I often get asked by online and offline friends how I accomplish so much. I have written previously about time management but I would like to share some of my own strategies with you in this article. Often just knowing about time management isn’t enough to actually produce positive results. You also need to know how to apply that knowledge.

In this Handmade News article, I’ll share with you one of the ways I’ve used my time management knowledge to increase my branding, promote my Artfire Studio (and previously Etsy shop), and accomplish more marketing tasks with only a small amount of time.

Many of us enjoy using social media sites like Facebook and YouTube, but did you ever stop to think about how important social media can be for your business?

If you’re running an online shop, social media is extremely important. Your costumers are online so what better what better way to interact with them than via social media? If you’re already using social media sites for fun then you’re a head of the game and can make an easy transition into using these sites as an organic way to market your online shop. If you’re not using social media sites yet, don’t worry. They are easy to get the hang of. Start by setting up a profile at Facebook and work from there. Facebook is one of the bigger sites and will help you connect with local people that may want to buy “offline” from you.

Continue reading my article on Handmade News where it was originally posted.

"If you missed Part 1 of “Twitter Follow to Followers Ratio Explained and Why You Need to Know”, take a minute to review the ratio explanation to address the “Follow” side of your ratio. If you feel you have the “Follow” side under control, it’s time to discuss the “Follower” side to the equation. More often than not, you’ll be following more people than are following you.

If your ratio is rarely close to 1, you probably don’t need to do anything at this point. Just be sure to check in every now and again to see where your ratio is at. For the times when you clearly need to get things under control, here are a few simple solutions you can use to get your ratio back to a reasonable number.

First, figure out how many people you’re actually following. By this I mean how many people do you follow that actually contribute content you’re interested in. Some of the people you’re following may not even be updating their Twitter accounts or have closed them all together! Twitoria is a good resource to find out if the people you're following have been active on Twitter in the last week, 2 weeks, month, and so on......"

Continue reading my article at the Marketing Department of Handmadenews.org where it was first published. 

"Once you have been using Twitter for a while you’ll start to notice people talking about the “follow to followers ratio”. Simply explained, this is the ratio between how many people you are following compared to how many people are following you.

This matters because other people on Twitter judge whether or not to follow you by your ratio, and because your ratio is also a judge of how well you’re contributing to the Twitter community. For example, many people will choose not to follow you if you’re following 500 people but only 5 are following you. Likewise, people will feel comfortable following you if your follow to followers ratio is closer to 1 (i.e. you’re following 500 and 500 people are following you).

From a marketing standpoint, you don’t need to stress over your ratio but you do need to pay attention to it every now and then. After all, if you’re using Twitter as part of your marketing plan (under social networking), you want to ensure that you (as a “tweeter”) are approachable and inviting. There’s nothing worse than scaring away a potential customer over something that can be easily fixed......."

Continue reading my article at HandmadeNews.org in the Marketing Department where it was originally posted.

I had the honor of interviewing Shelly of The Lemon Tree Studio. Shelly is a stay at home mom who has a passion for paper and over 2350 online sales since February of 2008! I asked Shelly to share some of the marketing strategies that make her shop so successful! It was clear to see that when it all comes down to it, having stellar customer service and a unique, fresh product line goes a long way!

Here's a peak at that interview....

"What “online” marketing strategies are you currently using?

Right now I do not do as much as I should! I use Google Analytics to observe and "watch" my traffic so to speak, I blog, I cross-market with one other seller on Etsy, I will sometimes visit the forums on Etsy and I do participate in giveaways and promos on other blogs that request so - But that about it for now......"

Read the whole interview with Shelly at HandmadeNews.org in the Marketing Department where it was originally published.

 "What “online” marketing strategies are you currently using?

I have a couple online strategies going right now. The biggest one would be www.blockheadradio.com ads. Since I stated promoting with them my site traffic has doubled. I also found you have to have multiple shops (it is not a good idea to have all your eggs in one basket). I started off with one shop on Etsy. I found out about ArtFire not to long ago and set up a shop there as well. I soon found myself wanting to set up more shops including shops at DeviantArt and Fine Art America. I soon found out that blogging was an awesome way to promote not only myself but fellow artists. The more I help other artists the better my shop seems to do.  I started trading for items to giveaway on my blog to promote not only that artist but all the artists on my blog. I not only feature other artists on my blog I feature animal rescues and causes that I like. I use byhand.me to promote all of my shops in one place. I use that blog to promote by doing giveaway's....... "

"Networking is something we all know we need to do but often shy away from because it seems like such a dull, daunting and forced task. We envision a stuffy meeting hall full people in stiff neckties and too much grey. Thankfully, this doesn’t have to be the norm for networking anymore. Now networking can happen from your couch in your pajamas! Enter Twitter.

Most of us have heard of Twitter by now. If you haven’t, let me quickly fill you in. Twitter is a social networking phenomenon that has swept the Internet by storm. Everyone from the usual social networking gurus, to the high profile celebrities, to the old lady down the street is using it. But what does that matter to the average crafter who’s selling either creations on the World Wide Web? Everything!......."

Continue reading my article about "Why You Should Be Using Twitter" at the Marketing Department of HandmadeNews.org were it was first published. 

"Without followers on Twitter, not only will be you lonely, but your tweets will not get out to potential buyers. Gaining Twitter followers is relatively simple; gaining followers in your target audience is where things get a bit tricky.

If you’re new to Twitter, the best place to start is to follow people that interest you. How do you find out who is on Twitter that interests you? Check for a “follow me on twitter” link or image on the blogs you read, the Flickr photostreams you follow, and other places you’re already frequenting, including profiles of sellers that interest you on ArtFire andEtsy. Chances are at least a few of those people are on Twitter. I would also suggest checking out celebrities like Martha Stewart, or brands and shows you love. There’s no harm in having some fun while being productive!"....

To keep reading my article please visit the Handmade News Marketing Department where it was first published.