There are lots of birthdays, births, and weddings going on lately which I love….it means its spring time. Since I am always looking for creative ways to package and gift, this idea immediately had my attention! Aren’t they lovely? Such a simple way to take your gift to the next level:)
I don’t know about you, but when I saw these rooms, I felt like I suddenly needed to open the windows, toss out the dull winter hues in my home, and start layering bright pieces of fabric all over the place. If only it were that simple. These rooms are completely my style. The bright colors, the modern textures and prints, and the unexpected combinations have me swooning.
Hope each of you had a great weekend. My UK basketball team upset two of the top teams to win a spot in the final four, so I am a happy girl:) I am getting to the bottom of my pre-baby to-do list and can finally say I am ready now! My guess is one week from today. We shall see.
*Stay tuned for tomorrow’s giveaway. You are going to LOVE what we have for you.
Your favorite crayon in grade school was a neon color!….Yep, that would be me. To be perfectly correct, “Shocking Pink” was my favorite crayon in first grade. Thus, I am happy to see the neons hit the mainstream lately. Its fun! I love it even more paired with neutrals and corals:)
Desiree is hosting an auction to raise money for an adoption from ethiopia. Several artists including Olive Manna, Emersonmade, and Oh Hello Friend have donated fantastic items. Please consider stopping by!
I will say that my advice comes from my experience. In 2008 I was running Jess LCalmost completely through wholesale accounts with stores via a team of sales reps. This meant that Jess LC was sold in over 100 stores across the country, and we also had a basic but functioning website. Our lack of online effort reflected in our bottom line. In fact, we only had 40 online orders in 2008 — 20 of which came in December alone.
Then in January of 2009 I started MML and dove into the world of online marketing for Jess LC. Since I was spending so much time with MML networking, writing, and blog reading, it made perfect sense to bring Jess LC to the internet as well. What I’ve done is certainly no secret, but it has radically changed my business. Today, over 80% of our business comes from online orders worldwide and we couldn’t be happier. It took years of trial (and error) and dogged determination to get it to this level. But it was worth every second and penny I spent to make this shop an online reality.
Here are the key steps that I took to make it all happen:
Though I don’t recommend blogging for all business owners, it is the biggest success factor for Jess LC. I had no idea that blogging about designing a life with intention would lead to jewelry sales and customers, but it certainly did. I think the reason that MML has been so helpful is because I am very clear about why I write here each day. It is well known my purpose in life is to help others with making under. Period. But at the same time I also run my jewelry shop to pay the bills and because I do genuinely enjoy the design and marketing process.
Though the blog takes honestly half of my time and effort, I make very little ad money compared to Jess LC. But through sharing my story and reaching out to readers, many have also become Jess LC customers which has led to more online sales and higher business revenue. This honestly shocked me when it first started to happen, but I couldn’t be more grateful.
So I only recommend blogging for business owners who are passionate about what they are writing about, do it regularly, and make a concerted effort to reach out to other bloggers. Getting a blog up and running with a consistent following is (in my opinion) the single hardest and most time consuming marketing effort. But if done successfully, blogging can be the most rewarding return on investment.
Right after I started MML I also decided to place an ad on Joanna’s lovely blog, A Cup of Jo. I then followed that ad up with a giveaway that got 458 comments and 700+ new visitors to my online shop within about three days. Given that I was averaging 20-30 visitors a day on jesslc.com before that giveaway, the results were astounding. The attention drew orders from all over the country – and world.
So my advice for other owners is to consider an ad and giveaway on a blog that has a robust following of potential customers. Depending on the company budget and ad prices, I’d consider advertising and doing giveaways/product posts on 3-4 blogs at first. As you get more feedback and results, you can decide whether to grow your advertising or decrease it to just a few key blogs.
I will say that I joined Twitter primarily for MML and blogging, not for Jess LC. But the easy communication with customers and fans of Jess LC is very convenient.
Facebook I tried a few years ago for Jess LC and abandoned it because we weren’t updating it regularly and sharing it in any way. However, we’ve recently re-launched our Facebook page and I’ve been very happy with the customer response and interaction.
How to Decide Which Social Networks to Join
My advice about joining any social network like Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, or LinkedIn is to ask your existing customers where they are online. Do your customers have Facebook and Twitter accounts? Are they mostly on Facebook only? By finding out where your current fans and customers are online allows you to start there and keep them updated on your shop.
Then, as you continue to get more savvy selling and marketing online, consider expanding to other social media sites. I think the most important part of any social network profile however is to keep it updated multiple times a week with unique and original content.
Going to (and c0-hosting) blogger meet-ups was a great way for me to make real life connections with bloggers. And in many cases thebloggershavebecomegoodfriends. Not only have these friendships deeply enriched my personal life, but by working with each other we have been able to expand our businesses and blogs.
So there you have it. These four things have been the building blocks for my online marketing. As you can tell, each of these aspects are time consuming but also rewarding personally and professionally.
Thank you so much Jess for being a visitor here on IHOD and sharing your wisdom with aspiring entrepreneurs! I think it’s incredibly generous to pass along the tips that made your business successful! Also, her blog is loaded with more fantastic advice! Don’t miss out!
Continuing my love for mason jars and their endless amount of party possibilities:) Hobby Lobby has some fantastic lidded jars in all shapes and sizes for these kinds of purposes. Or just buy a case of empty mason jars which you can sometimes find at your grocery store.
I am in the middle of a major nesting phase….lots of cleaning and hanging pictures and other random things that seem to be super important to get done before the baby comes;) Do have any crazy nesting stories??
P.S. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Small Business Guide post! REALLY good tips you won’t want to miss featuring Miss Jess Constable!
I think a burst of color and party inspiration is what we all need on a Monday morning:)
These are a few fun party details that are screaming spring!
With a birthday, baptism, and Easter next month, I have been gathering some inspiration. Although, after having a baby I might just lump all three events into one have some cake and call it a day! 😉
Happy First Week of Spring! We made it!!
P.S. I have a sponsor spot available…. So if you would like the spring special rates and stats info just send me an email!
We’ve all seen the images and videos rolling in of the devastation from the Japan earthquake and tsunamis. While aftershocks and tsunami scares are still happening days later, the nation is in for a long long road of recovery. So far, the death toll is estimated to be 2,000. In just one town, 9,500 are missing. I have come to realize how strong the blogging community is over the last year. This is a perfect example. With just two girls initiatives, there has been thousands of dollars raised for an amazing cause:
ForJapanWithLove.com
Ever Ours has teamed up with Utterly Engaged and handpicked ShelterBox as the organization to donate to, where there are volunteers are already there in Japan helping, so please be assured that your donations are being put to good use. ShelterBox provides emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies for families around the world who are affected by disasters at the time when they need it the most. Each large, green ShelterBox is tailored to a disaster but typically contains a disaster relief tent for an extended family, blankets, water storage and purification equipment, cooking utensils, a stove, a basic tool kit, a children’s activity pack and other vital items.
Also, if you are a blogger, you an also participate.
This Friday, March 18th, my blog will be silent as in no posts in honor and respect for
what has happened in Japan. If you are interested in participating:
please e-mail: lydia@ever-ours.com or info@utterlyengaged.com for more information.
