Setting Stones and Reviewing a Book

What have I been doing this week?  Setting some of the Mojave Stones that my dad cut and polished into my silver metal clay settings  I’m really happy with these two pieces! 

I’ve also read an e-book that just might be of interest especially if you have an etsy shop or a website store.  When I received an email from Hunting Handmade asking if I would like to review the new ebook, ‘The Art of Audience Building for Etsy Sellers’, I said ‘YES, please!’ 

I’m always looking for ways to improve my two Etsy shops and I’m always interested in new ideas.  The book was written for Etsy sellers but after reading it, anyone with a business on the internet will find it interesting and  useful.  I also enjoyed their website and thought you might also:    http://www.huntinghandmade.com/

If you have shopped on the Etsy site, you know that there are thousands of shops represented.  It is so easy to get lost looking for something or selling something.  There is so much so see on the site.   Learning to get your best item seen can be daunting.  This 64 page e-book is not so much a ‘step by step how to book’ as it is a book about changing a seller’s mindset and opening the seller  to new opportunities.  The book does not talk about how to manage your time to get all this done.  It does a very good job of laying the groundwork for online businesses.  

There are 6 chapters in the e-book:  

Chapter 1- The art of audience building. This is about getting us to understand the importance of maximizing our audience first (creating an audience ready to buy our goods, creating an awareness and a demand.)  Audience first and business second - Of course there has to be a quality product ready to sell!

Chapter 2- Six Steps for Blockbuster Branding –  Good reminders on the importance of finding a niche market

Chapter3 – Success with Social Media – I found this chapter most helpful.  It talked about the 4 largest social media networks (etsy, facebook, tumbler and instagram) explained some of the differences and when one might be more useful than another.  I’ll be investigating instagram and tumbler after reading this.

Chapter 4 - Networking for success – We need each other to grow and one of the best ways to grow is through networking and combining voices and efforts.  Good suggestions in this chapter.

Chapter 5 – Becoming a thought leader – Sharing ideas, writing a blog, lots of good suggestions to help a business be more visible

Chapter 6 – Back to Basics – Includes things to do offline in your community.

There are secret tips at the end of the book that are good reminders especially about the importance of photography in selling.

I could not help but think of my own etsy stores, my blog, my website, and my facebook page as I read this book.  I wanted to stop and apply some of the suggestions to see what I could improve.  For me the book was successful in its attempt to get me to see my sites in a new way.  

Anything that gets us to look at what we are doing in a new way seems worthwhile to me!  Buy your copy at http://www.huntinghandmade.com/the-art-of-audience-building-for-etsy-sellers/