April 2008 Issue 4
Newsletter Crew:
Andrea of Handmade by Andrea Baker
Brandy of Wyles Style
Sarah of Scrapadot
Shannon of All Grown Up
Tamara of TPdesign
GET INVOLVED
The Etsy Mom Street Team is growing by leaps and bounds. This year alone, we have gained about 100 members per month, putting our total at more than 800 EtsyMoms. With so many talented moms, all we need is a little participation and effort from our members and our potential is unlimited. We all know how busy moms can be (and usually are!), but we all share a common goal – making our Etsy shops succeed – and being part of this team is a great place to start! With so much to offer (advice, support, friendships, etc.), the EtsyMom Street Team is wonderful group to be part of. As a team, we’ve created and organized some really great events, such as the gift basket to Dawn Meehan, the author of Because I Said So, in November, the EtsyMom Rudolph promotion during the 2007 holiday season, the Spring Auction that just took place in March, and a new, upcoming collaborative effort between the EtsyMom Street Team and the EtsyKids Street Team.
Joining our efforts doesn’t have to be hard, and it certainly doesn’t need to be time consuming. There are many ways you can help out, and we are here to give you a few ideas as to how you can become more involved.
PROMO THREAD AT ETSY
Each week on Wednesday we do an EtsyMom promo thread. This is what has replaced our daily promo thread. We would love for you to come on over and help promote your fellow EtsyMoms on this thread. You can always find the thread by doing a search in the Etsy forums with ETSYMOM. Just check the dates on the thread to find the most recent thread. You can also visit the EtsyMom Forum under Promotions then Daily Promo Threads or this link http://z11.invisionfree.com/EtsyMom_Street_Team/index.php?showforum=5 to find the most recent Promo Thread as well. We hope you will join us in our quest to promote ALL EtsyMoms in a positive and effective manner.
See you in the promo thread!
ETSYMOM REGIONAL RESOURCES
By now you have probably seen the section in the EtsyMom Street Team forums entitled “EtsyMom Regional Resources”, and you may be wondering what it’s all about. The regional resources have been broken down into sections based on geographical location. There are sections for all of the United States regions (for example - the New England section, which includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont), and there are sections for Europe, Canada and Australia.
The purpose of having these regional resources is to encourage all EtsyMoms to connect on a local level when possible. When you join in the EtsyMom regional resources, you are not dividing from the team in any way. You are only grouping together with other EtsyMoms based upon location. It is a great place for sharing information, such as upcoming craft shows, events, and tax information, and we have so many members that it is quite possible many EtsyMoms are living near enough to meet – maybe you can meet at a craft show (share a table?), get involved with a local charity, get together for a play date with the kids, or even organize a craft-time get together or potluck.
ETSYMOMS AND ETSYKIDS WORKING TOGETHER
The Etsy Admin team has been encouraging street teams to work together, and what could be a better fit than the EtsyMoms and the EtsyKids Street Teams? We are in the very early phases of organizing a collaborative promotional event, and while nothing has been officially decided, we’re thinking of doing a “Summer Fun” scavenger hunt.
You can get up-to-date on everything that has been discussed regarding the promotion and stay updated at the EtsyMom forums by visiting http://z11.invisionfree.com/EtsyMom_Street_Team/index.php?showtopic=1822&st=0. Remember, as always, you can subscribe to this topic in the EtsyMom forums (or as many topics as you’d like) by clicking on “TRACK THIS TOPIC” in the upper right hand corner when you are viewing the topic, and you will be notified via email when there are new responses.
SPOTLIGHT
Cinnamon & Spice Crafts was featured by Etsy artist, Fiddlelee (also has the shop knittedfiddle), on her blog, Etsy Treasures. Her blog spotlights the Etsy shops of mostly new and upcoming indie artists. Here's the link: Cinnamon Spice The interview covers Cinnamon & Spice Crafts’ background, how they heard about Etsy, and of course their shop!
Kara Shall's shop Urban Cheek was featured on the blog MyMomShops on February 24 (Buh Bye Ba Ba), and also offered a giveaway on that same blog on March 6th (mymomshops giveaway urban cheek)!
Baby Fish Mouth has been featured on several blogs. First up is Mama's Magic, a blog by another Etsy Mom, bfbeads: Friday Feature Next, Mommies with Style gave BFM glowing review: Baby Fish Mouth Fashion for future film fans and finally BFM did a contest giveaway and was given a review on SevenDogsAndaBaby.com: Clothing Review Baby Fish Mouth
The Tie Dye Girl has been featured on Etsy Blabbler blog. Another Wonderful Etsy Trade
Happy House Quilts was featured on Mom's Favorite Stuff!!! Another great review about her kits! Bring out your kids craftiness Happy House Quilt was also featured in her local paper. The local paper does a "Taking Care of Business" spotlight each month to highlight local businesses in town. Happy House Quilt was chosen and you can read all about it on page 14-15. Loudon Ledger
Rosie's Cozies has been featured Journal Modiste and Designer Notions Designersnotion you'll have to scroll down to see the feature. While you’re doing that, enjoy the other features and beautiful photos.
BIRTHDAYS
Happy Birthday to the EtsyMoms who celebrate their birthdays this month!
April 4 – JoeyAndAleethea
April 7 – LittleSomethingExtra
April 10 - Arctida
April 11 - TeeTee
April 15 - LizzyPops
April 18 - LiliesOfAnnwn
April 19 - PumkinHeadBabyCo
April 20 - LittleGlimpses
April 21 - MaggieMooDesigns
April 22 - SlyMagpie
April 30 - Triz
BUSINESS TIPS AND TRICKS
Not Just Another Promo!
There are so many things to think about when you are starting a business. One of the major things on people's mind is how to get their name out there to their potential customers. Well I am here to give you some alternatives to your everyday business card, fliers and postcards that you would normally pass out. These are great promos don't get me wrong, but sometimes you need to step out of the safety zone and try something new and different to get your customers attention.
When you are trying new promo ideas, think about what you would like or keep, what's in style now, but most importantly what would make sense for your shop. Below are a couple ideas that should work for anyone, but they are just a starting point...
First are buttons/magnets. I personally like the button idea better but for some magnets may make more sense. Take some artsy photos of your merchandise and send the photos over to Donna Pool and she will create some wonderful little buttons out of them. Don't forget to have her put your shop URL on there as well. You can then attach them to a business card, post card, coupon or just pass them out by themselves. Don't think your items would look good on a button...put your favorite sayings, quotes whatever, but again make sure they make sense with your store!
Not a fan of buttons, try travel size soap or lotion. We have several members, like CozyMoments, who can create sample/travel size soaps and lotions for you to pass out. Not only will you be pampering your customers, but you will be helping another Etsymom promote their shop! Part of being an Etsymom is reaching out and supporting one another, in fact that is my favorite part.
My last idea for you is little thank you cards. These are great to pass out with your info listed on the back. Not only can you pass them out but you can use them yourself to say thank you to your customers for their purchase. Then throw one or two more in for them to use. Not only to they keep your cute little card with all your info, but if they use it then you have free advertising! How great is that. Think about if every one of your customers send one of your thank you cards to a friend...how many more people are reaching. Hopefully these will jump start your ideas or at least give you a head start on what to start thinking about. Feel free to share your ideas in the forum too! Good luck!
NEW MEMBERS
Welcome to the 123 new EtsyMoms who joined the team in March!
*Due to a busy schedule, Shannon of AllGrownUp was not able to do the featured member interview this month. Look for BFbeads to be the featured member in next month’s newsletter!
