marketing!
<3 jena

Modish Marketing: Online Advertising- What you should know first

One of the best ways to get word out about your handmade shop is by advertising!  And, since your shop is already online, why not catch a potential customer with an online ad?  They see, they click, they're at your site- it's instantaneous and an awesome way to find fresh customers for your shop.

But, money is often in slim supply and advertising can be scary- it is sort of a gamble, afterall.  You have to try to gauge which advertising is going to be the best bet for your money and the best customer match for your products.  And, you should know what to expect when you place an ad- which results mean you should keep going and which results mean you should try again somewhere else.  So, let's get to it!

Why advertise at all?
With all the risk involved and your hard earned money taking the brunt of it, why even advertise at all?  It all goes back to building your brand, baby.  You need to make potential customers aware of you, of what you sell, of why you're different than everyone else.  By advertising, you help build that awareness of your brand.  You set up a relationship with customers, one that will result in sales whether it be immediately, or down the road.  The more people you can introduce your shop to, the more customers you'll potentially gain- it's simple math, yet not so simple to know whether or not your ad is going to be effective or not.  Unfortunately, there's no way to know how your ad will perform until it's up and running, but there are some things you can do to at least sway your results in a more favorable direction.

• Target your ad toward a specific audience
  You'll be much more successful with your advertising if you can target your prime customer base directly.  This means, you need to know who your customer is, and who is the audience of the site you're looking to advertise on.  The demographics of gender, income and interests should match up so that you're showing off your shop to your ideal audience.  Are your products higher-end?  Geared towards moms?  Made for design-savvy 30-somethings?  The easiest mistake to make is advertising your products towards people who aren't an ideal match for your goods - do some research on your potential advertising venues before you take the leap.


• Weigh the cost vs. the traffic
  When researching advertising venues you need to think about what the cost of the ad is as compared to the traffic the site receives.  The site owner should have traffic information readily available and be more than willing to share it with you.  You need to know how many "impressions" or views your ad can expect to receive during its run.  A $25 ad may sound like a screamin' deal, but not if it's going to be seen by 300 people- the same applies for an ad that's $250 and seems expensive, but if it's going to be seen by 500,000 people (especially if those people are your ideal audience) then it may be worth the price.  Weigh the differences so you can spend wisely.


• Make sure it looks good!
  This one is for banner advertising specifically- you need to make sure your banner looks good and appeals to the customer you're after.  You can make the most incredible products and have a rockin' shop, but if your banner looks fuzzy and grainy and doesn't show off your products well, it's not going to get clicked.  The goal for your banner is click-thrus, you want as much traffic as possible directed your way.  Your ad can be simple, flashy, colorful, plain, but it needs to look clear and professional, be eye-catching, and show off your shop in a great light.  Would you click it if you saw it running on a blog?  Then hopefully too, so would your ideal customer.  If you don't know how to make a banner, hire someone who does- I think it's worth the extra cost! (I offer banner design, if you need it!)


• Don't set unrealistic expectations
  So, you're ad is up on your favorite site and what?  No sales yet?  What the heck?  I think a big mis-conception with advertising in general is that it's all about sales.  Your main goal should really be the building of your brand awareness, as we talked about above, with sales a possible and welcome side effect of the customer relationships you are working to build.  The customer needs to know you, trust you, understand that you're a professional business.  Most people don't buy the first time they hop over to a site- it could take seeing your ad many times over the course of months, in different places, for your brand to start sinking into their brains.
   
  Are you seeing a noticeable increase in traffic?  Getting more newsletter sign-ups?  More comments on your blog?  Seeing your items "favorited" more?  Seeing your items written about on blogs more?  Stumbled upon?  Saved in delicious?  You want to feel a little buzz, some stir, some interest in your shop.  That is the sign of a successful ad run.  Don't weigh the success of your ad purely on how many sales it does or does not generate within the time it's up, but on the overall interest and exposure you're receiving.  I've had people place orders months after an ad run ended saying they found me on X site.  The more you get "out there", the more traffic you get coming thru, the more sales you will get- just know the sales aren't always immediate.
  
  When is an ad run not so successful?  When you see little to no increase in traffic, and none of the results mentioned above.  That's when you know the audience isn't connecting with your shop and maybe that particular ad venue isn't the right one for your dollar. 

Advertising is about gaining visibility and exposure.  It's a surefire way to step out from the pack and get noticed.  There are a lot of great guerilla/free marketing techniques (which we'll discuss here at some point!) that you can use to supplement, but I still think paid advertising is the best way to get the word out about your shop.  And not just because I sell it :) but because I know I would not have had a successful shop at all had it not been for all the exposure I received from the ads I placed.  Unfortunately, the old adage "you gotta spend money to make money" is true and if your shop needs customers, you need to start advertising. 

Next time I'll discuss different advertising options available for the indie business owner so you can shop around and hopefully find an outlet that works well for you- one that's within your budget and serves your target market.

Until then, do you have any specific questions about advertising?  Leave a comment or feel free to email me at jena{at}modishblog.com.  It's likely we'll be talking about this for a couple weeks, so your questions could spur a whole new blog post!  Let me hear what you'd like to learn about most so I can try to help!

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!
<3 jena

Modish Marketing: How to approach blogs- contact information

So, last time we talked about what to say when you email a blogger for a potential review, now, here are some blog resources for you to get started!  Please take some time to familiarize yourself with the blog before you submit to it, and make sure that your work fits within the blog's scope.  If it doesn't, don't waste your time (or ours!)  Are you sure that design blog you love writes about handbags?  Does that indie blog write about kid's stuff?  Peruse the categories or check out the contact page and make sure your goods fit in before you approach us- set yourself up for success!

Below, you'll find blogs that either focus on or often write about handmade goods and/or art, and actively accept submissions.  There are so many blogs out there, I know this is not at all a full list, so if you know of a blog to add (editorial/professional blogs, not personal ones) please leave a comment or email me.  Each blog editor is listed too (when I could find them) so that you can (what class? say it with me!) address them by name! :)  The email addresses have been formatted to prevent spambots from catching on, so just replace [at] with @ and you'll be set.  Happy emailing!

ps: sorry if I forgot anyone I know of personally!  If I did, email me at jena[at]modishblog.com and tell me I'm a bozo and to add you!

The great big blog list:

Anything Indie :: editor, Andrea :: anythingindie[at]gmail.com

Bloesem :: editor, Irene :: blog[at]irenehoofsamsterdam.com

Creature Comforts :: editor, Ez :: creaturecomfortsblog[at]gmail.com

Cuteable :: editor, Lynsey :: contact[at]cuteable.com

decor8 :: editor, Holly :: holly[at]decor8blog.com

design for mankind :: editor, Erin :: erin[at]designformankind.com

design is mine :: editor, Summer :: designismine[at]hotmail.com

design*sponge :: editor, Grace :: designsponge[at]gmail.com

dooce (daily style section) :: editor, Heather :: style[at]dooce.com

Funky Finds :: editor, Jessica :: info@[at]funkyfinds.us

Great Green Goods :: editor, ?? (anyone know?) :: greatgreengoods[at]gmail.com

Heart Handmade :: editor, Marichelle :: hearthandmade[at]gmail.com

Indie Fixx :: editor, Jen :: jen[at]indiefixx.com

Indie Love :: editor, Kristen :: Sidonia7[at]gmail.com

Indie Parade :: this one's a little different, you just submit an image

Indie Quarter :: editor, Jenny :: blog[at]indiequarter.com

Indie Shopping :: editor, Anissa :: indieshopgrrl[at]indieshopping.com

Love It A Lot :: editors, Hollie (+ other lovely ladies) :: loveitalot[at]gmail.com

Mighty Goods :: editor, Margaret :: use contact form

Miss Malaprop :: editor, Mallory :: hello[at]missmalaprop.com

Mixed Plate :: editor, Liana :: liana[at]mixedplateblog.com

Moda Muse :: editor, Jessica :: info[at]modamuse.com (for Australia/NZ only)

Modish :: editor, Jena (that's me!) :: jena[at]modishblog.com

More Ways to Waste Time :: editor, Leah :: MWTWT[at]sbcglobal.net

My Love for you... :: editor, Meighan :: astampedeofhorses[at]gmail.com

NEET :: editor, Stephanie :: thefashionmagazine[at]gmail.com (an online mag, not a blog)

Oh Joy! :: editor, Joy :: info[at]ohjoystudio.com

Paper & Stitch :: editor, Brittni :: paperNstitch[at]gmail.com

Pikaland :: editor, Amy :: amy[at]pikaland.com

Poppytalk :: editor, Jan :: poppytalkblog[at]yahoo.ca

Pretty Crafty Thing :: editor, Shelly :: skerry000[at]yahoo.com

Purple, Pink and Orange :: editor, Amy :: use contact form

Rare Bird Finds :: editors Mei-Lynn & Sharla :: rarebirdfinds[at]yahoo.com

Scoutie Girl :: editor, Jan ::scout[at]scoutiegirl.com

sfgirlbybay :: editor, Victoria :: victoria[at]sfgirlbybay.com

smidge :: editor, Kat :: kat[at]smidge.ca

Smitteniche :: editor, Jess :: smitteniche[at]gmail.com

Supah Cute :: editor, Hana :: hana[at]supahcute.com

Super Cute Kawaii :: editor, Marceline :: mar-c[at]supercutekawaii.com 

Sweet Figments :: editor, Connie :: sweetfigments[at]hotmail.com

Vintage Indie :: editor, Gabreial :: gabreial.vintageindie[at]gmail.com

And because I get so many submissions for kid's stuff, which I do not write about, here are some blogs that specialize just in cool kid finds!

Babygadget :: editor, Jenna :: jenna[at]babygadget.net

BabyLuxe Daily :: editor, Sarah :: sarah[at]babyluxedaily.com

Bloesem Kids :: editor, Irene :: blog[at]irenehoofsamsterdam.com

Cool Mom Picks :: editors, Kristen & Liz :: use contact form

Junior Society :: editor, Robert :: grandpoobah[at]juniorsociety.com

KidsHaus :: editor, Michelle :: kidshaus[at]gmail.com

Trendy Tots :: editor, ?? (anyone know?) :: trendytotsblog[at]gmail.com

The tips will continue next week!  Until then, sign up for the Modish Marketing newsletter to get these posts emailed to you once a week so you can keep them handy-dandy for future reference.  You'll also receive occasional extra tips and special offers made available to newsletter subscribers only!

<3 jena

Modish Marketing: How to approach blogs (and get them to write about you!)

You've had an online shop set up for awhile, made a few sales (mostly to friends, thanks guys!) and feel like you're headed in the right direction finally selling your creations.  But, you're floating in a large sea of incredibly talented people...how are customers supposed to find you?  You need to get the word out!  You need some media attention! 

It's time to start introducing yourself to blogs.  Blogs are incredible media outlets for the online shop owner as they provide a direct link (literally) back to your shop, an instantaneous connection between their readers and your potential customers.  Plus, some blogs have the same readership numbers (if not more!) as large magazines and a write-up in one of those "big blogs" can mean lots of sales for you!  But, how do you approach them?

Yes, it's daunting.  Yes, it's a little scary.  Yes, you may feel a bit like a spammer while you do it.  But, the best way to approach a blog about writing about you, is to ask them to!

Sending a simple email is just fine

Save the press releases and media kits for the magazines; even the blogs with HUGE readerships (think design*sponge or dooce) are run by a person sitting in their home office, drinking their coffee often with a cat curled up nearby.  Blogs don't have a bustling editorial office with assistants running around, sorting through leads.  We're people just like you and we like to be treated as such; approach us casually, personally, like you're introducing yourself to a new friend.  Every blog editor I've ever had the privilege to email with has been kind and personable, so don't be intimidated!

• What should you say in your email?
  The answer to this deserves it's own post- oh look, I have one!  I wrote extensively on this topic in a prior post on crafting a good introduction email.  Take a peek at that for an example of an awesome email I received that made me write about the shop immediately, and tips on how to write one yourself.  Key points: approach a blog with an item that fits their theme, address the blogger by name, answer the 5 W's (who what when where why) succinctly and creatively and make sure your site looks great (with awesome photos and awesome products) before you start submitting!  Make it easy for a blogger to write about you!

• Tips on what to avoid:
  
  1. It's often hard to describe how incredible your stuff is quickly, but try not to get too lengthy.  If your email is short and sweet with just the info we need to know, it'll whet our appetites to want to head to your site to discover more.
  2. Avoid large attachments of photos and pdf or word files that we have to use another program to open- just tell us what we should know in the body of your email.  Keep in mind, emails with attachments are more often caught by spam filters too.
  3. DO NOT sign us up for your email newsletter without asking.  That is spam and a surefire way to annoy.  Just introduce yourself instead, it's easy!
  4. Don't send out an email addressed to "hey favorite blogger" that's sent from you, to you (and obviously cc'd to all your other "favorite" bloggers.)  Take some time out to write us individually and be personal- it goes a long way.
     

• What should you expect next?
  You may hear back with a "thanks for writing!  I'll keep you in mind" type of email (good!), you may suddenly see your creations up on the blog (better!) or you may never hear back at all (damn!).  If you send in a submission and don't hear back within a couple weeks, send a reminder email saying "did you have a chance to take a peek at my site?  I think it's up your alley!" or something to that effect.  If you still don't hear back, move on to the next blog- there's lots out there!  You can submit again to the same blog when you a great new line of products to present.


• But why wouldn't a blog write about me?  I'm awesome!
  You're right, you are awesome.  But believe me, a blogger not writing about your shop has nothing to do with you personally.  Nothing to do with you personally.  I can't stress that enough.  I've been on both sides of this fence- I've sent the expectant email only to never hear back from the blogger, and admittedly I've never written some people back.  From a blogger's viewpoint, here's why that may happen:
  
  • Keep in mind, we blog editors are often inundated with submissions.  There is just no way we can feature everyone who writes to us, even though we may like to. 
  • I personally don't like writing about things that I've seen on other blogs already, and I imagine other blog editors are the same way.  Be careful submitting yourself to a bunch of blogs at the same time- give the first one some time to write about you before you submit to another blog, or point out different lines/products to each one.
  • Many bloggers are well organized, pre-planners (not me, but some are!) that schedule posts in advance, have posts planned for the week and have certain weekly features we have to maintain- sometimes an extra post just won't fit in.
  • We have to stay in line with our own tastes still.  We may think your items are well made and unique, but maybe they don't fit into our own aesthetic.  Each blog has a different set of readers based on the editors' different viewpoints and we have to stay consistent and inline with our own personality, just like you should as you create your items.
  • We forget!  Sometimes I receive a submission email and have every intention of writing about the shop, only to get sidetracked on etsy, or forget to put the email in my "special folder" so it then ends up lost in the sea... stuff like that happens, it's not personal, it's blogger A.D.D. :)  Remind us about you!
  • Don't forget about the ol' spam monster.  I've found many legit emails in my spam box months later- another reason why sending a reminder email is never a bad idea!

I've been writing Modish for 2 1/2 years and at this point have nearly 1800 posts.  Out of those posts, I'd say at least 40% of the shops and wonderful things I've written about were found right in my email, by a simple introduction letter from a shop owner.  How cool is that?  Yes, it can be intimidating, but you have to give the email intro a shot.  Just keep trying, stay positive and above all, stay friendly.  Approach blogs with kindness and eventually that kindness will be returned with an awesome write-up by a blog that serves your niche.

Next up in the series on Thursday, I'll provide a big ol' resources list of art, indie and design blogs, along with their contact information, so you can search out which blogs suit your goods the best and start sending those emails out!

<3 jena

Modish Marketing: Building your Brand, Part 2

A couple days ago, I introduced the concept of your own personal "brand" and how to start building it up.  Today, I'll focus on the more "literal" aspects of branding.  This will be most insightful to newbies who are just starting their businesses and need to begin from the top, but hopefully even those with more established businesses can incorporate some of the tips.  (And psst: if you've been around the block already, I'd love to hear your insight and experiences of your own branding choices!)

As I stated in the last article, branding is the most essential tool you have for the success of your business.  It's what will differentiate your products, your services and make you stand out from the pack.  Smart branding makes you more memorable in the eyes of customers and keeps them coming back.  So, it's time to start building up the image you'd like to present to the world.  There's a few branding basics that every website needs:

• A name!
  It's hard enough naming a cat, but to name your precious business, all your sweat and hard work- what's the best way to go?  First, your name needs to be original.  Read this old post with Maddy's tips about finding a name that's not already in use.  Also, you want a name that's memorable.  One that is easy to communicate, easy to say.  I'm a fan of semi arbitrary names because they allow your work and your branding to give them definition (and if you change directions here and there as you figure things out, you can still stick with the same name- an added bonus!)  What does Pink loves Brown sell?  How bout Moop?  Or Honey & Milk?  While your name should relate to what you create in some way, it doesn't have to be explicit, like these examples show.  Make it fun, make it interesting, engage your customers to find out more.  Choose something that shows your personality and means something to you.  You want a name that can take you through many long and successful years, right?
  
• A tagline or slogan:
  Not every business has a tagline, but I think they're incredibly useful.  Especially if your name is less explicit, like we mentioned above.  Your tagline gives customers a sense of what they'll find when they reach your site, what benefits you have to offer them.  It can also be the thing that gives your brand some extra oomph and helps it to resonate with people.  Good slogans are memorable: "The Happiest Place on Earth", "Home of the Whopper", "Just do it."  These are examples from bigname brands that I'm sure I don't have to name because they're so ingrained in our culture.  Take a cue from the big guys- does your business need a little further explanation, some enticement, something catchy for people to remember?  A good tagline can help do the trick.

• A logo and design aesthetic:
  If your work and your business name both embrace your own unique personality, so should your site design and logo.  They should remain consistent so they can be easily recognizable as "your brand."  This is hard for me as I tend to get bored and want to "change things up!" all the time, but everytime I do, I'm re-creating my brand and taking away a bit from what I've already established.  It may take a little experimentation, but a good logo and consistent site design is the easiest way to establish your brand image, as people are very visual creatures.  When you're thinking of a logo/site design, remember:   
  • Your logo should be clear, easy to read and work well with your business name. 
          
  • Choose colors/designs that appeal to you, that complement your products, that are inline with your target customers' age range/gender/demographics. 
          
  • Your logo/site design will instantly differentiate your site from your competitors- let it speak to your unique personality and it will speak to your unique customer base as well. 
          
  • If you know nothing about graphics, hire someone!  A well designed logo, banner or website can mean a world of difference when it comes to your customer's impressions, and the overall image of your brand's quality.

Once you have these three things in place, you will use them everywhere in your marketing efforts.  You want your name, tagline and logo on your website, your etsy shop, your business cards, your email signature, your forum profiles, your newsletter, your packaging, your myspace/facebook page, your flickr profile, all your advertising... anywhere and everywhere you can find a place to put it, do it!  That's the first step in building your brand, the first step in getting your name recognized and the first step to marketing your business. 

More marketing mumbo jumbo to continue next week.  Until then, sign up for the Modish Marketing newsletter to get these posts emailed to you once a week so you can keep them handy-dandy for future reference.  You'll also receive occasional extra tips and special offers made available to newsletter subscribers only!

Thanks for reading!

<3 jena

Modish Marketing: Building your Brand

In the last series of marketing posts, we talked about finding your niche within this big ol' crafty, artsy world.  It's important to start there, as once you find your niche, you can start building your brand around it. 

As artists and crafters, why are we talking about branding?  It's not like you want to see your product on shelves at the mall, eww.  But, as small business owners and entrepreneurs, we can actually take a great lesson from the mass-produced products we've come to love (and loathe) when we explore how their brands were built.  A strong brand can become synonymous with the product itself, above all its competitors.  For example, we often say "post-it" instead of sticky note, "kleenex" instead of tissue, "sharpie" instead of permanent marker (and those are just the brands I noticed here on my desk!)

Although your own brand probably won't become a new dictionary entry anytime soon, these examples show how impactful a strong brand can be for your business.  In fact, I'd say that branding is the most essential tool you have for the success of your business.  And, all your future marketing efforts will stem from the brand you create.

Today we'll explore the more implicit elements of your "brand", the stuff your customers can't see but need to feel instead.  These are things like:

• your image
• your personality
• the perception of your product quality
• your customer service

A brand is much more than a good name and cool logo; your brand is your identity, your promise to your customers, what you can deliver.  Your brand is the sum of all your parts.  It's what customers perceive of your business the second they click over to your site.  It's what tells them they'll find something here that they won't find elsewhere, and it's what makes them think of you when they think of "silver flower necklaces" or "mushroom paintings" or whatever it is you've found your niche in.  So, how do you start the branding process?

• Become a Specialist:
  Establishing a niche (that thing you do that you do so well) is your first step to defining your brand.  As you narrow down your offerings and find what suits you best, you'll come to be seen as "specialist" or "expert" in the products you offer.  This specialist classification creates a sense of quality in the minds of your customers. For example, If I come upon your store and find 20 different t-shirts hand-screened with snarky puns that instantly crack me up, you just established yourself as a "specialist" in funny t-shirts to me. Even before I buy a shirt from you, I might think of your shop as having "the best t-shirts I've ever seen!"  That's a perception of quality that you earned before I even held one of your shirts in my hand.  That's the power of branding.

• Consider your Customer:
  As you think about your name, slogan, web-design, etc, you need to first think about who your customers are: What gender are they?  What age range?  How much can they afford to spend on the type of items you make?  Why would they buy your product over that of your competitors?  Consider your customer and build your brand around who you'd like to attract to your shop.  For example, if you think your product would sell well to teenage girls with a rebellious, punky edge, you might want a youthful name, a cool catchy slogan, lots of black and hot pink in your site design... and, if you create within a niche that is uniquely your own, you may discover that your ideal customer closely resembles yourself. :)

• Brand your Personality:
  Your brand should be bursting forth with your own personality.  Remember, you are the most unique aspect of what you create.  You are the fundamental difference between your goods and those of your competitors.  Use your unique perspective to your advantage as your personality, especially when it comes to handmade goods and art, is what your customer will connect to.  The more of you that you can put into your business name, site design and the actual products you create, the easier your brand will seem to build itself.  Trust yourself, and your customers will trust you too.

• Be Prepared to Deliver:
  A brand inherently makes a promise to its customers, one of quality and service.  If you can deliver on those implicit promises, you'll solidify your customer relationships and make them come back for more.  Not only are you expected to provide a quality product, you're expected to provide it in a timely manner and with a smile on your face.  Customers want and deserve excellent service, and providing such will only solidify their trust in your brand.  They'll buy from you once because they decided to put their faith in you.  They'll buy from you again if you prove to them that your image holds true, that you really are 'the brand" you've represented yourself as.

Your brand is what shakes the hand of your customer when you can't.  It's what tells them, "Welcome. Come on in, I'm sure you'll find something you like here."  It's what recognizes customers as individuals and allows them to connect and relate to your products.

Think about the brands that you connect with, relate to.  Why do you shop at Anthropologie?  Why do you trust Macs over PC's?  Why do you eat at the local pizza shop instead of Pizza Hut?  Think of how you act as a customer and you'll better understand the nature of your own customers, and will be better able to think of your own shop as the "brand" that represents you.

Next, we'll discuss the external elements of your brand, the things that your customers will come to define you as:

• your business name
• your tagline/slogan (promise to customers)
• your logo/site design
• the products you sell

We'll look at all of these elements further in the next marketing post, coming up on Thursday!  Until then, have questions, comments, want to add to the discussion?  Leave a comment below!

<3 jena

Modish Marketing: Finding your Niche, Part 2

Continuing with yesterday's post about Finding your Niche, today, we'll take a look at a variety of artists and crafters who have found their niche and have gained success because of it.

Here are some examples of shop owners who found the "one thing" that really works for them and have stuck with it, carving out a more narrowed down, very specific niche:

Trixiedelicious:  You see a pretty vintage plate with snarky text on it and you know it's a Trixie Delicious original.  Combining her personal humor with her love of vintage goodies, she re-invents old things as new by giving them a whopping dose of her own unique personality.  Every single thing in her shop is one-of-a-kind, yet they all retain that signature "Trixie Delicious" feel.  She stays within the niche she's defined with every new design she creates.  When you come to her shop, you know what to expect.

Girl Savage: Feltidermy you say?  You must be talking about Girl Savage.  Not only is she the #1 result when you google search the term, "feltidermy", she may have gone so far as to coin the phrase herself! (Good niche making move, Girl Savage!)  She creates felted animals with a signature style and look that you recognize instantly.  Even when she introduces new animals or tries out a new technique, everything looks like a Girl Savage piece.  She's stayed true to herself, her own inspirations and her own ideas, and she's sold nearly 250 little felted animals because of it (just on etsy alone!)

Rachel Austin:  Rachel has been extremely successful selling her signature artwork.  Not only was she able to quit her day job recently, her hubby quit his too to help her out, and now sales of her artwork are what support their growing family!  Rachel's map paintings are instantly recognizable, there's no mistaking when you see one.  By narrowing down her artistic skills and inspiration to a certain aesthetic that fit her best, she has become well known and sold thousands of pieces!  No matter what new techniques she tries and new series she creates, by staying true to herself and respecting her own integrity as an artist, her work will always be recognizable as her own.

Perhaps the niche you find can be translated into a variety of different works, though.  In yesterday's first point, "explore your own talents and find what suits you best", there is still room for a wealth of variety to keep things creatively fresh for you.  You may need to narrow down what your best skill is in terms of sewing, paper crafting, photography, screen-printing or whatever combination of those that you come up with...but once you find that special talent, the one that you feel most expressive in, you can still spread that niche out to a variety of mediums, if appropriate.

Say, you love to embroider and you create lovely embroidered flowers by hand.  That's a niche that would easily overlap into different fields of expression, and that's a good thing!  You could embroider flowers on clothing, scarves, pillows, etc and each item would still feel like a signature piece that only you could create. Each item would feel like you.  That's what you want, that's where your niche begins to be defined.

Here's a few examples of artists and crafters who take their niche into different areas, yet still retain a signature style that has made them successful:

Maki Squarepatch: You'll find clothing, bags, accessories, softies and more at Maki Squarepatch, yet they've still carved a strong niche for themselves.  Their collection is colorful, kitschy, fun and young.  Everything is handmade by them and utilizes their fierce sewing skills (that alone is narrowing down, in a way!)  It's all made from recycled fabric scraps, which is not only good for the earth, but gives their work a certain stylistic aesthetic that can be easily defined as "Maki Squarepatch."  From scarves to pencil bags to pillows, their scrap fabric, recycled style carries through, making their niche accessible in a variety of mediums.

Krista Raak: Krista is a great example of how to combine a variety of talents into one signature style, even over a broad base of offerings.  She makes jewelry, handbags and accessories that all use her sewing, embroidery and beading skills, and they all invariably have a "Krista Raak" feel.  There is no mistaking one of her brooches or beautiful clutches- all one-of-a-kind with a supremely feminine, romantic and Bohemian feel, she's got her niche sealed! 

Fringe: Fringe shows tons of variety using just one medium: knitting.  Creator Dennice has a unique point of view that is evident in everything she touches- it's girly, fashionable, chic and very original.  She's a knitter extraordinaire who makes scarves, shrugs, wraps...none of which are inherently original creations- it's her unique take on each piece that gives them that signature "Fringe" feel.  With bows, flowers and actual fringe, unique shapes and colors, and interesting new designs that pop up every time I look, Fringe has a defined niche within the prevalent knitting world, and has over 500 sales to show for it!

Whether your niche is very narrowly defined, or able to spread out into a more broad base, remember the key is still simply to listen to and trust your own, unique point of view.  Don't create based on trends, what you "think" will sell or what you've seen others do before.  Keep your integrity and personality in everything you make, and you'll easily create a "look", "style" or niche that customers will come to rely upon you for. 

You have the ability to make something that no one else has made before- do it! 

These designers are just a small sampling of ones who have found their niche.  If you need more inspiration, take a peek at the archives of this blog!  Everyone I've featured is here because they have a unique point of view that they express well in their art and their creations. 

*Also, tomorrow I'll put out the first weekly newsletter (you can sign up for it here: the Modish Marketing one!) that will consist of this week's marketing posts, so you can keep them handy dandy for reference or read them later!  They'll be delivered to you every Friday (or following Monday maybe) and you'll also get some occasional extra tips and special offers made available to newsletter subscribers only.  So, sign up if you're interested, and we'll continue with the marketing column next week!

<3 jena

Modish Marketing: Finding your niche

Whether you're just starting your own crafty business, have been doing it for years, or are in the throes of the  wishing/hoping/planning stages, one of the most important things you'll need to think about is the niche that your business fills.  What is the "something special" that you can offer, that no one else can?  What need does your product or service fulfill, that will make your customers want to hit the "add to cart" button?  What will make your handmade item stand out from the crowd of other incredible talent? 

Finding your niche is one of the strongest marketing tools you have, but it can also be one of the most difficult things to do.  How can the jewelry you make possibly stand out from other jewelry that you yourself are inspired by?  Why would someone want to buy your photograph of the ocean, instead of that beautiful one over there?  The difference between what you make, and everything else on the market, is simply you.  You are the something special.  You are the unique point of view.  You are what will make your art, your handmade goods or your graphic design, stand out from the pack.  The key to defining your niche then is to listen to and trust your own, unique point of view.

To break it down further, here are some ideas to help you find, define, and refine your niche:

• Explore your own talents, and find what suits you best. If you're the multi-talented, good at everything you touch type, you need to sit down and explore your different skills.  In your vision, it may be cool to have a shop that carries all the paper goods, knit accessories, photographs and friendship bracelets you know how to make, but in reality, it's best to narrow down your offerings, not only for your own sanity, but for your customer's understanding as well.  Think about what you're best at, what fulfills you the most.  Customers will come back again and again to you if they know you make the most incredible vintage inspired dresses that fit them so well, not because you serve dresses with a side of art and hand-knit scarves.  Finding your niche may equate to cutting some things out, but it'll serve you the best in the long run (as long as you stick to what you love!)

• Address your own needs, and you'll serve the needs of others as well.  A niche is something that serves the specific needs of a specific group of people.  If you find yourself in need of a product or service, there's an excellent chance that others need it too. If you make paper goods and could never find those casually feminine, eco-friendly invitations that you dreamed of for your wedding, here's your opportunity to make them!  If you're a seamstress who just had a baby, and you had to make your own fabulous fabric sling because you couldn't find one hip enough for your style, there's surely other hip mamas out there who would want one too!  Let your own experiences guide you. Listen to your friends.  Be observant to what "needs" exist in the world around you, that you can potentially fill. 

• Stay creative, stay unique, stay true to yourself.  So, you started out with the most awesome, vintage re-make necklaces you've ever seen, but now the market is saturated with similar goods.  How do you continue to stand-out?  By staying true to yourself.  Trends come and go, inspirations shift and fade, copy-cat shops will eventually die-off (hopefully!)  The only way you can continue to thrive and continue to fill the niche you worked hard to create, is to not worry about what other people are doing.  It's important to stay mindful of the market and what else is out there, but equally important to stay true to your own ideas and respect your incredible uniqueness. Research the market and use your competition to spur your own creativity, to learn new techniques, to get even better at what you do so well already.  It may sound like an after-school special, but truly, the only way to succeed, is to be yourself.

• Let your inspiration guide you, not your empty wallet. It's important to set goals for yourself and have your eye on success, but monetary success should definitely not be the motivating factor as you decide what your niche is.  Maybe you loooove to make cuddly, fuzzy scarves for all your friends, but you've been around etsy and you see that photo prints sell really well, better than scarves probably, and hey, you kinda dabble in photography... Don't let money change you, baby.  You'll be more fulfilled and much more successful in the long run if you stick with what you know and don't let thoughts of dolla dolla bills sway you towards something else entirely.

• You may have to experiment a little.  Finding your niche is rarely without trial and error.  You may find you get bored making beaded earrings when you have to make them day in and day out.  On the opposite end, you may find that your wine glass charms are just not selling, and you don't know why.  Don't be afraid to go back to the drawing board; to ask friends, family and other crafters what they think is working with your design, and what's not.  Maybe you just need a tweak here or there, maybe you need to refine your own creative technique better, work on your skills... just be open to the potential for change, and realize that not every single thing you try is going to work out. It's just not.  But let the flops be lessons for the future and motivation to think of something that will work better- don't let yourself get discouraged.

Once you find a niche that is truly you, one that you know you'll have fun and success with, you'll have an automatic upper-hand when it comes to marketing your business.  You can use your niche to start building your brand, and know what markets to advertise to.  You'll be much more successful approaching blogs and magazines that you'd like to have write about you.  And you'll more easily develop a following of loyal customers, that come to trust you to deliver that niche you fill so well. 

Tomorrow, we'll look at some examples of indie and craft businesses that have successfully defined their niche.  We'll try to assess what need it is they're filling, why it works for them and how it has helped them gain success.  It's always nice to see a little real world inspiration, hmm??

Questions, comments, debates, more ideas?  Please leave a comment below, and we can continue the discussion. 

Thanks for reading!
<3 jena

Modish Marketing: Let's begin!

School is starting back up, fall is in the air... change is coming, can you feel it?  And in that breath, I'd like to introduce you to my new little (er, BIG) project, the new feature that I alluded to yesterday- the Modish Marketing column!  Together, we're going to explore "How to be a Crafty Marketer" (pun SO intended :) so hopefully, you can learn some tricks of the trade that will help you sell more!

As a past owner of two online handmade goods shops, and creator of this here blog, I come to marketing from both sides of the fence.  I've learned many tips, hard lessons and strategies over the past few years on how to market an online craft business, selling the goods you create.  I will bring what I've learned from my own experiences, but am most excited to share, discuss and learn from you all as well.  I invite an open forum for discussion, using that little comments link down there at the end of each post: ideally, questions will be asked, communication will stay open and you lovely and talented readers will not feel shy about imparting your own knowledge to us as we discuss different techniques.

The Modish Marketing column will run 2-3 times a week, Tues-Thurs.  We will explore marketing techniques for online small businesses specifically, since this big ol' web is my home and what I know best.  We'll talk about advertising, free marketing ideas, approaching blogs and magazines, press releases, copy, photography, professionalism and presentation, just to name a few topics :)  I hope to also bring you interviews with people who have successfully marketed their online shops, and gain insight with their experiences.  Any specific questions you have about marketing are welcome and encouraged too, and will surely spur future topics. 

I want this column to be a more thorough exploration on marketing than you may have come across elsewhere.  For example, we may look at, not only why you should advertise on blogs, but how to go about doing it, what different sort of ad programs exist out there, pricing expectations and explanations, what to expect from your advertisement, how to create a banner ad, etc.  So, the posts may get lengthy, but I think it's important to have a resource for this information, to give you a little helping hand along the way and answer some things you may not be able to find out about elsewhere.

The point of this column is to help you.  You, the artist or crafter who dreams of making a living off your own creations.  I hope to help you figure out how to stand out above the crowd.  How to build your business and define your own niche.  And eventually, how to sell more!

So, this was just an intro of sorts, but I'll be back tomorrow with the first "real" post about finding your niche!  Also, I'm going to make a weekly newsletter (you can sign up for it here: the Modish Marketing one!) that will consist of that week's marketing posts, so you can keep them handy dandy for reference.  Also, you'll get extra tips and special offers made available to newsletter subscribers only- more on that later!  The posts will also be archived on the right hand side of the blog for easy access, under the heading Modish Marketing. 

I hope this will be a great addition to Modish to help it become a more well-rounded, one stop shop for handmade inspiration!  We're going to become Crafty Marketers, together!  :)  If you have any questions, comments or ideas for topics you'd like to see addressed in the future, please let me know in the comments below, or email me with "modish marketing" as the subject.

Thanks for the opportunity to share with you (and stretch my writing legs!)  I'm excited, and hope you are too!

<3 jena

Make-out with Marketing- a mini lesson

I love love love when I wake up in the morning, sleepy eyed and foggy headed, start sipping my coffee and going thru emails, not knowing what on earth to write about today and then, voila, immediately grabbing my attention is a well-written, nicely focused, short and sweet email from an indie business owner who makes tees...oooh, let me hear more please! 

"The mission of the line is to provide affordable and feminine garments for women that express feelings of romance, independence, and nostalgia."  Ah, I can feel it, I get it, I'm into it...and what does this line look like?

Oooh, the line is pretty, it's presented well and it looks like what they described in the email.  The photos look professional, visually interesting and they show off the garments well.  Score! 

But who makes these pretty things?  How do I know they're appropriate to write about on my handmade niche blog?  Well, as the maker, Amy, described in her email, "Every Little Counts is made exclusively in the east side of Los Angeles as a collaboration between myself and my husband Adam, who has a background in art and graphic design."

Well, I know I like them, but will my audience like them?  Who are these tees targeted toward?  "This is a girl who daydreams, fantasizes, and falls in love. The loose fit and low necklines combined with esoteric and romantic graphics create a nonchalant sex appeal."  Nonchalant sex appeal- LOVE it, and I bet my readers will too.

And, where can I find out more about you and take a look at all these tees? "Please feel free to check out the styles on our website, www.everylittlecounts.net."  Well, don't mind if I do....

Mini-Marketing Lesson- crafting a good introduction email:
I was not planning on exploring the marketing lessons behind a successful "introduce-yourself-to-blogs" email this morning, but the email I received from Every Little Counts was crafted so perfectly, it really caught my attention and made me want to write about them immediately- why?

1. The subject line mentioned Modish, allowing me to believe that they have seen my blog before and may be readers, not that they just stumbled upon it randomly (which would be fine too, but lead me to believe otherwise and I'll feel more emotionally connected right away)
2. The first line of the email was: "Hi Jena."  This smart person took the time out to search around the blog, find my about page, find my name, and address me as such.  Immediate score!  "Attention Modish editor" doesn't do it for me, nor does "to whom it may concern" or "hello dear sir" (damn Nigerian scam emails...)  If you want to have a blogger write about you, find out who writes it and address them directly- it's much more personal and grabs a blog editor's attention right away- if you can impress us in the first millisecond, you're off to a good start!
3. The email answered Who? What? Why? How? and Where? concisely.  The first sentence introduced who she is and what she makes: " I am an independent LA designer with a line of women's t-shirts called Every Little Counts."  Simple, easy, perfect.  The next line described why they make their tees; the niche they're trying to fill.  They then described who makes the tees, how they make them, and why they make them; the audience they're targeted towards.  Then last, but not least, they told me where I could get them and pointed me towards their websites.  It was quick, simple, and gave me all the information I needed to know in a couple minutes.  I clicked on their site immediately.
4. This email also stood out especially well from others I get because it had a very clear vision of their product line and who they are marketing toward.  They know their product, they know how to present it and they describe exactly the customer they're looking for: "This is a girl who daydreams, fantasizes, and falls in love." I receive many emails from designers that make their product sound a certain way, but when I click over to their site, I realize, it's not at all what I was expecting to see- if you say your items are "vintage inspired" and have a "bohemian feel" for example, then make sure others will see your products that way too.  Ask your friends and fellow designers for words they would use to describe what you make as it's often hard to see your own items objectively, and you may be marketing them all wrong.
5. They understand what my blog is about- handmade goods.  It's really simple, but it's a rule people break alllll day long.  If you're unfamiliar with the blog you'd like to submit to, take a bit of time out to explore it, read their about page (see a theme?), check out their categories and approach them only if you know your product would fit their theme.
6. They included a small photo to entice me- that's all you need.  In fact, no photos are fine too!  They did not include multiple large attachments, they did not try to make me open a huge pdf of their media kit (save those for magazine editors!) they gave me a little bit of eye candy, that's it.  Bloggers will grab the photos they want off your site, so including one is a beneficial sneak peek, but not necessary.  Really, it's your words that should make us want to click over to your site and explore more.

So, there you go, the nitty gritty of what a well-written introduction email to a blogger looks like.  Stay simple, stay on target, be personal with us but present yourself professionally.  And please, wait until you're ready!  If your well written email leads me to a blog site with no way to sell your work, an etsy store with 3 listings or a web-shop filled with poorly lit photographs, I (and other bloggers) am not going to feature you.  Have all the elements in place before you attempt to submit yourself to blogs, and you'll be much more successful!

I could really write a whole book on this so, have questions?  Need clarification?  Let me know in comments below!
<3 jena