Site-Wide Activity

I was nap attacked and slept through chat! I seem to be tired all the time lately.

What's going well? I can knit again! My sprained thumb has healed enough it doesn't cause pain. But I'm taking it slow.

What I'm working on? Map making, sample crocheting for a design and knitting for another.

How can you help? I'm good this week!
 

I like the warmth of wood. It's always good the closer you can get to helping someone visualize your product in their life.

Ditto on card suggestion. I mainly photograph jewelry and getting the colors accurate is important, as the same issue in textiles. I've had very good luck laying the back of a business card just at the edge of what I'd…[Read more]

I really love the wood backdrops, especially for things like placemats, table runners, tea towels and the like– you're giving the customer an idea of what this thing would look like on their table (if they have a wood table, of course). For example, in the teal/white bronson lace tea towel listing, I FAR prefer the shots of it on the table and…[Read more]

Yay for new ventures!

I think creating community is a new thread 😀

As for connecting with Etsy clients, I bite the bullet and contact each one manually via convo with my ask and a request to join my newsletter.

I do that right after they buy. If they want to join me, I assume I'll see them in the newsletter and contact them thusly via…[Read more]

I love you photos and your pieces!

Another great resource is the Pinch of Yum food photography course, it's a great beginner thing, but it looks like you are beyond beginner from those photos!

I use wood so I'm kind of bias towards wood.

I think white backgrounds are obnoxious for me on the back end of production. I choose not to use them…[Read more]

Ooh, I double down on everything Jess said!
The alternate pro/con of what I do is:
PRO: I can make money (and mostly do!) when I'm not working!
CON: It takes me hours and hours of unpaid work, to make a pile of money while I sleep (and that pile of money only happens once a quarter, after hours of prepping for it).
CON: Until I had enough…[Read more]

This is the article Tara shared in chat: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/101119954111878764/

Hey @susan-heyn! A few thoughts:
-Yes, go with the namechange! It's much easier to stand out with that name then the (too general) Crafts and Things.
-Website. You don't *need* a blog and shop on your website, but you DO need to buy the domain name (that's the blahblah.com), so that no one else can own it and buy it. You can set it up to…[Read more]

You already know what I send, so I'll skip that! But NO what you send doesn't have to be exclusive, as long as it's really loved + wanted. If it's something you've already done, it'll be more effective if it's a while ago.
Yes! You can put it in your Welcome email! That's what I've done with podcast transcripts and such!

I'm so glad that you came to this conclusion, @mary-roth, about tracking the expenses/break even of the project!
And a giant YES to having lots of content to mix into the launch – samples, testimonials, inspiration, etc.

I also have not so many reviews, which is a little hard hitting when people leave less than great reviews. It happens to all of us but it's less painful if we have a heap of great reviews/stars to help balance it out.

I etsy message as soon as I can after a buy with a welcome email. I include links to video demos, other related products, my…[Read more]

I have worked with (as in, alongside) a few copywriters…but that was years ago and they've moved on to other things. I've also done it for clients (years ago), and you WILL need to know a few things going in:
What the “vibe” of your brand is. Do you want to be friendly? Educational?
The MOST important details about what you do
Who your reader…[Read more]

I'm so glad you figured it out, @libby-jonson. You're right, there isn't a way to make different forms for different segments, which REALLY bugs me (and is why I'm moving to ConvertKit)

@clare-devine It depends on what people signed up. If they WANTED to get your newsletter, definitely just put them on that list. If they subscribed to your blog,…[Read more]

I've got a dr appt today, so I can't stay for chat! (Don't worry, not dying, just check-up-ing.)

Whatcha workin on?
Art! Making good progress on art for February. Also really trying to keep up my 2016 word FOCUS, which was really helpful for a few days until I felt too tired to focus, at which point I tried to catch the not-focus and direct…[Read more]

@elaine-vandiver I am like so many others including you in the reviews department on my Etsy shop. Someone once told me that instead of wondering why I can't get a review, think of it as no news is good news. If something was wrong with the product you can bet you would be hearing from them. I know this doesn't help much but it was good advice.…[Read more]

Hmm. So it sounds like your problem is mostly protecting the line sheet so it's hidden on your site? For that, i'm a fan of having a wholesale page (which anyone can find), that asks them to email you for the line sheet – then you just send the link (to a normal uploaded PDF or as an attachment).
As for the process, you could always do an…[Read more]

I was going to suggest that, @lesley-austin – go through all the places once and make a note of all the expenses. Put them in a spreadsheet (the name of them) and there you go- you've created your own checklist! This makes sure you won't miss anything that's particular to your biz. And when you sign up for a new monthly expense or you buy…[Read more]

Whatcha working on?
Staying on top of the necessary in another short week as I head out to Craftsy Instructor Summit in Denver on Friday. Wrote a bunch of class ideas, have done mile markers for my book, but need to figure out what I can focus on this quarter. Trying not to start exciting new things.

What’s going well/on?
I have milestones for m…[Read more]