Cart 0 items Login | Register | Help Buy Sell Alchemy Community Blog Your Etsy Handmade Items: tags, titles Handmade Items: tags, titles, descriptions Supplies: tags, titles Vintage: tags, titles All items: tags, titles Sellers: usernames Materials Home > Workshop > Minutes Workshop Minutes: Street Team Meeting 2008.1.10 Minutes Started Thu Jan 10 2008 16:20:18 GMT+0000 (UTC) themusesjewels joined the room Minutes Stopped Thu Jan 10 2008 16:20:20 GMT+0000 (UTC) Minutes Started Thu Jan 10 2008 16:58:10 GMT+0000 (UTC) wonderamy joined the room sarawearsskirts: hi, wonderamy! sarawearsskirts: hello, etsy teams! sarawearsskirts: thanks for joining us! wonderamy: hey everyone! sarawearsskirts: amy and i have been working really hard these past few weeks to come up with plans for the teams for 2008! sarawearsskirts: so we wanted to have a workshop sarawearsskirts: to talk about what plans the teams have for this year! wonderamy: and to find out what your team plans are? babyleila left the room sarawearsskirts: we'd like to open the floor so everyone can join us in conversation BodyLovin joined the room wonderamy: and we'd like to just hear for 10 minutes or so what your teams are planning for the new year wonderamy: so, hit it teams! sarawearsskirts: so the floor's open! wonderamy: and HAPPY NEW YEAR! imakecutestuff: we're planning two or three shows for spring... bayousalvage: our team has been invted to participate in mardi gras parade castleman: i'm the 'head" of hte Yetsy team sarawearsskirts asks, what is your team doing in 2008? castleman: we're considering some advertising castleman: but haven't made a ton of plans yet imakecutestuff: and a bunch of workshops on starting/running/building our Etsy shops TheTwistedPurl: Instead of a card swap we are working on a flier with all our shops listes by categories. dmriceart: VAST... on line ... no plans yet... but we keep themes going...for each month aplanetnamedjanet: Home front just started dmriceart: ACEO ... same as VAST, actually bayousalvage: love the aceo idea castleman: we have a ravelry group and that's going well misscourageous: our (Boise) team is brand new so I'm looking for tips, we're meeting on sunday LazyTcrochet: ClevelandHandmade is working on our website and we're meeting soon to discuss a nomadic market like IMadeIt of sorts sarawearsskirts: the philly team's doing a series of trunk shows monthly Redbecca: My team is new, so we're working on a show and a meet-and-greet alorinna: we're still trying to decide in the JET team TheTwistedPurl: We are also putting together a fund for advertising & a meet and greet imakecutestuff: we're running back page (full color!) ads in CROQ zine all year too! (we're EtsyRain - Seattle) sarawearsskirts: croq is pretty awesome! imakecutestuff: we heart it a lot! TheTwistedPurl: ravelry rocks castleman! castleman: it does! wonderamy: yay! everyone is doing really great stuff! castleman: i love ravelry imakecutestuff: our goal is to promote "EtsyRain" locally to create a following in Seattle sarawearsskirts: these are all fantastic plans! bayousalvage: another thing we're doing is monthly dinners/meetings after one show that most of us do. its been a way to get members sarawearsskirts: very great goal, imakecutestuff imakecutestuff: so people will follow our show where ever we go :) LazyTcrochet: there's a gallery show for Cleveland Etsians on Feb. 1st bayousalvage: what are some good tips for trunk shows alorinna: we do have a google group, a flick team, an indiepublic team, and we're really working on having the jet store stay very current. that's all that is concrete so far sarawearsskirts: monthly dinner meetings sounds lovely! castleman: how many of the teams are location driven so they can get together? castleman: i wish Yetsy could do that Please vote: if you're on a location based team, hit yes, if you're on a global team, hit no imakecutestuff: that's why we really really REally want to hook up with Etsy at Bumbershoot this year...(I'll send that email direct) Vote results: 8 yay, 7 nay, 2 abstain sarawearsskirts: wow, it's so evenly split! wonderamy: pretty good split sarawearsskirts: very nice! castleman: very imakecutestuff: wow...that's amazing BodyLovin: i have two teams.... i was on 3 so it was kind of hard to answer. wonderamy: we'll have a question and answer session later, so we can answer some of the questions that are coming up here LazyTcrochet: Yes, me too. EtsyFAST bloggers and etsymom bayousalvage: the trashion team is also hopping LazyTcrochet: but I'm here mostly for cleveys : ) castleman: i'm on several teams as well TheTwistedPurl: I am a part of EtsyFAST and then I started my state team castleman: but am only leader of Yetsy castleman: EtsyFAST and EtsyMoms sarawearsskirts: questions are being accepted - to submit a question type /ask before your question adorkable1 joined the room sarawearsskirts: any other events / goals for your teams this year that you'd like to throw out here? FishOnTheWall joined the room BodyLovin: there is some talk of a match up with EGCG and EtsyMud which I think will be neat. castleman: i think my teams main goal is trying to convince etsy to have a yarn section castleman: hehe TheTwistedPurl: We really want to get some state wide advertising going on and some other media coverage TheTwistedPurl: LOL I have to agree castle! castleman: not having a real home makes it hard bayousalvage: our team bought the back page of a local mag for xmas to advertise our shows and etsy shops sarawearsskirts: nice, bayousalvage! TheTwistedPurl: How did it work for you bayousalvage? castleman: we all feel like advertising monies would be wasted without a concrete category to send people to TheTwistedPurl: sales wise LazyTcrochet: did it work for you bayou? adorkable1 left the room bayousalvage: we did get more people coming to our shows who were looking for our stuff also we got some local online sales TheTwistedPurl: That is great! castleman: very cool bayou! LazyTcrochet: team biz cards were ordered but I didn't get them in time for local holiday shows sarawearsskirts: we're going to close the floor for a moment while we take some of the questions that have been submitted, since there are some great ones. BululuStudio left the room castleman asks, what is etsy planning for teams in 08? malves1009 joined the room wonderamy: lots! sarawearsskirts: yay! malves1009 left the room wonderamy: we are going to make an etsy teams handbook, so all new and old etsy temas have a one-stop place ti find a big collection of great ideas for running a successful team, wonderamy: (sorry for the typos, im typing fast) sarawearsskirts: we're also working on a whole bunch of helpful new guides sarawearsskirts: (which goes along with the handbook) wonderamy: and ew are going to go back to a more ambitious plan for making teams visible in the storque, wonderamy: so the brilliance that is etsy teams is shared more widely intothefire joined the room bayousalvage left the room wonderamy: we are going back to featuring teams in a team profile every month. bayousalvage joined the room sarawearsskirts: http://team.etsy.com/storquesubmissions.html is a guide we wrote on submitting to the storque wonderamy: we will be choosing the teams, so its not an open call - but we will try to line the articles up with good events teams are doing, so its possible we will be able to give your team more visibility around an event wonderamy: but its important for you all to know wonderamy: that there is no guarantee, because there may be several events happening in a month sarawearsskirts: and i'm working on a valentine's teams digest right now - so if your team is having a valentine event, email sara@etsy.com! wonderamy: and we will only be able to feature one team in a profile. HOWEVER, sarawearsskirts: we'll be publishing that valentine's digest around the end of january thevintagejewelrybox joined the room wonderamy: we will be doing a teams digest every month as well, which lists all the etsy teams events we know of happening that month. wonderamy: we're going back to doing team tips as well. wonderamy: weekly. sarawearsskirts: we'll be sending out more emails to the teams list - with the team tips and helpful links and things wonderamy: 10-minute marketing, which ran through the holiday season, will be folded into the larger umbrella of team tips. sarawearsskirts: and this workshop will always happen every thursday now at noon sarawearsskirts: with a new topic each week wonderamy: these workshops will now happen every single thursday at noon eastern standard (US time) Redbecca asks, what are some good tips for new teams? wonderamy: ok, i am bombarding us. sarawearsskirts: we're going to open the floor, since you all have great tips. sarawearsskirts: what are your tips for a new team? bayousalvage: Hello! meetings! sarawearsskirts: meetings, and an email list! dmriceart: Blogs, and or/ website set up for communication/ marketing intothefire: Promote each other constantly LazyTcrochet: I agree meetings and emails keep things on-topic vs. forum discussions sometimes sarawearsskirts: a google group is helpful, and gives you an email list built in for mass communicatiojn imakecutestuff: give members the power to create their own events so you don't have to do it all on your own... TheTwistedPurl: weekly topic board on the forums have gotten our group to be more tight knit sarawearsskirts: good one, imakecutestuff castleman: it's not for teams in particular but joining yahoo groups and adding your tag line to your sig can really increase business! sarawearsskirts: intothefire, good tip! coloradoartstudio joined the room imakecutestuff: we had to nurture this by having in-person meetings so everyone would feel comfy with each other sarawearsskirts: lots of teams have a tag they all use so customers can search them out intothefire: Team blog, private forum, website, etc. sarawearsskirts: i'm working on a guide about teams and tags FishOnTheWall: but there is no way to inforce who can use the tags.... sarawearsskirts: fishonthewall, that's true, but i think the benefits outweigh that fact imakecutestuff: will there be tips on running a team shop? we're a little apprehensive to start one... sarawearsskirts: yes! sarawearsskirts: a guide on team shops will be released next week! TheTwistedPurl: yay! imakecutestuff: awesome! castleman: we're working hard on keeping all the "business discussion" on our Yahoo list and keeping all the "public discussion" positive and interesting dmriceart: Where can we find it? sarawearsskirts: it'll be listed on the team guides page dmriceart: Thanks! sarawearsskirts: http://team.etsy.com/guides.html castleman: i think that discussing things like pricing and bad customers publicaly is bad for business sarawearsskirts: that's true, castleman, those are good topics for a private forum, if at all bayousalvage: i gree castle sarawearsskirts: there are lots of guides for new teams and all teams at sarawearsskirts: http://team.etsy.com/guides.html sarawearsskirts: and we add more often imakecutestuff: unless it is presented in a way that helps buyers understand how to use E castleman: i find that often people want a place to vent about a non-paying buyer or some such bayousalvage: our team is scared of the tem shop thing- especially dealing with the money sarawearsskirts: (as fast as our minds and fingers can churn them out) castleman: that's fine but venting in etsy forums for example castleman: is bad for business sarawearsskirts: yes,. dmriceart: sooooooooooo agree!, Castle! dmriceart asks, Is it possible to have a Team Calendar made up somewhere on line, so we could refer to it, and fill it in? Then we could all be on the same page... and we could know what is going on where... Possibly help each other advertise upcoming events on our Team sites! ? sarawearsskirts: we love this idea! wonderamy: bayousalvage - hopefully our team shops guide will help you sarawearsskirts: this is something i'd love to implement wonderamy: yes, updateable calendar! sarawearsskirts: i'm not sure when we can do that, but it is something we can and will talk (and have talked) about sarawearsskirts: also, i'm hoping to get teams paired up sarawearsskirts: to do cross-team promotion this year sarawearsskirts: teams working with other teams sarawearsskirts: the whole idea of that when someone else talks about how great you are sarawearsskirts: it resonates more than when you say it wonderamy: starting with a valentines day cross-promotion! sarawearsskirts: the mud team, for example, is working on a challenge with the EGCG sometime this year wonderamy: etsy teams heart etsy teams! sarawearsskirts: we think it's fabulous! bayousalvage asks, what kind of time frame is needed to request promos? sarawearsskirts: 3 weeks, more if you can sarawearsskirts: enough time for us to get something together sarawearsskirts: and mail it with a big buffer sarawearsskirts: to make sure you get it in time castleman asks, what do teams do with thier blogs? we have one but it's pretty empty sarawearsskirts: we have a guide on blogging, here: http://team.etsy.com/bloggingguide.html sarawearsskirts: we opened the floor for you all to help with this question sarawearsskirts: what does your team blog about? wonderamy: what are some ways you all use your blogs? intothefire: we feature a member a month sarawearsskirts: you can feature another team's event intothefire: We use our team site to advertise challenges and events sarawearsskirts: and ask them to do the same for your team LazyTcrochet: We post everything from front page/treasury screen shots to next meet-ups, show dates, birthdays events imakecutestuff: we have an Etsy mini featuring select items from our member's shops sarawearsskirts: very nice, lazytcrotchet castleman: how do teams pick what people to feature? alorinna left the room dmriceart: Vast and ACEO is open for all members to add their new items... then we can send the link "out there" ... intothefire: random draw for us aplanetnamedjanet left the room castleman: ah wonderamy: (are you all familiar with etsy minis?) aplanetnamedjanet joined the room dmriceart: We add the minis, too... sometimes! LOVE THEM!!! coloradoartstudio: Mile High team posts local events, introduces new members castleman: ooo new member intro is a great idea intothefire: we have them littered across our site http://www.etsymudteam.freeweb7.com dmriceart: And Screen shots of Treasuries, etc.. for all to see... sometimes! wonderamy: http://www.etsy.com/storque/section/howTos/article/etsy-team-tip-build-a-team-etsy-mini/380/ here;s an article about making minis for your team FishOnTheWall: I don't think our team blog is updated regularly - It doesn't seem to be our best form of communicating or advertizing imakecutestuff: our blog captain chooses select items from each shop to go along with any holidays happening that time of year coloradoartstudio: we have a blog ring too, but it's small Redbecca: Our team is new, so we've asked people to introduce themselves and their crafts intothefire: oops - forgot about that coloradoartstudio! LazyTcrochet: I think a blog ring is a good idea sarawearsskirts: blog rings are great! sarawearsskirts: i've been working on a blog ring for team blogs sarawearsskirts: we'll debut that sometime soon imakecutestuff: is there info on how to set one up somewhere? we need that! :) dmriceart: Rings always confused me... not easy ! (*sorry, I am a techi naive old gal) bayousalvage: moi assee rice TheTwistedPurl: I want to set up a blog ring for our team. How did you set one up? sarawearsskirts: rings are a pain to set up! (in my experience) sarawearsskirts: but they are awesome once functioning bayousalvage: assi, geesum coloradoartstudio: i administer the mile high ring and getting people to insert the code is a pain imakecutestuff: ah...I see. I'll ask our team for volunteers...hehe TheTwistedPurl: New team guide? Blog Rings? intothefire: Ringsurf makes it easy t set up a blog ring - I manage ours sarawearsskirts: colorado, maybe we can pick your brain later on setting it up ; ) imakecutestuff: Ringsurf...got it - thanks intothefire! coloradoartstudio: sure, or itf - she administers the mud team ring intothefire: Most of the issues are useer error - folks not inserting the code into their blog castleman asks, have teams worked on getting email lists of customers that want to receive promotional info? and does that work? BelBacioJewelry joined the room sarawearsskirts: you can use a free site, like i use www.response-o-matic.com for my own personal blog coloradoartstudio: not milehigh - we're not as organized as mud team thevintagejewelrybox: here sarawearsskirts: (you can see it in the sidebar at http://girlscantell.typepad.com) intothefire: thanks - I've been looking for a free service imakecutestuff: oh...we're planning on starting a customer email list this year! BelBacioJewelry left the room sarawearsskirts: you plug in your info and it gives you code to put on your site or blog sarawearsskirts: i'm sure there are other sites like it castleman: i've been thinking about suggsting it but was not sure it would work dmriceart: I bookmarked the pages given...so far! Love this, Thanks! castleman: me to dmrice sarawearsskirts: if it's an opt in list, i think it's a great idea, especially for global teams imakecutestuff: awesome info...thanks for that! sarawearsskirts: our pleasure! dmriceart: girls can tell link didn't work... ragamufyn: we're trying to get snail mail addys to send old fashioned invites to some special events wonderamy: dmrise, you gotta delete the extra parenthesis at the end sarawearsskirts: http://girlscantell.typepad.com sarawearsskirts: sorry wonderamy: its a typo coloradoartstudio: Is it a similar form to say feedburner to collect subscribers? sarawearsskirts: it just sends you an email with the person's email, so you can compile them all wonderamy: thats a great idea ragamufyn - snail mail means more and more to people in the e-age aplanetnamedjanet: adding to favorites sarawearsskirts: right, colorado dmriceart: Ah... got it! LOL! sorry sarawearsskirts: ragamufyn, that's a great idea castleman: that's true castleman: i love getting real mail LazyTcrochet: yes, that would be great for local events sarawearsskirts: snail mail is great for local events! castleman: SD is too small for a local group tho :-( ragamufyn asks, how can we get more members to share team responsibilities? sarawearsskirts: this is a great one dmriceart: Great Question! wonderamy: this is a good one for group discussion. wonderamy: how do you all deal with this? sarawearsskirts: i think every team deals with this on some level bayousalvage: ask intothefire: we found their strong suits and then asked directly bayousalvage: beg and bribe castleman: I have found that when someone suggests something if you ask then to be in charge of that it works well intothefire: an open invite to volunteer is usually ignored sarawearsskirts: delegating particular events or tasks to specific people gives them ownership of it ragamufyn: we are trying to figure this out right now.... mostly it's the same people doing everything imakecutestuff: we have had numbers meetings and message board threads boldly encouraging them to create their own events (we're on meetup) LazyTcrochet: Well, I'm not a team leader, but I am here taking notes. I think everyone needs to pitch in and not count on a few people. intothefire: But asking a particular person isially works intothefire: *usually* wonderamy: my personal (not official!) opinion is that a smaller group with dedicated members is better than a larger group with non dedicated members imakecutestuff: have a thread in our meetup board for anyone to post the info to so I can create the event castleman: when someone says "hey we need a flickr group" often they are perfectly willing to do it bayousalvage: our grop has been pretty good about that. our leader teena is also very direct and sweet ragamufyn: we are trying to create committees for different things wonderamy: but, sometimes having a big membership base can help a team, as long as the poeple doing all thw work are able to handle it dmriceart: I have a few very cool members always stepping up... but would like others to help, to alleviate the load.. a bit... ragamufyn: but i'm not sure how many people have stepped up imakecutestuff: in-person meetings helped our shy ones feel braver to start their own events! coloradoartstudio: Love flickr - mud team has a flickr presence FishOnTheWall: We have sign-ups & mostly people just start their own project if they see something needs to be done. castleman: i actually have found that really big groups are harder to deal wiht castleman: more people to feel left out and hurt by things bayousalvage: we do have a prblem (in my o) in communicating in our trashion eam b/c we are all so far apart. the yahoo group thing is difficult dmriceart: So, on line... groups could be/should be limited in #? littlebrownbird joined the room wonderamy: i think its important on a personal level for each of the active people to be really honest with what workload they can handle. we've seen some teams start to flourish more when the previously really active members scale back - someone else sometimes comes up to the plate, or multiple people sarawearsskirts: for trashion and big teams, maybe committees or sub-committees? ragamufyn: we are spread out too coloradoartstudio: I belong to a google group that's really strong but there's only about 10 active members imakecutestuff: we're trying to find a balance between "letting members run with it" and "organizing the group" bayousalvage: and then the ones that are closer to each other and who can meet all end up doing things- it makes sese actually coloradoartstudio: mile high team uses yahoo groups which i don't like as much castleman: i'm not sure about teams but in other groups i've been in committees often cause problems as nothing really ever happens castleman: why colorado? wonderamy: i think every team does need a few people who think actively about the whole structure. It does not mean they have to do all the work, but the keep the engine going, collect group ideas, suggest things, delegate when necessary, find volunteers for things, update a blog perhaps coloradoartstudio: google interface is easier to use castleman: ahhhh imakecutestuff: we're trying to figure out how to pay for the inherent expenses of the group (like meetup fees) aplanetnamedjanet left the room LazyTcrochet: meetup fees? wonderamy: BUT, its good for them to insist that they not do all the work. Outlingng their jobs are importnat wonderamy: (egh, typos) imakecutestuff: meetup.com intothefire: We use a team shop for that. Everyone is required to donate at least one item per year LazyTcrochet: oh bayousalvage joined the room imakecutestuff: how many run the shop? imakecutestuff: we're afraid :) coloradoartstudio: mud team also does a cash donation intothefire: one bayousalvage: maybe the team shop could help pay for promos? coloradoartstudio: is it one or the other itf? intothefire: it does, ads, etc intothefire: I think so, colorado coloradoartstudio: i've done both intothefire: I have done bath, too intothefire: both thevintagejewelrybox: and what about team shop promoting ideas? To increase sales for fundraising. sarawearsskirts: okay, this has been a great discussion! castleman: I won't run a shop sarawearsskirts: we're going to wrap it up now, since next week's workshop is all about team shops bayousalvage: we did pay for one of the teams we joined but the moey was never used for anything we saw and when we were supposed to get promos from them they never arrived so we ended up buying them ourselves. i'd rather jst pay outright if thats how it needs to be castleman: we've thought about opening an account tho and favoriting all Yetsy members sarawearsskirts: and the guide on team shops will be published prior to that meeting LazyTcrochet: thanks admin! bayousalvage: thanks coloradoartstudio: thanks sarawearsskirts: thanks, everyone for coming! imakecutestuff: oh cool! wonderamy: shops and fees are a huge can of workms with many good things to think about! TheTwistedPurl: Thank you! ragamufyn: thanks you! Redbecca: thank you intothefire: thanks FishOnTheWall: Thansk sara imakecutestuff: Yay! wonderamy: sara and i are taking off, but you guys can stay in here and chat for another 10 min if you like! Redbecca left the room coloradoartstudio left the room intothefire left the room bayousalvage: bye yall LazyTcrochet left the room wonderamy: bye wonderful teamers! thanks for all your awesome ideas TheTwistedPurl left the room BodyLovin: bye! castleman: thanks guys! bayousalvage left the room imakecutestuff: Thanks guys!!! About | Press | Contact | Teams | Jobs | Merch Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy © 2008 Etsy Inc.