Friday Finds

Today's Friday Finds featuring Father's Day gifts to make your Pappy Happy!!

Also, be sure to browse other team treasuries featuring beautiful collections curated by our members. Thanks to all participating in the June Treasury Blitz!!

'Go Daddy-o' by SquishyCouture

Happy Pappy's Day!

Treasury tool by StylishHome.

The Ripple Effect

sylvie's perspective

...from the ❤

We all know what 'the ripple effect' means.  It's the stone thrown into a body of water that causes a circle of ripples that continue growing outwards into infinity, or until they reach a solid body that stops them.

How does that pertain to us as individual shop keepers and us as a team?  Because June is Treasury Blitz month where proper tagging is so important, and for the purpose of this article, I'm going to focus on our exposure within Etsy and tagging to be found.

Let's start with individual sellers.   We have shops that have been filled with our creations.  Some of them get lots of attention, some don't get any and there's a whole bunch somewhere in the middle that get some attention.  Why does one item get more attention than others?  We use the same technique.  Similar materials.  They are all photographed in the same style.  What makes the difference?

I think one big difference is in what people are looking for.  And keeping Etsy exposure in mind, those people in particular, are members who curate treasuries and Admin looking for items to feature in their variety of promotions like The Finds, for one example.

It starts with trends in general.  Etsy admin are looking for hot trends in the world of just about everything.  They bring news of what's trending to Etsy and publish them for us as guidelines.

Curators hope to curate a treasury that will make the coveted front page.  So they very smartly, study Etsy's trend suggestions and venture out into the vast sea of sellers and look for items that fit their chosen theme.  I think color is one of the most often used search terms.  So if a curator is looking for items that are mint green, even if you have a beautiful mint green hand dyed silk scarf in your shop, unless mint green is one of your tags, your item will not be found.  If your item isn't found, it can't be included in that gorgeous mint green treasury that was just on the front page.

But.  If your mint green scarf is tagged properly, it can be found.  If it can be found, it can be featured in that gorgeous treasury.  If that gorgeous treasury is featured on the front page, your item will get huge views.  If your item gets huge views, your shop is getting views.  If your shop has the team tagline, the team gets some views.  The ripple effect.

How do I know this?  Because I have a cuff that is tagged with blush pink and blush peach, one of the hottest color trends for the past month or so.  I didn't know it at the time I tagged it such, but I found out pretty quickly as this little cuff has been listed for just 2 months and in the last six weeks has been featured in 90 treasuries.  One of those treasuries made the front page a couple of weeks ago.  I got 1739 views in under 2 hours.  Now it didn't sell, but the exposure has been invaluable and continues today.  And since I joined this team and have a little tag line in my announcement, the team is gaining some exposure from this too.  The ripple effect. If we all strive to get the most exposure possible, we benefit individually.  As we each benefit individually, the team benefits.

For those who are looking at their items and thinking, "I don't make the types of things that are trendy."  You don't have to fill your shop with trendy items.  No one does.  And some artists/artisans make very classic items that are timeless.  But for those others, find a way to make a few items that would fit one or two of the trends.  Then tag your listing appropriately.  That's all.  You don't have to change everything you make.  You just have to include a new twist to a few items.  The thing I like about that is it forces us to be a little more creative in a way we hadn't thought of before.  This is a good thing because often that's how new ideas are born.

So say what you will about the front page.  I see people naysaying its importance all the time.  They always fall back on the "it doesn't guarantee sales" mantra.  Of course it doesn't guarantee sales!  Nothing does.  But they are missing the point.  Sales are great, yes.  But the exposure is what matters first.

It's a process.  It would be wonderful if everyone featured on the front page got immediate sales from their experience.  But it doesn't happen that way.  I hoped, but knew, my cuff likely wouldn't sell from front page exposure.  And even being in 90 treasuries, it still hasn't sold.  But that's OK.  Right now it's my best free advertisement within Etsy.  That has value that seems to be overlooked by those using 'guaranteed sales' as the only gauge of the front page's worth. 

The difference in my attitude from the naysayers is I understand the value of that exposure I've gotten and continue to get from this one cuff.  From that one hour on the front page, I have seen my shop stats go up since then and the number of treasuries other items are being featured in is going up.  This is how you build a business.  One brick at a time.  I don't know if my sales will increase or not.  None of us knows that as there are too many other variables.  But working towards that goal is the process that will give us the best shot at it.  And I have yet to hear a successful seller say that "it doesn't guarantee sales" as a reason to discount front page exposure.  They're successful because they can see beyond that.

So don't discount something because 'it doesn't guarantee sales'.  Look at what else it has to offer you and go after that!  Make the most of every feature and tool that is available.  You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.  And when you gain, your team gains.  The ripple effect.

So go forth and make waves!

Tuesday Teamie

There was no Monday Makeover Challenge this week. We will be back in full force next Monday, so get ready to roll up your sleeves for the next challenge!!

This week's Tuesday Teamie is a continuation of last week's feature of our member soap shops. Some of our soap shops were left out (oops!) and new ones have since joined. Also featured today are our beauty shops.

If you get the chance this week, stop by and browse or buy from our featured member shops!

SOAP & SUCH 

(Bath & Beauty)

From Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Chic Bean carries vegan, natural care lip balms, lip shimmers, highlighter/concealers, and a seaweed spa mask made with natural Canadian USDA certified organic seaweed. The shop also features a unique four-in-one product: candle/aroma therapy/solid lotion/massage & body oil. Chic Bean opened shop June 2011 and has 100% positive feedback. Customer comments: "Love this lip shimmer. Subtle and soothing" and "thanks...for another wonderful product!" 

Earth's Own Bath & Body is in Jackson, Michigan, USA. Her shop carries a wide selection of natural and organic shampoos and soaps, lotions, liquid face soaps, natural remedies, tanning lotions, beauty treatments, perfume pots and much more. Her products are all freshly made upon order. This shop opened December 2010 and has 100% positive feedback. About Earth's Own products, customers say, "works wonders", "very soothing!"
  





Alyssa Winkler-Botts lives in Austin, Texas, USA and her shop is Gypsy Glow Minerals. Alyssa carries mineral makeup including blush and eyeshadow  in a variety of colors. Her shop opened in April 2012, and because of the recency, has no feedback.

Aquannette Chinnery makes her home in Charlotte Amalie, US Virgin Islands, USA, and her shop is JDNatlady's Creations. Aquannette offers both cold and hot process soaps including sage and lemongrass loofah soap, hempseed oil bath bar, goat's milk and honey soap, mango butter soap and more. The shop opened in May 2012, and because of the recency, has no feedback.

 


 Spa Luxe is from Chicago, Illinois, USA. The shop offers vegan soaps, face and body scrubs, lip balm smoothies, cuticle and nail salve, deep cleansing Kaolin clay face mask and more. It also carries handmade hardwood soap dishes, and offers a 12-month subscription for a soap of the month. Spa Luxe opened shop July 2009 and has 100% positive feedback. Customers say, "amazing," "refreshing," and "the soap holder...a must!"

Amanda Habel of Brookings, Oregon, USA is the shop owner of  Star Wave Creations.  She carries in her shop mineral eyeshadows in a large variety of colors including lime martini, lavenders crush, Georgia peach and more. Her eyeshadows are sold in individual packs or in sets, and she also offers small one-color samplers. Star Wave Creations opened in April 2011 and has 100% feedback. Of her eyeshadows, her customers say: "very happy with my purchase," and "great color, great wear!"

Friday Finds

 Wherever you are - wishing you A Sunny Day! Today's Friday Finds:

'A Sunny Day!' by creativeatelier

A cheerful friend is like a sunny day which sheds its brightness on all around!

Treasury tool by StylishHome.

Jammin' 101

Every once in a while I want to post about something that has nothing to do with business.  And since June is just about here, that means strawberries in my neck of the woods.  And every year, strawberry jam is the first in my jammin' adventures.

It's fun, it's rewarding and soooo delicious.  No matter how much I make, it is usually all gone by the time the next season gets here.

Many of you may already jam, if my  suspicions are right.  But if you have never jammed before...there's always a first time.  Here ya go...




Start with fresh strawberries. Usually get them the same day you plan to jam or the day before at most. Six quarts made three batches of eight 8-oz jars, for a total of 24.



Instead of cutting the green top off, use a straw that you push up through the bottom of the berry and it pops the top right off. Easy!

Gather your tools. I have a steamer instead of the usual water bath method. I like it better and think it's easier. This is a Weck steamer/processor.

Food processor to chop the berries. But you only pulse intermittently so you don't totally puree them. You want pieces and even a couple whole berries.

LUNCH!

 

 

 

 

Mix 7 cups of sugar (yes, 7!) with 4 cups of chopped up strawberries, 1/2 tsp of butter to minimize foam and heat to a rolling boil. Then add 1 packet of liquid Certo pectin, return to a rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minutes. Remove from heat and skim off the foam.

Pour the cooked strawberries into your jars that have been washed in soapy hot water. Put your lids on the jars and process for about 10-12 minutes.



Et voila!! Perfect confitures de fraises. :)

❤☮❤☮❤☮❤☮❤☮❤☮❤