Day 15 - January Social Media Results

 If you don't like where you are, move. You are not a tree.

At the beginning of the month, I decided upon 4 social media marketing venues to grow my business - Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.

I already had a Facebook fan page and an account on Pinterest, so those were the two I've concentrated on the most. Plus, I felt that they would give me the most exposure since they are good venues for my on-line jewelry business.

The results are a little surprising.

Facebook:

• I started the month with 628 fans. I now have 716 fans.
• I gained 58 new fans from my Facebook ad, which means I gained 30 fans directly from Etsy or Facebook friends/fans.
• I have been posting 1 post each weekday and people are starting to engage more often with my posts. That's important as my posts will be seen more often if there is more interactions. At this time, I'm not comfortable posting more than once a day. That just seems spammy to me. :-)
• Here is one interesting statistic: The post that had the biggest reach by far, was my post showing my YouTube video. I've heard that facebook prioritizes posts with video and images, so this tells me that it's worth my time to create more videos.
• Etsy stats show 21 visits to my shop this month directly from Facebook. 
• Google Analytics shows 81 visits to my shop.

Pinterest:

• I started the month with 46 pins and 22 followers on my Theresa Rose Designs board. I now have 64 pins and 27 followers.
• I started the month with 12 pins and 16 followers on my Wedding Jewelry board. I now have 13 pins and 21 followers.
• I've been pinning 4-5 pins every weekday, with only 1 or 2 of those pins relating directly to my jewelry.
• Here's my surprising statistic: I've received more visits to my shop from Pinterest than from Facebook. Etsy stats show 46 visits to my shop from Pinterest. That's double than from Facebook!
• Google Analytics shows 123 visits to my shop. That's 50% more than Facebook.
• Pinterest was my #1 social media referral, according to Google Analytics.

YouTube and Instagram:

• I've just begun posting to Instagram and YouTube, so I don't have any interesting information from these two venues yet.
• I will say that I'm not sold on Instagram. I've read about people having a lot of success with this application, but I haven't fallen in love with it. 

So, this first month's results show me that Pinterest is a very worthwhile venue to pursue. I plan on stepping it up a bit next month and we'll see if my results improve even more.

I'm looking forward to February!

Day 14 - YouTube

Focus on how far you've come, not how far you have to go.

Last week I created my YouTube channel and I finally have my first video uploaded!

This was no small feat, by the way. I taped my video using my iPhone and then had a heck of a time figuring out how to upload it to YouTube. Even though my iPhone has a link to YouTube, Google restricts logging into YouTube from your phone unless you jump through a lot of hoops. After researching it on the internet for much too long, I decided to just upload the video to my computer and then post it from there. It actually worked out better because I was able to clip the beginning and end of the video using MovieMaker first.

Here is the link to my first video:

Theresa Rose Designs 1st Video


I'm hoping this will work out as another way to market myself, my brand, and my jewelry.

I still have a lot to learn, but getting it set up was a big first step!

Day 13 - Time Management

A successful person realizes his personal responsibility for self-motivation. He starts with himself because he possesses the key to his own ignition switch.

- Kemmons Wilson

Founder of Holiday Inn Hotels

Here we are in the last week of January and I have to admit, I'm really frustrated with my progress. I had visions of plowing into my business once the crazy holiday season was over. I thought the rest of my life would slow down enough so there would be minimal distractions and I could dedicate all the hours I needed to grow my business.

It hasn't quite worked out that way.

Life still gets in the way, no matter the time of year. I have a tendency to always look forward and think that next week, next month, next quarter, etc. will be easier and I'll have all the time I need. I was certain that January would give me plenty of time to solely concentrate on myself. How did I ever manage a day job and this business!!

Part of the reason I wanted to run my own business is so I would have more control over my life. And I do. However, I am still learning how to manage my time when I control the clock and priorities. There is no longer a 'boss' telling me which tasks have to be taken care of first and no one to see if I'm in the office by 8:00 am.

I have a long list of goals and tasks, and I naturally want to complete the tasks that are more fun first. While I did write up a schedule and had a clear list of goals for the month, I didn't do a good job of 'chunking it down' and turning these goals into concrete tasks so that I stayed on track.

So, after this month's missteps, I resolve to do a better job documenting the tasks I need to complete in order to achieve the goals I've set for the month.

Here are my new steps to better manage my time and tasks:

1. Every Sunday night:
1. Review my month goals.
2. Write down tasks needing to be completed for the week.
3. For each task, determine a priority level.
1. Priority 1: Absolute Must; Not completing this task is detrimental to my business.
2. Priority 2: Definite Must; Not completing this task affects other tasks.
3. Priority 3: Should; This task is good for my business long term and keeps my momentum.
4. Priority 4: Nice to Have; This task is to be completed after all other priorities are completed.
4. Next to each task, write down which day of the week this needs to be completed for priorities 1 and 2.
2. Each morning, review my tasks for the day and schedule the time of day each task needs to be completed.
3. Cross off tasks as they are completed. If they need to be delayed until the next week, move the task to the next week's list.

This weekly list is being kept in my goal book, in the pages right after my monthly goals. Having all this information all in one book makes it more manageable.

Here is the start to my new weekly list:

I prefer to write my lists in notebooks as I have a tendency to scribble out information and edit. This is just my preferred method and it works for me.

Here is a picture of my goal book for the year. I have January and February tabs already completed.

I have to admit I feel better already seeing it in writing. By maintaining a monthly, weekly and daily list, I hope to stay on track and not get so discouraged when it feels like I'm not moving forward with my goals fast enough.

Day 12 - Creating a Press Kit

A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not on the branch but on her own wings.  Always believe in yourself.

A week ago, my hairdresser contacted me and asked if I could provide her my business information (bio, picture, etc.) for her newsletter. Each week she features different clients in her newsletter and she thought it would be a good opportunity for me to promote my business. While I was really excited for this opportunity, she unfortunately needed it in one day. I wasn't prepared to put this together, especially since it was a Friday afternoon when she contacted me and I was heading out for the evening. This really got me to thinking - why don't I have a press kit ready to go at a moment's notice?!?

If I'm going to consider Theresa Rose Designs a serious business (and I do!), then it's imperative that I have press information ready for people the minute they ask for it. You never know when you can get that unexpected phone call from a business, newspaper, magazine, fundraiser, you name it - and they don't want to wait while you take a few days to put it together.

So, I was definitely inspired to take the time and put together a professional package that can be sent out in a timely manner. Fortunately, I already have the photographs, so it was really just a matter of writing up my bio and contact information in a professional format.

There are a few different items I wanted to have. These include:

1. Professional headshot
2. Jewelry pictures
3. Contact information
4. Bio - this includes my 'why', how I got into the business.
5. Shop Information
6. Shop Reviews - copied from Etsy site

By having all this information ready to go, I can tweak it quickly to customize it to the request. I will no longer be taken off guard and lose an opportunity to promote my shop.

How about you? Do you have a  press kit for your business?

Day 11 - January Goal Check up and Final Facebook Ad Results

Instead of thinking outside the box, get rid of the box.

-Deepak Chopra

There are a little less than 2 weeks left in January, so I thought it would be a good idea to review my goals for this month and see if I'm on target and what I need to work on for the next week. January is really about setting up the foundation for success in my business this year. Developing good work habits and scheduling consistent marketing/sales tasks were the main focuses for me this month. While I was working full-time along with running my jewelry business, I didn't set strict measurable goals for myself because it was always easy to fall back on the 'real' job. I made goals in my head, but didn't write them down - if they went by the wayside, no one knew (except me and I wasn't telling anyone!).

The goals I set for January were:

• Sales goal of 50% more than last January.
• Right now I'm on target with my sales goals. I'm seeing a definite increase from last year!
• Design and list 15 new products.
• I've listed 10 new products this month so far. I'm well on track to meeting this goal.
• Start an Instagram account by mid-month and start posting pictures.
• My account is created and a few pictures have been posted. I'm not posting every day, but with Instagram, less is better than too often. I'm going to go easy on myself with this social media venue.
• Post 4-5 pins on Pinterest each day (only 1 per day for jewelry).
• Except for the weekends, I've been fairly consistent with this one. I enjoy Pinterest and I'm definitely starting to see an increase in followers and re-pins. I'm also seeing traffic from Pinterest to my Etsy site.
• Create YouTube channel and have 2 videos up by end of month.
• My channel is created. I expect to create my first video this week.
• Update my website with new pictures and new font. Update list of stores carrying my products.
• Still on the list.  :-)
• Meet with someone new every week. The idea is to facilitate new business contacts and generate business either in the short term or long term.
• In the first 2 weeks, I met with two people. One resulted in a great wholesale order. The other was a meeting with a fellow Wink member about showcasing my jewelry at some of her events. 
• I still need to mark my calendar this month with 2 more meetings.
• Post to my Facebook page every day and run 2 ads by the end of the month.
• I haven't been posting on weekends, so I need to step it up on this goal.
• I've decided not to run 2 ads this month. The first ad did well for the first week and then dropped down to almost nothing the last 3 days. 
• I ended up with 58 new likes (53 in the first 7 days).
• I had a budget of $20.00 and spent $14.80.
• Since the number of likes dwindled down in the last week, that tells me that there is no need to run ads frequently at this point. In February I plan on trying the 'Boost Post' feature to see how that goes. 
• To see my post about the facebook ad I ran: Day 7 - Facebook Ads

All in all, I feel good about my progress. Most of my goals for this month are the type that won't show results in the short term but are designed to create a stronger brand presence for me in the long term.

Day 10 - New Wholesale Opportunity

What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven't happened yet.

Today I met with a wonderful woman that found my Etsy shop on-line and we now have a wholesale partnership. She has her own business as an Esthetician in the Hillcrest area of San Diego. Along with providing services, she also sells local handmade artisan items. My jewelry is now part of her selection!

The reason I bring this up in my blog is that it really got me thinking about how many times I have allowed wholesale opportunities to slip away in the past. Barbara found me via Etsy and contacted me. While I immediately responded to her e-mail, if she had not replied back and pursued a meeting with me, that would have been the end of it.

I am contacted periodically regarding wholesale and many times they don't lead anywhere. I always assume that perhaps my wholesale prices weren't in line with what the person was looking for or they were contacting a number of jewelry designers and I didn't make the final cut. Whatever the reason, if I don't hear back, it's never occurred to me to send a follow-up e-mail.

Well, as of now, that changes! There is no reason to not send a quick, polite follow-up e-mail if I don't hear back from someone with a wholesale inquiry. In the past, I've been so quick to dismiss these opportunities based on what could be incorrect assumptions. Who knows - maybe the timing was just wrong at the initial contact and my follow-up is just the reminder they need to make an order. We're all busy and I can think of many times that I've had items in my on-line cart at many businesses and never ordered just because I got busy doing something else and didn't get around to it. We can all attest to that, can't we?

So, in order to grow my business, I need to be more pro-active with people who contact me regarding orders. No more just responding then assuming they changed their mind when I don't hear back. I have to realize that it's not pushy to send a second or even third response. As long as it's done politely and I wait a reasonable amount of time, it's just good business!

Can you think of times when you've dropped the ball just because you didn't hear back from someone who inquired about your business?

Day 9 - Setting Up Instagram

The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.

One of my goals for January was to create an Instagram account and start exploring how I can use it to promote my brand. I'll admit that I've been a bit overwhelmed learning this social media venue - it's very different than anything else I've tried and its almost complete reliance on smartphones was an additional challenge. While I am tied to my phone all day, I don't really like typing on it and prefer to jump to my laptop for any interaction that takes more than a few clicks! Unfortunately, it looks like most of my Instagram interaction will take place using a 3x2 inch keyboard - ugh!

I've set up my account - http://instagram.com/theresarosedesigns/#

I finally figured out how to add my profile picture (hint: it can only be done from the phone).

I've also started adding pictures - a mixture of business and personal photos. After all, it is a social media venue.

I've spent a better portion of the week trying to research Instagram and the 'rules'. Here are a few things I've learned that everyone using Instagram for their business should know if you want to build an audience:

1.  Learn the art of hashtags! Use relevant, popular hashtags and post them with every image.
2.  Balance fun pictures with business pictures. Don't just copy images from your facebook page or product website. Try creating some fun pictures using your product in a unique setting or while engaging in a fun activity.
3. Follow your followers back.
4. Like and comment on other photos.
5. Follow other relevant brands on Instagram.This is also a great way to learn Instagram.
6. Don't post lots of images at once. This is considered spam and you will lose followers fast. One to three times a day is probably enough and do it throughout the day.
7. Do NOT ask people to follow you. 
8. It's better to post higher quality images less often than lower quality photos more often.

So, here is my Instagram so far. I've only been posting on it since Tuesday but at least I've jumped in and started - that's half the battle, right?

I assume this will be one of those venues that will take some time to build up, especially if I only post once or twice a day. I'll continue to post as I build my image library and hopefully, more followers.

While I'm a bit intimidated by Instagram, I'm definitely looking forward to expanding my photography skills and creating unique images using my jewelry. The great thing about this is that all my images can be used in a variety of ways. If I create a really fun, good quality image, I can post it on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.

As I learn more about Instagram, I will post more information. There are a multitude of apps out there to help businesses use Instagram successfully, so if I find anything interesting, I'll let you know. If you have any tips or have any other information, please share!