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Thursday, June 28, 2012

App Up and Running Again

Okay so maybe I flew off the handle a little about My Etsy Shop tab for SK Wire Jewelry Facebook fan page, and if I had looked a little deeper or asked the right questions I might have found it sooner. But I'm human and I admit I got frustrated, but who doesn't when things get lost or don't work like they used to? Anyway the point is I found the answers I was looking for and have successfully added My Etsy Shop tab to the SK Wire Jewelry Facebook fan page, YAY!

If anyone else is having the same issue and may not know how to go about adding the My Etsy Shop app tab to your fan page here is what you need to do:

1. Go to your Facebook fan page and in the "search" bar type Etsy App and hit enter.

2. Scroll down the page and click on the "My Etsy Shop" app

Another window will pop up asking if you want to "Allow Permissions"

3. Select "Allow Permissions"

This process works for other apps as well like Blogger and Pinterest so load up and engage your audience.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Frustrated Etsy.com shop owner on Facebook


I’m a shop owner on Etsy.com and last year Facebook took away the shop links from our profiles but didn’t tell us how to transfer the Etsy app to our fan pages or maybe I just didn’t get that “MEMO”. I’ve been looking ever since with no luck. So as I’m browsing and giving a supportive “Like” to other Etsian’s on Facebook today I’m noticing they have Etsy.com shop links on their fan pages so I go looking on Etsy.com for a way to get mine back up and running again on my SK Wire Jewelry page. The only link I find is de-funked, no longer available, Error 404 “Uh-oh server not found” de-funked! What the hell,  our Etsy.com shop links get cut from our profiles but really people, is it necessary to bury the instructions so deep that someone like me can’t find or figure out how to move it from my profile to my shops fan page?
Are there special requirements to gaining access to this link again like your requirement of 30 “Likes” to gain stat access?  Okay so I may not have 30 “Likes” yet but I’ve no qualms in shouting that I’m a frustrated business owner and Etsy.com shop owner and I want my link back – and I want it back now! Tens of thousands of Etsy.com shop owner’s worldwide use Facebook to promote our handmade and vintage products. It is a major arena where we connect with our network of like artists, our friends and consumers. Having a shop link on our page makes it easy for consumers around the globe to access and purchase our artisan handcrafted jewelry, textile and paper crafts, metal works, and a diverse range of unique and vintage products that we work so hard to create. Your Facebook “social network” allows us to globally market our small business enterprise, it helps the small business grow but without the link for some of us, it makes it difficult for our consumers to reach us.
Alright, I’m done bitching about my Facebook http://www.etsy.com/shop/SimplyKaties shop link – but really, just tell me how I can transfer my app from my profile to my http://www.facebook.com/SKWireJewelry  fan page – I’d really love to have it back!
I want to spread some love for some wonderful artists who produce beautiful metalwork jewelry. First up is Rachel and her shop 2 Trick Pony http://www.etsy.com/shop/2TrickPony and her “Darkened Sterling Silver endless Heart Hoop earrings”. I love these for their oxidation, tapered, textured and hand forged metal beauty nicely paired with hand cut emeralds giving them a casual rustic charm. Then there’s http://www.etsy.com/PPenney she also makes some beautiful jewelry in silver and karat gold but I especially like the gemstone stack rings in gold and you can check out her website at www.allwiredupjewelrydesigns.com  for more beautiful jewelry designs. These ladies are members of the Aspiring Metalsmiths team on Etsy.com, http://www.etsy.com/teams/5627/aspiring-metalsmiths I’ve applied to this team because I also design and create hand forged metal jewelry and want to take my skills to the next level. I see opportunity and great things happening for me with the use of a torch and this group can help.  
What is your craft and is there a new technique or skill that you want to learn so you can take your skills to the next level?  Where could your interests take you? Leave a comment below

Friday, June 15, 2012

Handmade Spark for SimplyKatie's hand crafted wire jewelry

Handmade Spark - SimplyKaties - Handmade jewelry and Hand crafted wire jewelry

Through one of my fellow LinkedIn Hand Crafted group members Sisters Jewelry Designs blog I found this affordable marketing service offered to Etsy sellers. I had heard about Handmade Spark before but was at a point where I felt I could not afford to spend a ton of money on marketing my Simply Katie's hand crafted jewelry designs. Yea I know you gotta spend money to make money and Simply Katie's is a true testament to that. Simply Katie's sales are only as good as my "invested" efforts of marketing my handmade jewelry. It's time to change my thoughts on how I market my hand crafted jewelry, it's time to invest in and budget for better marketing so that I can redirect more time to the creative side of Simply Katie's and well to my surprise having to spending a ton of money was a HUGE misconception on my part. Handmade Spark which is managed by Blank Slate, Inc is very affordable and for the low cost of only $6.00 a month I believe the benefits are many.
First of all as I noted earlier Handmade Spark is a marketing service for Etsy pros but that's just the tip of the benefit iceberg so to speak. For the low monthly fee I get my own Etsy linked mini-site with product pages and listings in the Handmade Spark directory in up to 3 categories of my choosing (there are many great categories to choose from). And best of all Simply Katie's product pages on this Etsy linked mini-site are search engine optimized so the more interesting, attention grabbing and engaging my product description is written (keywords and phrases are important) the more visitors I will get which also means more potential paying customers. Simply Katie's mini-site has a sidebar where my customers can connect with me on facebook, Twitter, Blogger, even my SK Wire Jewelry website, oh and social share buttons are included (thank goodness, no more fumbling trying to figure out how or where to add the button codes) and I can track my mini-site with Google Analytics too.
I signed up and man it was so easy and only took a few minutes to set up, I didn't need a "How To... book for Dummies" to do it. Now Simply Katie's has a nice professional looking store front complete with a customizable bio to inform visitors about me and my hand crafted jewelry with product photos that link straight to Simply Katie's shop on Etsy. My mini-site even has my recent blog posts and tweets, everything is all in one place how cool is that! I can even let everyone know I do custom orders as well now that a plus.
I'm learning something new with every step I take in my efforts to improve and grow Simply Katie's and SK Wire Jewelry and I'm enjoying the journey. Growing a business for me is 100% a practical experience learning process and the mistakes I've made along the way were the result of impulse, improper information and mis-guided thoughts no doubt. And I'm not saying that Handmade Spark is the answer to all my previously unprofitable marketing efforts but it is one small step in the right direction. Being a sole proprietor and running my own business is a challenge at its best, a 24/7/365 fully vested career not just a j.o.b. It's definitely an investment in myself, a daily test of my talent and expertise, my business vision and knowledge, my personal strength, determination and confidence to say the least. But the most important and determining factor of sustainability for Simply Katie's and SK Wire Jewelry is the 'nose to the grindstone' investment of personal effort I'm willing to put toward the growth and profitability of my talent.