Wednesday musings.....

Ok, all, I'm really tired tonight, but my goal for this year was to post at least two blog posts a week.  So, here are some photos of my favorite shops and products in Etsy land......please shop and enjoy!

Dell Cove Spices - I just love their White Cheddar popcorn topping!

I've tried my hand at wire crochet, and I love the bracelets from  Julie's Crochet Array

Gotta love anyone who is inspired by Pride & Prejudice! Check out  Brookish

Love the sense of humor from Forked Up Art!

I've already introduced Greenhouse Glassworks.  Here pieces are so pretty!

Only a knitter can truly love Sassafras Creations!

If only Alis would make a Dorene! 

Happy shopping, all!

Love Spell.....

...is the new Fragrance of the Month!


LOVE SPELL is similar to the fragrance sold by Victoria's Secret.  This seductive fragrance is made of a lovely bouquet of mandarin orange, bergamot, and tangerine enhanced by hints of fresh peaches, strawberries, and raspberries, yet also has  an undertone of white musk.
While the Fragrance of the Month, Love Spell is 10% off.  

Love Spell product line

So, as I'm learning to navigate my way through social media, I'm forcing myself to learn new things about marketing.  In the old 4P world (product, price, placement, people), I was G-O-O-D...ok, maybe just good, no caps or exaggeration.  Social media has blown apart all the rules. But it's also exciting to learn new strategies to marketing my product, which next to creating, is my favorite task in running my business.


Social media needs to be an engagement strategy, not simply a marketing strategy. And it needs to be on a personal level. So, how do you engage the masses on a personal level to be interested in your product? My first strategy is Facebook.


I've set a goal of creating a survey every month on my Facebook page.  I ask my followers and friends to vote for the fragrance they would like to see as the next fragrance of the month.  I'll usually set 3-4 options of what I would like and think can sell, but I'll also allow them to add a fragrance they would like to see.


(Note to self, ask the question earlier in the month so you're not scrambling the day before sending them out so you have time to quick test. Not a good thing to start labeling your product only to learn the wick is stubborn with the fragrance/dye combination......)


I've tried surveying my Twitter followers as well, but I've learned their responses get lost in my inbox....If any of you survey through Twitter, please comment on methods with which you've found success.


My last blog post discussed basic marketing strategies, and I decided to follow my own advice. I began my business to sell candles, thinking "I love candles. I see them for sale all over the place. I can do this." But I've been rethinking my business strategy around the concept that people aren't necessarily seeking candles as much as they are seeking fabulous, clean, and personally fragrant homes/spaces. Thus, my marketing strategy is now encompassing Product Development (products in the same stage of development) into home fragrances, rather than simply candles. (You could argue it is horizontal development, and I'd buy that too......)

Take it to the sheets!
Spray LOVE SPELL on
your bed linens for
a romantic evening!

So, this month, I'm launching diffuser oils and fragrance sprays.  I've not tested diffuser oil for LOVE SPELL yet, but hope to have that available soon.


Back to social media marketing....the products are now featured on my Etsy site, I've been tweeting about the new fragrance, product availability, and sales, I've announced the product on my Facebook page, I've created a Pinterest board around this fragrance, and will soon distribute my e-newsletter, and now it's posted on my blog!  *pause to take a breath*


But we need to remember that social media marketing is not a replacement for the tried and true, rather, it is an extension of it.  My fragrances are also available in my bricks-and-mortar stores (can't forget those!!!), and I will also snail mail my newsletter to customers who have not signed up for the email version.


Happy sales, all!

Marketing strategies

As entrepreneurs, the majority of our time should be spent marketing our business.  I know, it's hard to admit, especially when we enjoy the "making" of our goods.  And I know that I also become consumed in various aspects of my business, wanting to pretend I'm "creating", or I'm "marketing."

And these are the times I return to my business educational materials for guidance.

Several marketing strategies are defined, and intuitively we gravitate to one or another without being strategic in our thought:

• Product Leadership - being the best in our field...think Google for search engines. 
• Concentrated Growth - resources are directed to the growth of a single product, in a single market with a single strategy.
• Market Development - opening additional geographic markets or market segments. E.g., for social media, expanding into another online marketing venue; advertising in a new media.
• Product Development - modifying an existing product for a new market. For example, Philadelphia Cream Cheese broadening into flavored cream cheese products and cooking ingredients.
• Innovation - developing a new product or service. Apple created few new products or services of their own, but they took the concepts to new mass markets.
• Horizontal Integration - acquiring product lines in the same stage as yours. For example, jewelers specializing in earrings begin to develop necklaces and watches.
• Vertical Integration - acquiring vendors or suppliers for sales growth. Many Etsy vendors begin to sell supplies as a way to increase their revenue.

While basic and certainly not exclusive, this should give us a few examples of how to increase our business.  Many of you may doing it already.

If you create bracelets, are you also creating and selling watches?  Horizontal Integration.

If you create necklaces, are you selling supplies you no longer need? Vertical Integration.

Recently, I've expanded my product line about as full as I can go with horizontal integration in simply the home fragrance market.  I have three options for container candles, tea lights, then I moved into votives, then naturally into candle tarts. Soon to be announced are reed diffusers and other air freshener products.

My horizontal integration is the home fragrance market.

So what's next?

Unless I add more fragrances (product development), I will need to explore other opportunities for growth.  While I realize Etsy is an extremely competitive market for home fragrances, I prefer not to venture into other online opportunities (Artfire, Zibbet). I believe social media can only handle one marketplace and prefer to direct these efforts to one shop.

I do explore market development by trying to land my products into bricks and mortar retail environments and personalized products with event planners.

I have ideas of where I am going from here, and do my best to frame the internal discussions with myself in basic marketing strategies.  If you don't have a business background, I recommend you do some simple online research into some of these strategies.

Last week, my post revolved around "venturing forward" and the need to take risks in our business.  This week, I challenge each of you to take the risk into understanding basic marketing strategies and developing ideas on how to grow your business around them.

Happy sales!