Sunday, November 20, 2016

Etsy, FB, and Cyber Monday - 3 Tips


Ok, anyone with a "shop" online - you/we have a few days to get some of our ducks in a row. A week from today is Cyber Monday. That means the media will be hyping folks all week long, and especially this weekend, to buy "online" on Monday the 28th.

We have time to take photos of the things we keep planning to list and keep forgetting to list. We have time to post in our blogs, or on Faceebook, or on other social media. We have time to mention our links, quietly but firmly, at the bottom of every email and online message.

Add to that, we are blessed in many ways. Brick and mortar stores, as real-life stores are called today, are gearing up for "Black Friday" - the day after Thanksgiving. But they not only need to deal with promotion, and photos, and planning. They must place ads, and pay for them. They must add staff, and pay for it. They must be sure any-and-all of their physical locations have enough inventory to cover expected sales. We do not need to worry about those things.

So it's time to turn our attention to mentioning what we make, what we sell. Try to show/tell your viewers why your item will be great for someone on their gift list.

Time is short but there is time. Get busy now.

If you do nothing else, do these three things:

1 - Find your link - copy and paste it into a file or sticky on your computer screen. Then, click it, copy and paste at the bottom of every single thing you post or send online all this week and weekend. If you think your link alone is not enough but do not want to "push," use two lines, something like: "Check off items on your holiday gift list - go to (insert your link)". If you can't settle on one sentence or phrase, alternate between 2 and 3 of them - that is even better sometimes. Folks become jaded and tend to ignore something they see all the time.

2 - Take inventory. Look at what you've listed online. Ensure that you still have those things to sell. I often grab something from my "for sale" stash and use it as a quick gift and forget to unlist it. There's nothing worse than waking up, checking online and finding someone paid you for something you no longer have available.

3 - Make sure your photos are up to date. Does the color in the description match the color in the photo? Also, ensure that your shipping price is realistic. 

Me? I intend to do everything you just read here. Today I must take photos of "stuff" that is ready but which need images. And as of this moment until the end of the year, I will end everything I put online with my link and/or a tag phrase.

Good luck to all and may others be blessed and happy with the things you were blessed and happy to create with your own loving hands!

Get busy and chop down that holiday gift list:

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