I've tried a few marketing tactics since I started my eBay venture, and I have to tell you, I haven't really found anything that works well for me. I made the collage above to put in a flyer I'm going to be posting around my building. Unfortunately, I tried putting the flyer up on a bulletin board in the mail room but the management took it down. Facebook works to a certain extent, but the people who like me on Facebook are mostly friends and family, most of whom would never buy anything off eBay and many of them who have never set foot on this blog (some of them don't even know what a blog is!). Twitter is completely useless and I get more and more frustrated with it every day. I swear to God, tweeting is like talking to yourself. No matter how much you support people there by retweeting their posts and engaging with them rarely, if EVER, do they return the favor, and few people respond to my tweets, so what's the use?
And then there's this blog. Now, strictly speaking this isn't a marketing tool, or at least that's not its intended purpose. However, more than one of you has probably peeked at my items after reading one of my posts. Funnily enough, I've gotten more reverse traffic (eBay to blog) than eBay traffic from this, which means that rather that a means for exposing people to my products, it's been a means of exposing my buyers to my business philosophy. However, the thing I've discovered about blogging is that there is a lot of etiquette and frankly, a lot of bullshit that I have no energy or patience for.
So where does that leave me? I don't know. I really don't. I think Twitter definitely needs to go, but not before I unfollow a few people just to screw with them (yes, I have a mean streak sometimes, surprise!). I mean there's nothing that bothers me more than lack of reciprocity. Facebook will probably stay.
And then there's this blog. I don't want to gradually abandon this blog, like a lukewarm relationship. If I'm going to quit, I'm going to say good-bye to you guys and quit. I don't think I'm ready to say good-bye just yet though.
What about you guys? Do you think it's time for an amicable break-up?
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7 comments:
Oh no..don't stop your blog!! I like reading it and I have a mean streak too and on occasion the potty mouth of a sailor!! : )
Here's a secret...Try and get your peeps to post things here:
http://forum.purseblog.com/
Like for example on the "Authenticate This" forum....Those forums always get a lot of traffic especially for the designer items.
I am definitely NOT an online marketing expert (I am just starting to experiment with it myself) but have you tried Adwords in addition to the blog and the social networks? There's a site I was directed to, www.perrymarshall.com, when I was doing network marketing, that teaches you how to use Google's most powerful tool to drive people to you. Adwords isn't free but if it drives traffic to your items that result in bids and sales...
OMG don't quit....puhhhllleeaaassseeee...I love reading your blog and come here religiously even if I don't have time to comment.
I do agree a lot of with what you said about the bullshit etiquette with blogging. I don't even pay attention to that anymore.
I am trying to find other eBay moms out there so we can support one another. And not just ebay moms but ebay moms who blog and tweet so we can really help one another. But it does get discouraging.
I get a lot of traffic from communities I join on www.theblogfrog.com. But again it is hard.
I think you are doing great. Try to keep your head up. June is one of the slowest selling times of the year.
Hey, Tammy! I don't think I'm going to quit, I was just evaluating all my communication channels out loud. The blog is the one that requires the most effort, but it's also the one I enjoy the most.
June has been ridiculous, although I did sell some Louboutin shoes yesterday. :) Aaaand I'm pretty close to selling something on Bonanzle! Just goes to show whenever I think it's time to hang up my boxing gloves someone proves me wrong.
PS: I joined Blog Frog but I couldn't find you, and I haven't had time to figure out how it works. What's your user name?
My username is This Mama Works It. I belong to the SITS Community, The Lady Bloggers Society COmmunity, and a few others.
Don't leave! I just "found" you. lol You have some cute stuff listed. May take a look through as soon as I'm not broke! :)
Nah! I'm not leaving. You guys are going to have go keep putting up with me. I think I was just PMSing.
Thanks for stopping by!!
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