By Dale Armstrong – I guess the best way to talk about this subject is to tell you my story. While I was working at a restaurant I began selling my jewelry to co-workers. A well-known artist, who lives locally, saw my work and invited me to participate in her nationally known art show. Of course I was excited and said yes!

Now, I have to stop here and tell you that this show was two weeks away and having only ever visited a variety of art shows and craft festivals around the country, I had no earthly idea as to what I was getting myself into! I had no tent, no display items, no ‘anything’ that I needed. So I turned to a co-worker (you now know as my friend and faculty member ‘Stained Glass Lindi’) and asked if she wanted to do the show with me, adding her beautiful glass pieces. She agreed and then admitted that she also was clueless about how to get things together.

The following weekend I paid a visit to another local show, just to ‘walk it’ with a different eye, looking at how vendors had their booths set-up, what type of tents were available, etc. Obviously I was supposed to get into this business, because when I stopped to question an older woodworker about his type of tent, he offered to sell it to me the next day (at show closing) for just $100 because he had decided to retire. OK, now I had a tent! And a good one at that, with metal bars you could ‘chin’ on. (And while the gentleman took it down, I had to number each of the zillion pieces with a magic marker so I knew how it went together again.)

Display items and tables were my next goal. I choose a wooden rack (the kind that goes on the back of a commode) to which I added lots of screw-in hooks so I could hang my hand-made earring cards. (Poster board cut with scissors and holes made with a small paper-punch, labeled also by hand.) At a local yard sale I picked up a couple of tall, plastic, soda displays and had my husband use his grinder to remove the logos and names. My main table was a fold-up aluminum one borrowed from Lindi, who had used it for years while doing wallpaper work (and it was more than a bit wobbly). A folding chair was borrowed from our travel trailer as well as a rug, and as I had worked for a direct sales company in the past, I had some great, blue tablecloths. We all thought I needed more color, so I draped a Mexican blanket over the blue. Now I had to find some type of cover for the holes in those soda displays, and as sewing is not my thing, I bought and cut some felt in the same colors as the blanket (no hemming necessary).

To display my pendants I just used U-shaped jewelry pins and attached each piece to the velvet boards I used inside my storage trays. Rings and bracelets went into the one glass topped box I had to keep cabochons in. All of the signage was made out of paper, printed on my computer, and then covered with adhering clear plastic (I think I found in the cabinet lining section of a department store). And although my very first business cards were quite sad, they did have my name and address on them, and a brief description of what I make and sell.

The result? Well, during that first three-day show I about sold out! I also received several show applications in the mail from other promoters who liked my work enough to invite me to participate in their show. Not bad for a two-week learning experience. Needless to say, over the years I became more professional with my set-up and displays, but not all at once! After all, this was my ‘hobby business’ and I was not going to take funds out of the household to make it happen. Rather, after every show I took my profits and purchased one or two more items (a lot of which I still use today).

The lesson from this experience is: you do not need a lot of expensive display items and professional equipment to get started! Look around your home, basement, garage and those of your family and friends. You will be amazed at what your imagination can do with a few simple items. After all, your jewelry is what people are coming to see and hopefully purchase.

Today one can begin participating in outdoor art and craft shows quite inexpensively due to the selection of affordable tents available from a variety of companies. Check your local department store or ‘wholesale’ club for some nice choices. If you are an outdoors person, you probably have a few good tarps that could be used to begin with, for no additional cost. Colored sheets make great table covers (I still use a lot of those today) and about every computer comes preloaded with a good design program so you can make your own business cards and signage.

Choosing the right show for your work is very important. If it is a local or ‘drive’ show (no hotel/motel necessary) and the booth fee is reasonable, sure, give it a shot. However I always advise my students to ‘walk’ a more expensive or ‘travel ’show first. Yes this means not participating in it right away, but take the time to make the drive and check out the local area for restaurants and a decent place to spend the night, besides ‘walking the show’ to see what types of vendors and items are included, how the promoter seems to be handling things (or if you can even find them) and ask vendors questions. (More on this in a future article.)

Here are examples of different types of booth set-up and displays, according to the venue. The photo below was taken at a high-end sci-fi con, where in addition to their gallery table, each juried artist also has the option of purchasing one 6-foot table. No, that’s not a lot of space and it depends on what you are doing as to how to set it up. This costumed artist was using her space to demonstrate her art form that in turn generated customers interest, who then paid a visit to her gallery table and made their purchases from it. (Atlanta, GA)

The following picture is of a display at an art gallery where the artist was ‘the feature’ and her work is only priced via a list in the customers program. (Boston, MA)

I don’t know about you, but I have found that most people will NOT walk INTO a jewelry booth! (Maybe they are intimidated by thinking they have to purchase an item as admission or something.) To counter this situation (with the exception of my first 2 shows) I never set-up so people have to walk in! Instead, I set my tables up around the perimeter of my space, which puts a boundary between them and me. (Maybe they feel safer this way?) When they walk by my tables I just say ‘Hi’ and tell them ‘what’ they are looking at, describing my art form. If they are interested, I can always come around the tables to help them try things on. (Dothen, AL)

Yes, not being on the end of a booth row can limit your space if you set up around the perimeter, as you would only have about 10-feet of space. My solution to this challenge is to make my own aisle. (Virginia Beach, VA)

After many years of participating in shows all over the United States, I finally have one basic set-up that I now use all the time, with variations being made just by changing the table covers or the holiday theme, (and I still add one new display item every year). Life is good. (Bmghm, AL)

Yes, I like to have most of my work displayed in covered cases. Not only do cases prevent jewelry items from developing limbs and disappearing, but they also protect my work from dust and dirt. (You would be amazed to see how much lint and dust collects on the safety glass tops, within just a few hours ‘indoors’!) And if you are wondering how I fill my cases, I choose to display my items by what I personally feel go together, rarely the same combination twice, and usually surround a higher priced item with a variety of mid to lower priced pieces. (I am also known for changing and moving the contents of my display cases around during a show.) Other folks like to group their work according to either color or material, and still others group by price. As seen in some of the above pictures, I also think that it is very important for customers to be able to freely pick up and try things on, so some of my bracelets are lying loose on my main table too.

You may also notice the little white squares along the edge of the cases. These are my prices. (I think tags are ugly and take away from the jewelry.) I cut small shapes from 3×5 cards and list the item name or the material it is made from and the price. (I know that if I walk into a jewelry store or booth and cannot see any prices, I think they are probably high and I couldn’t afford them anyways.) By using these small cards I can also change the price whenever I want, and not have to worry about cutting and threading, etc.

The arena of display and booth set-up ideas is HUGE! This is just a sample of things I have tried that I hope may help those of you who are wondering in which direction to head while thinking about participating in shows, or those of you who are looking for a fresh idea. (And for all of those who have asked me for such an article via our ‘tips’ submission form, thanks!)

Stay ‘Twisted’!

Dale/Cougar

When using the Internet to market and sell your wire jewelry it is important to consider all options, including the photos you take and use in your website.  This article is about leveraging one of the most powerful ways to get your jewelry in front of millions of people.

First, your creative – the photo must be a good representation of your wire jewelry work.  Do not post any photos to the web that do not showcase your work in the best light, literally.  All photos you upload will find its way into the hands of prospective buyers and hence why you only want the great ones “out there.”  You’ve heard recently that posting something to social networking sites by you or someone else can have a negative impact on your reputation; the same holds true for photos associated with your work.

So, go the extra mile to produce beautiful photography of your wire jewelry.  Hire a professional even if you can’t afford one by trading some wire jewelry products or better yet, training on how to make a piece of wire jewelry.  Make sure to inspect the quality of work the photographer can produce before you hire him/her.

After you have digital images that you love then put your web address across the bottom of all of them – creating a specific space for it.  You can certainly be creative by producing a watermark possibly or place a small banner across the bottom of all of your photos.  From a branding perspective it’s always a good idea even on your website to show off your name over and over again.  Just don’t be too obtrusive.

After you’ve done this, make sure all of your website photos have your branding on them.  Next, start uploading your photos in photo sites such as Flickr.com.  Search the web for more photo sites and upload.  Add them to your blog and insert them into articles.

Before you know it, your name (and website address) will be on all of your photos “out there” when people are searching for wire jewelry designs.  If you have the chance, also tag your photos with keywords including your name, your web address, and wire jewelry terminology.

Again, this is just one more way to get found out there on the great worldwide web!

As a wire jewelry artist you will need many paths to your target audience – your market for distribution of your designs.  One way, that has no cost other than your time daily, is the new and effective social networking tool called Twitter.  This article will help you leverage its power for your business.

Potential customers are looking for more of a personal connection nowadays and social media is what makes that possible and hence why you need a Twitter account.  If you have not yet set up your Twitter account, then do so with a plan in mind. Twitter is like an instant messenger. It allows you to send short blurbs about yourself, your business or anything else you might like to share. People choose to follow you based on their preexisting relationship with you or the relevance of your tweets to their interests. As with any marketing tool, you need to have a clear idea of what type of message you want to communicate and who exactly your target audience is.

Make sure your username and profile picture reflects your wire jewelry business.  Your username should easily identify you. It can be your name or something that represents your brand. Your username will act both as your login and it will become a permanent fixture as your unique Twitter URL. Your profile picture should be of your logo or a close-up picture of you. This will appear next to every post you make. Keep your purpose in mind when choosing both of these important elements.

Now you are ready to search for people to follow. Like interests, profession and geographic location are all great ways to link to current and potential clients, professionals you may wish to network with and leading industry experts. Also, encourage all new contacts to “follow you.”  Add a link to your Twitter page by adding it to the bottom of all emails and make sure you place your badge on your website that links directly to your Twitter account.

Follow all those who seem to be of interest to your wire jewelry business. When you elect to follow someone, they often will follow you and how you build your network. Make sure you also use Twitter’s tool that allows you to import your contacts from your webmail accounts. Add the Twitter application to your Facebook account and use Twitter’s gadget maker to add your updates to your website, blog, MySpace or other HTML-enabled profile.

Start posting updates to your status. Twitter asks the simple question “what are you doing?” How you answer this question is important to the success of your Twitter campaigning. Every status message should be in line with your identified purpose. Post 1 to 5 times each day to provide your customers, clients, family and friends with up-to-date information about you and your wire jewelry business. Twitter is great for quick shout-outs when you are on vacation, special announcements of new products or sales and to provide links to great information you have uncovered and want to share. The more valuable tweets you put out, the more valuable your Twittering will be perceived.

Actively engage others that Tweet. You aren’t following these people for no reason. Respond to the tweets of those you are following. Ask and answer questions, provide helpful tips and congratulate their successes. Quick responses that may be pertinent to your purpose can be responded in the standard @username format. However, use this structure sparingly. Longer conversations or those that have little to do with your purpose should be carried on using the Direct Messages tool.

Give away a free gift to all those who follow you. Every time someone new follows you, an email will generate notifying you. I message each person with a quick personal note and a link to something free – which can be a coupon or invitation to a webinar – be creative. It adds a personal touch and kicks off the start of a great relationship – you will be remembered.

Utilize Twitter application tools. There are many tools available on the web that can make using your new Twitter account even easier. Some of these tools can search through your followers’ updates by topic and sort them for you, auto respond to new followers and post your updates on a predetermined schedule. Check out the many Twitter tools such as “Twhirl” and “Tweetscan” by doing a simple search of “Twitter tools”.

Social networking tools are here to stay and will continue to be the area of new growth on the Internet.  Jump in now and get started using them – you’ll be glad you did.

Most of us have bought our jewelry at stores, boutiques and occasionally from our friend’s jewelry party.  However, doing so limits purchase options because you can only see so much at one time.  Compare this with thousands of jewelry designers that are “out there” that you can’t find or reach!  So, this article is about how to shop for jewelry online to satisfy the jewelry bug in you to find the pieces that meet your requirements for a price you can afford and want to spend.

First of all, you will need to find jewelry pieces.  To do so you will need to employ the help of a search engine.  You probably have your favorite one, so browse to it and consider what terms you should search for.  Think about the types of jewelry you like.  Make a list and then search them.  For example, do you like silver; do you like gold?  What about stones – is there a particular type of stone you prefer?  Then think about weight and the words that would describe it such as “dainty” or “sturdy/robust.”

Enter your search terms and browse the contents that are delivered.  You will want to click to various listings to find either a direct page of an artist or possibly to a directory that lists many artists.  You might use the word, “custom” to improve your search since you may want to find custom pieces using say, “silver wire jewelry with amber nuggets + custom made.”

Finally, once you’ve gone through many listings, you may hit upon exactly what you’d like to have.  Once you have then search again with the terms used by that website or pieces displayed.  This will help you expand your search to offer more options with the jewelry you like.  Compare and contrast them for quality, artistic endeavor and price.

Finally, once you have found something you really like, find out what the return policy is.  Jewelry stores online do offer great pictures to see the item but holding it and trying it on may provide a different experience so it is important to find out if you can return it if you are not satisfied.  Also, ask if there are discounts or other benefits for shopping with them.

As an aside, you might want to go to craft and art shows throughout the year and gather cards for future reference when you are ready to buy online.  You may want to peruse magazines, newsletters or blogs of jewelry artists to find the jewelry designers that speak to your soul through their jewelry.

Search online for wire jewelry artists and buy from them direct.  Not only will you be most satisfied with the pieces you acquire but probably save money from the margins that retailers have to add to make a profit.  Enjoy shopping online!

This is a question I am often asked as a serial entrepreneur helping small/medium businesses start and grow their ventures.  The answer lies within this article so that you can start now creating one.

For years now a website has served as the destination online of businesses.  Now with millions (probably billions) of websites now in existence the level of play has also increased due to competing topics and the challenges associated with getting found.  Over the past several years, companies have flourished when they learned the art of developing techniques to “get websites found.”  The next new level now is “social media” marketing and Facebook falls into this category.

Social media tools such as Facebook allow the dissemination of information to move from typical broadcast models of one to many, to many to many, transforming content consumers to content producers.  This development then allows for building a base of those that share your information along with theirs.  For example, you may post information about a wire jewelry sale you are having into your Facebook account.  Anyone who follows you now has direct access to that information and so does everyone who is a friend or fan of them, dramatically increasing your reach.  When I say “access” I mean that each one in this connected web can read, interact with (comment on directly) or share the information you posted.

All of this is free.  I guess if you want the bottom line, Facebook is the essence of “word of mouth” advertising that all marketers consider highly valuable and any path to it should be leveraged.  Jewelry as a product is highly influenced by “social” relationships and therefore Facebook is a good way to show off your various wire jewelry pieces.

In addition to being able to extend your reach through direct postings, you can also reach new customers by carefully adding keywords into your Facebook description and about pages so that your page is delivered in search results (in search engines such as Google, Yahoo, etc.).  Facebook has paid close attention to provide SEO (search engine optimization) to their pages.

Finally, having a Facebook badge on your website is critical now since “everyone” has one and if you don’t, customers will think you are behind the times and will search for another website that is in sync.

Social media marketing is here to stay and will continue to grow – it’s time for you to bite the bullet and get it done now if you have a small/medium business.