Promotional Frenzy Team On Etsy - All Star Members Part 2

Last week, we featured some really great shops who are super active, and complete way more than the required activities each week.  This week, we wanted to take some time and recognize a few more teamies who also do more than what's required.  We LOVE to see teamies being active, and working hard to promote one another.  This team is all about "you get what you give," so here are some teamies who give A LOT!  Please take some time to show them some Promotional Frenzy Team LOVE!!

1. Fused Glass Jewelry and Stained Glass from Greenhouse Glassworks

Stained Glass Candle Holder

RP: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/175710822935360827/
RT: https://twitter.com/PromoFrenzy/status/379675788708048897
Wanelo: http://wanelo.com/p/8048268
G+: https://plus.google.com/113742427572625263785/posts/jWAnb6oZiyo

Wine Bottle Stopper with Fused Glass

RP: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/175710822935360907/
RT: https://twitter.com/PromoFrenzy/status/379678150541590528
Wanelo: http://wanelo.com/p/8048402
G+: https://plus.google.com/113742427572625263785/posts/gLAqVydPZDD


2. Fabric, Notions, Patterns and Handmade Gifts from GabbysQuiltsNSupplies

Quilted Square Table Topper

RP: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/175710822935360964/
RT: https://twitter.com/PromoFrenzy/status/379681179433066496
Wanelo: http://wanelo.com/p/1784639/1399152186
G+: https://plus.google.com/113742427572625263785/posts/BmLoZ4Y6ppc

Assorted Fall Leaves Hanging Potholder

RP: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/175710822935360978/
RT: https://twitter.com/PromoFrenzy/status/379682201803046912
Wanelo: http://wanelo.com/p/7496373/1399158646
G+ https://plus.google.com/113742427572625263785/posts/5Cgrrqq97vX


3. Home Decor, Jewelry, Accessories, and Fused Glass Art from GlitterBirdGlass

Blue and Green Patterned French Hair Barrette

RP: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/175710822935360990/
RT: https://twitter.com/PromoFrenzy/status/379683541593751552
Wanelo: http://wanelo.com/p/7760087/1399166800
G+ https://plus.google.com/113742427572625263785/posts/bh14HKga7km

Green Glass Business Card Holder

RP: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/175710822935361006/
RT: https://twitter.com/PromoFrenzy/status/379684605692874752
Wanelo: http://wanelo.com/p/7887183/1399173714
G+ https://plus.google.com/113742427572625263785/posts/UQaTWwXJKtZ


4. Pencil Shaving Flowers, Woodwork, Vintage and Unique Gifts from GinasCornerCrafts

Vintage Homer Laughlin Virginia Rose

RP: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/175710822935361032/
RT: https://twitter.com/PromoFrenzy/status/379686180503052288
Wanelo: wanelo.com/p/7415902/1399184302
G+ https://plus.google.com/113742427572625263785/posts/MTWSe2mKDJb

Vintage Pitcher w/ Glasses Set

RP: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/175710822935361083/
RT: https://twitter.com/PromoFrenzy/status/379687837177622528
Wanelo: http://wanelo.com/p/5655852/1399191104
G+ https://plus.google.com/113742427572625263785/posts/cHRHLN8jz7Q


5. Crochet Slippers, Plastic Bag Holders, and More from CrochetbyCharlene

Crochet Mini Christmas Tree Skirt

RP: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/175710822935361109/
RT: https://twitter.com/PromoFrenzy/status/379689073582952448
Wanelo: http://wanelo.com/p/8049057/crochet-mini-christmas-tree-skirt
G+ https://plus.google.com/113742427572625263785/posts/YcW7pEURpBc

Crocheted Ruffle Scarf - MultiColor

RP: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/175710822935361132/
RT: https://twitter.com/PromoFrenzy/status/379690304061710336
Wanelo: http://wanelo.com/p/8049159/crocheted-ruffle-scarf-multicolor-rust-olive-green-and-brown
G+ https://plus.google.com/113742427572625263785/posts/RnEbCxy9jxD


We are so thankful to have so many ACTIVE and wonderful teammates on the Promotional Frenzy Team!  The effort and time that each member takes is what makes our team one of the BEST on Etsy, plus all the promoting gives ALL our shops such awesome exposure that we'd be hard pressed to get on our own.

THANK YOU to EVERY SINGLE Promotional Frenzy Team member for helping to make our team so awesome!

PFT Leaders!

Promotional Frenzy Team on Etsy

Wrapping Up Christmas in July

 

This years Christmas in July giveaway was a lot of fun.  We saw lots of fantastic entries from all across the country, and heard from a great many people how much they loved the products showcased on the Christmas in July Giveaway board over on Pinterest.

The drawing is done, the winners notified, and the prized have been sent out!  Check out the links below to see the X-Mas in July boards created by our winners!

Stephanie from Lousiana with this fantastic board:
http://pinterest.com/lilsnobelle/x-mas-in-july/

Debbie from California with this beautiful board:
http://pinterest.com/deblee85/x-mas-in-july/

Laurie from Missouri with this wonderful board:
http://pinterest.com/lauriehayes22/x-mas-in-july/

and Krystyna from Alabama with this lovely board:
http://pinterest.com/kryptana84/x-mas-in-july/
Yay, congratulations!! These four awesome ladies are receiving lots of great prizes from all over the globe!  Check out the list of participating shops below and find greatct for gifts, or a special treat just for you!

Promotional Frenzy Team's Christmas in July Participating Shops:

Mixed Metal Necklace from Little Hill Jewelry

Stained Glass Candle Holder from Green House Glassworks

Gerbera Daisy Pillow Cover from Crystal Gayle Photo

Personalized Handmade Cutting Board from Bill's Wooden Pleasures

Hand Knit Ruffled Scarf from Arlene's Boutique

Enamel Earrings from Alery Accessories

Cherry Blossom Print from Haus of Ariella

Other participating shops include:
www.AltaSkincare.etsy.com
www.Bijibijoux.etsy.com
www.CherylParrottJewelry.etsy.com
www.Cloudninedesignz.etsy.com
www.CrochetedbyCharlene.etsy.com
www.DellCoveSpices.etsy.com
www.DLitesbyDorene.etsy.com
www.GeekeryDOO.etsy.com
www.Ginascornercrafts.etsy.com
www.jQjewelrydesigns.etsy.com
www.kapkadesign.etsy.com
www.krysthledesigns.etsy.com
www.Lindab142.etsy.com
www.maryannfarley.etsy.com
www.Newcreationz.etsy.com
www.NewEnglandQuilter.etsy.com
www.PaganCellarJewelry.etsy.com
www.peelirohini.etsy.com
www.Preciousbowtique.etsy.com
www.RomanticThoughts.etsy.com
www.sewinggranny.etsy.com
www.smileykitcreations.etsy.com
www.stinkRknits.etsy.com
www.symbolicImports.etsy.com
www.turtlexiii.etsy.com

And that's a wrap!  Be sure to follow our team blog to stay up to date on all the fun contests, giveaways, and sales being offered by members of the Promotional Frenzy Team on Etsy!

Target Market Challenge Winner

In THIS blog post, we talked about developing a target market, and getting to know your ideal customer.  We also had a little contest...

Who won you say?  I randomly selected a winner from all the comments/entries  Are you just dying too know who it is?  Well, okay, I'll tell you...

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

Yay, congrats!!  Krysthle is one of PFT's newest members, and already making big contributions to the team.  She wrote this awesome "How-to" blog post with great Stumble Upon tips and tricks, introduced all of us to Amazine, and brings some really fun energy to the threads :))  Congrats Krysthle!!!

Triangular enamel bracelet neon green blue pink from Krysthle's Shop

 

Turquoise Button Stud Earrings

Geometric Wooden Vanilla Copper Earrings

Pearl is the Birthstone for June Birthdays

The word Pearl comes from the Latin word "pirum" (it means "pear" or the shape).  Pearls have are found inside the shell of an oyster, clam or mussel.

Pink Pearl Swarovski Earrings

How are Pearls Made?
Cultured pearls are produced when man has introduced an irritant into the oyster or mussel and these are then harvested from their saltwater or freshwater environments. 

Pearl Bracelet Soiree Bridal

• Pearls are formed because of a secretion of shelly substance around some irritating foreign particle
• Natural Pearls are either saltwater found in gulfs, bays, seas and oceans or freshwater found in rivers and lakes
• Kokichi Mikimoto was the Japanese man credited as the creator of the cultured pearl
• Natural Pearls are found in the waters of these countries: Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Mannar, the South Pacific, the Gulf of California, the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific coast of Mexico, Europe, Japan and Australia
• Pearls come in a wide range of natural colors and shades. The type of oyster or mussel determines the color along with the geographical area

Gold wire and white pearl wire kippah

Colors: Natural (not dyed) colors are white, pink pearls, lilac, cream, grey, black and gold

Cream Glass Pearl Necklace

• Pink pearls are extremely popular
• The Silver-lipped oyster is found in the South Sea around Australia which produces large white and silvery white South Sea pearls
• Tahitian pearls range from black, light black/silvery and dark grey. The rare peacock green color is also referred to as a black pearl. The cheaper black pearls, especially freshwater, are usually dyed

Chunky Pearl Earrings

• Iridescence is the pearly lustre caused by the effect of colors which may be like those of the rainbow or a combination of colors such as pink, blue, green, and silver

Peach Rose Pearl Necklace

• Gold or golden pearls are the colors found in the South Sea

Blue Sterling Silver Pearl Earrings

Types of Pearls:

• South Sea pearls are famous for their gold colors

Beach Sea Comb with Pearls

• The Akoya Pearl is famous for their blue colors - from the Akoya oyster and are cultured seawater pearls produced in China and Japan. The Japanese Akoya pearl (cultured) have brilliant lustre and a higher quality than Chinese Akoya pearl
• Persian Gulf Pearls, Oriental, are some of the finest natural pearls
• Tahitian pearls are famous for their natural black colors
• Mabe pearls are grown in Japan, Indonesia and Australia. Mabe pearls are cultured pearls grown against the inside shell of an oyster rather than within the oyster’s body producing a flat back pearl which are often used in earrings
• The Mikimoto pearl are a leading brand. The company was founded by Kokichi Mikimoto who was the Japanese man credited as the creator of cultured pearls
• Lake Biwa Pearls are freshwater pearls grown in Japan

Hematite Heart Bracelet w/Pearls

Compiled by Linda Blatchford, Jewelry Designer 

http://lindab142.etsy.com

http://linorstorecom.blogspot.com

The PFT Newbie Column – The Stumble Upon activity on Thursdays

Krysthle Poitras

Hi team,

I would like to introduce myself as one of the many newbies that recently joined the team. I am learning the ins and outs of all the activities, and I'm finding that it`s quite a steep learning curve. Being the adventurous self that I am, I have decided that I will try each activity at least once, even the ones I'm not knowledgeable about, so that I can report on the how-to`s for the other team members who dare not adventure into unknown territory! Lol

I figure this will be a good resource for all future members who also join the team and might feel a little overwhelmed by all the requirements.  Fear not, I am here to mess up and learn for you, so you don’t have to!

Okay, every Thursday is dedicated to the Stumble Upon activity.  If you don’t know what Stumble Upon is, it’s a platform for sharing and finding webpage’s based on your interests. You choose your interest categories and SU (StumbleUpon) will find webpages that have content matching those interests.  When you click on the Stumble button, SU will bring up a page that is of interest to you.

But how is this any good for your business? Well, when you add pages to SU, it inventories them in its large network of webpages for others to discover. You don’t know who might stumble upon your product page, but it redirects targeted traffic that has an interest in your kind of product.  Targeted traffic is much more likely to buy from you, because they are actually interested in your products compared to blindly promoting to people who may or may not be interested.

So how does this activity work? First you need to sign up and have an account. I won’t teach you how to this, as it’s pretty basic. Once you have an account, you are set to go! I recommend downloading the SU app to easily add pages.  Select the appropriate app depending on which internet browser you use. Click on the following link to download: http://www.stumbleupon.com/downloads

Let`s review some of the features you will be using. Your dashboard should be similar to this picture:

 The most important features are all on this home page.  To access the homepage, click on the arrow at the top right of your SU dashboard and choose profile in the scroll down menu. Note that another important feature is here, the Add Page feature.

The Add page feature lets you register a new page for the SU inventory of webpages. If you haven’t downloaded the SU bar as mentioned above, this is how you will want to add pages. 

In the team discussion threads, you might hear talk about adding a review, or reviewing a team member. This means the same thing as adding a page. If you have the SU bar, you can simply click on the SU button in your browser bar, and this will bring you to the Add Page feature. The picture below shows you what the icon looks like, on the top right. It might be elsewhere’s on your browser, but this is where I keep it.

If a page has already been added (or reviewed), it won’t bring you to the add page button. In that case, you can just click the thumbs up as seen on the top left hand side of the picture above. Now you have liked the page, and the Stumble part is done for this particular shop.

But what is it hasn't been added yet? Here is what you need to do. First find the thread with all the shops. It should similar to this:

As you can see, only one shop as signed up so far. You will want to call out no.2 in the thread in case someone else also wants to add themselves to the thread at the same time as you. If no one else is calling the spot, go ahead and add your info.  Add your shop name followed by the listing you would like promoted. Make sure you remove everything after the numbers so that a picture doesn't show up. Then, you will need to choose a topic/category for your listing. Look at the SU categories (What`s this page about section) to figure out which on best represents your listing. Then choose four tags that best describe your product.

The person who signs up after you is the one who does your review. And you are supposed to review the person that is on the list before you. In this case JQ Jewelry Designs. The reason for doing the review is that someone needs to add the listing into the SU inventory. To be fair, everyone does one review (the person before them). Once the page has been reviewed/added, you don’t need to start over each time. You can just click on the thumbs up button at the top of the page when you click on the Etsy listing.

Okay, so to do the review, you need to add the web address that JQ has provided (the listing).  JQ had also provided you with a category/topic and tags. Choose the category she has provided for you and type in the tags she has chosen.  In the Write a Comment section, you have two options. Either you can copy and paste the description from the listing page, or you can write a positive blurb about her product. It’s really up to you.  Once you have finished, just click on the Add This Page button and the hard work is over.

If SU is giving you trouble and won’t let you like pages, you can always piggy back off someone who was able to do it. Team members will often share their “likes page” for you. Follow the link they have provided and it should bring you to the team members reviews.  Find the listing you were looking for and click on the small letter ‘i’ (for info) in the box.

This should lead you to the “Stumblers Who Have Liked This” page. Click on the thumbs up at the top of the page, and you have accomplished your stumble.

Once you are finished doing this, all you need to do is share via other social media if you have chosen to do so. For example, if you provide a link for Pinterest, so that others pin your listing. You are expected to do the same with the team members that have also provided links to pin. Same applies to Twitter, Wanelo and other social media sites. And don’t forget to heart each item too on Etsy.

Hope you will now have the confidence to go and participate in the next Stumble Upon Activity on Thursday!

xox Krys

Developing Your Target Market (and a Challenge!)

How many of you spend more time than you'd like promoting your shop and your products?  

Most crafters and artists I know, myself included, would rather spend more time creating and less time promoting.  In my ideal world, I would just be able to make new pieces, and buy new tools, and shop for great supplies, and my product would just sell itself.  The reality is that if we don't promote our stuff, people won't see it.  And if people don't see it, they don't know it exists.  And if they don't know it exists...can you see where I'm gong with this?

I am always looking for better, more efficient ways to promote my work.  It's the reason I joined The PromotionalFrenzy Team in the first place, because promoting on my own wasn't getting me very far.  I've also been working lately to define (and refine) who I think my target and niche markets are.

Target and niche markets are really the cornerstone of efficient marketing.  If you don't know who you're selling to, or who's buying your stuff, you'll spend a lot of time promoting with very little return.  For example, if you send out a coupon code to 1,000 random Twitter followers, you might (stress on might) see a sale, maybe 2, and a little bump in traffic.  But if you send that same coupon code out to 100 targeted customers, people you know are looking for what you offer, your chance of sales goes way up.  Less work, more sales?  It sounds like magic, right?  So let's talk about how it works.

First, some definitions:

Target Market: A group of potential customers who have a common trait or characteristic.  For example, a bead supplier's target audience might be jewelry makers.

Niche Market: A more focused group within a target market.  For example, "jewelry makers who buy and sell on Etsy, ages 20-40, and live in the Southeast" is a much more defined sub-group of the target market referenced above.  Your niche market is made up of people similar to your ideal customer, which we'll talk about in a moment.

Off the top of your head, can you say who your niche market is right this moment?  If your anything like me, maybe you have a general idea somewhere in the back of your mind, but it's pretty vague and you probably couldn't put it down on paper, were you asked to.   This probably means that you're promoting everything to anyone who will listen, which is exhausting and time consuming, and not at all engaging.

Developing your target and niche markets changes that.  If you know that your target market is a group of women between the ages of 20 and 35 living in the Midwest and working from home, you can tailor your marketing efforts to target them.   

You can also tailor your products to suit them, addressing their specific needs.  Maybe your niche market is made up of stay at home mommies who need jewelry that is toddler proof.  Or maybe they have a lot of stress in their lives, and loves to burn scented candles in the evening while unwinding with a bottle of wine.  Once you get to know your ideal customer, everything you do can be addressed to them.

When you write your item descriptions, you can tell your niche market why your item is perfect for them and how it fits in their lives.  When you engage your niche market via social media, you can share things  that are relevant to them, and therefore interesting.  You can tailor your shop policies to cater to your niche market, you can use language that your niche market is comfortable with, you can run ad campaigns that catch their eye….the list goes on. 

So, how does one go about finding their target/niche market?  Etsy just recently published a blog post  with lots of helpful tips.  Included in their article was a link to a download-able worksheet that I think is a huge help in defining your ideal customer.  Up above, I mentioned that your niche market is made up of people similar to your ideal customer.  Your ideal customer is a fictional character with all the traits of your niche market, who is also your biggest fan.  Getting to know your ideal customer is a great way to personalize your target market, giving a face to that impersonal list of characteristics. 

I really encourage each of you to sit down with a pen and paper and fill out the worksheet.  Actually force yourself to write out answers, don't just think about it.  By actually writing something down, not only are your forcing yourself to develop a concrete idea of who your ideal customer and niche market might be, but you're also creating something to reference later as you continue to develop your brand.

I actually think filling out this worksheet is so important that I decided to create this blog challenge around it.  Follow the instructions below, and enter by June 11th, 2013 for a chance to win a special team blog feature! 

To enter:

1. Visit and read the Etsy Blog post titled "How to Find your Target Market" [http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2013/how-to-find-your-target-market/]

2. Download the PDF worksheet [http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/files/2013/04/Define-Your-Ideal-Customer-Worksheet.pdf]

3. Spend some time filling out the worksheet.  Use extra paper if you need it, and really get to know your ideal customer. 

4. Leave a comment below answering the following four questions about your ideal customer:
1. What is your ideal customer's favorite movie?
2. List two (2) of your ideal customer's hobbies.
3. What is one (1) need of your ideal customer?
4. Briefly describe how your products meet that need. 

Once you've entered, I really encourage you to take your new found insight about your ideal customer and re-examine your marketing and promoting efforts, as well as your shop in general.  Are you reaching your target and niche markets?  If you're not, brainstorm some ideas on how you might better target them.  Don't be afraid to experiment with your marketing and promoting strategies.  Remember, it only takes one view to get a sale. 

Thanks for reading!  I can't wait to "meet" everyone's ideal customers.

Until next time,

Happy Sales!!

**Brought to you by Heather of Little Hill Jewelry**

Etsy Tools for Sellers: Prototypes

Etsy has a lot of tools to help us as sellers succeed.  We have forums and teams, shop stats, search ads, and the super informative Etsy Seller Handbook.  All of these are great tools (especially teams like PromoFrenzy).  One of my favorite things offered by Etsy is their prototypes.  I’m a member of five out of the 15 currently available, and while some haven’t really affected me one way or another, some have proved invaluable.

What is an Etsy Prototype? Straight from the Etsy Prototype page:

 Prototypes are projects from Etsy Admin that explore different ways of using Etsy.  Each prototype is released with the goal of gathering data and observing how people use them.  Note: Given their nature, these projects may come and go at any time, and they may not always work as expected. Etsy offers limited support for prototypes.

Basically, by joining an Etsy Prototype, you’re becoming a sort of beta tester, helping Etsy experiment with potential new features that they may or may not decide to roll out to everyone.  Some are by invitation only, some you have to apply to, and others still can just be signed up for with the click of a button.

Over the holidays, I was lucky enough to be invited to join a shipping prototype that let me offer a variety of shipping speeds to my customers.  It was amazing, and once I got it set up, it was a huge time saver.  My customers could choose what speed worked for them without either of us having to jump through extra hoops, and, as a special little treat, items that would arrive on or before December 24^th were surfaced to last minute shoppers.  I’m fairly certain being a member of this prototype was a huge contributor to my shops success at the end of last year. 

I was so bummed when the decided to do away with the changes rather than roll them out, but that’s the nature of prototypes.  It was still really awesome; not only was I able to experiment with the potential changes, but I was also able to provide feedback and discuss improvements with Etsy admins.  I felt like I had some say in the future of such a great site.

There are about 15 current prototypes on Etsy right now.  To learn more about each one, you can visit http://www.etsy.com/prototypes and scroll through the list.  The following are four of my favorite:

ShopStats Improvements:

I added this prototype last year, shortly after I joined Etsy, so I’m not 100% positive what the difference between shop stats with and without this might be.  I think the biggest difference is that on your shop stats page, down below the “Listing Favorites” section, there’s a “Treasuries” section that lists all the treasuries you’ve been featured in for whatever time period you’ve selected, and what items have been featured.

Add Item to Treasury from Item page:

This is one of my favorite prototypes, and it’s just invaluable for creating treasuries.  Once you’ve joined this prototype, you can add items to your treasury with one click, and it’s automatically saved.

When I click on that link circled in red, I’ve given the option to add it to an existing treasury, or to create a new one:

 And then, whatever option I pick, it automatically saves the item to the assigned treasury, which is a huge help, because sometimes I forget to save, and wind up losing entire treasuries.

Digital Items:

This is another really awesome prototype.  I believe there’s currently a waiting list to join, but once you do, you can upload your digital products (up to 5 files per item, or 20MB, whichever comes first) and when a customer’s payment is processed, they get a link to download the item automatically.  It’s a huge time saver (once you’ve uploaded all your files), and while there’s still some drawbacks, it’s such a handy tool.  I can’t wait to see what else they do with it, and I’m hoping they’ll decide to roll it out to everyone.

Custom Order Requests:

This is one I’ve only just joined, but I’m really excited about the concept.  I accept custom orders, in fact I love custom orders, but communicating that to potential customers has been a challenge from day one.  By joining this prototype, there’s now a very prominent button on every item page that says “Request Custom Order”

that when clicked on, brings up a contact box

Pretty cool, right?

There are plenty of other great prototypes, all of which can be found at http://www.etsy.com/prototypes

They're definitely worth checking out, and who knows, you might find something that makes your life a little easier.

Happy sales to everyone!