5 Fabulous Facebook Marketing Tip for your Creative Business ...

You're a creative person. You have an Etsy shop or a website or maybe both. You want to promote your work online, but you can't afford advertising. Where do you go from here?  Facebook is an EXCELLENT marketing tool that you can use to interact with your customers, network with other creative friends and, of course, promote your business. As the administrator of several fan pages on Facebook, I have five tips I'd like to share ...


1. "Drive by" advertising is not your friend. DBA is when you post on a site as your fan page saying something like "New fan here from (insert fan page)" or  "Come check out my Etsy shop (with a link)". Most large fan pages will simply delete or hide your post and my even block you. Not to mention that Facebook has a filter and will automatically hide posts it sees as spam*. DBA's never come back and interact with the members of the Fan page, they simply leave a link to their page or Etsy shop. Or they do come back several times with the same message or advertising post. Can you see how this is problematic for the Fan page owner? If you have 10 people DBA ing every day, you'll end up with a wall full of advertising that you are hosting on your page. Your legitimate fans are annoyed because when they come to your page, it's full of advertising, not exciting content or information they can use. What do you do? You just want to get your name out and everyone has to start somewhere ... Right?

So how can you legitimately (and nicely!) advertise your brand on Facebook without spending money?

Read on my friends:

2. Follow (as your fan page) other creative pages and interact (again, as your fan page) with these pages. Get to know them. Participate in their posts. Tag them (using the @ sign) in posts that you think may be relevant to their page and yours. For example, say I own a fabric store on Etsy and have just completed a project using Patty Young's fabric and my Accuquilt cutter. I would write a post saying "Hey look at this great project using (@) Modkids new fabric line, Lush and flowers cut from my (@) accuquilt GO!Baby." The tagged fan pages will show up on their walls as well as in your post. Tagging is a great tool with one caveat ... Keep it GENUINE and don't over-use it. Use your best judgement on when it is relevant.


3. CONTESTS are a NO-NO on Facebook unless you run it through an app, which costs money. I was going to type up a big post about it, but then my friend Cheryl found this post. Please read it. Whatever you do, PLEASE don't run a contest on your Facebook wall. It is against their rules and they will shut you down. Plus, it makes the playing field unfair for those who follow the rules.


4. Consider having a "Share" day on your fan page. Make it clear that this day is for your fans to post their shops, fan pages and websites. This is a WONDERFUL way to interact with your fans, PLUS you're introducing new shops/companies/fan pages to your page AND your fans!

5. Get to know your fans by posting relevant content. Interact with them by posting thought-provoking and INTERESTING comments at least five times per week. Also, make sure you answer questions and respond to comments in a timely manner. It is VERY frustrating to fans when a page doesn't respond, especially to a direct question or comment. Make it a habit to check your page a few times a day, maybe every time you check your email. Your customers and fans are important. Show them that they are by responding to them!

 It takes time to build a fan base, but don't focus on the number and get discouraged. In my opinion, it's better to have a smaller number of fans that actually interact with you than 20,000 fans who never respond. I would much rather feel like a member of a community than just a number!

~

 I hope these tips are valuable to you and your business. If you have any comments, please leave them here and I will respond. This is a WONDERFUL creative community and I am more than happy to share what I have learned! 

XOXOXO

 Paige

*NOTE: The "Hidden Post" tab is located directly under your wall tab on the left hand side of your page. Get in the habit of checking it daily. Sometimes posts you DON'T want hidden will end up there and you don't want to hide important posts.

A Period Drama Update ...

Way back in April I posted all about my love for PERIOD DRAMA. I know there are more like me out there. Are you a kindred spirit? Judging from my Facebook timeline, it seems like everyone LOVES Downton Abbey and I am NO exception (Especially since I cheated and watched the ENTIRE second season along with the UK in the fall:), but I need some suggestions. What are your favorites? I'll share my top 5:

1. Pride and Prejudice. 

The BBC version from 1995. 

That's all I have to say~

2.Downton Abbey

I don't think I can put into words how much I love this series. If you haven't seen it yet, go right now and watch it on Netflix. Or PBS. Or online. Just do it. I promise you'll thank me!

3. Bleak House

AMAZING! I loved each and every episode. Plus, it gave me a brand new love for Dickens, which leads me to number 4 ...

4. Little Dorrit

Oh so lovely! I loved the characters, the interaction, the story. FABULOUS!

5. A Room With a View

I watched it for the first time in 1989. I don't think I appreciated the beauty of it until last night when I watched it again. It's STUNNING! And I LOVE Helena Bonham Carter as Lucy.


 I also loved both Cranfords, Every BBC Jane Austen, North and South (not the US Civil War one), Mansfield Park and the last BBC Jane Eyre.


Now it's your turn! What are your favorites?

Please share with me! Let's dish:)

My New Adventure ...

Gather around my friends ... 

So. Here it is. I have been toying with an idea for another blog for more than a year now. I bought the domain, yet I didn't know if I actually wanted to go through with it. I was working so hard at Where Women Create and The Creative Connection, so it didn't make sense to go out on my own. Well my friends, the time is now. Yesterday I made the big step and sent my inquiry on to the designer. The wheels are in motion and there's no backing down ...

~Creative Friends, Crafty Adventures and a Project Here and There~

Who the heck is Cricket Wallace? 

Stay tuned to find out! 

*HUGS* 

And a GREAT BIG THANKS for all of your support! 

XOXO~Paige

Forging your own path ...

How do you decide when to stay in the safe comfort of the footprints of the snow and when to make your own path? How do you make the decision to NOT follow the trail that was made and blaze your own? And if you do make that call, do you just throw on your boots and go for it? What if you fail?

 This month I have struggled with these questions.

 I have bantered back and forth, weighed all of the options, listed all the pros and cons, then I made a tough decision. I will not be continuing with Where Women Create in 2012. The time has come for me to move on ... Try new things and explore other opportunities. Plus, I'd like to actually CREATE something myself. Maybe sew? Maybe paint? I don't know, but it's time! I also want to spend more time working with Riley Blake. They are a FABULOUS company with the best fabric and people behind it! I absolutely love them. Plus, I hope to have another BIG announcement coming at the first of the year which will truly be a dream come true for me and will be just what I need to forge my own trail.

*This pup looks just like my Marley!

I am crossing my fingers that the footprints that I leave in the snow will lead me to bigger and better things! 

 I hope yours do as well ...

I'm pulling on my boots ... Won't you join me?

Saturday Inspiration ... Bring Mary Englebreit's Home Companion Back!

By show of hands who used to stalk the mail box or the newsstand  for this FABULOUS magazine? Does everyone miss it as much as I do?

Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion "Got me".  I felt at home in the pages ... These artists felt like MY People ... MY FRIENDS! Ironically enough when I was fortunate enough to MEET many of these wonderful women, I was treated as if I actually was the old friend I felt I was. All because of the way I was introduced to them in ME's magazine. I was filled with creative projects, decorating ideas and inspiration. I have saved each issue and treasure each one. I consult them every time I need a creative boost. Just this week I was down in the decorating dumps. Luckily, I just pulled out one of my ME holiday issues and VOILA! Dilemma solved. The ideas that were published in Home Companion are AMAZING and timeless ... I miss it so much!

Were you a Home Companion fan?
 Here's you chance to get introduce yourself, or reintroduce as the case may be to all the wonderful things that this magazine is about:

Mary has released a special digital mini mag just for us!

Click http://maryengelbreit.com/home-companion-magazine

It's a special peek into Mary's home for Christmas ... It's BEAUTIFUL!
I have a collection of old paper mache houses and bottle brush trees, so I especially love how she has added them to her holiday decor. Not only can you download the magazine, you can also get some DARLING gift tags for FREE!

Click this link: http://maryengelbreit.com/make-takes/holiday-gift-tags.
I am going to print mine on heavy card stock, then attach them to my neighbor gifts!

Thanks Mary for the continued inspiration you give me:)

As you can see, I love Mary Englbreit's Home Companion and I so wish they would bring it back! Unfortunately, the publishing industry is volatile and it's hard to get funding, but me? I'd like my voice heard. How about you? Can you help? 


Click the link below to cast your vote and spread the word! 

We creatives need this magazine!
Let's stick together and
BRING IT BACK!

http://maryengelbreit.com/archives/3399

Thank you so much!
You can share this post on Facebook or Twitter by using the buttons at the bottom of the post and I would so appreciate if you would. Pulling together is the only way we get things done, and our creative world is a better place because of Mary!
Let's show her we care and want our voices heard!

Happy Holiday's Friends! 

12 Days of Holiday Giveaways!

Where have I been  you may ask ...

It's my favorite giveaway of the year!

This time we've got 48 FABULOUS artists with 50+ GREAT prizes!

Best of all ... There are at least four prizes each day with one winner ... 12 Chances to win!  

Click HERE to visit WWC, then comment on each day. You can enter each day until the contest is over, but just remember to post only once. 

~Good luck~

I also have something else to share ... 

You may remember me singing the praises of my friend Elea Lutz at 

Well yesterday guess what showed up on my door ...

It smells HEAVENLY!!!! 

I am using the hand lotion right now, but I can't bring myself to open the soap ... It's too pretty! 

And yes, that is a fat quarter of her brand new fabric! How cute is that???

She's having a giveaway over on her blog and I would so appreciate you showing her some love! 

http://nostalgia.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/12/giveaway-new-fabrics-and-the-sweetest-little-pins-for-your-pincushion.html

If you enter, please come back here and comment that you did. I will draw a name on December 12th for a copy of our latest issue of WWC PLUS I'll throw in the latest issue of WWCook! 

Off to work on another project! 

~Hope you're all enjoying the most wonderful time of the year~

XOXO

Paige

Saturday ... Snowing ... Sewing ... GIVEAWAY!

WOW ... It's Snowing like CRAZY here! The perfect time to get caught up on sewing ... 

Currently I am making:

Gabby's Sleepover PJ's from Izzy & Ivy 

And a pillow using 

QUICK and easy Floral YoYos

with my friend Amanda's FABULOUS

Delighted Fabric

PLUS ... 

Working on this little guy (AGAIN!)

I think I'm going to FINALLY finish these Snowmen! I have a whole box full of little Snowman heads all ready to go, I just couldn't figure out whether to sew a whole bunch of bodies or do something else. Maybe put them on a stick? Make the bodies out of paper clay? UGH! The last two Christmas's I've brought them out, then put them back in January. Other projects came and went, but I kept thinking about my Snowmen. Then I spied something on Pinterest and my problem solved! 

It was like Snowman Serendipity! 

The image linked to this AMAZING blog with a GREAT idea ... 

Her blog is called Creative Dreaming and it's darling! I think I'll put some candies in the jars and give them for gifts!

 PLUS 

look at this paper that I can use for the hats!

And how great are these embellishments?

They're from a company called Webster's Pages and they're just as beautiful in person as they are on the site! As a matter of fact, when lovely Courtney sent me a pack to try out, I couldn't believe both the quality and design. And the best part? 

If you head over to 

WHERE WOMEN CREATE

you can comment to win a collection kit of YOUR CHOICE! 

And another best part? 

Since we've got a BRAND NEW ISSUE of 

I'd like to give TWO copies away to TWO of my readers!

All you've got to do is comment to this thread.
Want two entires?
Comment on the Webster's Pages Fabulous Friday post on WWC and then comment again and let me know you did.

GOOD LUCK and Happy Saturday Friends!