it’s hard to believe that the holidays are just around the corner!!  in efforts to kick things off, i’m offering a killer advertising deal, exclusive to ghtr readers!  promote your shop, blog, or website by booking the next four months (september thru december) and receive two months (january and february) FREE! that’s over 30% off!

readership: in august, ghtr received 21,470 visits and over 44,800 pageviews. i’m so excited to announce that we average over 2000 lovely daily readers! (thank you!)

the nitty gritty: offer ends at midnight on september 3rd.  not eligible for use with any other discounts.

check out the advertising page for available packages and size options.  feel free to e-mail me with any questions or if you’re ready to promote your shop!

wrap up: {advertising} {holidays} {promote} {shop} {special}

we’ve talked about twitter for newbies before, but today i’d like to discuss the benefits of twitter for a little more experienced user.  twitter has always been kind of funny to me, and i’m still figuring out how to best use it.  so learn with me, won’t you?

metal drawers

there are many ways you can use twitter to help drive traffic to you business or blog.  this problogger article outlines the top ten ways, and i’m going to touch on the ones i think are most important.

#1: personalize your twitter page. before you start building relationships on twitter, it’s important to brand yourself.  fill out your profile bio and give your potential followers an insight into who you are and what you do.  then, update your profile picture with either your logo or self portrait.  either way, you want your picture to look inviting, professional and clear.  lastly, change your twitter background to something that suits your business or blog.  there are many ‘default’ backgrounds you can use, but choosing something a bit more personal is a great way to connect even further with your readers.  think photographs, collages, or matching backgrounds to your existing site will get your followers intrigued.

sailboats

#2: get engaged and hang in there. just because you open an account, doesn’t mean the masses will come knocking.  it’s important to show up, be consistent and engage with others using twitter.  twitter is a tiny bit like a blog, you’ll have to consistently use it (at least once a day) and hang in there for at least a few months before you begin seeing the advantages it has to offer.  for a while, you may feel that you’re speaking to no one, but hang in there.  tweet sincerely, and you’ll begin to gain the trust of your followers.  rather than push people to always support you and click over to your blog, provide advice, ask questions, and treat the masses as if they were your buddies.

vintage 1960′s golden clock book

#3: build relationships. it’s not only important to gain followers, but it’s equally important to follow others in your industry and connect to them via twitter.  you can start building useful and meaningful relationships with others, and it’s an easy way to connect to people you might otherwise never have.  i ran across this handy jpg from jessica hische the other day, and it cleared up so much about how exactly twitter works! you can click here for the full size image which is much more legible.

#4: provide useful information. many business owners use twitter to only push links to their own shops/sites/blogs.  not only can it be a tad annoying, but it doesn’t really do much for your gaining followers.  your self-promoting posts should be intertwined with other relevant info. shops you find that you love, discounts and sales you find, helpful articles, etc.  posts that are resourceful always get retweeted the most.

rainbow easter eggs- felted

#5: engage by using pictures. i don’t know about you, but when other’s tweet pictures, they are always my favorite!  by using twitpic, it’s simple to post pictures from your computer, the web or your cell phone straight to twitter, and it goes a long way to engage your readers.

7 rainbow natural seed pods

this article from crafting an mba discusses the difference between using twitter for broadcasting vs. conversational reasons.  i love the article, because it’s something i’ve struggled with for a while.  i tend to use my twitter in more of a broadcast way, thought i want to start bringing in a more conversational aspect to it. how do you feel about the difference?  what do you prefer in your own twitter?

vintage 80s red and white crested canvas skimmers 7

please read!: i’d also like to let you know that i’m switching going home to roost’s twitter account.  if you’ve been following me, please click here to follow my new account, where i’ll be posting all the relevant blog info, personal finds, handmade advice and hopefully lots of conversations with you all!

do you have a twitter account? please leave it in the comments section, so i can follow you, too!

wrap up: {accounts} {etsy} {promote} {shop help} {twitter}

inspired by a recent trip to fuji, glitzer recently launched a brand new collection called paradise. it’s full of lovely & romantic pieces, perfect for valentines day!

in addition to all their new products, the lovely charmaine has created a fab way to promote your business!  do you remember when we talked about moo mini’s?  glitzer created a lookbook collection by binding five moo mini cards together: four key pieces from the new collection plus an introductory image showing the theme behind the collection. it’s a straightforward yet brilliant idea that transforms a simple card into an elegant keepsake.  it’s difficult to have your items with you or even a portfolio at times, so this is a quick, compact, and innovative way to showcase your items! visit glitzer ideas for the tutorial!

elsewhere :: {blog} {ideas blog} {shop} {facebook}

wrap up: {how-to} {jewelry} {lookbook} {moo minis} {portfolio} {promote}

hello dearies!  i’m really excited to kick off a new series today called ‘holidays the handmade way’!  i’ll be featuring holiday themed handmade items over the next 6 weeks to gear up for the holidays.  my mission is to help you beat the big box stores and go handmade with you holidays this year! feel free to sumbit your items or others- your suggestions and all the ways you been able to beat the big box stores!

all of today’s items come from papernstitch- a lovely site to promote your shop through!

1 :: wee ornament ($7)

2 :: deck the halls ($5)

3 :: wellesley and winslow ($19)

4 :: holiday mix gift tags (8 for $6)

5 :: snowflakes wall decal ($39)

6 :: reindeer silhouette (4 for $16)

7 :: holiday spirit animal ($28)

8 :: happy winter magnets (4 for $6)

9 :: pink peppermint ornament ($35)

i know we’re a little off this week- check back in tomorrow for this week’s etsy savoir faire – ‘gearing up for the holidays!’

xoxo, bonnie

wrap up: {christmas} {holidays} {promote}

do you have a new line of work coming out? celebrate it! rather than just start listing your new line that you’ve spent countless hours on, build up some suspense to it.  people will be just excited about your work as you are- so start making a fuss!

friendly forest bundle

it’s best to start talking about new items early on.  if you blog, give your readers some teasers to let them know that you’re working on something new.  and what about all those social networking sites? twitter, facebook, youtube, flickr- (you do use those, right?) start posting hints of what you’re working on, maybe some pictures of your work space or a video of your design process.  if you blog, you could even take a poll for some outsider advice.

goldsboro jacket

don’t give your line away, but post enough to get readers interested in your ‘coming soon’ line.  also, don’t forget about your shop announcement.  announcing big news and a check back on ‘this date’ will surely get your customers excited- you can believe they will be back on the date you specified (so, make sure to stick to it!).

floral coptic stitch journal

no time for a blog? etsy also has some great resources you can use.  their promotions area allow you to post any self-promoting material!  announce your new line, or maybe even a discount or sale.  their are lots of people scouring the forums all day long, so it’s important not to miss out on all these potential customers.

autumn dress up dolls :: fabric wall decal

remember us? bloggers? are you there?  put together a press release!  e-mail your favorite bloggers!  i think most of us love to hear from you and like to help promote the handmade world any way we can (why would we be doing this if we didn’t?)

triptych spring circles

would you like some guidelines? i remember when i first started out, i thought it was really nerve-racking to compose an email and approach a blogger- but as long as you know a little etiquette and approach honestly- it’s always going to be ok.  what’s the worse they’ll say? no? oh well- move on to the next one!

thank you card

would you like some guidelines? first of all, try to never mass email.  no one likes to be another blogger on a big long send list. we want to know you care, you read our blog, and you know our name (should be easy to find!).  so, try to take the time and email one blogger at a time. we like to feel that we have in-sider info- and we try to bring fresh new material every day.  if you don’t hear back, maybe send a second follow up e-mail the next week.  if still no response move on to the next blogger (i always try to respond!).  it might take a little while to land a feature, but when you do- it should be well worth the wait.  put together a quick, honest email about you, your shop, and your product.  don’t forget your release date, your shop url (yes, people forget!), and 3-4 small jpeg images.  just try to be yourself and everyone will see it come through. here’s a few more articles that should help you!

design sponge’s advice from bloggers

the ultimate press list from modish biz tips

weathered gray hook board

taking some of my own advice? check my shop on wednesday, sept. 16 for *lots of new items- including a brand new line of funky christmas aprons!

birds go green

extra reading :: {pimp your shop},{broaden your target audience} & {etsy promotion forums} from etsy and the storque :: {advice from bloggers} from design*sponge :: {build your own ultimate press list} from modish biz tips

wrap up: {advice} {bloggers} {etsy savoir faire} {etsy shop help} {new line} {promote} {shop}