My Favorite Marketing Tools

I’ve never watched The Sound of Music all the way through, but I know enough about it to know that there is a scene where Julie Andrews sings a song about her favorite things. I’m not going to break out in a song and dance montage, but when it comes to marketing my business, there are a few things that I couldn’t live without.

And so, without further ado, here are a few of my favorite things:

My Computer: When it comes to marketing my business, it all starts with my computer. My computer allows me to connect with people, write press releases, find reporters who are looking for leads, create graphics and promos,  and so much more. My computer is my marketing life line.

The Internet: The Internet changed everything. And when I say “everything,” I mean everything, as in the whole world. Part of that is marketing. For the first time in history, it doesn’t matter what your advertising budget is. Small, home based businesses can compete with large, national companies. Put your marketing message on the Internet and you can be doing business with people all around the globe. It’s amazing what the Internet can do!

Blog / Website: Of course, in order to get business from people all across the globe, you gotta show ‘em what you can do, and that is where having a blog and/or website comes into play. Even if you have an Etsy shop or if you stick to local craft fairs for sales (why do you do that, by the way??), you STILL need a website / blog.  It will help you build relationships with your customers, keep them informed about your business, and it will help you find new customers. Do you see why this is so important? (to learn more about blogging, check out my resource How To Give Good Blog)

Twitter: There are lots of social networks out there, but this little dynamo is by far and away my favorite. When I write a new blog post, I send the link out on Twitter and within a few moments, I have feedback. How awesome is that? It’s a great tool for meeting people — including potential customers, potential partners, and the media. It is awesome and I love it.

My Friends: Friends are awesome, and they are especially awesome when they blog about you, re-tweet your posts on Twitter, post your links on Facebook, and do whatever else they can to promote you online.

If you aren’t friendly with any other business owners, use the aforementioned Internet to browse some social networks and find some! You can find people via Twitter, Facebook, the Etsy Forums, and a zillion other places. If this sounds complicated, don’t worry. One of my next posts will cover how to do this…..

Tenacity: Marketing a craft business online isn’t as easy as turning the computer on and pushing a couple of buttons. It is hard work and it does take time and effort. There will be days when everything seems to be going great – you’ll find yourself featured on a blog or maybe a reporter will ask to interview you. There will also be days when you’ll feel like you’re making zero progress. That’s normal.

When you have one of those days, hold onto your goals, dig your heels in a bit deeper and keep working. The only way to move ahead is to keep it up, even on the days you want to quit.

Remember, you CAN do this.

Now, go out there, put your best marketing face on, and show the world what you’re made of.

No singing or dancing required.