Social Media Sites and How to Use Them Effectively In Your Business

In Today's Lesson...
Lesson 10 - Conclusion

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http://spellpages.etsy.com

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Over the course of the last 10 weeks, we have helped to develop your social media strategy and reviewed 9 social media sites and the benefits they can provide your business. As we stated in the beginning, social media marketing is like the yellow pages on steroids. Never before has there been as much opportunity for businesses to reach their target market quickly and affordably.

While each of the social media sites we reviewed has unique benefits and opportunities, there are several commonalities to all social media marketing efforts which are key to your success. In summary, 

1) Build a thorough and strong profile. Each social media site provides an opportunity for you to describe who you are, what you do and where to find more information about your product and/or services. Your profile is often the thing that will cause a reader to take a second look at you and/or your business. Be professional while showing personality. Provide a link to your website. Correct any spelling, capitalization or grammatical errors. 

2) Engage. Social media is just that - social. Don't be a wallflower. Engage, praise, compliment, promote fellow members, thank and be social. If you want to get noticed, you need to participate. 

3) Avoid being a sleazy car salesman (or saleswoman). Social media provides multiple opportunities to promote your products/services. Social media participants expect to learn about you and your business but they will be turned off by repeated sales pitches. Add valuable content (tips, articles, how to's), promote interesting content by your friends/followers, show your human side (your interests, hobbies etc) AND mix in your own products/services. When done in moderation, your followers will be eager to find out more and to make a purchase.

There are many social media sites and many different ways to promote your business through them. Start off small and work your way up. If it gets crazy, then see about soliciting others to help you - sometimes your most active fans would jump at the chance to promote you for free in exchange for the prestige of running your Facebook fan page or even for a few "freebies" sent their way every so often. Use your imagination and have fun!

Social Media Sites and How to Use Them Effectively In Your Business

In Today's Lesson...

Lesson 9 - YouTube

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http://ivykeep.etsy.com

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It's time. Time for what you ask? Time to start using video to market your business. Creating videos around your business and using social media platforms to promote those videos is one of the largest growth areas in social media marketing today. Everyone from wedding accessory shops to internet marketers are using the power of video to promote their business.

Why is video marketing so powerful? Primarily two reasons: 1) People like to know who they are purchasing from. A video provides the opportunity for the viewer (and hopefully customer) to see your face, hear your voice and build trust; 2) search engines, especially Google, loves video content and indexes them rapidly.
YouTube receives more than 100 million views a day.

Read More >>>

Social Media Sites and How to Use Them Effectively In Your Business

In Today's Lesson...

Lesson 8 - Ning

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http://spellpages.etsy.com

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Ning is a popular social media site which allows users to create their own social network and then invite people to participate and get involved. Ning platforms are much like online forums with the added benefit of users being able to create their own page.

Ning sites are particularly popular for niche based conversations and networking. One of the largest Ning sites is TwitterMoms which now has more than 21,000 members.

Read More >>>

Social Media Sites and How to Use Them Effectively In Your Business

In Today's Lesson...
Lesson 7 - Squidoo

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http://spellpages.etsy.com

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If you are thinking that Squidoo has something to do with seafood and calamari, think again. Squidoo is a powerful social media site that allows users to create "lenses" about themselves, their business and/or their interests. A Squidoo lens is similar to a blog post except, rather thing being hosted on an individual's blog, it is posted on a community site for the world to view. Imagine having your blog posts listed on a site with more than a million users who are looking for a quick way to find answers to their questions. Squidoo offers that to and more.

Read More >>>

Social Media Sites and How to Use Them Effectively In Your Business

In Today's Lesson...

Lesson 6 - Stumble Upon

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http://ivykeep.etsy.com

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In many ways, StumbleUpon is very similar to Digg. Users rate content based on how valuable they find it and if they think others will want to know about and learn from it. In order to get the most out of StumbleUpon, make sure that the content that you are sharing is valuable, that your site is worthy of a thumbs up and that you spend time providing feedback and thumbs up to sites you value as well.

Read More >>>

Etsy Shop and Blog Hop - Post Your Shop here!

Looking for a little bit more exposure for your Etsy Shop and Blog?

Why not join our Etsy Shop Hop?  Here is how to participate.

1. Add your shop Avatar to the list below and use your etsy shop URL for it..
2. In a blog post on your blog, link to your favourite items from the two shops ahead of you on the list.
3. Add the Shop Hop code to your blog with these same instructions on how to participate.
4. Post your blog URL below in the comments.

So - when this is done, not only do you get at least two new links to your items from another blog which helps you be found, but you also might get more followers to your blogs and visits to your shops.

It's worth a try anyhow.

Social Media Sites and How to Use Them Effectively In Your Business

In Today's Lesson...

Lesson 5 - Digg

---------------- Today's Sponsor ---------------

http://ivykeep.etsy.com

---------------- Today's Sponsor ---------------

Digg is a social media/social bookmarking site that can help share your content with millions of people worldwide. Whether you post your content yourself or someone "Diggs" it, Digg is a little like voting for your favorite article or content. The more votes it receives, the more popular it becomes and the more traffic and visibility your business and website receives. Posting your content to Digg is a very effective way to establish yourself as an expert and to drive potential buyers to your website.

Read More >>>

Social Media Sites and How to Use Them Effectively In Your Business

In Today's Lesson...

Lesson 4 - LinkedIn

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http://ivykeep.etsy.com

---------------- Today's Sponsor ---------------

LinkedIn is perhaps one of the most effective social media platforms for business to business networking. If you want to establish yourself as an industry expert, market to other businesses, network with business leaders and executives, a presence on LinkedIn is a must. One of LinkedIn's features that make it substantially different than other social media sites is that your profile is much more like an online resume than it is with other social media platforms. As a result, with LinkedIn you really want to put your professional best into your profile.

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Social Media Sites and How to Use Them Effectively In Your Business

In Today's Lesson...

Lesson 2 - Twitter

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http://ivykeep.etsy.com

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Twitter is one of the most popular social media sites being used today by individuals and businesses. Often referred to as "micro-blogging" Twitter provides a platform for you to interact with your target market, network and create relationships that can boost your business. Here are a few ways that you can use Twitter effectively to promote your business:

Read More >>>

HOST Member Update!

LA Originals is in the news! Check out her story here:
http://www.communitypress-online.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?archive=true&e=780343

Social Media Sites and How to Use Them Effectively In Your Business

In Today's Lesson...

Lesson 1 - Introduction to Social Media Marketing

---------------- Today's Sponsor ---------------

http://spellpages.etsy.com

---------------- Today's Sponsor ---------------

Do you remember when businesses, small and large, focused lots of time and energy on advertising? When nearly all businesses placed an ad in the local Yellow Pages? Social media is the Yellow Pages on steroids! Through social media, you can market your business and services worldwide, educate consumers, receive feedback from customers, run special promotions, provide coupons to targeted audiences, and more. AND YOU CAN DO SO EASILY AND AFFORDABLY. The power of social media is almost limitless for small and large businesses.

Read More >>>

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Here is a great article from Handmade Spark on how to automate your Twitter account with your new listing notifications.

Catching Up with HOST members....

So - what are our HOST members doing now?

LA Originals has a new line of cute children's hats:



And Spellpages has new items:



And a new blog: http://spellpages-digital.com

And PinMeUp is back up and running:



Busy, busy ladies! Please check out their shops and heart a few!

Treasury East - Bright and Beautiful

Please go show our new Treasury some love!

Spruce Up Your Store Challenge: Updates and Tips

So, if you have been making the changes we have been talking about each week, you should be seeing some improvement in your store's views at least. Go check your Google Analytics to see if this is helping. Continue working on your items, etc.

I ran across this article from The Spark I want to share with you today - give it a read and then apply what you can to your store. There are a lot of great tips in there! 

The article:
http://www.handmadespark.com/blog/tips-to-pump-up-your-etsy-seo/

Then come back and share with us what you did.

Freebie Fridays!

Freebie Fridays have arrived! That's right! I said free! FREE!

Join HOST Friday, April 30th at 7 PM as they sponsor their first Freebie Friday! We will be promoting shops offering free stuff! BOGOs, free shipping, free item with purchase, etc.... you get the idea.....
Look for our post in the Promo section in the Etsy forums Fridays at 7 PM for the list of participating stores. And please add your store to the post if you have freebies of your own! (This promotion is for FREE stuff ONLY. Please do not add your store if your sale does not involve something free.)

And if you have a blog or Twitter and would like to help us promote Freebie Fridays it would be greatly appreciated!

SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT: tantecaroline

Tell us a little about yourself:
I'm an academic by day, and a mad crafter by night, weekends and any other time I can. It's all a wonderful balancing act with husband, son, dog, cat and fish thrown into the mix. I wouldn't have it any other way.

If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be?
I’m happy with the ones I have now -- dog, cat and fish. I’d have more of them if I could.

Fruit or chocolate?
Fruit and chocolate!

Your favorite meal?
Different meals for different moods, but California Rolls are always good.

City break or weekend in the country?
I’m a homebody. I’d prefer a house in the country that I’d rarely have to leave. And then there’d be lots of room for more animals ;-)

Why did you join/donate to HOST? OR How did you hear about HOST?
I’m fairly new to etsy and my introduction to HOST was accidental. I created a treasury as a means of saying hi to my new teammates on the Niagara Etsy Artisan Team. Turned out one of the members of the team, Krys at ivykeep, is also a member of HOST. She introduced me to the site.

How did you first get interested in what you do?
For me making things was a way of personalizing my home space and having things that seemed out of my reach.
It wasn’t anything I took up or began, though, because I grew up in a household where things were only bought if they couldn’t be made. My mother worked in our home as a seamtress and my father could build anything. Really. He made our first computer, built my first stereo, created a car -- made molds to form a fiberglass body, put together the engine, and finished the interior. Even sewed his own tonneau cover!
My first swirly ball was inspired by a gift from my nephew of a stone sphere. I loved it, wanted more, and found a way to recreate the form, while adding my own spin, or swirl.
The polymer I came to via another love -- books. It’s a wonderful, forgiving and exciting medium, with possibilities for creativity that I’m still exploring.

Tell us about your shop.
Tante Caroline’s Polymer Stuff and Swirly Things has been open since December 2009. All of the etsy literature tells me that I need to find a niche, but I like doing too many things to settle for one. As a result, my shop is an eclectic space with home décor, functional ornaments, and jewellery, all created with a variety of mediums.

What do you love most about selling on Etsy?
I’d truly love to say selling, but I haven’t done a lot of that… yet ;-) Call me crazy but the sense of community here, and the overall appreciation of handcrafted works, just feels good. It’s added a spark of excitement to my usual crafting. I know it sounds hokey, but there’s a real ‘we’re all in this together’ vibe that is tangible! My experience with the treasuries is a terrific example of that.

Where else can we find you? (facebook, blog, twitter, flickr, etc)
I’m on facebook, but I keep my shop separate from that social media. I know that many sellers have found social media useful, but I find it time consuming. I’d rather be making stuff than talking about making stuff ;-)

Any advice you would like to share with others that might read this?
What is the best etsy tip or resource you have found or been given?
At this point, I’m not in the position to give advice. I’m still taking it! ;-) I do think, though, that the inroad to visibility is in creating treasuries, having good photos of your works and networking.

" THE 7 PM FREE FOR ALL SALE for APRIL 17th".... FREE STUFF!!!!!

" THE 7 PM FREE FOR ALL SALE for APRIL 17th".... FREE STUFF!!!!!

Mine will be buy 3 items and get a 4th item FREE....you could do free shipping....buy 1 get 1 whatever you want.

The main thing is the FREE item to generate some sales for people on a slow night.

No percent off in this sale...only BOGO's. or B2GO or B3GO... You get the idea!

If you would like to join in, look for the thread at 7pm.....in promo's.

- Ficklefaerie

Spruce Up Your Shop Challenge: Tagging

One of the best ways to be found in an Etsy Search is to use all your tags.

Please read: Tagging For Success

And your challenge this week is to apply those tagging ideas to your listed items.

Don't forget to add Team tags if you are involved with any teams. It's a great way to get found and promoted by your own team members.

Meet the HOSTies: AllAboutTheButtons

Tell us a little about yourself.
I was an art major in college and flipped from craft to craft for....well,forever. I did not pursue my art as a career but was always involved in some craft most of the time. I now have the time to indulge my love of creating, almost full time.

If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be? 
LOVE dogs but truly don't want the responsibility anymore.

Fruit or chocolate? 
Fruit

Your favorite meal? 
Lobster and ice cream

City break or weekend in the country? 
Beach!

Read More >>>

And the Winner is....

Better late than never!

Thank you to all of you who entered our first Giveaway. The contest was closed at the first of the month and now we are ready to post the winner.

And the Winner is....

Marie from Big Sister Designs!

noisette marketing will contact you shortly. Please come back and tell us all about your prize when you get a chance!

Congratulations!

Sunday Spotlight: salmamahjabeen

I am a CPA who works in as a consultant in a large public accounting firm. I know accountants are considered boring. I think I was not meant to be an accountant. It was choice already made for me when I went to school as I come from a family of accountants.

I love working with my hands. Being creative. I started making jewelry when 10 years ago I saw a gorgeous bracelet a colleague of mine wore. She made it. I loved it. She taught me the basics. I have not looked back since. I have graduated from working with plastic beads to swarovski crystals to now semi-precious stones. It's my therapy. It' my saving grace. My other saving graces are my cats- Shiba and Basra (8 months old girls I adopted).

Read More >>>

HOST members with blogs - Join our MckLinky!

If you are a HOST member - or supporter - add your blog to our first ever MckLinky!

Please note, you must be family friendly or your blog will be deleted from this list.

HOST Supporter: beadbooty

Tell us a little about yourself.

If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be?
I love sharks and sea turtles!

Fruit or chocolate?
Umm, hello, chocolate!

Your favorite meal?
No favorite meals...I ADORE all kinds of food.

Read More >>>

Great Finds on Etsy Under $10

Another Swap-bot.com swap I am participating in asks us to share our favourite Etsy shops with items $10 or less. Here is my list::

Great Finds on Etsy Under $10
1. ficklefaerie - I found June here on Etsy several months ago and have become fast friends. I love her eco-friendly mesh bags and cute snack and sandwich bags. All sets are under $10 and make an economical and fashionable alternative to those disposable plastic bags. And - I love the looks I get at the grocery store when I use them!


2. jinglebobs - If I had horses I'd be shopping at jingle's shop all the time. Cute bells for your horse's mane. I can't think of anything more fun!



3. crochetmaggie - I have a set of washclothes I bought from maggie and I adore them. If you search her shop, she has lots of lovely coloured crochet cloths to choose from. Once you use one of these, you won't use those regular store cloths again! LOL!


Time for a few I'd like to try:

4. gloilocksandbody - Someone suggested this shop to me from my last swap and since then, I have been hearting a few things I want to try.


5. ZipADeeDoDah1 - Cute scrabble pendants under $10. I have my eye on the daisy one for a friend of mine....


And my shop of course! I sell gourmet loose leaf tea. Everything in my shop is under $10 so far. Come take a look at some very yummy blends.

Tip Tuesday: Handmade Spark Blog and Directory

Hello from ESellerAds.

We are writing to let you know about our new site Handmade Spark!

Handmade Spark is a directory where you can promote your handmade business and get in front of buyers around the world. Handmade Spark sellers are actively promoted on our blog, on our newsletter, and on social networks and across the Internet. We are also starting to get press to cover the great sellers and items included in Handmade Spark.

Handmade Spark is also a blog with 12 writers. The blog includes content about the latest handmade trends, showcases the people and work that make up the handmade community, and educates sellers about promoting and buyers about finding great handmade goods all across the Internet.

Handmade Spark was launched about two weeks ago and is on track to have more than 15,000 visitors in the first month. You can join the Directory for only $12 per month to get all the great benefits we offer or you can also get a basic free listing if you just want to part of the Handmade Spark community.

Please go to Handmade Spark, check it out, and join now!

Share Your Favorite ETSY Secrets ($5 and under)

 I'd like to thank Ogma for her guest post (below) on Etsy Finds. She also participated in the Swap-bot swap I was in that shared great  finds on Etsy. 

Mistflower Studios   http://www.etsy.com/shop/mistflowerstudio 

I discovered this shop early on, and I love it. She makes mosaic art (which is gorgeous) but also sells her art as magnets, pocket mirrors, prints, and pins. The magnets and mirrors are my two favorite items in her shop. They make great gifts, too.

The magnets come in different sizes and look awesome anywhere you decide to put them up. These are a great way to have a piece of mosaic artwork on a smaller scale.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35407041

PVDiana’s   http://www.etsy.com/shop/pvdiana    

This was another early discovery that I still frequent. I love so many things in this shop. Everything I have from her is super-duper quality, too. If I had to pick some stuff, it would be her shell necklaces and her poppets. Although her scarves are really nice, too.

Her shell necklaces are beautiful. I get a comment on mine every time I wear it. She also makes stone and arrowhead ones. Quality, awesome, funky stuff!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39700465

Read More >>>

Spruce Up Your Shop Challenge: Catch Up!

Today is all about playing catch up. Did you miss a week? Go do it. Catch up with the rest of us.

If you are up to date, take this lull to spend some time with your family and friends today for the holiday. Your shop will wait a day or so.

Next week we will be back on track with tips on how to write a good listing.

Etsy Finds for Under $5.00

Introduction: I'm a member of Swap-bot.com and the latest Etsy Swap I am in involved in is a swap of shops that sell items for under $5. While looking for them, I realized it would be nice to share them with more people than just my Swap-bot partners, so I am posting them here for the HOST blog readers as well!)

Etsy Finds for Under $5

1. Orglamix mineral makeup:
One of my all-time favourite stores for mineral makeup. The selection is extensive, with many items under $5.00 and her customer service is excellent! A must shop if you are in the market for new make up!
The eye colors are amazing and it is difficult for me to choose just one. The colour spreads nicely and stays all day for me. The other thing I like about this shop is that there is always some sort of  "deal" going on, wether it is for your birthday or for the first time buyer. I've included a link for one of them below. Also - I've always gotten a little freebie in my parcels (and there have been many of them) of an eyeshadow or blush. I highly recommend this shop!

Two of my favourite items:
Gingerbread - Pure Organic Mineral Eye Color
Orglamix BOGO - Buy One, Get One Free - Eco Mineral Makeup Karma

2. pacokeco:
My go-to girl for tags and promo items! Cohen really knows what customer service is all about. Custom orders are turned around in no time flat! And her quality is unsurpassed. To top it off, there is always a little freebie included and her attention to detail blows me away. Looking for promo items or tags for your next round of gift-giving, look NO further! You've found your girl!
The Grunge and Glam mini tags shown to the left are actually the first item that I found in her shop. I just really liked the look of them and I had her customize them for me for perfume tags. Cohen went out of her way to do it for me and I was very pleased with the work when she was done. The gingerbread gift tags, I picked up for this past Christmas. My neices loved the tags so much, they kept them!

Two of my favourite items:
GRUNGE and GLAM Mini Tags with fibre - Set of 12
GINGERBREAD COOKIES Shaped To and From Gift Tags - Prestrung, Set of 8

TIP TUESDAY: New Craft Website full of indie business resources

I found this on the Etsy Forums and have Rosalie's permission to post this for all to see! Click on her avatar for a link to her shop!

UglyBaby says:

It's called Unanimous Craft -- and it's a taggable, sortable index of indie business resources. I built it after seeing forum thread after forum thread with lists and lists of resources. No more. Now it's organized, baby. http://www.unanimouscraft.com You can add resources you love, you can add your own resources - etsy shops and blogs, etc. You can review and vote on resources so we all know what the best ones are. You can curate lists of resources with a theme. You can do lots of stuff. So check it out and add some stuffs. You might like it.

Video Monday: Etsy-Minis

I get a lot of questions about how to make an etsy-mini so I thought I would dig up some more youtube videos for Video Monday on the topic::

This one is a bit older, but everything is in the right areas.



Hope this helps you!

Sunday Spotlight: SarahRoseReynolds

Tell us a little about yourself.
I am a stay at home momma and recently during my free time (nap time) I have found a love of painting, for me and my friends and family..I kind of do a lil of this and a lil of that when it comes to art. I paint, draw, scrapbook, and crochet. I also love to do arts and crafts time with my son. He always looks at all the paintings I do and says, "Momma's painting" - so we paint regularly.

If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be?
hmmmm any animal? A unicorn.  I always loved them as a child and dreamed of them being real.

Fruit or chocolate?
fruit covered in chocolate!!! YUM!

Your favorite meal?
Depends on my mood,  but I never turn down some good pasta and bread

City break or weekend in the country?
I don't really like to spend a lot time in the city and avoid it when at all possible, unless my hubby is driving..

How did you hear about HOST?
I heard about it thru Etsy Chat from Ivykeep.

How did you first get interested in what you do?
I have always been into arts and crafs, just never did it for profit before!

Tell us about your shop.
My shop is a lil of this and a lil of that.. I don't really specialize in one thing. You will find paintings, paper crafts and vintage clothing and jewelry

What do you love most about selling on Etsy?
The community here is fabulous, you feel welcome and its great.. Also its great to see all the handmade goodies people are out there making.

Where else can we find you? (facebook, blog, twitter, flickr, etc)
I do have a face book page.


Any advice you would like to share with others that might read this?
I am here cause I need help promoting my shopâ. My advice is to join the chats, blogs and community -  immerse yourself in the resources Etsy offers.

What is the best etsy tip or resource you have found or been given?
 have had a lot of fun with the chat rooms, found some great people and great unique shops.

HOST Spruce Up Your Store Challenge: Categories & Location

(Okay, I know I said we would be covering tags today, however, I need to postpone that for a bit due to personal reasons. I'll try to get back on track next week)

Today's challenge is short and sweet: I want you to take a good look at your Categories (or what Etsy calls Sections) and your location information.

Read More >>>

Meet the HOSTies: knitrgal

Tell us a little about yourself.

I am a stay at home Mom turned business woman striving to turn my shop into a small "cottage country" business with employees and everything!!

Read More >>>

TIP TUESDAY: Great Low Cost/No Cost Marketing Tips from noisettemarketing

These tips come to you from http://noisettemarketing.etsy.com - Did you see the Great Giveaway that Isa has donated to us? Check it out!

Online marketing

• Use the internet to market yourself. It is so easy to get started marketing yourself online through your own blog, low cost online shop, simple website and a Flickr account. You have full control about the information you present to the world and can spend as much or as little time as you like on them.

• Start a mailing list. It can cost nothing to create an e-newsletter some providers as long as you keep your subscribers under a certain amount. You can ask current customers to sign up for special offers or exclusive previews of a new range which will increase the possibility of repeat sales.

Read More >>>

MEET THE HOSTies: mlpjewelrydesigns

Tell us a little about yourself
I live in Puerto Rico, San Juan Area, fifteen minutes from the beach. This is my favorite place to meditate. Now that you know which part of the world I am. Let’s talked a little about me, I consider myself a quite, very shy, friendly, giving and caring person. I loved to travel, reading, going to beach, the movies and of course designing jewelry. My priorities in life are Family and God. I’m single with no kids. Live with my Father, 85 years handsome and the best father in the world.

If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be?
A dog

Fruit or chocolate?
Dark Chocolate

Your favorite meal?
lobster

City break or weekend in the country? - -Weekend at the county or at the beach

Read More >>>

Sunday Spotlight: dgordon

Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is deb, I moved from NY to south Florida 12 yrs ago after my divorce. When I left NY I left everyone and everything I knew. I moved in with my parents until I knew where I was going to go. My dad's a potter and he thought playing with clay would "help" me since I seemed so lost and adrift. I apprenticed under him and discovered I loved loved loved working with clay. I've been doing it ever since.

If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be?
I'm a cat lover. I have 5 and I'd have many more if I had the room!

Read More >>>

HOST Spruce Up Your Shop Challenge: Announcement Page

Welcome to Week 3 of the Spruce Up Your Shop Challenge!

Task 1 - share your Google Analytics for the past week below. Has your traffic changed any? Up? Down? Let us know.
Task 2 (Optional): Update your Google Analytics with this nice feature! http://www.etsy.com/storque/etsy-news/tech-update-etsy-web-analytics-enhancements-3350/


This week we are going to work on your shop's Announcement Page and organization

Read More >>>

HOST BLOG GIVEAWAY: Etsy Shop Analysis fron noisettemarketing worth $50 US!

Welcome to our first 2010 HOST Giveaway! 

We are very excited about this particular prize because it ties in nicely with the Etsy HOST Spruce Up Your Store Challenge that we are running currently. Come join us for the Challenge and don't forget to enter the contest!

The prize: Etsy Shop Analysis by noisettemarketing

A written review and analysis of your Etsy shop and an action plan of recommendations worth $50 USD,

The report will include (but is not limited to) a review of:
* Your photos
* Your descriptions and tags
* Your branding
* Your prices

For more details, please see Isa's listing for this same item here:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36561190

Read More >>>

FUN FRIDAY: Easter Egg TREASURE HUNT sponsored by The EGG Team

  The Etsy Goodie Goodies Team invites you to join their EGG HUNT!! Egg Team members have hidden eggs somewhere in their shops. Your goal is to find the eggs! You have between now and April 3rd.

Go to http://etsygoodiegoodiesteam.blogspot.com/ for rules of the game and how to enter. The prize is fabulous!

Read More >>>

Meet the HOSTies: jinglebobs

Tell us a little about yourself.
Jinglebobs.. all one word no caps in the middle!
A Jinglebob is something on a cowboy's spur. It jingles when he walks or in time with the horse's gait. ME: I'm over 30, I enjoy animals of all sorts, crochet, knit (just learned!), learning to spin, ride, take photographs, used to camp, fish, hike, am NOT a computer wiz

Read More >>>

Two Simple St. Patrick’s Day Family Crafts

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If you don’t have a lot of time to spend with your family making complicated St. Patrick’s Day craft projects but would like to do something for the holiday, you’re in luck. The World Wide Web is a great source of free St. Patrick’s Day images that that can help you make great crafts. For example, craft projects made from vintage St. Patrick’s Day cards found on the Internet are simple to make, due to the fact that vintage images are versatile and also quite effective when it comes to conveying a St. Patrick’s Day message. You can find a little something for everyone, because vintage Saint Patrick’s Day images range from mischievous to sweet to Irish-loving patriotic. Vintage images can also be downloaded and used without fear of copyright infringement. That’s important for people who want to honor copyrights (as we all definitely should). Searching the Web for “free vintage St. Patricks Day clip art” will also net you a large number of no-cost images from which many craft projects can be made.

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TIP TUESDAY: How to take a screen shot of an Etsy Treasury.

When you are lucky enough to be included in an Etsy Treasury, you'll want to keep a picture of it to post in your blog or on your website.

I'm a fan of www.thumbalizr.com. All you have to do is get the direct URL and plug it in and this site does the rest. The only problem I have found is that it tends to cut off the bottom of the last row - so if your item is in the last row, this tool won't do you any good.

 

So, I've found a great post on how to take screen shots for you. It's from a website called The Curious Pug and it gives you the straight deal. You can find it here: http://curiouspug.blogspot.com/2009/12/tutorial-3-how-to-take-screen-shot-of.html It should answer all your questions, but if not, you can ask me and I will do my best to sort it for you.

SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT: CrikkiCrafts

Tell us a little about yourself.
I am 23 years old. I am married, pregnant, and already have 2 kids. I love to sew and do little crafty things, so I thought that I would try to sell some of them so that I could afford to go to college. I am a stay at home mom and I love it!

If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be?
A penguin. They are so cute!

Fruit or chocolate?
Chocolate

Your favorite meal?
Home made Lasagna with extra meat

City break or weekend in the country?
Weekend in the country

 How did you hear about HOST?
I met Ivykeep in a chat and she told me about HOST.

How did you first get interested in what you do? 
I was raised by my grandmother and for as long as I can remember, she handmade all of my clothes and toys. I was not so much into crafting as her. She passed away on January 1st of this year. I inherited all of her sewing machines and crafting supplies, and just got interested in doing it.

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SPRUCE UP YOUR STORE CHALLENGE: Week 2

Okay, so if you added Google Analytics to your shop last week - go check it. See if people are visiting your shop and when. Rewatch the second video from last week and write a little summary below to tell us how you are doing.

Once you do that, we are ready to move on to today's challenge:

Store Settings #1: Profiles and Policies.

Etsy is a great place to buy items with a personal, handmade touch. There is a great sence of community here. Your customers want to know about you - and you about your customers. Two of the most overlooked pages of your Etsy account are the Profile page and the Policy Page. So we will start there.

The Profile page is where you get to introduce yourself to your customers. They want to know a little about you - how you got started in your craft or hobby and what you draw your inspiration from. Tell them! Also, tell them where else they can find you: other Etsy shops, your blog, twitter, etc. Check Etsy policies about posting any off Etsy webstores though.

Read this for more information on how to use your Profile pages:
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/shop-makeover-series-crafting-a-profile-page-1056/

Policy pages are next. These are the guidelines that tell people how you do business.
Here is an article with great tips on writing up your policy page:
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/service-tips-for-sellers-creating-policies-that-work-2095/


Pay special attention to the Stay Positive aspect. You do not want negativity on any of your pages. It leaves your customers with a bad taste. Stay professional.

Your Challenge this week is to write (or rewrite) your profile and policies pages. Come back here and share your before and afters - and ask for comments. Share your tips if you have any. We are all here to help!

Have a great week!

Happy Birthday Crochetmaggie!

♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♪♪ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♪♪ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♪♪ HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR MAGGIE ♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♪♪ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♪♪ AND MANY MOOOOOOOOOOOORE!!! ♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♪♪


Happy Birthday Maggie!

All of us at HOST send you wishes for a wonderful day - and hopes the sales fairy blesses you with a fly by!

Happy Birthday crochetmaggie!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/crochetmaggie

Happy Birthday theClackhouse

♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♪♪ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♪♪ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♪♪ HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR CLACKHOUSE!♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♪♪ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♪♪ AND MANY MOOOOOOOOOOOORE!!! ♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♪♪


Happy Birthday theclackhouse!!

All of us at HOST send you wishes for a wonderful day - and hopes the sales fairy blesses you with a fly by!

Happy Birthday theClackhouse!

Treasured Memories - Another Featured item!

Temporary link to Treasury.

Thank you to my teammate tantecaroline from the Niagara Etsy Street Team for including me in one of their Treasuries.
- ivykeep

. If you are a HOST member, and you are featured in a Treasury (any Treasury)- send us a screen shot and a link and we will post it here!

Treasured Memories - An All HOST Treasury!

Treasured Memories - crochetmaggie

This must be the month for HOSTies and Treasuries! Here is another one featuring our crochetmaggie!

Happy Birthday LA Originals

♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♪♪ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♪♪ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♪♪ HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR LA ♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♪♪ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♪♪ AND MANY MOOOOOOOOOOOORE!!! ♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♪♪


Happy Birthday LA!

All of us at HOST send you wishes for a wonderful day - and hopes the sales fairy blesses you with a fly by!

http:/http://www.etsy.com/shop/knitrgal

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh!

A St. Patrick's Day blessing upon you! It's that time of year when thoughts turn to Ireland and shamrocks and green can be seen everywhere. On March 17th, the anniversary of St. Patrick's death, Irish throughout the world will celebrate pride in their heritage. Many will participate in the oldest St. Patrick's Day parade first held in New York in 1762 by Irish soldiers serving in the English military. Millions of pounds of corned beef and cabbage will be consumed and Guinness will be the beer of choice. If you're still in the need of a shamrock or something green to show your pride in Ireland, stop by Etsy for many wonderful choices!

Sláinte! (cheers!) and Éirinn go Brách! (Ireland forever!)

VIDEO MONDAY: Top 5 Etsy Time Savers

Treasured Memories - Wow! Another Treasury!

 

Congrats crochetmaggie!

Treasured Memories: More HOSTies in Treasuries!

 

Treasury includes: ivykeep, salmamahjabeen, crochetmaggie, LA Originals , splurge and the HOST store!

Thanks yodamoon

Congrats Jinglebobs! 

  

Congrats Knitrgal

Treasured Memories: HOST member in Treasury

Congratulations to The Ivy Keep. Thanks to Nikki at http://www.etsy.com/shop/bonfires

Hosties - Have you been in a Treasury lately? Send me the thumbnail and information and we will post it on the Host Blog!

SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT: ReduceReuseRecycle & SoapAddicts

Tell us a little about yourself.
Well, I am a native New Yorker, born and raised and have now been living in Florida for about 5 years. I live alone in a one bedroom rental in Orlando just a few blocks from Universal Studios. I have been on etsy since 2006 and started selling in 2007. I have two active shops and I also run a street team called Etsy Goodie Goodies aka The Egg Team.
My team is about a month old and we have about 18 members and still growing. We are all about having fun and supporting each other in every way we can as well as promoting and good deeds. We are dedicated to doing at least one big good deed a month. For more info see here: http://team.etsy.com/viewteam.php?id=753
I am a swapaholic and love chocolate, dogs, dolphins, red, blue, purple, tea and hazelnut.

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HOST Challenge: Spruce Up Your Store - Baseline Information

Just to get this out of the way, I'm not much of a writer. So, you can expect a lot of videos and point forms being used to explain aspects of this Challenge. Why reinvent the wheel when more qualified people have already done the explaining? I'm a relative newbie to Etsy myself - and some of the tasks this Challenge will cover I haven't done yet - so I am going to be joining you every step of the way. I hope we will learn new things and have fun together during this process.

Okay - now we can begin -

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Meet the HOSTies: Crochetmaggie

Tell us a little about yourself.
If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be?
I love dogs. We have cats and dogs now, but the dogs are definitely my favorite.

Fruit or chocolate?
I'm not crazy about chocolate unless it is covering something else, like fruit! Mmmm chocolate covered strawberries...

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TIP TUESDAY: How to Feed Twitter your Etsy Listings.

I stumbled upon this lovely little video over on YouTube the other day and wanted to share it with all our Etsy readers. Did you know that you can have your Twitter account automatically post your listings and re-listings? You can! And for free.


The service is located here: http://twitterfeed.com/


And instructions on how to set up your automatic Twitter Feed can be seen in this video. Turn your volume down a bit though - the soundtrack tends to squeak a little at times, but the content is worth it!

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Happy Birthday Reflections

♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♪♪ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♪♪ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♪♪ HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR MARIA ♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♪♪ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♪♪ AND MANY MOOOOOOOOOOOORE!!! ♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫♪♪

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SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT: MomentsByMelanie

Tell us a little about yourself.
I love to spend as much time outdoors as possible walking, cycling, running, hiking, camping, beach walks, traveling etc. This allows me to pursue my interest in photography of landscapes and beautiful scenery to capture moments to share with others.

If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be?
I have 2 adorable cats and someday would love a dog.

Fruit or chocolate?
Bananas dipped in chocolate fondue

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Our HOST Store was S.N.E.A.K Attacked!

Just recently, another Etsy Team bombarded our HOST shop with sales in what has become known as a S.N.E.A.K. Attack!  It was exciting for us and fun for the participants (so we hear!). We thank the SNEAK Attack Team for choosing our shop and helping us continue to help others here on Etsy!


What is a S.N.E.A.K. Attack you might ask?  See below for more information!

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HOST's: Spruce Up Your Shop Challenge!

Whether you are an Etsy Newbie, or a seasoned seller, there comes a time when it is advantageous to do some Spring Cleaning on your shop. Come join us for the HOST Spruce Up Your Shop Challenge! Starting in March, every Saturday morning a new challenge will be posted here on the blog. Come join us and share your progress on the challenges. Feel free to ask questions and share your own advice with others just starting out. Each Challenge will include an article to read and include either one or a few small tasks. Time required to accomplish the tasks will vary. We will focus on things like the look and feel of your shop, writing descriptions, choosing tags, creating a profile, among other things. When we finish we will be well on our way to getting more notice from customers for our shops! To get email notification of our blog posts - including the Spruce Up Your Shop Challenges, please put your email address in the Feedburner box on the right hand side of our blog - or you can join our blog by using the handy Join button! Hope to see you all there!

Meet the HOSTies: FickleFaerie

Tell us a little about yourself.
I am an Etsy addict. I love to sew and to do my part for the environment so Etsy was the place to make a little bit of money doing what I love.
I am a wife and mother to 3 grown daughters.

If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be?
Cats, cats and more cats

Fruit or chocolate?
How about strawberries dipped in melted chocolate. That way it sounds like I picked the healthy choice.

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OFFER: Advertising Option from boutiquepillows

Hello Host Members, I am the owner of www.quiltsgaloreandmore.com and I have been advertising Etsians on my website for quite some time happily with much success.  Etsians have been receiving an increase in traffic and a huge bump in their sales since joining.

It is very important to advertise outside of Etsy to the mainstream shopping district.  By promoting outside of  Etsy, you will reach customers who are solely buyers.  Benefits to advertising on my site are that I promote my site on a daily basis as well as each individual advertiser.   We receive 3,000+ visitors a month and are ranked #1 on google.

To learn more you can follow the links below ~

http://www.quiltsgaloreandmore.com/category_108/Shop-the-Etsy-Way.htm

http://www.quiltsgaloreandmore.com/category_70/Join-our-Site-as-a-Vendor.htm

We just opened a new Blog Network ~ Saturday Blog Shoppers! To learn about this network you can follow the link below ~

http://www.quiltsgaloreandmore.com/category_101/Saturday-Blog-Shoppers.htm

Hope to work with you in promoting your Etsy shop!

boutiquepillows