As many of you know, it's been a few months since I last posted on my blog. This isn't because I lost interest. It was more because I was trying to figure out what exactly to do with myself and where I would go while doing it.
I've been very much considering Etsy and if I want to continue to sell there. The reasons for this is because Etsy has been having issue with both visibility and seller tools and in delivering on the things they've been talking about. Despite these issues, I have decided to continue selling on Etsy for now but I have also chosen to diversify as well.
CARGOH.com
I recently discovered this beautifully designed venue, Cargoh. It's BRAND NEW and in Beta and so it's got bugs and the poor admins have had a huge influx of Etsy sellers and are scrambling to keep up with us all...:) I am hopefully that this market will end up being an interesting competitor for Etsy. It's one of the few sites that doesn't just deliver on content and customer service, but on design as well. I've already set up my shop and I'm going to be listing some things as soon as the photos are ready to list...:) What's cool about it is a buyer doesn't have to sign up to purchase from it and my Twitter and Facebook page are linked right there for quick and easy following. The images are also super big and you can put up more than just 5 of them.
Here's my shop: http://www.cargoh.com/store/gifted-designs
Tell me what you think of it...:D
WHERE I WANT TO TAKE THIS BLOG
My blog is also something I've been giving a lot of consideration to. I wanted to figure out exactly what I wanted to do with it and where I wanted to go. I decided that I want this blog to be a mix of self-promotion and promotion of others. I was doing that in the past, but I was only really promoting my jewelry. Very little of MYSELF was here. I feel it's important for people to know ME, not just my jewelry and artistic endeavors.
I took a good chunk of time to just right down some of the things I want to do whenever an idea would pop in my head and here's what I've got for you.
WHAT'S SHA UP TO? (personal side)
-Monthly Giveaway: I will be giving away an item with a 20-40$ value. Each month will be a different item. This is not your typical giveaway. People will be participating to enter and then a voting system will be in place once entries are given. The total time spent to run the giveaway will be two weeks, one week for entries and one week for vote. The winner will be whoever has the most votes. The inspiration for this is from the lovely Lillyella, someone who inspires me in HUGE ways...:) I'll be going in further detail when I host my first one! I would be starting this on the 15th of every month.
-It's Personal: Once a week, I will highlight something I have been doing. It could be a recipe I tried, artwork I'm working on, jewelry I'm working on, sharing some new supplies I received, a tutorial to make something, sharing my thoughts on books I'm reading, sharing photographs of things that happened (be prepared for kittie pictures or vids!) or just thoughts and observations for the week. I really want to personally connect with you and I think one day a week devoted to that is a good thing...:) I was thinking this could be on Thursdays.
-Gemstone Spotlight: This is a segment I started with my Amazonite column. I LOVE stones, I always have...even before jewelry was ever a thought and I am looking forward to sharing my favorites with you once a month. I'm hoping that people will also share with me and bring forth suggestions for the following month. Amazonite, BTW, is my favorite stone, thus why I started with it...;)
PROMOTING MY SHOP
-The Market: Anything new listed in shop during the week would be showcased and talked about. I'm hoping to list 2-3 pieces a week and so I would talk about those pieces and I would show them off too...;) I do a sneak peak 3 days before on Facebook so if you follow me in both places, you'll know before others what's coming! If a piece sells before I can post it, I will still talk about it here...:) I will be posting this on Fridays.
-Announcements: If I have special news concerning my shop, news such as the Black Friday Event I participated in last year or perhaps craft fairs I'm attending, or features I may be in, I will be announcing them, if I can, on Saturdays before the events occur. If the event or feature happen before, I will make a post about them ASAP.
PROMOTING OTHERS
-Mini Marvels: I will definitely continue to promote individual shops and people that I love or have a wonderful connection with. These people could be on Etsy, on Artfire, on Cargoh or be actual stores with an on-line presence. As with the other examples, sellers will be asked to write a short blurb about whatever they would like. Links to their stores will be provided. This is a weekly post on Mondays. I'm open to suggestions for this as well!
-Sunday Showcase: I will also definitely be continuing the showcase! I have FAR too much fun making these! Six shops are featured based on a predetermined theme posted the week before. This is a weekly post on Sundays.
-Style Exchange: This is inspired by Lillyella's Style Swap. I wanted a way to showcase my fellow EtsyQ teammates and so I think this would be a great way to do it. I would basically choose one of their items and place them in two different situations. This could either be decorative or fashion in nature depending on the teammate! This will either be a bi-monthly or monthly segment on Wednesdays.
-Treasuries: Though my love affair with Treasuries has cooled a little, I still make them and people still include me in them for which I am eternally grateful...:) As the treasuries function in a different way now, I have considered showcasing them in a different way. Instead of separating treasuries into 'yours' and 'mine'. I was thinking more of making this a specific column weekly. I would feature the one treasury I made for the week as well as anyone else who included me in a treasury that week. This would do two things, A) Encourage me to make a new treasury every week and B)Localize them in one day rather then spreading them out. Tuesdays would be a good day for this...:) I may make this a bi-monthly column. I have not decided yet.
So all this basically makes my blog half about me and half about others. I think that's a great balance.
I would greatly love your opinions and I hope this was worth the read for you all. I really want to push myself to run my business more efficiently and in a much more planned manner. I think this will definitely help me get going with that! I would LOVE to hear any suggestions you all may have. Please feel free to share them!
I want to take the time to thank you all for being around and being patient with me. I hope this blog will become something you truly love to check out and read!
♥
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