on giveaways (parte dos)

do you have a shop that might benefit from a giveaway? do you have questions about how to use giveaways to your best advantage? this discussion is mostly geared towards those who want to work with other blogs to promote their own products through giveaways. just tuning in? see questions 1-3 here! 


so yesterday we talked about the why, the where, and the what with giveaways. 
let's focus on the hows today:

4) how often do you do giveaways?
rather than making yourself crazy trying to do every single thing that comes your way and spending more money on giving things away than you are actually making, can i suggest one little thing?

a budget.

before my handy dandy assistant came along, i didn't have time to keep track of when i'd last taken a shower, much less how many giveaways i had going on at any given time. (don't judge.) i wouldn't recommend that system. (ahem.) if you can be intentional about where you are doing giveaways, they will be more fun for you and they will be more effective. tips:


1. a giveaway budget is a set dollar amount of product at retail price set aside in your monthly budget to be used specifically for giveaways.
2.  you don't have to do every single giveaway you are asked to do!
3. having a budget for a giveaway is a great way to ensure that you are not overwhelmed  or overextended.
4. i am much more careful about where that money is going when i know there is a dollar limit for the month.
5. once i've "spent" or committed the budget, i don't do any more for that month. period. (which helps eliminate the guilt when i have to say no.... the budget made me do it!)
6. on the other hand if the month is cruising along and i still have some money left in the budget, i go and find a blogger i am interested in sharing my product with and ask if they would be willing to do a giveaway for me. don't be afraid to take control of where your product is seen!
(and p.s. if you are nervous about asking someone to do a giveaway for you, don't be. bloggers are very nice people. the worst thing they could say is no. and more often than not they are even really super nice about that.)

giveaway budgets rule. amen.

5) do you ever offer a discount with a giveaway?

when you are exposing your product to a new audience, offering a discount will often times push a potential customer over the edge to make the purchase and become a loyal customer. but here are a few things to remember:


1. some readers won't buy while a giveaway is going on because of the *chance* they may actually win. so, a discount code may not convince them just yet.  if you are going to offer a discount, i would recommend that you extend it at least a day past the close of the giveaway. you know, for the losers ;)
2. someone pointed out on monday's chat that sometimes free shipping is more of an incentive (psychologically) than a discount...i've never tried that, but i do love me some free shipping!
3. when deciding how much of a discount to give, put yourself in their shoes. would (fill in the blank) % off of ANY product be enough to convince you to buy if you were on the fence?
4. one great bonus about a discount code is it gives you the ability to see sales that came from that specific giveaway. (more about that in #7 down below)

6) how do you get more people to enter giveaways?

you are giving away free stuff, right? and your stuff is awesome, right? so there shouldn't be a problem getting people to sign up for AWESOME FREE STUFF, right? if there is, you may want to evaluate the following:


1. is this the right place to do a giveaway? is my product new to this audience or have they seen it before? are the readers typically excited about entering giveaways? does my product fit in here? 
2. am i giving away the right item from my shop? is it too specific for a general audience (i.e. a specific color or print can sometimes deter entries) or is it not exciting enough? if i saw the giveaway, would i want to take the time to enter?
3. are there too many hoops to jump through to enter? between word verifications and tweeting/facebooking/following to enter, am i asking too much of these readers? is there a way i can simplify and make it easier? (i am totally fine with doing any of those things for EXTRA entries, but not as a requirement to enter - just to clarify).
4. have i done my part to spread the word? have i put the giveaway on facebook, on my blog, on twitter? more than likely people who follow you any of those places would love to know you are giving something away and would love to enter.

7) how can i track actual sales referred by a giveaway?

does all this giveaway stuff really pay off? it's really difficult to see exactly where sales come from. here are some ideas to help me judge whether or not a giveaway was successful:


1. if you have analytics of any sort, you should notice a jump in visits from the specific giveaway blog and hopefully a jump in sales. you can assume that some of those sales are directly related to the exposure. BUT, it's not an exact science.
2. as mentioned above, if you do a discount with a giveaway, i would recommend using a code unique to that giveaway (i.e.  i would code a giveaway on 30 days with a discount of 15% as 30DAYSROCKS15). again-  you will see where sales come from through the use of the code.
3.another trick, just because i like you: did you know you can ask one multiple choice question at checkout in paypal? mine says: "How did you find Allora Handmade?" and gives 5 options to choose from, one of which is "giveaway/review". here's how:

1. Login to your PayPal account

2. Under "my account" click "profile" and then "more options"

3. Click on "my selling tools" and then next to "custom payment pages", then click "update"

4. Click the "options" tab

5. Scroll down to "merchant service options"

6. Check "add a customer service survey" and fill in the blanks

7. Make sure you click "SAVE" before you exit

8. Say thank you Jess, you're amaaaaazing. (jk. maybe.)

the survey is optional, so they don't have to answer. but a good majority will.

4. keep in mind, that giveaways may bring new readers, new followers, new fans before it ever translates into sales. and that's ok too. it is worth it to me to spend $35 on a giveaway and have 50 new people bookmark my site for a future purchase. of course 50 sales would be nice too, but think of it as an investment in a new audience.

in the end, giveaways can be a very powerful tool to gain momentum for your product and get people excited about your work. i hope this information was helpful and that it gave you a chance to reevaluate how you use giveaways to help grow your business!


do you have any other tips/best practices you'd like to share about giveaways?

all images found here.

on giveaways (parte uno)

do you have a shop that might benefit from a giveaway? do you have questions about how to use giveaways to your best advantage? this discussion is mostly geared towards those who want to work with other blogs to promote their own products through giveaways. there's more to come! see part two tomorrow! 


moday night  i hopped on twitter to find a great chat going on amongst the crafty kids.
sidenote: if you are not on twitter, it may seem like a foreign language, but it is all kinds of awesome. promise.
the set up shop chat (#setupshop ) run by gina is a great place for those who run or are thinking of running a handmade business and would like to brainstorm with others in the same boat. monday was my first chance to get on the chat, and it was so fun!
i thought i would take a minute to share a few things with you inspired by the topic: giveaways!
don't we all love a good giveaway?

image here

if you are a shop owner wondering about how to do giveaways here are some FAQ's and a few things to consider:


when i started on this post it got a little on the long side, so i split it into two parts. check back tomorrow for more tips!
ON with the lessoonnn...


1) why should i do a giveaway?
i first launched my business with a little giveaway on my sister's blog. in that first year or so, whenever i felt like i wasn't sure where sales were going to come from, i did another giveaway. it is a great a way to get your product out there in front of a new audience or to remind customers to keep coming back for more.


2)where is the best place to do a giveaway? 
well, it depends on who you ask. I would recommend seeking out a variety of blogs in different niches to ensure you are reaching different types of customers. having said that, keep their audience in mind. make sure the audience is a good match for your product. seek out photographers if your product would make a good prop, fashion bloggers, mommy bloggers, crafty bloggers, etc. i don't do a lot of my own giveaways here since i know people who stop here are aware of my product, but would rather offer promotions or discounts to my readers. i really love ruthanne's genius idea to do giveaways for facebook fans and twitter followers. so much fun!


3)what should i giveaway?
here's my preference: i love to offer a particular product (like a mini-modern pearl, for example) and let the winner choose a color. the reason this has worked well for me is i know exactly the investment (of my time, money etc.) but the winner still feels like they have a choice in the matter. store credit is a popular option, but april made a good point on the chat the other day - some products are much more involved and have a smaller profit margin. so, if you giveaway store credit, you lose a little bit of control in that aspect.


tomorrow i will address the following:
how do i get more people to enter my giveaways?
how often should i do giveaways?
should i offer a discount with a giveaway?
and how can i track if sales come from giveaways?

anything else we should address? let me know!

mary, mary: handmade business tip #2

i know you doubted whether or not I would ever revisit this,

but HERE I AM!

back with tip # 2 for growing your business.

this tip came about in conversation with a sweet friend. i couldn't believe it when i found out she a little shy about using this practice in her own business. i mean really, the girl is gooooood. so, i share with you what i shared with her.

handmade business tip #2: 

sell yourself

you heard me right.

there are 2 ways that i get the word out about my business EVERY single day.

1) I rarely leave the house without wearing my own product

and

2) every email i send has a link to allora handmade and the queen bee market

now, these things may seem simple. they may seem obnoxious to some who are nervous to put themselves out there. here's how i see it:

i am my own best advertisement.

i can't tell you how many people have stopped me in a store to ask about my products.

i can't tell you how many people (even close friends and family!) didn't know i had a shop until i added it in my signature. so, let's break it down.

1) wear/use your own product:

I can't emphasize this enough. Don't feel silly being a walking advertisement! How can you expect other people to want to wear/use your product if you aren't willing to? Here's the deal. The hardest part for me in the beginning was knowing what to say when I got a compliment. Because the compliments will come, no doubt, but using them to your benefit is entirely up to you. I was terrible at this in the beginning. Someone would say "your headband is adorable!" and I would bashfully say "thanks!" and just hope they asked me where I got it. Until my other great friend and I were shopping at a local handmade boutique and people kept asking about my necklace. Each time someone complimented me she was quick to say "she made it! isn't it cute? Here... take her card." I was amazed. It was that easy! Suddenly my customer base became every one I came into contact with. Now, when someone compliments me I say "Thank you! I made it!" Plain and simple.

sorry for all of the lame pictures of me. i'm trying to make a point here. don't make fun.

 You don't have to sound like you are bragging or self-promoting, just stating a fact. Now, it's important not to be obnoxious and go around starting up a conversation with everyone you meet by saying "Hi, don't you love my _______? I made it and I sell them if you want to buy one." Goo. Awwwwkward. Please don't do that. Just fess up to the fact that you are awesome (without saying so) when they compliment you and you'd be surprised how many friends and strangers turn into customers. And carry your business cards ALWAYS. (you carry them, right??)

Ok, moving on.

2) If you don't already have a signature on your email, stop what you are doing right now and get to it!! It is so easy (just hunt around in your settings and options) and will only take a minute. I am constantly emailing. By adding my signature I am sending each message with an invitation to view what else I do. Mine is simple and looks like this:

jessica erickson

allora handmade, owner/designer (www.allorahandmade.etsy.com)

the queen bee market, co-owner (www.thequeenbeemarket.com)

no biggie right? But people tell me all the time: "Hey, I didn't know you owned your own businesses! I love your stuff! I checked out your links!" Easy peasy. Doesn't get easier than that.

Hopefully you are already doing these things and I am not telling you anything new. Because this tip is by far the easiest way to grow your business. Constantly expose people to your products!

Now, what are your favorite ways to self-promote?

mary, mary: handmade business tip #1

though i certainly don't claim to be an expert in this little gig i have going on, i feel as though there are things i have learned that could be valuable to any one just starting their own business or considering taking the leap.
so,without further ado, i bring you:

yeah, i know, my name's not mary. but jessica, jessica just doesn't have the same ring to it.
i would love to share a few things over the next few weeks and can't wait to hear your input as well. so let's get started!

handmade business tip #1:
be generous
i know, i know, it may seem counterintuitive, but my favorite and most successful method of growing my business is giving something away. of course, i have recently been the recipient of some generosity, so i know this isn't a foreign concept to a lot of you!
from the day i started allora handmade, i truly believed that if i was willing to be generous with my product, my time, and my talents, that things would work. it amazes me to see the result of generosity. being willing to give has infused my business with a frenetic excitement and happy energy that pushes me to do more and do better. AND it just so happens that the awesome by-product is more advertising and more sales. what's to lose? nothing! it's a win-win!

don't miss my sister's big giveaway week over at 30days

when business is slowing down or it just needs a good-old-fashioned kick in the pants, giveaways are my go-to. this month has been my best month ever (with the exception of the autism benefit back in january) and it is no coincidence that i have participated in 4 giveaways this month. when i decided i wanted to go to TCC (before i knew of my sister's awesome surprise) i knew i had to do something crazy to raise the funds. and so, a giveaway each week was my plan. if you are dying to hit a certain milestone in your business (# of sales, $ amount, quitting your day job, etc.) i would highly recommend it.
search out blogs you love whose readers would go crazy for your product. it doesn't hurt to ask if they would host a giveaway for you. don't be afraid to do giveaways for some smaller blogs too. chances are you are helping to bring them a few more readers as well and it turns into a "you scratch my back, i'll scratch yours" situation.
the gist of it is this:
giveaways are a great way to get people talking about you and your business. 
you won't regret it!
(part of this tip was originally written for marta's business and blogging workshop. consequently, marta was one of the first to host a giveaway for me a year ago tomorrow.)

what about you? have you seen good things come from giveaways?