I am completely overwhelmed by the response from the NPR segment. I have been furiously answering emails for the last 5.5 hours, and updating my website with new purses, taking down ones that sold, etc. I am ecstatic and exhausted and so happy.

You can read the story here, and make sure to watch the audio slideshow!

I just started to read the comments, and I almost spit my drink out when I saw that the CEO of Etsy posted a link to my etsy shop! Thanks Maria, I look forward to meeting you at the Summit of Awesome!

Thank you again Nell, for listening to me ramble for hours, and for putting up with my crazy cats and house full of books.

And thank you to everyone who has emailed me to tell me how much they enjoyed the story, and how much they love my work. It means the world to me, I want to hug all of you, this has been a wonderful day. I always say I have my dream job in Rebound Designs, but it wouldn’t be nearly as dreamy without all of the support I get from friends, family, customers and complete strangers. Thank you.

The other week, a reported from NPR, Nell Greenfieldboyce, emailed me to ask if she could come to my studio, take pictures of me working, and interview me. It was for training they were doing for audio slideshows, so I said of course. She was super nice, and we talked and hung out for about 5 hours. I picked out fabrics for a bunch of new Book Purses, showed her some of my favorite purses, as well as the very first Book Purse I ever made. She took a bunch of pictures, and asked me lots of questions, including some I am rarely asked.

Well, long story short, it looks like part of my interview will be making it onto this afternoon’s “All Things Considered.” I am very excited, and also very nervous, because I kinda hate hearing my own voice. Also, I talked for so long, I have no idea what part they are going to use! So, tune in between 4:15 and 4:30, or catch it later between 6:15 and 6:30, and you can get it online after 7 pm!

Also, welcome back, sorry I have completely neglected the blog for a while. More posts to come soon!

Nell with her recording equipment

Nell interviewing my cat Xander

Nov. 15th from 10-5, come to St. John’s Church in Baltimore for a great show full of awesome crafty vendors. Last year this was one of my favorite holiday shows, and I love all of the Charm City Craft Mafia people, they really do a great job.

A few quick notes on exciting happenings in the Rebound world.

Tonight is the opening of Zenith Gallery’s Reincarnations exhibit. It is being held at the Alternative Gallery Space at 1111 Pennsylvania Ave. NW DC, from 5:30-8:30. All of the art in the show has been created from found objects and recycled materials. I am exhibiting a series of Book Purses with a travel theme, called “Journeys Through BookPurse Land.” More information about the exhibit can be found at the Zenith Gallery website.

Thursday I will be heading up to NYC to hear a lecture at the American Craft Council Library. The ACC is picking up where SNAG and Imogene left off
in their second ‘Summer in the City Salon’ program, ‘Connect/(Dis)connect.’

Featuring jeweler and educator, Bruce Metcalf, and Chanel Kennebrew of Junkprints, an indie craft artist, graphic designer and Etsy seller in conversation, the two esteemed makers will explore the complicated relationship among the broad spectrum of craft makers today in this not-to-be missed dialogue!

I’m really excited for this! There was some drama between established old school crafters and the “New Wave” group at the ACC show in Baltimore this Feb, and I got pretty riled up. I’m looking forward to hearing a lively debate and maybe even chiming in. It’s also a good excuse to go up to NYC and explore. I’ll be staying in Brooklyn with my friend Margaux Lange who makes the most amazing jewelry out of Barbie dolls. You can buy her production line at her Etsy shop, they’re really something.

I was recently asked to speak at a workshop hosted by the Washington City Paper and Crafty Bastards. I spoke about selling and marketing your crafts through the internet, but since the workshop was limited to 25 people, I’m going to post the whole thing here for you all to enjoy. I’ll warn you upfront; this post is epic.

Crafting Online 101

Having a strong online presence is quickly becoming essential in the crafting world. With the huge boom in the popularity of indie craft, competition is fierce, so the more people who see your work, the better. Here are some tips on how to use the Internet to get your craft business going, or to promote your existing business to new audiences. Don’t get too overwhelmed – you don’t have to do it all at once. I’m not an expert at all of these things and I still have a lot to learn, so if you have anything you’d like to add or correct, please leave a comment.

Your Online Presence: Yourshop.com vs. Etsy

Having a place online where customers can find you is essential to success today. There are two main options: Your own website vs. an Etsy shop. There are pros and cons to each.

Etsy:
Pros: The hard work is done for you: you don’t need to have any computer skills other than being able to take digital photos and type. The internal marketing opportunities within Etsy are excellent, and you have a built-in audience for your work. Plus, it’s a great community. Tina Seamonster has an excellent three-part series on how to market your Etsy shop:
Tina on Etsy Pt. 1
Tina on Etsy Pt. 2
Tina on Etsy Pt. 3

Cons: You have to pay a percentage of all your sales, as well as a listing fee. It’s not much, but it takes a bite. Plus, you don’t have ultimate control over your shop as it is vulnerable to the main Etsy site being down for maintenance, and you cannot track how many people are visiting your shop or where they are coming from.

Your own website:

Pros: It’s all yours – you can make it look however you want. It also appears more professional; many shows will not consider crafters who only have an Etsy shop. Plus, you can track all of your traffic with a program like Mint, which helps a lot in directing your marketing plan. You can also get an email address like name@yourshop.com, which looks more professional than an AOL, Hotmail, or other free account, and it will be easier to manage the large number of emails your successful business will generate.

Cons: Building and maintaining a website takes time and money. If you don’t know how to build one, you will have to find someone to do it for you. Beware: you get what you pay for. Don’t have your neighbor’s cousin do it for free just because he needs the practice, make sure you have a reliable person who will be able help you update it as needed.

You can always have both an Etsy shop and your own website, and link to your Etsy shop with an Etsy “mini”. Here’s mine. Etsy minis can be put on a blog, or a Myspace page as well.

A few thoughts on Myspace and Facebook: These can be useful tools for promoting your business, but they should not be the only online presence you have. If you are sending customers who are attempting to shop to a Myspace page with blinking graphics and embedded MP3s, it makes you look very unprofessional. Use sparingly.

The #1 Most Important Rule of Websites: Have good photos! Your online store is the only way a customer across the country can see your products, so make sure your pictures are well lit, in focus, and show the product properly. There are lots of good tips on product photography if you search online. Here’s a great video tutorial from The Storque on Etsy: Photo Tutorial

Accepting Credit Cards Online: Having awesome photos isn’t enough. Customers have to be able to buy your work easily online. The simplest way to get started with accepting credit cards online is through PayPal. You can do this in several ways. For no set up fee, and no monthly fee, you can use Website Payments Standard. This lets you either install a cart system, or single purchase “buy it now” buttons, which link to the secure PayPal site. Website Payments Standard

If you want to be able to take cards directly on your site, Website Payments Pro is one option. Website Payments Pro

For either of these, you need a PayPal account and someone who knows how to install the program for you. I had my web designer take care of it all.

Another option I have not personally used, but have shopped through on other sites, is ZenCart.

Getting Traffic to Your Website

Once you have a website or Etsy shop up and running, you need visitors to get sales. The first, and in my opinion, easiest way to get people to go to your website is to participate in craft shows. Not only do you get to sell things all day, you can hand out business cards with your website on them. Plus, most shows like Crafty Bastards have a vendor list online, with links to all of the shops. Those links will direct people to your site for months, sometimes years after the show is over.

Blogs!

This is a huge marketing tool for the craft world. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of blogs devoted to discussing indie craft and design. Some are personal blogs of artists who share their creations, how to tips, favorite things, and so forth. Some are more commercial blogs, with semi- to full-time professional writers keeping up with the hippest new things, and with paid advertisements.

The first step to using blogging as a tool to drive your business is to read blogs. If you don’t read any yet, check out some of the links provided below. When you find a blog you like, check out the links they have to their favorite blogs. I follow more than 20 blogs on a weekly basis, and 10 daily. See which blogs fit your product, if they are solely writing about handmade crafts, if they focus on recycled work, stuff for kids, pets, men, etc. The more familiar you are with the blogs you read, the easier it can be to get featured on them.

Some of My Favorite Blogs
Crafty Bastards

Design Sponge

Indie Fixx

Poppy Talk

Oh My That’s Awesome

Oh Joy

CraftZine

Extreme Craft

Modish

ReadyMade

Boing Boing

Neatorama

Greenjeans

Great Green Goods

Rare Bird Finds

I Like Seamonsters

My Paper Crane

Getting written up on blogs

This has been my greatest drive to website traffic and sales. My first big write-up in 2005 came as a complete surprise, and I had nothing to do with it. I didn’t even know much about blogs back then. A friend submitted my link to Boing Boing, and before he could even tell me the link had been put up, I had three sales. By the end of the week, I had made 20 sales directly from the website, and received even more custom orders – all from a tiny blurb and a picture. Three years later, and I am still getting traffic from that blog post. Custom Purses Made From Books

You don’t have to just cross your fingers and wait for a friend or unknown customer to submit your work, though. Bloggers that write about cool crafts are always on the lookout for new things to write about, and a well-written email is always appreciated. One of my favorite blogs, Modish, has a great post on introducing yourself to a blog or blogger. Jena says it better than I ever could.

Writing Blogs Yourself

How can keeping your own blog help your business? One of the biggest reasons for the recent popularity of buying handmade is the personal connection it offers. Customers are not just buying a molded piece of plastic made in China, touched by hundreds of nameless hands before it gets into theirs. They are buying into YOU and your story, and your passion for making your work, as well as the actual piece of art you have made. You don’t have to tell the entire world what you had for lunch every day, but sharing works in progress, tutorials, inspirations, and the occasional personal tidbit will get your readers invested in your work personally.

Many of you may already have a personal blog. These can be great for driving traffic to your website. You can write about anything you want, but if you write about things your target market is already interested in, you increase your chances of your best customers finding you through searches. I only just started a blog, so I’m hardly an expert, but there are many tools out there for bloggers. Blogspot, Moveable Type, WordPress, or even Livejournal are all options to host your blog, or if you’re technically savvy, you can create your own.

Updating frequently is the best way to attract, draw and keep readers (so I hear). Allowing comments and leaving comments on other blogs can help build relationships with fellow bloggers and frequent visitors, but it can also open you up to drama. Keep in mind that anything you say online can be traced back to you, and behind every username is a real person, so be nice.

Obviously, a prominent link on your blog to your website is a must. You can do this easily with an Etsy mini or a link in a sidebar. You can blog about ongoing projects, new ideas, upcoming shows and events, or even how-to’s if you want to teach others. And if your posts are awesome, your blog may then be linked from other blogs, which will drive traffic to your blog and your website. And the more links that lead to your website, the higher your ranking on search engines. (I’m still working on all of this, obviously.)

Ads on Blogs

Many blogs sell ads, and these can do a lot to raise awareness of your brand. Some blogs will have special features on those shops that sponsor them, so you get not just an ad, but also a write up. Do some research and again see what blogs best fit your target market.

Twitter

Twitter is sort of a microblogging tool, which lets you send out short messages under 140 characters. You can send them from your phone, or the web, and you can include links (tinyurl is useful here). You can follow other people’s twitters, and they can follow you. You can twitter about a new blog post, or a new item in your shop, or to let people know about a craft show you’re doing. You can send random thoughts about your life. Some crafters are turning twitter into art – Tina Seamonster wood-burns her favorite twitter posts onto wood plaques and sells them in her Etsy shop, which she then twitters about!
Follow me on Twitter!

Podcasting and Videocasting

Again, this is an area in which I don’t have much personal experience. Tina Seamonster has a great post on Etsy about these, which I will just direct you to. Like a blog, you can talk about whatever you want, but having focus will help keep interest from your listeners.

Tina on Podcasting Pt. 1

Tina on Podcasting Pt. 2

Flickr

Flickr is a great site for sharing pictures of your work. You can have a gallery of past work, works in progress, your booth displays, or whatever, and you can tag them so others can find them. You can join groups with similar interest, and this is really the best way to get your pictures seen.

It is against the Terms of Service of Flickr to exploit it for commercial purposes, so just posting pictures of crafts with the intent to sell them or advertise them is not cool. But, you can still drive traffic to your site in many easy, legal ways.

Have your account name be your website URL, so it’s attached to every photo you post. You can put your business name in your tags or in the photo descriptions as well.

Put your url and a description of your business in your profile. No big pitches, just a simple bit about who you are and what you do so if people are interested, they can find you.

And of course, link to your flickr account from your website or blog. Rebound Designs on Flickr

Social Bookmarking

This is a concept in which I am not particularly well versed, but Wikipedia has a good breakdown of. Social Bookmarking

Some popular sites for social bookmarking:
digg

stylehive

del.icio.us

stumbleupon

Mailing Lists

A mailing list is an efficient and direct way to keep in touch with all of your customers and fans. You can send out announcements for shows you are in, upcoming sales and promotions, shop updates, etc. It’s great because past customers that may have wanted to purchase again often forget, and an email is an instant reminder. Every time I have sent out a mass mailing, I have received orders in return. The best way to send out a mailing list is to have a program that collects, manages, and sends the mail for you. I personally don’t have this yet, so if anyone has a favorite tool for this, please let me know.

If you just send out mass emails, please reminder to blind copy (BCC) all the email addresses. Ideally, you would have a place on your website for customers to subscribe, and they would also be able to unsubscribe easily.

If you use a PayPal shopping cart, you can send out discount codes in your mailings, and offer special promotions to only people on your list. This is a valuable tool for encouraging sign ups, as well as getting repeat business.

Don’t overdo it though, once a month is probably the most you want to send mass mailings out, unless you have a very particular special to offer.

Overwhelmed Yet?

The most important thing to remember about online marketing is that you don’t have to do it all. Try a few things out and see what works for you. But as crafting as a business gets more and more popular, it will get more competitive, and the more ways you have of reaching potential customers, the more sales you will make. The more customers are personally interested and invested in you, the more excited they will be about your work, and it doesn’t get better than that.

Come out tonight for the opening of DCAC’s annual open exhibit 1460 Wall Mountables. Participating artists chose 2′x2′ spaces on a first come first served basis, and can show whatever they like within that space. 8 of my purses are hung right by the bar, so you can’t miss them. And there’s lots of other great artists showing as well, including fellow Craft Mutineers Tina Seamonster, Rania Hassan, and Sean Hennessey. My work is hung right below a new friend, Sean Welker, who I recently met at Artomatic.

Hi new readers! This is my first blog post ever, so bear with me.

I’m Caitlin, artist and crafter and owner of Rebound Designs. I live just outside Washington DC in my live/work studio with my 3 cats, and more books than I can count.

I’ll be blogging about not only my own work, but also other artists and crafters whose work I love, crafting opportunities, and even some how tos. So, keep checking back for more, and thanks for reading!