CraftyPod #106: Engagement Marketing for Your Crafty Business

Thanks, I found out I was doing EVERYTHING WRONG. I'm a classic Broadcast marketer wannabee in an engagement marketing world. I will try what you suggested, and not make the same mistakes again. Thanks so much for the wake up call.

Thanks for the nice comment, Sue! And don't feel bad - since we all grew up with broadcast marketing, we're pretty hard-wired for it. Most of us start out broadcasting in the social media space.

thank you so much... this was extremely valuable advice!

Yay - thanks, Kim! I'm so glad you found it helpful!

This is great advice. Thanks for taking the time to create the podcast! I'm off to post about it on MY blog! :0)

I'm so glad you found it useful! And thank you so much for sharing it with your readers!

Diane: I came back here after many months (see my comment way below, in February).
Wanted to follow up and tell that just this week I had commented on a DesignSponge post, and had a direct link to one of my posts...well, it was like free advertising! I was absolutely amazed at how many people found me from that one comment!

That's excellent! With that kind of response, I'll bet your comment was interesting and relevant, too - which is the big trick of getting click traffic from a comment. If readers think what you added to the discussion is intriguing, they'll definitely click that link and check you out, too. Well done!

Thanks so much Diane for taking the time to put this together. The whole blog thing has been somewhat of a mystery to me until lately. I have a vintage clothing business on etsy- www.etsy.com/shop/vintageurbanrenewal as well as brick and mortar and have resisted blogging, twitter, texting and everything that goes with it.

I am not an asocial person by nature, just the opposite and felt as if I connect with so many people every day, how in the world could I spend my precious time on this, especially if results were not immediate. I believe part of this mind set is due to my age (let me just say-over 39), partly because I don't type (for real) but mostly because I thought what in the world would I write about. My 9 year old daughter was my inspiration. She not only started her own blog but taught me how to do mine.

Fast forward 4 months and here I am now wondering how to get more than 2 people to follow my blog. Which is why I found your podcast to be extremely helpful. Sometimes I wonder why I keep writing in my blog if no one reads it. I will persevere writing and commenting on other blogs and learning as much as I can. Who knows maybe people are reading my blog and just not commenting or following it.

I was wondering what you thought about giving something away if people made comments and followed my blog, as an encouragement to get feedback?

Following other blogs and leaving sincere comments on their posts is the way I built my blog followers up, up and up. It did take time, and I had to keep my blog updated and interesting at the same time. I, too, sell vintage on Etsy (http://forrestinavintage.etsy.com), am over 40, and didn't know if I'd have enough time for social networking. I now have 4 blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Kaboodle in my networking arsenal. I don't do all of them all the time so it's not an overload. I learned early on not to focus on how many or how often people leave comments on my blogs...I write and post photos for what it is--sharing. If people connect with it they give me feedback; if not, they don't, and that's okay. :)

First, I adore the image of your 9 year old daughter leading you into blogging! And, I'm 43, so I totally get how this stuff doesn't exactly feel intuitive sometimes. But perseverance pays off! It takes a while to build that following - I usually counsel bloggers to give it a good six months minimum.

And yes, giveaways definitely will draw people to a blog. I think it's important to remember that for many of these folks, the motivation begins and ends with the freebie (that's just human nature). But a few will stick around and become regular readers.

Another great practice is to get involved in things like swaps, craft-alongs, and blog carnivals. These can expose your blog to some new readers. They happen all over the blogosphere - just keep an eye on the blogs you read. Also, check out http://www.swap-bot.com. Good Luck!

Just a quick read and I am hooked - and quite honestly relieved! I have been half-heartedly trying to listen to that little voice in my head that is saying 'just stick w/ a blog' and don't bother w/ Facebook (haven't tried Twitter yet)......because I am more comfortable w/ a blog and not at all with FB. Well! And there you just said it right out loud - 'do what you are comfortable with!' Yahoo! An affirmation that the best way to engage my potential customers (and meat interesting folks) is via a media I where I feel I can be myself. Off I go to download your podcast. (and think about making daily blog entries...that are interesting and honest...) Thanks a million!

Yaaay! My pleasure, Kristen - and good luck with your blogging adventure. If you love doing it, that enthusiasm will shine through and attract people. You're totally on the right track!

Fabulous podcast Diane! I've had some troubles on my site (it was stolen out from under me be a foriegn company that seems to like porn) Ick. You always inspire me , and I thank you.

Thanks, Meg! And wow - how awful. I'm so sorry this has happened.

I discovered your podcasts about a month ago: I download things onto my IPod to listen to at the gym..Well, yours REALLY hit the spot. I've listened to it three more times and have now taken notes on it. I don't run a craft business or create any craft products. I DO run an artist licensing business, and now am also spending more and more time blogging (www.libbywilkiedesigns.com) I found your comments so very helpful: I come from a marketing background so am always looking at that aspect of the internet and social media. My blog readership is growing... but not fast enough for my taste... so I read all I can and really try to incorporate what I feel is useful. I may well do a post on this subject in the very near future. Thanks SO much!

Thanks for stopping by! I'm glad you enjoyed the post.

In case this is helpful - a key way to bring more readers to your blog is to do exactly what you've done here: read and comment on other people's blogs. The blogosphere is so crowded at this point, those little acts of reaching out one-to-one have amazing results. And at the same time, they begin to build a community around your blog.

Ive been doing all the wrong things!!!! I've been resisting to engaging, but coming to understand it's the way. English is not my first language and adds a little difficulty, but I,ll have to go for it. Thank you very much, I'm Trusting you :) Btw I got to you through misssmalaprop's blog!

Thank you so much for stopping by! I'm glad you enjoyed the show.
Don't worry too much - just start small and build your engagement from
there. It grows over time like a garden.

This was so helpful to listen to. It really got me thinking about how to focus. Thank you!

Oh, Diane, you NAILED it! Such a perfectly concise description of all the business-y stuff swirling around in my head!

Thank you, Tara! Since you were featured in Gary Vaynerchuck's book,
your compliment means a lot!

I'm very familiar with technology and the Internet but I'm new to running and promoting a crafting business. Your podcast helped remind me of things I'd forgotten or had just stopped emphasizing, or even things that I was doing without a lot of thought and could do much better. Thanks for the kick in the pants. :)

Thank YOU, Dee! I'm thrilled you found it helpful!

This pod cast was so helpful! I have been so befuddled about all of the options and how to start. Thanks for breaking the process down into managable chunks!

Thank you so much . Listening to this Crafty pod was a very new experience for me. I learnrd a lot about Engagement Marketing and how it is different from advertising. I'll try to implement what I had learned. And may be buy one of your books soon.

Have A HAPPY NEW YEAR. Dita

I'm so glad you found the show useful, Dita. Thanks for commenting.
Happy New Year!

Hi Diane... Thank you for a great podcast full of very concrete advice. In fact, I am following your advice right now and posting a blog comment! :-)

Thank you so much, Genevieve! I love to get comments! :-)

Thank you for the great advice! I heard about this podcast in Craftzine & decided to check it out. I'm glad I did. Not only did I listen to the whole podcast & got some good tips, but I decided to purchase one of your helpful books! Thanks for posting this informative piece.

Thank you so much! And thank you indeed for your ebook order. I hope
you find it useful, too!

Hi there Diane,
I discovered Crafty Pod only yesterday and was thrilled to listen to this engagement marketing podcast. Thank you so much for taking the time to put these up and I am looking forward to diving more into the site and having a good look around!
By the way - love the music! :)
xo

Thank you! Hope you find lots more to enjoy here!

To: the person who produced this podcast
From: crazed fan

THIS is absolutely one of the most stunning podcasts I've listened to in months, and believe me, I listen to a lot.
This makes the whole thing so clear. The podcast is much clearer than I'm being, here. I have listened to it twice and about to listen to it again. And this is not because I'm hard of hearing.

Sincerely,

the person sitting out in her car in front of your house, with binoculars

Heh - thanks, crazed fan! :-)

This was SUCH a great podcast! And the timing is just perfect too. Now that the move to St. Louis is behind me I'm back to my blog (and life!) and with a fresh sheet of new year paper in front of me I'm excited to refocus my marketing efforts. Sister D, I'll never forget how you sent me a little Kanzashi care package during such a stressful and craft dry period this fall. I'm living proof that this stuff works! And hey, don't forget the friends you'll make along the engagement marketing way that you won't likely make with broadcast marketing. You are my hero!

Happy New Year, Kathleen! You're so right - engagement marketing does
let us strike up friendships with nice people. Like you!

Thank you so much for this post!!! It is going to be my inspiration for my presentation in my interview for Graduate School!!! This is exactly what I was looking for and is an amazing resource!

Thanks, Noelle! Good luck!

I too came via Blog.Craftzine.com and wanted to let you know that I've emailed all the small business counselors in my SCORE chapter asking them to take a listen.

We're often asked about Social media and this episode might be my go-to resource from now on since you explain it so well.

Wow, Karlie, thank you so much! I hope they find it helpful. Happy New
Year!

Hello Diane - This is the first of your podcasts that I have listened to and believe me, I'll be back for more! Your tips are excellent! I also do not care for a broadcast of only "here's what I have for sale" so stay away from that with only some references to my shop.

But I do have a question and hope you don't mind my asking it here.

What is the best way to respond back to someone who has left a comment on a blog? I think it is only good manners to do so, but hesitate to track down their email address (and sometimes that's not possible to do) in order to thank them or reply to their comment. I have had people reply via email to my comment on their blog, and I don't mind, but I still hesitate to do it myself. Replying back to them on my blog seems like I'm talking into the wind -- would most people check back to see if I replied?

On Twitter (which is so much fun and I spend way too much time there!) I always send a "thanks for the follow" along with a nice comment on their shop or an item in it. This, again, is just good manners. After all, I follow people to read what they have to say or because I really like their craft, not because I want to rack up numbers of followers!

(Speaking of following, your blog is now in my favorites, and I'm following on Twitter. And I'm going to check out your new Flickr group!

Sorry this is so lengthy! And thanks in advance for your information!

Sarah

Hi, Sarah -

It's a great question, and like many things in the online world, there
is no single answer. :-)

I see two main ways people respond to comments on their blogs. One is
to reply in the comments of your own blog. So, someone leaves you a
comment, and you post your response to them in your own comments. This
is nice, because it's a public reply and it's easy. The downside is,
not all blog readers will check back to see if you replied, so your
replies may not be "heard."

Another method is, as you mentioned, finding the commenter's email
address and sending a nice email. This option is a little more work,
but I like it because it's more personal. I emailed commenters up
until last summer, when the number of comments just got too large for
me to handle anymore. So now, I respond in my comments, like this.

I think that commenters are still rare in the blogosphere, and so it's
always a good idea to let them know how much their efforts are
appreciated. Like yours! Thanks for this comment!

What a great podcast! I heard about this one from Craft: (which I'm sure a bunch of people did) and am so glad I clicked on the link! Very helpful information! Thanks so much!

Thank you, Kate! I'm so glad you found it useful!

Sister Diane
thank you for this post, I found it through the Craft link they provided today. What a refreshing take on the world of ecommerce and business. thank you for you ideas, they are well recieved by myself and others I told this site about.
happy new year
cheers
Karina
Project K
www.projectk.ca

Thank you, Karina! Happy New Year!

Diane -

This was my first time listening to a CraftyPod podcast, and I found it super inspiring and interesting. Thank you so much! I'll be sure to peruse your archives and stop by in the future!

Cheers!
Emily

Thank you, Emily! I'm so glad you stopped by!

Diane, I love this podcast, so useful! I was cringing when you starting talking about mistakes other crafty biz people make in marketing, but then realized you weren't talking about me (haha). I just sent this link to a few different friends too. I would love to talk with you soon about the TV show we are working on. We'd love to have you on!

Thanks for the wonderful tips, I'm very interested in starting my own etsy shop and wanted some ideas on how to gain customers so this was very helpful!

Great topic, Diane. I still think there is a place for broadcast marketing for some businesses, but engagement marketing makes a LOT more sense for small crafty businesses. Brilliant podcast, as usual!

Thank you, Rachel! And, agreed - broadcast isn't completely dead. It
just has a much more specific niche now.

What you said about just using a blog to announce new products and little else does get old after a bit. The craft blogs (by people who also make and sell craft goodies etc.) that I've stayed with offer other content that I find inspiring, or interesting. One thing that I notice a lot from blogs of craft writers, is that their blogs give additional chances to get to know about their lives and hear their individual voice as writers. Its like checking in to see what your freind is up to and along the way I get to learn or see something new to me. A lot of the blogs I really love have really great photos that go along with the writing. One of the many things I love about your blog (in addition to the nifty podcasts) are all the book reviews and also seeing what's up in your personal craft life (for example when I see plastic canvas projects, especially vintage or clever ones I think of your blog and your interests). In fact, as I keep on working on my own blog, I'm working on adding content that would be of interest to more than just my immediate family. Thanks for the advice.

Thank YOU, LynAnne!

Great podcast! It's nice to know that I don't *have* to use all the social media tools at my disposal ... just in case I never start loving twitter. ;)

Heh heh - yup, just like I gave Facebook a try and never grew to love
that. I actually think that the more places your try to spread
yourself, the less real engagement you'll be able to do in each one.

It does take a bit to get used to Twitter, for sure. I was on it about
a month before I "got" it.

An truly excellent Podcast Sister D!

Honestly, I had no idea there was so much theory behind what I do because I enjoy it.
I think one thing you forgot to mention was how much more rewarding, and dare I say it, FUN this type of marketing can be. Having a real relationship with your customer base is good for the soul, damn it.

Amen to that, Heather! Thanks for mentioning that!

Ooh this is going to be a good one! I know what I'll be listening to tomorrow! And I am LOVING the new look. Just gorgeous!

Diane,
Thanks so much for such a wonderful wonderful podcast. As i am getting ready to head into a busy and new phase of my creative work, i totally needed this. Thanks you for being so real and honest, and of course, kind to share such great information! hugs, Lisa!

Excellent episode... dayum, woman... you are good.

Happy New Year!!!

Diane, Congratulations on another great podcast. Way to start the new year!!

Love your banner!

Yes! I happened to listen to this right after I unfollowed some un-engaging Twitter friends and as I was writing a blog post...Great ideas to keep in mind! Thank you!

Wow, you went and posted a new craftypod while I was listening to the archives! :)

I'm here to serve! :-)

So fantastic! I can never explain this stuff clearly to people. I think I'll listen to it again and try to pick up some "Talking points" :-)