Monday Marketing - Aha Moment



Photo by pizzodisevo



Throughout January I read at least a gazillion articles, blogs, and group comments in search of the best marketing strategies for the handmade artisan selling primarily online. I did this to share my findings on Monday Marketing blog posts, and to learn what I could apply at Lanetta’s Creations! It was a mind-boggling, confusing adventure indeed ~ until my aha moment!

This epiphany happened after realizing I was getting thrown here and there, getting more and more confused by everyone’s opinion how best to do this or that! Bottom line, the primary aspect I learned: there is not a single best marketing strategy, especially for the online entrepreneur! The question shouldn’t be: “Will the Best Marketing Strategy Please Stand Up?” as they all have great workable methods!



Photo by uuzinger

It’s mixing it up, combining the “this or that” needed at different times on different products for different targeted audience! This is the KEY to a successful marketing strategy! Got it!

February won’t have any specific “Monday Marketing” posts! Instead, I’m planning a “Monday Mix-Up” of different treasures found on the internet. I’ve shared new-to-me awesome sites before, and the why’s on why I find them amazing. It’s been much too long since I’ve done this! In fact, it was August of last year!

I would love to hear about one of your aha moments! I hope you'll share in the comments!

What about an amazing site I should visit and link up with next Monday? What is your favorite?

Happy Monday everyone!

Monday Marketing - Product Photo

In a prior post I began a living list of adjectives: suggested words to use when writing descriptions of our handcrafted products. But our product photos are equally ~ if not more ~ important than the words we use. I would think we have all heard these famous quotes:

A picture is worth a thousand words

You never get a second chance to make a first impression

Before anyone even gets to the point of reading the adjectives we’ve selected, it is the product’s presentation ~ the product photo ~ that grabs their attention! No matter how well we describe the item, the picture itself is worth a thousand words. It’s that first impression that will make them want to read every last detail of our description. Therefore, it’s a must to take amazing product photos!

By no means am I a professional photographer. I know it's a learning process. I constantly read a multitude of articles in search of how-to’s that will help me learn what to do, and what not do, when taking product photos.

With the photo software I use (Paint Shop Pro), I can quickly & easily crop and/or brighten the photo.

Before anything is done:

This is after I cropped and made it a little brighter:

Any other adjustments needed, I ask my sweetie to do it because I haven't a clue how or have the software he does on his computer!

I do know one “what NOT to do” and that’s snapping a picture of ANYTHING straight into the sun or any bright light. I must have the sun or light against my back (or from either side) before I take a picture! I’ve been amazed when I see someone has taken a picture of their product placed squarely in front of a brightly lit window! What a shame! I can’t see their finished product worth a flip!

I guess it's old age creeping in, but I can't free-hand a photo shoot anymore! So frustrating! Fortunately I do have a tripod for my camera and I use it! I want clear crisp pictures, not blurry in the least! My camera also has a timer I can set so I can be totally hands-free whenever it goes off! Big Big difference!

One TO DO tip I recently learned: When naming your product photos, use keywords and include your shop name! Rather than keeping the automatic numbering system the upload process creates, change it! Take the time! Then for a feel good moment do an image search on Google with your shop name! Awesome!

Why re-event the wheel? Timothy Adam Designs has already compiled a Big List of Product Photography Tips! I highly recommend his list! That’s where I’m heading!

Will the Best Marketing Strategy Please Stand Up?

Monday Marketing –

Never in my lifetime will I learn all the marketing strategies available, and that’s okay. But in between creating handmade products for Lanetta’s Creations, I need to learn something about how to effectively market the creations!

Beginning today, and the remaining first Mondays of 2012, I'll explore the wealth of information found on the Internet and read from the experts and those who have taken this path before. It's my goal to learn as much of the best marketing strategy for the small, work from home, self-employed type business entity I possibly can!



Photo by Miss Rogue

Through this Monday Marketing approach, hopefully the best marketing strategy will stand up! I did say please! If you’re in the same boat, join my journey as I “talk” my way through what I now see as a muddled messy mess of marketing strategies. Let us learn together how best to market our handmade wares!



 Note to self:

- Keep an open mind.

- Study the five Ps of marketing 

• Product: the goods or services that you market and sell.
• Price: the value of those goods or services quantified in monetary terms.
• Promotion: how you communicate the benefits of those goods and services.
• Place: how you expose buyers to products and get products into their hands.
• Position: the way the product is perceived in the mind of the buyer.

- Learn marketing language

What in the world is Pinko or Guerilla Marketing? What is The Cluetrain or The Hughtrain? I have a good idea what Viral/WOM Marketing entails! What about SEO?

Oh, my! So much to learn!

I ask again, will the best marketing strategy please stand up?!