Tweeting and POH

Thanks for all the entries!
Wow! We will have a gorgeous May full of beautiful works for the Pursuit of Handmade! I have been tweeting and posting your links! I hope you will all help with this, too! just do a search for #POH and you can retweet the posts of your fellow artisans! Or grab the URL's from the comments and share share share!

Hop over to Mommys Review and see our first Participant! Wow! Gorgeous! http://mommysreviewsyoucanuse.blogspot.com

Enter the May Pursuit HERE!

I think I may have been confusing everyone with my change of venue with the blog! So sorry! I would like participants to the May Pursuit of Handmade to Enter here with a comment! Just comment with your URL to the item or place where I can find it! If you want to share a little something about your item, that would give it a little more "juice" when it is featured, that would be fantastic! So, comment below!

Remember- the Tweet along- just tweet or share others and yourself, add the hash tag "#POH" at the end, and I will find you, Retweet you, and share! You can do a simple search and do the same.

May's Theme- "Something for Someone Special" Any item that one could give to that someone special in their life- The theme is in appreciation for all those special people who help us along in life that may not fit under the Mothers Day umbrella!

So, come on, post post post

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Promote your shop for free with Mommy Tyme! No catch!

A great way to promote your shop/business is with widgets or mini stores!  Many of the marketplaces have them- Etsy, Winkelf, Artfire, etc...

(if you know of more, please comment and let me know... I am not sure of all of the venues out there!)

anyway, I am hoping to create a featured section on my blog- Mommys Reviews- and post a variety of artists mini shops for either a week/or a month at a time- (I dont have all the details under control yet...)

so, here is an excerpt from my blog- Mommys Reviews at http://mommysreviewsyoucanuse.blogspot.com  -  If you are interested in participating (Yes, it's free!) then you can comment here with the information, or you can go to Mommy's Reviews and post the information there!  I really hope to get the Mommys Mini Marketplace off the ground in the next two weeks!  So, hurry and post!  Plus, this will really be added promotion for your shop- I will feed it to twitter on a 6 hour interval, also post all new mini shops each week on Facebook, and it has a feed running to my website!  Plus, I subscribe to multiple traffic exchanges and services for both My Mommys Reviews Blog and my website.  All of this benefits you- so, join in the fun!

Here's the details from http://mommysreviewsyoucanuse.blogspot.com

"...As we have talked about previously, the Share the Love Series will be ongoing and updated weekly.  As will the pursuit of handmade series which is my weekly blog entry!  The Mommy's Mini Market contains all of my shops- but, my new FEATURE is Mommy's Mini Marketplace- which I hope to have up and running in the next week or so... Here is the deal for this:  If you are a handmade artisan and you want to promote your items/shops- you can do so here!  I would like to feature 3-4 mini shops (or widgets) each week (or month)!  All you have to do is- sign up!  Just leave me a comment with your shop URL, name, and email.  I will choose 3-4 shops for this first feature, then contact the shop owners.  The shop owners will send me the code for their mini shops  I will post the mini marketplace.  One catch, however, is that the online shops must have a mini/window, etc.  I know that etsy, winkelf, artfire, and fuzz b offer this free service- but, as for other marketplaces, I am not sure!  You will just have to ensure that your venue does offer this service.

My readers get a fantastic opportunity to browse a variety of shops with multiple modes of talent!   Readers can shop directly from the blog or they can link to your shop and see all of your great products!  This will give readers a chance to see all the fantastic items out there in the handmade marketplaces- not just the few items I may choose to feature!  And this provides you (the shop owner) with one more link back, one more promotional tool, one more place where your name and products is being shouted out!  You have to do absolutely nothing!  I will tweet your shop's presence here, post it on my website, let my facebook followers know, etc! 



I honestly believe in promoting and preserving the great talents out there!  One of my biggest fears is that by the time my child is an adult, there were only be cheap, mass marketed products for him to enjoy.  I want the future of handmade and artisan work to grow- I pray that individuals continue to express themselves and their creativity and that there continue to be a market that openly appreciates and receives these creations.  So, I feel an ultimate obligation to do my part and shout to the world - Hey check these artists out!  So, Mommys Mini Marketplace is just one more way I can do that!  Problem is .... I need participants (you, the shop owner!)

So, if you are interested, comment with the needed information- and I hope to have this feature section up and running sometime next week!..."

If you have questions, ideas, or thoughts on how to get this up and moving, streamlined, or easier for the readers, let me know!  Hope you join in and participate!

Traffic! Traffic! Traffic!

Getting people to your site is the key, right? Once there, your product is great, so if they are truly interested, a sale is no problem! But getting them there is a problem! Take a minute and type in something like "jewelry" to the search box. What happens? Pages and pages and pages (and thena few more) of sites related to Jewelry are listed. Where is yours? Lost somewhere in that crowd? What are the chances someone is going to choose to click on yours? It's a tough system out there!

One of the best ways to get people to your site is through traffic building and exchange systems. These are typically free, but some do cost! One of the best that i have found is Traffic Swarm- Not only is it free, you can refer traffic to more than one link or URL. You have a lot of options as far as earning the credits it "costs" to post your site, too. You can browse other sites (and there are tons of great sites associated with this program, not just business and marketing sites- there are blogs, family sites, children, health, and so much more. There is even Handmade!) You can also refer others to the program to earn credits or add search box's, links, or pop up windows to your sites. All of these earn you credits which you then cash in for traffic. Sounds easy, right?

It is easy! Check out my link below and you will be referred to the sign up and information page about Traffic Swarm. It is free. You can upgrade to Pro for a small fee, but that is up to you. I have ONLY discussed the free services here today.
http://www.trafficswarm.com/go.cgi?922223

So, if you try it, let me know... Talk about it here and share your experience.

Tips For Creating Powerful Headlines That Sell

You have mere seconds to capture a prospect’s attention. One of the single most powerful tools you have to accomplish this task is your headline. There are several keys to a compelling, and selling, headline and a few tips to help you get the job done.

#1 Tap into Your Prospects’ Emotions

According to psychologists our buying decisions are based first and foremost on our emotions. Use headlines which offer your readers a strong emotional benefit or reaction. Some possible emotions are:

For example, The 20-Minute Step that Will Make You a Business Genius taps into readers’ desires to feel smart and powerful.

Other emotions you can tap into are a desire to feel:

1. Attractive
2. Sexy
3. Assertive
4. Confident
5. Energetic
6. Pampered
7. A sense of belonging
8. In control of their own destiny
9. Wealthy
10. Proud
11. Respected
12. Safe

#2 Make it Active

To compel it’s important to use active language - language that shows movement and commands attention.

For example, “Stop Your Sugar Cravings Today With This Simple Step,” is a fine headline however it doesn’t command action nor does it really tap into any emotions. However, “Conquer Your Sugar Cravings With This Simple Step.” Conquer is an active and emotionally powerful word. Readers receive the benefit of feeling powerful and in control and it commands action.

#3 Let Your Reader Know They’re Important

The word YOU is a very powerful word. It let’s your reader’s feel as if you’re talking to them specifically and interested in solving their problems, issues and helping them achieve their desires. Instead of using I, Me or We in your headlines, use You. Using the headline example above compare the two options
“Conquer Your Sugar Cravings With This Simple Step.
“Conquer Sugar Cravings with Our System”

People want to know what’s in it for them and when they can assess that information in the headline, they’re going to be compelled to continue reading your copy and making a purchase.

Here are three more ideas for powerful headlines:

* Make a promise - Earn $1000 a day
* Make it newsworthy - New program guarantees you’ll earn $1000 a day.
* Ask a question – Do you want to ensure your financial future?

Three Simple Steps to Write Headlines That Sell

So now you have some ideas about what types of headlines sell, how do you begin to write those powerful headlines?

Step One – Get to know your audience intimately. What are their hopes, dreams, desires, and problems? Understanding your audience will help you create an emotional and powerful headline directed specifically at your audience.

Step Two – Determine how your products or services are going to make your prospects’ lives better or solve their problems. For example if you sell fitness equipment and your audience struggles with feeling attractive then you can create a headline that highlights a specific benefit your fitness equipment offers to solve that problem.

Step Three – Write ten to twenty, yes twenty, possible headlines. Not only will this give you practice writing compelling headlines, it’ll help you hone in on that perfect headline. And if you think you have a few winners you can always test them for conversion rates to find out which headline is more effective.

Marketing and copywriting experts consider your headline to be the most import element of any effective marketing piece. Take the time to craft a compelling, and selling, headline and you’ll reap the benefits for years to come.



For more great links, resources, etc. visit http://www.mommytyme.org/contact.html In fact, you can list your biz there for one month for free or get your biz featured on one of the pages... How? Simply sign the guest book with your link, URL and information. I will contact you when the new month goes up! How can you miss out on this?

Here is a new service you do not want to miss out on... Tweet my Blog! It is free, it will find you more followers and publicize the information you want out there! Get the right traffic to the right spot. For free! Really, how hard is that? Plus, it takes less than 5 minutes to complete the registration, you do not receive thousands of emails in your in box, and it really does make a huge difference! Check it out!

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Make money simply looking at ads! If you belong to a traffic referral program, you do this anyway, right? Well, turn that into cash! OR you can use your earnings to purchase your own advertising. Spend 10 minutes a day, and you can earn a nice chunk of change! It's worth checking out...

http://www.clixsense.com/?2762243

Get your banner, web site, links, and URL's posted for real traffic to see! You can earn credits from 4 different services at one time, so receiving 4 times the visitors seeing your site! It takes less than 3 minutes to register, it is very easy to surf the sites, and you are earning credits from more than one service. Really, there is not another traffic service that offers this...

http://www.ilovehits.com/?rid=123115

Still scouting for the traffic....

Traffic, traffic, traffic! That is all we ever hear about... There are so many services, which one is right for me? Well, I just keep trying them, then I feel compelled to share the information with you... Obviously the more people in a traffic system or URL rotator, the more times your banner or image gets viewed! but, is it the right traffic? I can't vouch for that yet, but my site rates of viewing have increased 36% since I added a few traffic rotators to my advertising system. One is I Love Hits!

You can check it out here:
http://www.ilovehits.com/splash/personal/splash1.php?rid=123115

Get your banner, get your traffic!

Well, today I have LOTS to share with you, and I can't wait to get started!

First off, I want to give my shout out to Anne of Helping Hands who designed my banner and avatar! If you are like me, you are not happy with what you are working with because you designed it yourself for free at a site like banner maker, right? Well, I am not a professional designer, so mine was kind of goofy- I would change it all the time, and still, never satisfied! One key rule of marketing online is to keep a stable logo and look- meaning you have to find the avatar and banner that works for you and keep it! This way customers and the public can associate you with your banner! If you change all the time, how can they keep up?

I would really recommend you see Helping Hands for a serious banner and avatar overhaul if you are not happy with your current look! For 15.00, Anne will work with you until you are satisfied!
You can contact Anne at:
http://www.madeformebyoaklie.com/



Check out mine:








We always talk about URL rotators, traffic exchange programs, and bringing the customers to YOUR site-
well, I have a few more programs to tell you about! These really get the traffic coming-

First:



Try this great link! You can add up to 5 of your sites (so add your blogs and your shops!), share the banner, share the news and get twice as many credits! - it's free, so really, what have you got to lose?

http://www.traffic-splash.com/splashial2.html?referer=Mommytyme

Another key aspect besides the traffic rotators is the SEO submissions... If you are paying for this now, you can stop! There are so many free services, why pay? Try the one below:

Bring On the Traffic!

We have spent a lot of time talking about rotators, traffic services, search engines and more... We are going to start focusing on conversion of sales, the right types of groups and networks to join, contests, etc to help promote your items and increase your sales in the upcoming weeks. I wanted to share one more time with you a great rotator service that really brings the traffic to your site! You can add as many URL's as you choose, and they will post as often as you set. However, the one catch is, that in order for your URL's to be posted, you have to have credits. To earn credits, you look at other's sites. It is so easy, though. It is not time consuming. You can add it to your start page, and every day when you log on, just check one or two sites! You will always have credits and your URL's will constantly be being promoted and rotated! Really. It is FREE- there are NO hidden costs. I have been using this service for a while, and Have NO complaints.

Anyone else using this service? Feel free to share your experiences with Traffic Swarm Here! Comment, comment, comment!



http://www.trafficswarm.com/go.cgi?922223

URL rotator programs? Increase traffic? Free advertising? Tell me more....

URL Rotators? How doe they work?

URL rotator programs, similar to tweet spinner type programs, consistently rotate your URL's throughout other websites and blogs that are part of the program. You will receive random advertising on other sites that belong to the same program. Many of these programs claim high hits, increased traffic, etc. However, it is hard to determine those claims unless that is the only rotator or program you are using. Otherwise, unique visitors to your site, store or blog are difficult to track from origin. One program the tracks the statistics for you is at the link below:

http://www.bizrotator.com/ro.php?id=1398

Or jkump in with my referral link at : http://www.bizrotator.com/?MommyTyme

This program, Biz Rotator, lets you add several URL's for free to rotate. However, the catch is that you refer others to sign up for the program. This is similar to Traffic Swarm, Traffic Digger and other website referral programs. But, what the heck? It's free, right? You won't receive tons of emails, solicitations, etc. Just simply add your url's, sign up (again, it's free), and the more you sign up the higher the frequency of your advertisements.


I encourage you to give it a try. For those of you who do, please comment here and let the readers know how it works for you. I have not put a lot of effort into it until this week, so I am not ready to make a claim on it's success or failure yet. I will post more about it once I evaluate the statistics and hits. Good luck! Let me know how it goes.

You can see the link below that I added to the blog with the Add This button. Click there for more information and the techy stuff regarding Rotators!

Get more Sales- Series 4

Linkbacks-

If you have been following the "get more sales" series, by this time you should have your store chosen, and have become a member of a few social network sites. If you have not done those tasks, refer back in the archive for great leads on these...

Now we need to focus on getting your store or selling venue found when a potential customer types in a search of products you may have...

It really is not as easy as just submitting your site to web site submission sites. That is a start, however. You also need to focus on linkbacks- the more linkbacks, the higher your site climbs in the ranking. So, how does a linkback work? What is a linkback? I will provide you with some resources, but explain it in "Mommy Terms"-

A linkback is a means or method in which other sites will link back to your site. You will submit your site, and that site will have your URL registered along with theirs (and other submissions). Generally sites allow a description or keywords to be attached to your URL. Make sure you choose these carefully. Many request a banner or avatar (which you should have now if you have been following the series, if you do not, scan the archives and find the post titled Banners or Free Banners)

The first places you will want to provide your linkbacks is your selling sites and your social networks you have joined. Check under banners, links to our stores, or another similarly worded tab at your selling venues. Made it Myself has this on their last page of the site. It is titled Member Stores. Grab the code for the MIM banner and place it on your selling site, your blog, your social network, etc. You will then submit to Made it Myself (per their instructions on the page), your banner and link and the link where their banner can be found. Simple as that. Check all of your selling venues for these opportunities.

As for the social networks, when you register, typically the network requests your website or selling venues as part of the application process. Enter the page of your site you want members to see (it does not have to be the first page of your website, you may want to direct people to a mid page where there is more of attention grabbing detail). Once a member of the network, there are a variety of places you can add your linkback. You should have already added your RSS, so that provides one link back. You can also join groups for banner exchanges, post your stores, etc. In those groups, members post their banners or avatars, other members pick them up and place them on their sites, in exchange you place their banner on yours. This can be for blogs, shops, and more. Join as many of these groups as you can, and link back as many sites as you can fit. This constantly raises your rank. The network may also have a place where members post a business directory, a member store page, etc. You can submit your information in these pages, also.

A good starting goal for the next two weeks would be to submit at least 20 linkbacks. If you have difficulty with this, check my site and see the linkbacks at the bottom of the following page http://www.mommytyme.org/contact.html if you would like to link back to this page, simply follow the submission guidelines provided higher on that page. If you have problems, feel free to comment here at the blog and I will help you.

Once you have submitted some of your link backs, share the places where you linked here! We can help each other find great link back sites to help expand each of our linkbacks and rankings! Post them in the comments, and remember, every comment increases your chances to win free Mommy Tyme products! See http://www.mommytyme.org for more details on the free drawings!

Please Vote on this web page --

Here is a great link for submitting your site to various search engines. You can scroll to the bottom of the page and submit to over 20 search engines all at one time. Also a variety of link back and search engine banner opportunities available.

http://www.freewebsubmission.com/

Here is another free selling venue you might be interested in:

http://www.wigix.com/index.php/myprofile/orders/8415862/8