Back To Business: Week 2

Week 2 Topic:
How much is TOO much Social Networking


You all have heard me complain about trying to find a "Nice Balance" between the Real-World & my Online-Life for the past month. Having a full time job PLUS trying to continue to be creative PLUS trying to keep up with all the different Social Networking that is needed to have an Online-Life is really overwhelming.

I love to make things. This is why I started my humble little business.


BUT...


I guess I didn't realize how much time you have to put into getting your name out there in the infinite World Wide Web. Every Marketing Blog (crafty & business oriented) always talks about how your need to have a FaceBook Fan Page... Twitter really brings traffic to your site... Blog EVERY day... don't blog too much people will find you annoying... Post in the Forums... Comment on other people's Blogs... Update & renew you listings everyday... Make sure ALL your graphics are the same (helps with branding)... etc... etc... etc...

So...

Questions of the Week:

What Social Networking Sites are you addicted to? Which have you tried & think are WAY too much trouble?

Do you Etsy, Ebay, Blog, FB, Tweet, Flickr, Hoot, Post, Comment, etc?

As a Seller - What Sites are a must for your online marketing?
As a Buyer - Where do you find those artists with MUST-HAVE creations?


I think the most annoying Social Networking site that I just can't seem to keep up with is Twitter. I tried it last year, lost interest, got back into it in January, and (again) find it too overwhelming to keep up with. How do people find enough time to do everything, still create new products, and live a normal life?

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HUGE Week!!

It's been a big, busy past week here at Felted Chicken!!! I've had 4 sales (which pretty much doubled my total sales in February). Not only have I been getting ready for The Pink Parlour Festival by running around town getting stuff & finishing product, but I also am working 40 hours at my job, AND have made my FIRST GIANT Etsy sale!!!

I sold the Angler Fish!! He will be missed because he has had a permanent spot on our bookcase in the living room for the past year. He is going to a great home in Germany!! It's my first major sculpture sale & it feels awesome!! I feel kinda justified & like an official Artist!!




















And here is a Custom Cupcake that I made for a customer this week, too! It's a sweet Chocolate Cupcake with Frosty Blue Icing!! It's got me thinking of making some more interesting Cupcake Color combinations.




















OH!! I forgot to mention before....

I just listed my 100th item in my Etsy Shop!!! Gots lots of stuff, now just need lots of buyers!!! HAHA!!!

Back To Business: Week 1

So I thought maybe if I tried to add some more weekly Features on my Blog, it might help me organize my thoughts & keep me writing. So I decided to started writing a Monday Feature called:

Back To Business!!

Your weekend is over... it's Monday Morning... so... Back To Business!!! I figured this would be a great day to bring up interesting business topics that I thought maybe everyone can think about, Buyers & Sellers!


Week 1 Topic: Free Shipping!?!?!?!


So I've been thinking about this for a while now because, personally as a buyer, I'm a sucker for Free Shipping!! I love finding a product that I kinda-sorta need & am totally swayed in the purchasing direction if the shipping is super cheap or free. I hate when you find something that you absolutely need, then see that the shipping cost is as much as the price of the item. I definitely DON'T buy things with high shipping.

While reading my blog feed I came across this interesting Post from the Etsy Forums:

uniqueartpendants says:

...
This is the most important tip I have. Ready?
drumroll...
Offer free shipping. It DOES make a difference. Huge. My sales soared as soon as I offered free shipping. It's a marketing strategy that works. One woman contacted me and told me how she had a vase for $20 plus $10 shipping and it sat in her shop forever. She changed the price to $30 with "free shipping" and it sold in two days. It's a change of marketing and the buyer ended up paying the same in the end. You pay a little more in fees with the shipping included in the price - but it's worth it for the sales.
The key is to write "free shipping" in your title. If you look in my shop you will see that all of my titles have "free shipping" in them - not just in the tags. That way when buyers do a search for "free shipping" the listings with "free shipping" in the TITLES come up before the listings that have just "free shipping" tags.
...

This excerpt came from a post that uniqueartpendants started about how she made 2000+ sales. I tend to take tips from a power seller like this seriously.

I also think that the investment in Free Shipping might not be so bad when I noticed that there is a place to "deduct shipping fees" while trying to start my taxes. So technically (I think) I could probably write-off the shipping costs from my taxable income.

So...

Question of the Week:

What are your thoughts on FREE SHIPPING? As both a buyer & seller? I know it seems like a lot of money not charge a customer during an online transaction, but will that investment lead to more sales? Maybe just for domestic shipping (international can get pricey) or for BOTH?

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TGIF...

Even though I do have to work tomorrow.... I didn't think that working one extra day this week would be that big of a deal, but the evidence of my lack of blogging tells a different story. But I do have the excuse that one of my two days off was Lance's birthday, so I really only had one day to catch up on all my Crafting Stuff.

Trying to finish off all the projects that I started for the Pink Parlour Festival next weekend. I have been listing new items in my Etsy shop regularly for the past couple weeks though. Here are a few of the newly listed AWESOME things that I've finished!!




































Be sure to check out my Etsy shop this next week because I will be putting it on "Vacation Mode" next weekend, packing everything up, & hopefully make some $$ at the Show!! If there's anything that you've had your eye on in the recent past, grab it now!!!

(sorry for the shameless plug... you all know I'm usually not like this!!! But wouldn't mind a sale or two in the next week ;)

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New Charity!!

Well, January & February are past, and thanks to everyone who supported my Featured Charity the ASPCA!! i just made my FeltedChicken donation this morning & thanks to a few last minute sales in February, I got to make a sizable donation!!! I'm sure there are many homeless animals that will benefit from all our support!!

So now's time to announce the Next Featured Charity! 10% of all my FeltedChicken Sales for the months of March & April (including my craft show sales!) will be donated to....



I wanted to Feature this Charity because of the amazing work they did during the Haitian Earthquake, and their continuing need for our support for the most recent Tragedy of the Chilean Earthquake.


March is American Red Cross Month!!

The American Red Cross is part of the world’s largest humanitarian network – 97 million volunteers helping in 186 countries. In this country, the Red Cross helps change lives seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

* 200 times a day, American Red Cross volunteers help a family who has lost everything in a house fire or other disaster.
* 475 times a day, the American Red Cross connects deployed service members with their families.
* 21,000 times a day, a patient receives blood through the American Red Cross blood program.
* 43,000 times a day, someone receives life-saving American Red Cross health, safety and preparedness training.



About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org


So Please help me support this amazing Charity by making a donation from my "Featured Charity" Link, or help me make a larger donation by making a purchase from my Etsy Shop!!!