Stop Making Excuses

Drop Of Water by Claudia H. Blanton

So dear fellow writers, creatives, and artists, I want to wake up this morning with a little kick in the behind.

Stop making excuses.

Say what?
You heard me right. Stop making excuses why you can not work on your creative projects, goals, and dreams. Stop that right now. Life is too short,  to waste another precious minute pondering upon the reasons why you can not follow through
The list of potential excuses are not going to get any shorter, just because you waited a month, a year, a decade to follow through. So stop, and do whatever it takes –  right now.

Keep The Dream Alive – Motivational Typography by Claudia H. Blanton

I am being hard on you here because I know how debilitating those excuses can be. I lived and breathed excuses. I would blame everyone and everything for why I do not have time, from lack of sleep to lack of resources, to not being good enough, or not having the right connections.

Guess what, if you do not do any of the steps needed to make your dream come true, you still will not have all of those things, and in addition to that, you will have a mediocre life at best. Do you really want that?
I did not think so.

So, say it with me, one more time.

Stop making excuses.

Start by asking questions. How about asking others for resources, or how they did it? How about getting your head away from that tv show and watch a youtube video on how others in your field made it? You will find, that many creatives do not mind sharing their “secrets”, which are no secrets through many platforms. Learn and then do.

I am rooting for you.

 

Blessings!

Claudia

P.S. Are you ready to take action? Then follow me to the free learning network Wealthy Affiliate right now!

Selling Art Online – My Thoughts On Handmade At Amazon

By now you might wonder what is Handmade At Amazon. Well it is in its core, the Amazon version of Etsy – the online market place that is supposed to be for handmade items, services and vintage things – just with a little twist.

First of all, stuff listed on Handmade At Amazon is actually handmade. Before becoming a seller, an artist has to fill out an application, and prove that their production process is that what can be considered artisan – small businesses with only one or a very few people working on projects,and items that are truly crafted, not mass produced. I had a beef with that on Etsy, one of the reasons why I never became an affiliate for them, and promoted the crafters items, was because there were so many mass produced things in there, posing as handmade.

Sarah Hood Jewelry
Sterling Silver Tree Pendant Necklace with 24k Gold Leaves

But Amazon sells a lot of mass produced stuff too, what’s the difference?
Well, they don’t lie about the items they list as mass produced, and claim that they are handmade or artisan. You can buy both, but they are in different sections, and do not compete with each other. A win for the crafts people, I think.

There are quite a few really nice products already listed, on Handmade but I have a feeling too many people are still waiting to see if it is really worth diving into. I highly suggest not to wait. As with Etsy, those who set up shop early make the most profit and have the best chance of continued success. If you are an Etsy seller, I would suggest that you get into the action now. Especially before the shopping frenzy starts.

Touch Formed Studio
Minimalist Rectangle Vase with Austere Blue-White Glaze

Visually, I find the set up appealing but unremarkable. It is not too different from the rest of Amazon, actually blends in so much, that if it was not for the not so very big logo “Handmade” on the right side of the screen, I would have thought I am just serving the old-fashioned Amazon. What I do like is, that if I share a pin directly from the listing’s page, it automatically adds the light blue Handmade At Amazon logo, so it is easy to distinguish the pins from others. A great way to promote individual artists, I think.

But with the launch just having been a few days ago, it is still early to see if Amazon continues to support Handmade as much as it promised. After all it is only a small section within this huge company, and unlike the niche appeal Etsy had, I have a feeling the products could get lost in there.

The opportunity here lies for the individual artists to work together with marketers and affiliates (like me), to get more exposure to gain traction. That is, if these sellers are not too busy to keep running their Etsy stores, with their already established clients.

 

Have you checked out Handmade At Amazon yet? What are your first thoughts? Let me know what you think about this opportunity, or if you are already have a store set up. If you do, I would love to interview you, and here what you think, and what you think this new venture can add to your sales and success.

Have a wonderful day!

Claudia

3 Tips For An Effective Product Description

A great product description can be as important as the image of your product in the purchase decision making process of your potential client. Take the time to be diligent in taking advantage of this sales tool by keeping the following three tips in mind.

1. Keep it short
Attention spans are getting shorter, and people hate feeling like they wasted time. Keep your product description between 100 and 130 words. Any length above that should be reserved for your blog posts.

2. Tell Them Why They Need It
Give the person reading your description why they need to have your creative product. Does it save them time, money or does it evoke a special feeling, a connection they are trying to make, either for themselves or for a loved one.

3. Use Clear Keywords 
Describing something as beautiful is not a very effective way of utilizing the small space you have available to you. Instead use words that describe your product category, your style, your niche and color scheme, all words that allow your customer to search for your product, and gives them a clear idea if your art is a perfect fit for them. Even if a customer might not buy the first product of yours they have seen, they are more likely to return when their needs change. Make them remember you.

 Also, check out the course “What Are Tags And How To Use Them”, for more info on learning how to tag your content, and products – today!

Stop That Re-Pin! 4 Things You Should Consider Before Hitting That Pin Button

Whether you are a Print On Demand Artist, a writer or have your own business, the power of owning a Pinterest Business Account is great and should be utilized to its fullest potential by everyone. But because it is easy to fall into the trap of spamming your followers, you have to have a certain level of other pins on your boards that are not advertising your products or services. One of many ways to so is to repin what other people have posted.

However, repinning a great infographic without too much thought can be counter-productive. Here are four points you should consider when repinning content to your Pinterest business account (or any Pinterest account):

1. Read the comments to the pin thoroughly. Just because the information is great, does not mean that the pinner’s thoughts on the subject matter fit your needs, the needs of your audience, or are views you want to convey. Better yet, change the description of the pin completely, and include your own information on it.

2. Check the link. A great graphic or image does not make a great re-pin. Make sure the pin does not lead to some questionable content or is a dead link.

3. Get rid off hashtags. While hashtags are wonderful for facebook, twitter, Instagram and a host of other places, Pinterest is not one of them. Get rid of all the cluttering hashtags before re-pinning the pin.

4. Keep your followers in mind. Consider if the majority of your followers of this board would benefit from the content you are about to re-pin. If it is only of  interest to you or is only re-pinned to not look spammy, don’t bother. Every pin you share should have a purpose and bring value to your followers. No exceptions.

Happy re-pinning!

Claudia

P.S. Check out my free Editorial Calender And Marketing Planner – read about it, and download it here! 

 

The Wrong And The Right Way To Advertise Your Book On Twitter

I get it, you want us to read your book. I want people to read my stuff too. That is the reason we write, in order for someone to find our work and enjoy it, and hopefully share it with the world. Twitter is a great place to share your creations, and get people’s attention.

But there is a right way and a wrong way to advertise your book on Twitter.

Constant badgering your followers or those who follow a particular hashtag with requests and “read me!” advertising is a turn-off. I will, and I know quite a few people who will do so as well, ignore all of these requests. You heard me right ALL of them, and I am constantly on the lookout for books to review.

Do you want to change that? Then try this:

Instead, give your followers and fellow hashtag readers/writers something of value. Share tips, connect, have some meaningful conversation, and encourage – then, but only then, and only a few times in between, ask us to read your book.
Now, that I know you, now that I am interested in what you have to say, are the chances that I will buy your book or at least follow the link to check out the blurb you are offering a much larger one.
Simple, isn’t it?

Inspiration – Guest With Katy Tackes

Creativity thrives on inspiration, it is what propels us as Artists to reach deep and uncover the truths and gems within our chosen art.

I love asking fellow artist, what inspires them to create. This week, I had the chance to ask this question to Katy Tackes, Author of “Each Time She Wakes“, and “A Personal Creative Journal“. Here is her answer:

What inspires me the most?
Nature. Her beauty, will, desire to evolve, and create, and most of all, the way Nature connects us all with her thread of Love that flows through each of us.

Katy also told me, that she writes her stories to inject optimism into this world, and to remind us, that we are all connected.

With that positive, inspiring message in mind, check out Katy’s work here.

What inspires your creativity?

Wishing you a blissful day,

Claudia