I tweeted back, suggesting that this felt to me like an unprofessional thing to say on social media, given his role in the company. Veronelli replied, “On socials I prefer to be genuine, exposing outright all my defects & vices, rather than to be settled and look forcedly professional.” I replied that given Aurifil’s predominantly…
How Social Media Can Humanize Your Brand: A Case Study of McCall’s
Edited 9/18/15: The social media manager at McCall’s is Meg McDonald. A month ago I saw this tweet in my feed and got a little surge of excitement: Yippee, we’re on Twitter! — McCallPatternCompany (@McCallPatternCo) April 26, 2014 That same day I came across the brand new McCall’s Instagram feed. So why the surge of…
What is Quilt Market (and Why I Didn’t Go)
Quilt Market was last weekend. My Instagram feed was full of pictures of new fabric collections, designers beaming proudly in their beautiful booths, and the crazy crowds at Sample Spree. If you sew and follow sewing blogs at all, I’m sure you’ve heard about Quilt Market. But what is it exactly? How did it come…
Podcast Episode #14: Tara Swiger and Stacey Trock
My new microphone makes a debut in this episode of the While She Naps podcast (hooray for improved sound quality!). I chat with Tara Swiger and Stacey Trock about marketing tools and strategies for small creative businesses. I met Tara a few months ago when she was in Boston teaching some workshops. We went out…
Reflecting on What Makes Designs Sell
I have a pattern in issue 29 of Mollie Makes. It’s a punk and pretty topsy turvy doll (I call them Roxy and Rachel). The idea for this doll came from the magazine’s editor and it was fun to have an assignment. I spent some hours studying British punk girls and the fabrics they wear,…
Applying Concepts from Contagious by Jonah Berger to Creative Businesses: Making the Private Public
This is the second in a series I’m writing about Contagious: Why Things Catch On, by Jonah Berger. This book is truly excellent, steeped in research and yet easy to understand. I recommend getting a copy. In these posts I’m working to apply the theories in Contagious to creative businesses. You can read the first…
Applying Concepts from Contagious by Jonah Berger to Creative Businesses: The Power of Emotion
It’s gotten really crowded in here. Lots of people are talking about the same thing and they’re talking all at once. How can we possibly sift through the noise and find the best stuff when this sea of craft content is constantly rushing past? If you run an online business, like I do, this is…
How to Build Buzz for a Product Launch: Indie Designers In Conversation
How do you generate excitement about a new product or pattern? What can you do to build buzz in advance of a product launch so that the day your product goes live customers are clamoring to your shop to get what you've got to offer? A lot goes in to orchestrating a successful product launch…
How to Reassure Potential Customers and Help Them Overcome Objections
Have you read The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau? It’s excellent. Real, actionable steps to improve your online business, launch a new product, and build a community of customers. I’m taking many of Chris’ ideas and applying them to my own creative business. Right now I’m focusing on writing an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions). I’ve…
9 Reasons Why You Should Have a Blog
Want to see something embarrassing? Here’s the first post I ever wrote on my blog: Oh my goodness. Housewife? My head is now on my desk. But there’s something to celebrate here, too. The date. That was eight years and 1,065 posts ago. I’m still here regularly writing in this space. Starting a blog was…