Make It

Help A Reporter Out - Craft and Design Edition

Help A Reporter Out is a great resource for finding sources for articles (if you're a journalist) or getting a mention in an article (if you're a business looking for some PR). I subscribe to the email list and it's often overwhelming to sort through but I'll try to re-post some crafty/design listings here as I see them. The writers often work on a tight deadline so if one of these listings might apply to you, get in touch ASAP.

Summary: Stylish gifts for Dad under $50 in Boston.
Contact: Anna Rice, annarice23@gmail.com
Media Outlet: Examiner.com
Deadline: 05:05pm EASTERN - 28 May
I'm looking for Father's Day gifts for stylish dads for the Boston Budget Fashion section of Examiner.com. All items must be $50 or under and available somewhere in the Boston area. Please DO NOT send me items that are only available online. Please send a photo, price, and description for each item. Please do not send responses after my deadline, either. Thanks!

Summary: Looking for offbeat, affordable interior design gurus and ideas
Contact: Carol Lloyd, carol@creatingalifeworthliving.com
Media Outlet: San Francisco Chronicle
Deadline: 01:05pm PACIFIC - 31 May
I'm looking for unique interior design ideas for those people who can't afford an interior designer and don't want to make IKEA catalogue their Bible (no offense to the Nordic Design Juggernaut) and frankly don't trust their own aesthetic. If you have notions, tips, or ideas of who might be a great source for said ideas: whether its a salesperson with a keen eye (must be from the region) who has a following, or a professional dumpster diver, or some other unlikely interior design guru, email me. Thanks very very much!

Setting Goals: Week 2

Week 1: 57 sales, (forgot to log my # of hearts)
Week 2: 60 sales, 812 hearts

One week ago I wrote about the goals I'm setting for my Etsy shop this holiday season. Every Friday for the rest of the year, I'll update you on my progress and keep a running tally of my sales and the number of people who "heart" my shop. The goal is 100 sales by January 1 (and 1,000 hearts). Can I do it?!

I've continued to update about 5 times a day, though less frequently on weekends, those don't seem to be as active as the work week. I also purchased two spots in an Etsy showcase spotlighting gift wrap and holiday items on the front page.

I signed up for a 15-day free trial period on iContact, an email service recommended by Jena in her latest Modish Marketing column. I'll use the free trial service to send out my email newsletter to family and friends and then decide if I want to stay on as a paying customer.

I'm organizing my inventory and listing things like gift tags and scrap packs that I made long ago and have been tucked away in boxes since I moved.

What did you do in the past week to promote your shop and prep for the holiday season?

Ads + Craft blogs

I'm interested to hear your thoughts on ads on craft blogs. I read lots of blogs and I'd say the design blogs are much more likely to have ads than the craft blogs. Why is that? I think it's because craft blogs are often more personal, someone is showing their own work, whereas design blogs are usually showcasing finds from across the blogosphere. Maybe it seems somehow not right to put ads on a personal blog? Even if that personal blog is about your business.

I ask because I used to have ads on this blog and have started to consider it again, but I'm hesitant because of the "stigma" of ads on craft blogs. How I present this blog is one way of branding rifferaff and I don't want to turn people off due to the presence of ads. One option I'm considering is doing an ad swap with other bloggers. If they put my little ad on their blog, I'll put their ad on mine. I won't make revenue like I would from ad sales, but I'd get free exposure on a variety of other blogs.

I'm interested if anyone else has noticed this phenomenon and personally dealt with the issues of putting ads on their blogs. I think it taps in to the larger angst amongst craft business owners about fully embracing the business side of things.

My Experience: The Sampler, Poppytalk Market

Some of you have requested information regarding my experiences with The Sampler and Poppytalk Handmade. Before I decided to participate in both of these, I also searched for information online and couldn't find much info about individual sellers' experiences. So here are mine:

The Sampler: I donated 50 sets of gift tags and paper swatches to the Boston Sampler in February.

What I thought would happen: I thought these samplers would end up in the hands of local storeowners, media and consumers and that I would be contacted by locals who had received a box who wanted to learn more about my work.

What actually happened: For the most part, nothing. I never received any inquiries from media, storeowners, or consumers. I did get one Etsy order earlier this week where the buyer wrote in the "message to buyer" that she had received a Sampler and liked my work. So I can attribute that one sale directly to the Sampler.

Would I do it again: Yes, but only with certain conditions. I believe the Sampler has a special press-only box that they send out only to media contacts. I would consider participating in one of these boxes. I think the Sampler is a great concept and by participating I was able to get my work out there to potential customers who may not have found out about me otherwise. But I'm not sure that the Sampler customer necessarily is a rifferaff customer.

Poppytalk Handmade Market: I paid a $60 fee to participate in the online market for a month. I uploaded 12 images of my work with links to my Etsy listings.

What I thought would happen: I expected to get a big boost of sales/inquiries on the first day and I wanted to establish an identity as a "green" designer by participating in the "Green Pop" market, the theme for the month.

What actually happened: No boost in sales. I think I got a few extra "hearts" for my Etsy shop, meaning that people stopped by to visit and liked what they saw and "hearted" my store. This month Jan started showcasing studio tours of the participating artists, so by submitting some pics and answering the interview questions, my shop got some airtime on the Poppytalk blog front page.

Would I do it again: Hmmm. Not sure. It's hard to tell where your Etsy buyers come from if they don't explicitly tell you themselves. I don't think I made back my $60 over the course of the month from Poppytalk buyers. As always, my Etsy sales seem to be directly related to how often I list new stuff. I think this is a guaranteed route to consistent sales, but I can't say the same for PHM. I do think I got great visibility and by corresponding with Jan, the writer of the blog, I now feel like I have a good relationship with this blog, which I consider a trendsetter. In the future, I think Jan will recognize my work and post any updates I'd send her. Also she did choose one of my images to use for the PHM ad on Design Sponge, adding to my product visibility. The perks here were a little more subtle. I think it was great for my overall goal of establishing an identity and a presence but did not result in direct sales.

I hope this recap can help some of you with your decision to participate in marketing opportunities like this. Neither one required an exceptional amount of time and money so it was all worth it. Anyone care to chime in with their own experiences in the comments section?

Rolled or folded paper?

I've got a question about wrapping paper packaging.

Right now I package my wrapping paper by rolling it up into clear poly tubes. This means that the packages are approx 19" x 2", the paper doesn't get any creases in it from folding and the shipping is relatively high, due to the length of the 20" tubes I send it in.

I've started to wonder if I should explore the alternative: folding papers up and packaging them like this gift wrap sold by EtsyLabs. The paper will have crease marks, but it will take up less space and will be cheaper to ship. So I thought I'd throw it out there and see if any of you had strong feelings on this matter one way or the other. Which way do you prefer?

The Sampler

I decided, pretty last minute, to participate in The Sampler:Boston after getting an email reminder on Thursday via the Boston Craft Mafia email list.

The Sampler is now doing city-specific sample boxes and Boston is the first city, more details here. What this means is that I contribute 10 - 100 samples of my products for inclusion in the boxes. The boxes are then sent out to people who have purchased them and also local media and storeowners. It seems like a neat way to get my name out there and I like that it's Boston-specific.

Luckily I had just the right items for inclusion. I put together 50 little packets that contain 2 gift tags and a few mini patterned paper pieces. Then I wrapped it all up with a band of scrap paper and sealed it with a pink sticker. I really enjoyed putting together the little packages and I can't wait to see what kind of response I get from contributing to this month's box.

Pleasing Piles

What is it about piles and stacks of stuff that looks so great? I know I'm not the only one who thinks so. So I was thrilled to find the website of Rebecca Thuss via Oh Joy. Rebecca is a former stylist for Martha Stweart Weddings and her portfolio has lots of shots that she styled from the magazine. Looking through them, I realized that the trademark Martha-style is to shoot piles, stacks or multiples of similar items. Take a look at the pics below. It's such a simple but effective way to show off a product (something to keep in mind for personal websites or Etsy shops). All pics from RebeccaThuss.com

Apothecary-style packaging. It's sick!

Was just applying some C.O. Bigelow lip balm a little while ago and I had an epiphany: I love their packaging. A new C.O. Bigelow store just opened in Boston, and it's packaging heaven. So many little potions and ointments in all kinds of pretty packages.I am a big fan of apothecary style packaging in general: C.O. Bigelow, Kiehl's and Dr. Bronner's all do it well. I love how the Kiehl's and Dr. Bronner's bottles have text all over them. The Dr. Bronner's text is actually very strange if you read it, but from an aesthetic standpoint, it's cool. I think it's the whole stripped down and bare look of it: basic black typewriter-like font on plain white paper. It doesn't get more classic than that. How about applying that style of packaging to non-apothecary products? It seems like a cheap and chic alternative. I'm inspired!

Getting your work in a magazine is easier than you think

I recently put a few subscription cards in the mail to receive free trial issues of a few craft magazines (you know, the ones where you can get a free issue and then decide whether you want to pay for a subscription or not). The first one I received was Art Jewelry magazine. This publication has a focus on metal, metal clay and polymer jewelry (no beading here). Interestingly enough, there was a two page article in there called "How Do Artists Learn" which was all about taking new approaches to learning a craft (including taking classes).

I'm always amazed at the range of craft magazines that are on the market dealing with all different aspects of crafts and they are all looking for new content. Frankly, there's no reason why a talented crafter shouldn't be able to get her work into one of these magazines of the trade. The editors are always on the lookout for new talent, the craft world isn't that big. Don't be intimidated, seriously consider submitting your work to a publication, it's a great way to get visibility and establish yourself as an expert (they often pay you for your submission as well). Magazines like this are often looking for tutorials so the next time you come up with a kick-butt project, don't post it on your blog, submit it to the magazine first (they may not accept it if you've already posted the tutorial someplace else, including online). Submission info can be found on the "About" or "Contact" pages of most magazine websites.

Here are the submission guidelines for Art Jewelry, for all of you polymer clay and metal artisans. They accept tutorials for all skill levels, from beginner to advanced.

Put your logo on a Word document

Via the recently married Erica at Paper Bride (congrats!), here is a link to a Lifehacker post regarding how to create letterhead templates for your business documents in MS Word. Brand all your company communications by putting press releases and invoices on stationery with your business logo. It's all about the branding!