Which Widget Will you Blidget?
By Rachel of Ethereal Rhapsody
Ok, I admit it. This article is going to be about blogging. Now hold on! Before you mentally block this off as something you are not interested in or that has no pertinence to you or your store, hear me out. A blog is simply your own webpage that you can write and post whatever you want on it. (Believe it or not, you are reading a blog right now set up by EtsyMom.)
No, it is not as hard as you might think. I was one of those in the above category that immediately tuned off once I saw the word “blog,” so I can totally relate, as I thought “I can’t keep up with all this internet stuff!” and dismissed it for years. Well, since then I have been caught up in blogging . . . imagine, little ol’ me! Anyway, to the veterans who have blogged since the beginning of the era of the superhighway please forgive this small fry for this attempt to breakdown mental blockages when it comes to blogs.
To get started, the easiest way is to find a site that offers free blogging. Good examples are this one, meaning blogspot.com. It really is three easy steps to get your own page. I have also tried wordpress.com and I’m sure there’s a whole host of others if you do a simple search for it on the internet, don’t take my word for it.
You basically get a page with your own web address to post pictures, your thoughts, your craft ideas – anything you like. In our case, it’s a great way to network and draw more attention to your store, rather than just hoping that the right buyer happens upon your listing on Etsy. All this talk about featuring and being featured centers on bloggers writing and putting pictures of other Etsy stores, to interview them, talk about them and their crafts.
The difficulty is finding both the time and the motivation to continue a blog when you don’t know if folks are visiting your site and reading your blog. It also does take a sort of discipline to post something regularly; pictures are a wonderful accompaniment to your blog. Free counters are available on the web for you to put on your blog so you can keep track of how many visitors have visited your website. An example would be free-counter.com
So, you set up a blog page in minutes, seconds really, and now while you think about what you want to blog, what can you do with a ton of empty space on your blog? What are all the cool click-able buttons and links and where does one find them? Well they are called Widgets. Find 30,000 of them on widgetbox.com – to mention just one widget gallery. Eat your heart out! Put games, clocks, sports teams, weather reports, and even make a Blidget –a widget that you can make of your personal Blog.
Monetary motivation is a good motivation to setup and maintain your blog. Project Wonderful, which I discovered on projectwonderful.com, is great even if you don’t have a blog. Basically you can bid for free to put links on others’ blogs / websites to your store or blog. And, if you have a blog, you can even go about putting empty boxes up for bid so others will bid to have their links placed on your blog. Some might even be willing to pay a small amount a day to have their link on your blog. Imagine, a penny a day could pay for your listing fees on Etsy . . . might not be much but it sure could be fun!
Tell us a little about yourself and your family:
"I am 22, Cody (husband) is 24. Cheyenne is our second and is 10.5 months old. Our first was stillborn in May 2006. I work from home, running CheyLoCreations, and nannying another baby. Cody is working a couple part-time jobs this summer, and in the fall begins his student teaching year (going to be an elementary teacher). We do our best to make ends meet, and I am hoping CheyLoCreations takes off, to help fill the gap, so staying home with Chey continues to be an option! We've been married 3 years, in August. I love to sew, and learned very young. I really believe parenting gear can be fun and functional! "
Tell us about your shop and your favorite product:
"My shop is CheyLoCreations. My daughter loves to be held, and I love to get things done; the BeeB Along (TM) was our compromise! She is happy being up in my arms, and I feel productive! Babies who are worn are less likely to cry, and also receive the benefits of being up on adult level; lots of interaction and stimulation! The BeeB Along is a mei-tai style baby carrier and can be worn in many positions on your front, back, and hip! The four straps spread the weight out to your shoulders, back, and hips so it more comfortable for the wearer and the wearee! This is great for babies of all ages, and I believe every parent needs one, so why not bring your BeeB along?"
What advice would you give to a new seller to promote on Etsy that has worked for you?
"Really believe in your product! That makes such a difference, both online and in person. Potential customers can tell when you are just trying to sell th em something! I don't make any product that I wouldn't use for my baby. Which is another thing I find works well in person, use your product in your daily life, then when people ask about it, give them a card! As far as Etsy specifically, list often; I personally haven't found relisting to be very useful, especially with lower priced items (it can really eat into your profit quickly)."
How do you juggle being a mom, entrepreneur, etc.?
"There's no doubt it is difficult! Cheyenne is a very sensitive, high-needs baby who needs my full attention a large part of the day. She isn't a baby that can be left to play contently on the floor for an hour while I fold clothes, or sew cloth wipes, or make dinner. I do a lot at night after she is in bed, but my biggest supporter is my husband! He loves to put Chey in the Beeb Along and go for a walk, which is a huge help. Their special times are bedtime and early morning. He puts her to bed most nights, which frees me up to work o n my sewing/marketing/packaging/etc. he also gets up with her in the morning and gives her breakfast, so I can get a little extra sleep, since I stay up late working. He is amazing!"
Thanks Chelsea for sharing with us your advice, insights and unique products!
Birthdays
By Sarah of Scrapadot
July EtsyMom Birthdays!
4th: AlexiaJean
6th:Pandys and maryhadalittleparty
7th: princesspretties
15th: bijouxdellostregatto
16th: zoewoods and jaimesews
17th: geeta75
20th: char
21st: piccalillitoo
22nd: tinkerellacreations and SistersSisters
26th: twochickstoo
27th: CaffeinatedCrafts
28th: simag
29th: yappscottagedecor
Spotlight
By Allison of CraftGirlAlli
The Spotlight Section is designated for any and all EtsyMoms that have been featured during the month. The feature could be anywhere, whether it is another EtsyMom’s blog, or any blog for that matter, a local news paper, etc.
Within the last month, the Arte Y Pico award has been making its way through the Etsymom group. Here is a list of EtsyMoms (that I know of) that have been the lucky recipients of this award!
Two Zany Zebras, Jaime Sews, VividStudio, Bliss Home Goods, Wyles Style, CraftGirlAlli, BijouxDelloStregatto, Happyathomehandmade, EtherealRhapsody, BabyLyons, PammyDawn, BeadedSocks, CinnamonSpice, OhioCrochetLady, ToteNTots, HairBowDiva, Aliceinparis
To find out more about the Arte Y Pico award, please visit the blog where it all started http://arteypico.blogspot.com/
Priscilla from BijouxdellaStregatto featured the following Etsymoms on her blog during the month of June: BabyLyons, TwoZanyZebras, EtherealRhapsody, AngelHearts
Allison from CraftGirlAlli featured the following Moms on her blog: Laktjohnson, CookieDough CraftGirlAlli was also featured on EtherealRhapsody’s blog.
Jen from BFBeads featured 2 Etsymoms this month: BijouxDelloStregatto and CraftGirlAlli.
BFBeads was also featured on her birthday in the EtsyBloggers blog.
We are EtsyMoms supporting EtsyMoms!
Make sure you check out the EtsyMom Weekly Promo Threads in the Etsy Forums. Many EtsyMoms are featured in these threads every week! There is a new thread posted every Wednesday. Everyone is encouraged to participate in promoting! Help us help each other!
Week of June 11th Promo Thread, Week of June 18th Promo Thread, Week of June 25th Promo Thread
The above mentioned EtsyMoms were featured somewhere during the month of June. For next month’s Spotlight Section, please contact Allison at craftgirlalli@yahoo.com or look for this thread in the Etsymoms Promotions section.
New Members
By Sarah of Scrapadot
Welcome to the 92 new EtsyMoms who joined the team in June!