Learn. How to Promote Your Etsy Items via Social Networks.

Etsy is making it even easier to promote your favorite items!  They have added page tools on each item.

On this screenshot you can see it in the bottom right of the screen. 

I actually own these rings and Lynette was the one that reminded me of this feature today! 

Using the page tools you can easily email a listing and even subscribe to the shop feed.  If you need a little refresher course on how to subscribe to feeds, check out the post I did on subscribing and facebook fan pages. 

What I want to focus on today is the Bookmark and share button.  You can find these buttons all over the place.  In fact, at the end of each of my posts there is a bookmark button.  If you click on it, it gives you a number of options on how you can share these posts with others.  At etsy, it does the exact same thing. 

If you click on the button, this is what shows up.  If you're on Facebook, you can post an interesting item right to your wall.  You can do the same thing with twitter. 

Be careful.  Don't do this too much with your own items!  Find things you love from others and promote them every once in a while, too!  Don't forget to let them know.  Every etsy seller loves to hear from someone that admires their work. 

What are you waiting for?  Go and promote someone's handiwork today. 

Learn. How to Subscribe to Blogs and Be My Biggest Fan.

I've had several people ask me lately what I mean when I tell them they can subscribe to my blog.  There are a few options and I'm going to show you step by step how to do it.

1. Subscribe via email.  If you don't use a subscription service like Google Reader, this is an excellent option.  All you do is enter your email address over there in my sidebar.   

Underneath the twitter bird is an area for you to enter your email address.  Click subscribe and that is it!  My blog posts will show up in your email inbox once each day that I post. 

 

2.  Google Reader.  This is one of my favorite web tools.  I manage all of my blog subscriptions this way.  Google Reader shows me when my favorite blogs have updated so I don't have to take the time to go through bookmarks or remember which blogs I want to read. 

In the upper left underneath the logo, you click on add a subscription.  You can type in the blog address and you're set!  You can organize your subscriptions by categories too.  That comes in handy if you've got a long list of blogs you like to keep up with. 

If you click on the "Follow Me" buttons found on a lot of blogs these days, all of those can be managed in Google Reader as well. 

I use this handy little bookmark tool.  If you click on Settings (top right) when you are in your google reader, you'll see a bunch of options.  Click on "Goodies" and you'll see this one!  Subscribe as you surf!  All you do is drag that bookmarklet up to your tool bar and anytime you're browsing around and see a site you'd like to subscribe to you just click on that and it will automatically add it to your reader!  Fancy, eh?

3.  Be My Fan!  

Another way to keep on top of the latest blog posts is to be my fan on Facebook.  If you have a facebook profile,  my blog posts will show up in your status updates.  I've also got a few fun things in the works just for my facebook fans (think craft swag!) so become my fan on my brand new page! 

I hope this was helpful and you're all on your way subscribing to some great new blogs.  I'd love to add your blog to my google reader!  Share the link in the comments.