| Workshop Minutes: Street Team Meeting 2008.2.7 |
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8 yay, 5 nay, 7 abstain
sarawearsskirts: great! one more poll: if you are on a global team, hit yes, local hit no.
sarawearsskirts: oops
global hit yes, local hit no
sarawearsskirts: fantastic!
11 yay, 5 nay, 3 abstain
sarawearsskirts: today i'd like to brainstorm all the different promotional events teams can organize.
sarawearsskirts: i think the best events are ones that bring people to your shops - events that have people clicking through and around etsy have the potential to be very successful in terms of sales.
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sarawearsskirts: i'd like to hear your thoughts, and offer some ideas for you all
sarawearsskirts: and hear success stories from you all!
sarawearsskirts: etsy shop scavenger hunts, much like the one the etsy baby team did for valentine's day, are great.
sarawearsskirts: did everyone see the valentine's storque digest for teams?
sarawearsskirts: http://www.etsy.com/storque/section/events/article/etsy-teams-valentines-day-sweetness/1047/
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sarawearsskirts: to run a success event like a scanveger hunt, your team decides how to run the scavenger hunt - are buyers looking for an image? clue in the form of words in descriptions?
sarawearsskirts: it's key to make sure all participating shops are on the same page with this type of event, and make sure a good list of participating shops is available - this list can be in a forum post, your team's blog, etc. the list is ideally somewhere with clickable links that your team can easily direct a
sarawearsskirts: lot of traffic to.
sarawearsskirts: when you all think of questions or related topics you'd like to discuss
sarawearsskirts: type /ask before the question
sarawearsskirts: and it submits it to the little queue i have, then we can discuss them as a group
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sarawearsskirts: the etsy team forums are one of the areas teams can communicate among themselves on etsy - other places are the virtual labs, or private chat rooms.
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sarawearsskirts: it's pretty important to not rely solely on promoting within etsy to promote your events - i publish a teams digest about twice a month, but it's important to be considering ways to market to a broader set of people - there are tons of social networking sites and websharing site -
sarawearsskirts asks, what is your favorite social networking / web sharing site?
sarawearsskirts: (the floor is open for this one now)
wildwood: indiepublic
sarawearsskirts: i like flickr and stumbleupon
haleystudio: flickr, livejournal
juliebcreative: i just joined indiepublic
315thomas: hmm... flickr
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montezumamudd: flickr
sarawearsskirts: myspace is ugly but can be effective
sarawearsskirts: del.ici.ous, digg
BeadedSocks: flickr, cafemom, indiepublic
sarawearsskirts: are useful for promoting blogs, etc
BeadedSocks: ning
sarawearsskirts: i'm finding twitter to be pretty awesome
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CharmingLee: Flickr
sarawearsskirts: anyone here use http://twitter.com ?
315thomas: never heard of it
TwistedThicket: Hello! just a minute, brb.
brettsarahtops: i've got twitter
sarawearsskirts: all these sites offer opportunities to share links and have a network of people at the receiving end of your notices (in real time!)
sarawearsskirts: lately, with so many teams, the teams forum moves very quickly, and is really not an effective or appropriate place for teams to be promoting. it is a good place for teams to discuss plans for events.
sarawearsskirts: if you'd like to schedule a time in the virtual labs, please email me at sara@etsy.com, and i'll help you schedule the time. unfortunately at this time, the webcam options and minute-taking options of the virtual labs aren't available for team functions, but hopefully these will be available soon.
sarawearsskirts: i'd love to see more teaming up of multiple teams. teams working together is sort of the same thing as two heads are better than one in my mind. a jewelry team and a glass team, for example, working together might bring in a broader audience than just a glass team holding an event by itself.
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are you on more than one team?
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sarawearsskirts: the idea of teams pairing up to work and promote together is nice
sarawearsskirts: for example, teams can hold multi-team virtual trunk shows in the virtual labs if they'd like. with several teams promoting this event around the internet and enough advance notice to get the event into a teams digest for the storque, the trunk show could be a good chance for people to become famil
GetGlassy asks, how do we keep our promotions/contest more visiable in Etsy forums?
sarawearsskirts: honestly, i recommend using off etsy forums for promoting.
sarawearsskirts: just like how the promotions area of the forums is like swimming upstream, you'll find promoting off etsy to be more effective
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sarawearsskirts: any of the sites we just listed are great places to start
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sarawearsskirts asks, let's talk about successful past team events you all have organized - what did your team do?
sarawearsskirts: (chat's open!)
wildwood: we collected promos and distributed
sarawearsskirts: that was for old world shoppes, wildwood?
GetGlassy: we've done 3 treasure hunt contests and find the responses have declined instead of getting better.
montezumamudd: The Mud Team has had success with our challenges and raffles.
wildwood: yes, OWS still swapping promos
wildwood: monthly if we can...
BeadedSocks: quarterly postcard to ship in packages
sarawearsskirts: mudteam, i heard you have an awesome collaboration in the works.
sarawearsskirts: anyone from etsybaby here?
montezumamudd: Yes! It is schedule for the end of May!!
sarawearsskirts: anyone from the beadweavers?
BeadedSocks: Moms did a holiday scavenger hunt, but the response wasn't what we wanted. EtsyBaby too
sarawearsskirts: wow, that's some great planning ahead, montezumamudd
JetTeam: The Jets just had a Hunt last month & we have another one planned for March.
wildwood: how does a challenge work?
sarawearsskirts: beadedsocks, what would the moms do differently to promote next time?
montezumamudd: You need to plan ahead when working with pottery!!
sarawearsskirts: many teams also hold challenges, usually on a monthly basis, to spotlight their craft. showing off entries on a blog and flickr group with links to all participating shops is great for challenges. offering a prize to people who vote on the challenge is a good way to engage buyers to click through
sarawearsskirts: all the shops who entered and mark favorites, etc.
BeadedSocks: We advertised on blogs, similar to Baby ~ but not enough.
wildwood: oh, I like the voting part
sarawearsskirts: in this case, consistency in almost branding the sale - having a disinct logo, etc - is key - if someone feels like they're seeing the same logo all over the web, they're bound to click around to find out more about it.
sarawearsskirts: maybe having members all sign up for a site like stumbleupon or digg and marking the posts and things would help bring traffic?
JetTeam: we do that during our hunts and contest
who here has used stumbleupon?
JetTeam: the matching logos/avs
BeadedSocks: Has anyone used TeamSugar.com
sarawearsskirts: it's the kind of thing that's worth looking into. especially if you have a large team, it's something each member can do that only takes a few minutes
TwistedThicket: Not me.
sarawearsskirts: and can make sites more visible
7 yay, sarawearsskirts: http://www.stumbleupon.com
CharmingLee: stumbleupon rocks!
sarawearsskirts: you mark sites you find interesting, and you browse sites others mark as interesting
sarawearsskirts: another way a team can prepare for big events in advance is to be collecting an email list for interest people to opt in and sign up for.
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sarawearsskirts: each team member should have a note in their "message to buyer" in their shops offering a way for people to have their email included on the list.
esdesigns: etsymetal has been talking about a mailing list
sarawearsskirts: one team member should be in charge of keeping these email addresses and inputting them into one of the many free list creators available (google "free email list service" and check out your options).
sarawearsskirts: i think it's a nice idea
esdesigns: what do you use to collect them?
esdesigns: we're all trying out notifylist
sarawearsskirts: targets people who have said they want to hear about your team
esdesigns: but aren't sure yet
sarawearsskirts: if team members are all willing to chip in a little money or if your team shop has some revenue, there are several nice for-pay services, like constant contact, which easily organize your contacts.
TwistedThicket: I didn'tknow google had a mailing list option. :D
sarawearsskirts: but there are a couple free ones you can try out
esdesigns: i've heard of constant comment
esdesigns: i mean contact :)
sarawearsskirts: twistedthicket, i mean use google to find the mailing list services
TwistedThicket asks, Is there an archives area for all of the workshops (teams and others) that have been held?
TwistedThicket: Oh, lol sorry
sarawearsskirts: yes! http://team.etsy.com/workshops.html
TwistedThicket: thank you Sara
sarawearsskirts: we realize the tools for teams on etsy, currently, are not as useful or effective as we'd like them to be, and we're working on ways to improve this situation.
sarawearsskirts: like tools for communicating with your team, posting events, etc
sarawearsskirts: in the meanwhile, there are lots of things your team can be doing to promote itself and your shops.
sarawearsskirts: like mailing lists.
CharmingLee asks, How would a virtual trunk show work?
sarawearsskirts: anyone from EGCG
sarawearsskirts: ?
CharmingLee: Oops! Little behind there....
sarawearsskirts: or any other teams that have had trunk shows?
sarawearsskirts: no, it's a great question!
juliebcreative: yeah i dont really get the trunk show thing
315thomas: me neither
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sarawearsskirts: you can promote a certain time with a link to a virtual lab room
wildwood: my ppl seem to think trunk shows are for jewelry
sarawearsskirts: you can email me at sara@etsy.com to reserve a room
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sarawearsskirts: and then use the listing card creation tool to showcase products from your shop
CharmingLee: Oh cool!
sarawearsskirts: give some incentive - free shipping or a little free gift to people who attend
315thomas: what is the listing card creation tool
wildwood: so its like a live show
sarawearsskirts: i'll show you, one moment
315thomas: okay, heh
SnappyBibs: Is there a link for more information about trunk shows?
montezumamudd: Can you showcase more than one shop?
wildwood: nice
315thomas: cool
sarawearsskirts: see?
sarawearsskirts: (those are two beautiful listings, by the way!)
TwistedThicket: nice
wildwood: is the 'space' arranged like this room?
sarawearsskirts: it can be modified a bit
sarawearsskirts: but generally, yes
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thevintagejewelrybox: Is there any way for team shops to avoid expiration of shop items? This would help witht he complicated tracking of fees and collecting from the listers
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sarawearsskirts: (do you all have the text set so it runs to the left of the screen?)
315thomas: yes
TwistedThicket: yes
wildwood: yes
montezumamudd: yes
SnappyBibs: yes
sarawearsskirts: vintagejewelrybox, i'm not sure i know what you mean
alorinna: yes, i do, but i really wish there was a way to scroll up
juliebcreative: i have to run, thanks for the info!
BeadedSocks: yes
juliebcreative: bye
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TwistedThicket: so do I alorianna
sarawearsskirts: thanks!
montezumamudd: Can you showcase more than one shop??
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sarawearsskirts: montezuma, what do you mean?
wildwood: the images would scroll by
sarawearsskirts: like show items from more than one shop? yes
315thomas: how do you put the picture there...? or can only you do it, sara
wildwood: so you could show them off
alorinna: gotta go, thanks!
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sarawearsskirts: you have to put in the item numbers
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sarawearsskirts: click "items" next to chat
sarawearsskirts: and put in the item id
montezumamudd: In the virtual trunk show - Can we showcase an item from each member of the team?
315thomas: ohhhhh
315thomas: hehe i am slow
sarawearsskirts: much like you would a treasury
thevintagejewelrybox: It is off subject, but the person running our shop loses money, partly because if an item doesn't sell befor expiration date, it comes out of her pocket.
315thomas: lol, okay i just had to try it
sarawearsskirts: vintage, i discuss this a little in the team shops guide - it's something teams have to consider and work out before opening - here's a link
sarawearsskirts: http://team.etsy.com/teamshops.html
sarawearsskirts: it gives a whole lot of things to consider before opening a team shop
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sarawearsskirts: team shops can be great and successful, but it takes a good bit of planning and work
thevintagejewelrybox: Yeah, I read it. Just wondered if there was any incentive for team shops.
sarawearsskirts: just like your individual shop
haleystudio: are there team homepages on etsy? like a profile page?
sarawearsskirts: well, team shops can raise money for team things, like email list costs if you're using a for-pay one
montezumamudd: and team business cards
TwistedThicket: and for team advertisements
montezumamudd: and advertising
wildwood: another option is to create a printable file...
TwistedThicket: ha
sarawearsskirts: definitely!
wildwood: and let the members collect their own mailing info
wildwood: for postcards, etc
BeadedSocks: Moms did a printale file and members printed the postcard if they wanted to use them
sarawearsskirts: asking members to mention the team list intheir note to buyers is pretty key
sarawearsskirts: nice
JetTeam: I think she was wondering if ETSY had any incentives or discounts for teams running shops
315thomas: ctetsyteam did a printable postcard and flyer
wildwood: the self printing idea is great for global teams
sarawearsskirts: these are all great ideas!
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sarawearsskirts: does anyone have more questions?
wildwood: OWS has a new promo idea in the works
sarawearsskirts: you can type /ask to ask a question
wildwood: a youtube commerical!
sarawearsskirts: WOW!
thevintagejewelrybox: I would like to sell promo items in our team shop to our members to raisemoney for team, is this considered shilling?
315thomas: cool!
sarawearsskirts: i'm always impressed that OWS has an mp3 ontheir profile page
TwistedThicket: I'm trying to get a fund raiser going for BBEST
wildwood: a slideshow with our products, and shop name on each image
sarawearsskirts: http://team.etsy.com/profilest/ow.shtml
wildwood: with our OWS jingle in the background
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TwistedThicket: awesome WW (hi)
sarawearsskirts: you can also submit pitches to the storque with video
wildwood: :)
sarawearsskirts: http://www.etsy.com/storque/pitch/
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sarawearsskirts: the storque loves video!
wildwood: we'll be sharing the vid with storque
sarawearsskirts: very great!
wildwood: and posting it on myspaces
JetTeam asks, Last week was scheduled for TEAM & TAGGING is there anything that can be done to prevent tag abuse when it comes to team tags?
wildwood: and on blogs, etc
sarawearsskirts: good question, jet's
sarawearsskirts: i've postponed that topic til i finish the guide i'm working on (sorry for the confusion)
315thomas: haha i love the jingle!
sarawearsskirts: but i will address this a bit in the guide i'm writing
sarawearsskirts: it's a tricky topic
sarawearsskirts: trickier than i previously thought!
wildwood: well have em right where we want em!
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sarawearsskirts: great! if there are no more questions, we'll wrap up for the day.
wildwood: with the vid
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sarawearsskirts: thanks so much for coming everyone! great brainstorming!
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montezumamudd: thanks sara
JetTeam: thanks- I thought I was confused last week when it was just Q&A
sarawearsskirts: my pleasure! teams are so great!
TwistedThicket: thank you Sara
thevintagejewelrybox: Please get back to me on the shilling question.
BeadedSocks: Thanks! :)
sarawearsskirts: 2008 is going to be the year of the team!
CharmingLee: thank you!
sarawearsskirts: :)
SnappyBibs: Thanks sara
315thomas: thanks!
sarawearsskirts: thanks, everyone!
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sarawearsskirts: enjoy your weekend!
Minutes Stopped Thu Feb 07 2008 17:30:18 GMT+0000 (UTC)
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