Expanding Your Footprint

Last week we looked at our google footprints and discussed how to control our business image by utilizing various sites. Before we delve into some less obvious ways to do that, I wanted to refine a point from that post.

When you sell on Etsy / Artfire etc, be sure to use your whole business name. I know of folks who have one user name and a different banner with a different name in their shop. Consistency is the key expanding your footprint. Now that Etsy will allow you a one time name change...it's a good time to think about that.

On to other ways to add to your google footprint:

• YouTube is one of the top search engines on the web with TONS of traffic! Is there a way for you to shoot a video tutorial of something you do? OR can you just shoot some video of your booth set up at a live show??? I personally shoot quick videos of some of my high silver beads that are impossible to get a decent photo of. I will embed that in my listings (on my website) or refer to it for my Etsy / Artfire listings. As always, load your keywords in when uploading the video. 

A short video but it uses my keywords and people find me! 

•   Guest blogger - If you have writing skills, offer to write for another website or blog.  Choose carefully and pick one with way more traffic than your own and in a topic that will appeal to your customer base. They will embed your shop links with your article.

• Artist Profiles - Every business has someone successful and well known within that community. I can't even begin to name all the "famous" beadmakers I admire. I wrote an article about one once (and I really should do it again...and again!) and that article gets me lots of traffic. Even better, my blog pops up in searches for HER! Not that my beads are anything like hers... but who knows if someone looking for info on her hasn't purchased from ME!

• Participate in Blog hops... such as the one on PromoFrenzy or the big grand-daddy of blog hops One World, One Heart. For PromoFrenzy, you end up on stumble... another great search engine. Events like One World, One Heart send you tons of hits, introduce your work to thousands and you end up with lots of link love. More links = bigger footprint. My last One World event post is HERE.

• Online Photo Albums - i.e. Flickr, Photobucket, et al. Again, these are great search engines. Tag your pics with your business name. Submit the photos to groups for more exposure. (ex - The Fire Divas has a Flickr account and we allow members to submit up to 4 photos a week to our team account and those get fed to our blog.) I will submit to groups that specialize in beads, jewelry or even color themes!

• Charity Fundraisers - If you find a charitable event with an online presence... donate!  I've found customers this way, still get some link love and... it felt great doing it!

• Arts Bulletin Boards - Is there an online community for your art / craft?? Check around; you may be surprised! Glass bead makers have no less than 5 and even more if you count some of the groups that have sprung up on Facebook! I joined several card making and scrapbook bulletin boards to get rid of some of our excess supplies in my stamp shop. But I joined under my glass bead business name. That is on page 3 off my google footprint. Whatever forum / hobby you participate in, use your shop name and link to your business!

This is the kind of presence you build over TIME. I don't expect you'll go out and do ALL these things in a day or a week but if the opportunity arises, give it some serious consideration. You never know where your next customer is coming from and the bigger web presence you have, the more legit it feels to shop with you!
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I'm taking Thanksgiving off... JURY Doody - UGH! And I'm working as a KJ for my bestie's karaoke business until the wee hours of Thanksgiving morn but... the following week, we'll finally tackle the subject of fan pages!