Analyzing Failure

Welp, I built it... and no one came. And as I'm so apt to do after a complete and utter failure, I analyze and reanalyze and try to figure out what I'm doing wrong.

Was my sale a complete and utter failure due to :

• Poor timing... one of the busiest travel / graduation / holidays of the year
• Ugly beads... I often feel that my beads are different... people don't "get" me / my humor / my style... or as I like to say, "My beads are ugly and their mother dresses them funny."
• Too much reliance on Facebook  and my own paltry newsletter?

I can't do much about timing... by the time I decided to have the sale and the structure (buy more / save more of similar valued beads), it took a week to photograph, size and code the shopping cart.  Bad timing could be the story of my life.

Ugly beads... well, if they are ugly, people outright lie to me. Although I always secretly wonder when someone calls them "interesting" if they really mean ugly.   (I hate that word - interesting... it's such a vague bullshit kinda word.) Unless people are honest with me, I have no idea.

And as for Facebook, after reading this informative article, I realized that Fan Pages don't really work the way I thought they did. To quote the author, Kristen:

"Right now only certain fans see your updates in their feeds. However, if you now PAY Facebook $5 for an estimated reach of 900 fans or $10 to reach approximately 1600 fans, then your status update will show up in the feed of everyone who “likes” your page."

That's great but I don't have 500 fans and don't feel I should have to PAY the same as someone who does just to get a message out. And as business owner, I understand that Facebook can't offer all it's services for free forever. However, as a fan of many business pages (from my local bakery to other etsy sellers or RL friends), I hate that I have to go to their page just to see what's going on or to increase the likelihood that I will see a sale or special that pertains to me. I feel that if I LIKE something... it should show up in my feed PERIOD!

As for my newsletter... I thought it was a great way to communicate with potential customers but when less than a third open it much less click on a link... I'm left pulling my hair out trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong.  Which leads me back to #2...ugly beads.

I have no answers and I've always laid my feelings and insecurities bare here just as I have shared my triumphs.  The lack of interest certainly doesn't make me want to hit the torch...which I could have done every day this week and... just could not make myself do it. I just know I long to be one of those bead makers who makes beads and... they sell. I've only experienced that a handful of time via my fan page... guess I can't be too mad at Facebook.

If anyone is remotely interested after this post... there is a huge sale and a CONTEST going on.


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