Many of you have heard that social networking is a low cost and effective way to connect with people online and hopefully build those relationships to yield sales.  This article is about how to use one of those tools, Facebook, to keep your fans informed and up-to-date with new wire jewelry pieces, specials, or events you will be attending showing off your wares.

First of all, you must create a Facebook account.  If you already have one – that’s great but the next step is to build a “page” in Facebook where you can have “fans” sign up to follow you.  Think of it this way, Facebook friends are personal and Facebook fans are about business.  So, after you have created a personal Facebook account, now it is time to add your business page.

Sometimes it is difficult to actually find how to create a Facebook page.  I find the best way is to click on “pages” and scroll down to find the link to “create a page for my business.”  You will need to name it.  Be careful to include your business name or something very close to your business name since people will more easily identify your posts if you use it.  You’ll also pick your category and create your page.

Remember to add a photo to your page profile that represents your business.  There is the temptation also to create a brand new account in Facebook just for your business, but you’ll find that it’s not best to have 2-3 accounts with friends and fans spanning across all of them.  It is easier to streamline to one.

After you’ve created your page, you will want to post to it daily.  You will also want to put the badge to sign up fans, on your website and in your blog; every where you can.   Give people a reason to follow you as a fan – tell them that they can stay up-to-date with your specials or when you release a new wire jewelry piece or line you can announce it.  Use Facebook to notify all of your fans of anything new including when you post an article to your blog – in fact LINK your blog and Facebook with Twitter.  Doing so increases the buzz about your wire jewelry business.

Finally, you may need to start increasing your fan base by inviting friends, family and other associates to become a fan.  It’s a good thing to get started with several hundred before it grows organically.  Once you have a following you can send updates to your fans easily by sending an email to them – see the sidebar of your pages with all of the options available.  Get your Facebook page today!

Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
November 13, 2009

Question:

I was preparing to make a wire pendant and was reviewing the necessary pieces of wire I would need. The list called for a 21 gauge #8 spring-hard wire. Is this some special gauge of wire?

Answer:

The number represents the hardness of a wire and #8 is ‘Spring Hard’. This means that the wire has an extremely hard temper that causes it to ‘spring back’, making it a perfect choice to make ear wires and pins with. Although these will not have the same ‘spring’ feature, you may substitute either full or half hard temper. Many bead stores do not regularly carry the wire needed for wire wrapping, unless it is round, however I am sure most will special order for you. Just ask!

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

Have a question? Submit your question here!

Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
November 12, 2009

Question:

I really liked Sherrie’s video of packing your supplies for travel, but what about packing your finished pieces to take to a show?

Answer:

Actually, I am answering this while at a show myself! There are many ways to transport your jewelry pieces to and from a show safely. I am just going to share how I manage.

I like full sized, stackable, plastic jewelry trays in sizes 1-inch to 2 ½-inches deep, into which I have a variety of flocked inserts that contain from 8 to 48 sections, as well as velvet boards. The sectioned trays are where small items go, (and yes each section has a tarnish paper on the bottom, and many of my pieces are also in individual plastic bags). My larger and specialty pieces go in the trays on the velvet boards. The plastic trays all stack together and can be labeled on their ends, then they go into a jewelry carry case, with end zippers. My taller items like crowns and tiaras go into a small cardboard box (that goes in with my tablecloths) rings are all sized, tagged and ready to sell in a velvet ring insert in a display tray with a clear top and snap side. Earrings priced $35 and under are all on cards and hung on a rotating, acrylic earring stand, wrapped in a sheet and rides on the passenger seat of my truck.

I also have several tall storage units with handled drawers that use the same inserts as above and have a place to add your own label on the front. Sometimes I just pack these units into their original shipping cartons (yes I save boxes) and take my entire inventory with me. In this way, I never leave anyone at home by mistake.

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

Have a question? Submit your question here!

As a jewelry artist you probably wonder what writing an article has to do with wire jewelry making.  Well, in fact, there is a distinct and purposeful relationship between creating and selling your jewelry.

This article will discuss how to use article-writing as a no cost and effective way to connect with new customers, leveraging the tools on the Internet to power this new sales channel.  First, let’s discuss how an article helps people find you.

Search engines are designed to deliver results when people search key words or key phrases.  There is a great deal of competition to show up on top of the millions of delivered results – in fact it seems almost impossible.  But, if you know how they work, you can!

First, the search engines deliver results based upon “popularity.”  Obviously your site is not going to be #1 when people search “silver bracelets” if you are a small site with little or no marketing budget.  But, if you write an article and post it in a very popular website, using the keywords “silver bracelets” in your title and keyword tags, it can show up on top.  That is the secret – to post an article with the proper title and proper tags in the most popular sites on the web.

Secondly, you must start your own blog and this author’s recommendation is WordPress.  Submit every one of your articles to your blog and write as often as possible.  Also, make sure you write quality articles, using your key words several times throughout – focusing on the pieces of jewelry you want to sell.  Write something that is relevant about them – maybe a story about how you were inspired to create this one of a kind piece.  Link to your website at least once, maybe twice in your article if possible.

In addition to posting your articles to your blog you will want to find the most popular sites on the web to get your article posted on – that relate to your topic:  Wire jewelry.  Do a search for the most popular wire jewelry websites and include magazines that have digital versions.  There are ways to check for popularity such as SEO Quake, but certainly you can search the web yourself and find a way to determine the web properties you’d like to be on.

Suggest to the site owner that you’d like to be a writer for them – offer to write for free (since you are already writing for your own blog – it’s no problem and you’ll get free exposure.  You will also get your bio at the end, referring business to you.  When you become a writer for a blog or website you automatically become an “expert,” once again credentialing you for outreach to those who want what you offer – including your advice and yes, the wire jewelry pieces you design.

Try this method of getting new customers.  Writing articles is the best way to get found in search and produce a new channel of interested customers.

Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
November 11, 2009

Question:

Hi, when wrapping the shank or a ring, do you have to always start the wrap in the middle or can you start on either side working down and around?

Answer:

The ways chosen to wrap a ring shank depend totally on the creator. Personally, I rarely begin a full shank wrap in the center and work toward each side, because I find that often the first and center wrap isn’t as tight as it should be, (which can happen when beginning a wrap), it juts out and after wrapping the entire shank there is no way to correct this.

I prefer to begin a shank wrap at one side and then wrap entirely around the shank. There are a few designs that actually call for a wrap to begin in the center of a ring, which is usually important to execute that particular design properly. If I find that I have not planned for the needed length of wrap wire and it does not go all the way around the shank, I can simply end it where it is and then go back and remove a few from the beginning to make the sides match, OR if the shank is wide, (like 4 wires), I have been successful with adding another piece of wrap wire, just by cutting and placing it to butt immediately against the end of the ended first wrap segment.

Determining the exact length of a shank wrap wire is difficult, but with some experience you will know about how much to cut, depending on both the of size of the ring and the width of the shank. A suggestion is to always cut just a little bit more than you think you’ll need, because as we all know, there is always a use for a 1 – 2 inch piece of half-round wire in a future project.

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

Have a question? Submit your question here!