On Friday, Tara and I headed to New York to attend BlogHer 2010. We weren’t quite sure what to expect, but I don’t think it was that. I think I was going with the idea that I would learn concrete information about how to use my blog to build my business and my brand. But, instead, BlogHer really is a conference about meeting your online friends in the real world, getting suggestions for your (largely personal) blogging, and visiting the gift suites in the hopes of getting wooed by large brands.
And as Tara and I wandered (joined for a while by Michelle) we couldn’t help but notice an almost complete lack of of representation from the craft and indie design community. I think I heard “Etsy” twice all day.
To be fair, the women (and a few men) at BlogHer are not a group to be taken lightly. These women have power. They have influence. And they aren’t talking about us at all.
We need to change that.
Most of us spend our time (and our marketing efforts) in the same small niche. We all want to be featured on the same blogs. (Which happen to be the same blogs we advertise on.) We spend our time preaching to the choir by focusing our market efforts on the same small group. (Internal Etsy marketing, for example.)
Ultimately, if we want to grow our individual businesses, we need to grow our field as a whole. We need to move our marketing efforts out into bigger pools. We need to harness our collective voices (and marketing budgets) to start to connect with groups like the women at BlogHer.
We’ve made huge strides. Every day, more and more people discover Etsy and sites like it. More and more people are practicing mindful spending. They are choosing small and unique over mass-produced. But if I got anything from BlogHer, it was a reminder of how far we still need to go.
What are your thoughts? What are some ways that the craft and indie design community can market OUTSIDE our niche?
PS. I’m on vacation all week. (A real vacation where I actually didn’t bring my computer!) But no worries, I’ve got some great guest posts lined up for the rest of the week. I’ll be back next week (where I’ll be blogging from the New York International Gift Fair) with a big announcement!
Agreed – there really was very little craft and DIY represented at BlogHer. (I run Swap-bot, a craft swapping site. I ran up and said hi to you and Tara at one point…) I was a little disappointed by the actual sessions, but I did get to meet some really amazing women… like, Crissy from IndieBizChicks.com and the Handmade Detroit women. Maybe at the next conference, we should all try to organize some sort of crafty/diy meet-up.
Megan, I apologize, as this question might seem really elementary, but can you explain more about what blogher is/ does?….I see folks w/ that button on their blog…but am not sure what its all bout!
I agree but what I would love to know is how? How do we reach past the world of Etsy?
Wow that is disappointing, but not all that surprising. I don’t know much about blogher, but I know a lot of the participants are Mommy bloggers, and writers. Seems like all it would take is a few organized and willing art-crafters to change that. I will look into the possibilities and get back to you. This coming from a new and determined DIYer.
A few thoughts…
Crafters probably wouldn’t be at Blogher, because blogging is not the primary way they make their living. They are probably more focused on retail/wholesale than blogging, thus blogging conferences are not going to be high on their list of things to do. Blogher probably also charged the brands you saw at the event a sizable booth fee. Most small crafters probably find large fees for entry to an event like that to be too pricey.
As a brand owner I wouldn’t court the Blogher community as a whole. Most of them don’t reach my brand’s market, and quite honestly, the majority of them do not have astronomical readership when compared to other blogs. I think most brand owners/crafters would probably be better off courting individual blogs, in the Blogher network and otherwise, that have suitable traffic and audience for their PR goals.
Hey Meredith –
What I found completely fascinating was how blogging wasn’t even treated as a business or career choice at the conference. There was lots of talk of blogging – but all from the perspective of it being a fun thing to do.
I don’t think Megan or I expected to see DIY brands in the expo area… but we did expect to see more of a design & diy blog presence. There are plenty of women who blog as their main business OR hobby in that niche that hold it in as high esteem as actual making.
But I do think we need to be conscious of who these women are. And I think we can court them as both clients & customers for DIY brands. These are really creative women who are often blind to the opportunities to purchase more unique goods. We can’t just write them off as not part of our niche. Our niche only goes so far – and many in our niche are interested in our products but just don’t buy. BlogHer women are a veritable goldmine of buying power (excuse the pun…)
I’m surprised Blogher doesn’t treat blogging like a business. It absolutely can be. Look at Gizmodo, Perez Hilton, etc. Plus the more their bloggers run their blogs like a business, the more money Blogher would make.
Sounds like some of the design bloggers may have avoided BlogHer because it isn’t geared to them. Aren’t there blogging conferences that are more specific to the design blog community?
I think *some* brand owners should court *some* BlogHer bloggers. Personally, I don’t court mommy or design blogs much. They aren’t my usual audience and I know from experience I’ll gain a lot more relevant traffic and interest from other types of media. Would some design bloggers or moms buy from my ecomm site? Absolutely! But I only have so many hours in my day and I have to focus on the press outlets that I know are most likely going to be good fits for my product line.
I agree very strongly with pitching the media that’s the best match for your brand. But whether the Blogher bloggers fall into that category is going to vary by brand.
I am not surprised at all that there were not more artists or crafters at BlogHer. The ones I know, including myself, were at shows working. I couldn’t spend a weekend at a conference during craft show season. Every artist I know was under their tent showing their work to customers in person.
I just got back from a show in Vermont where there were artists that have been doing shows for 20, 30, even 40 years. They are not sitting at home waiting for the Internet sales to roll in and neither am I. They are certainly not searching for the trendiest blog to comment on in the hopes of being seen.
The Indie crafters that I started with are still traveling to shows weekend after weekend. We are building relationships with not only our customers but also with eachother. My business is growing because I am out there at shows. No advice that I could get at any blog conference could ever replace that.
Me again. Having just looked at blogher.com I am reminded why I am not surprised at your findings. That is one off putting site for someone like myself. I am new to working for myself after many years of the rat race. I have started doing shows, but do not see them as the only alternative in today’s world. Technology is not the enemy big biz is. I see no reason I can’t build an honest and personal business online as well as under a tent. I know that the work I am doing online is no less serious than taking my product on the road for me. However this being a new venture later in life, it would be nice to have an event where I could learn and share my experience. To forge a new path may be the only way to survive in coming years, and we need to support one another. Blogher does not seem to be the place for that.
I think this post brings up a great point – we need to break out of our niche and market ourselves beyond the same Etsy friendly blogs and sites. While these sites are awesome and so helpful for the indie business movement, we need to branch out in order to reach more people. We need to reach the people who don’t realize that craft business exist beyond “old lady” craft fairs.
I’m surprised you were surprised. Most blogs that sport the Blogher logo have little to do with mindful spending and more to do with being a mommy or style and buying name brands. If the Blogher community wanted to support indie craft like on etsy, they would have done so. They don’t need educating, they’ve made a choice how to consume.
Yes, there are many women who make a living blogging, perhaps too many. Crafters don’t have time to go to a conference like that.
I think crafters need to search the world beyond those “popular” blogs for PR. There’s a great big world out there full of amazing opportunity.
Wow – are you really willing to give up mainstream America like that? There are people like Megan and I working really hard to grow this movement beyond it’s own community. I for one would appreciate your support in that endeavor.
You don’t have to go to a conference like that, of course. But don’t just write these women off. There are way more people that have no idea there’s a new craft movement than do.
I am not surprised at all by your findings. I decided not to go for precisely these reasons. I also imagined it very cliquish with the power parenting design bloggers giggling with each other. And all of those people doing just what I do is enough to make me hyperventilate. To Heather’s point about the crafters being out there in summer season at shows instead of blogging conferences, I see her point – although I AM someone who does sell primarily online and in retail outlets and someone who does leverage my blog as both a marketing channel and a way to showcase my work, connect with other artists and get some search engine love. AND someone who started out essentially as a working mommy blogger…and still, Blogher has never appealed to me. Hopefully you both came away from it with some interesting ideas…
I do see what Becca is saying, Tara. I was at Blogher last year and attended 4 workshops. I remember at one point etsy came up and the women thought it was so sweet people could make a living like that.
I don’t think you can change that behavior or mindset. Craft is not new, only the advent of the internet to make it viable on line , the same as blogging for a living, is different.
Mainstream America buys from me all the time. They just don’t read blogs. They are well aware of the craft movement, they are very smart.
The very heart of your writing whlist appearing reasonable at first, did not settle perfectly with me personally after some time. Somewhere within the paragraphs you actually managed to make me a believer unfortunately only for a while. I nevertheless have a problem with your jumps in logic and one might do nicely to help fill in all those gaps. In the event you actually can accomplish that, I could undoubtedly be amazed.
I have to agree with Megan and Tara. There is enormous opportunity for crafters to expand their market by reaching out to blogs beyond the craft/design niche. Why? Your products will be unique among the more traditional mommy blogger’s audience, as opposed to another of the hundreds of options presented on blogs in the design sphere (mine included, sadly). I am an Etsy fanatic, and I still don’t always remember to shop handmade first, so I think there are likely millions of women who would shop handmade but don’t realize the variety and quality of goods for sale.
I think the key is to really profile your customer and think about what their other values and interests are…and go after coverage in some of the blogs that cater to the related interests you brainstorm.
Thanks Brigitte!
It’s seems that many people are missing the key point of my post. Regardless of whether or not I was surprised by what went on at Blogher is irrelevant. I still firmly believe that in order to grow our individual businesses, we need to expand our field as a whole. We can’t keep pitching to the same small group of bloggers over and over again.
Ok, so this is probably about the time my brain will totally shut down. I have a distinct opinion regarding the idea of the conference and how it probably is mainly networking. They always say, its who you know, right? So, what are we doing to get out designs and art out to “normal people?” I’m thinking on a grander scale, but how about partnering with someone who has a voice? I mean, I can definitely talk, but out in the world, my voice seems so small. I imagine partnering with an organization that makes a difference. I truly wish I could figure out a way for jewelry to help someone (other than the sales going to support an organization.) I’m pretty much just rambling, just really onboard with the idea of getting “handmade” outside of the usual circles. I’d love to be involved!
Gosh – lots of interesting discussion! I am happy to sell and receive money from anyone who will buy my handmade stuff. Because we work so hard to produce a quality item by hand, it is easy to overlook those who don’t share the same perspective about handmade and mindful purchases as we do. Yet, handmade = unique, and many people default to “unique” in their purchases rather than “handmade.” However, they can really be the same thing, and so I’m looking for ways to garner those of all stripes who are looking for “unique.” Does that make sense? Anyway, now I’m off to explore the “unique”-purchasing demographic.
Wow! This has been a really polarizing topic! The thought of reaching outside Etsy and craft fairs has been on my mind a lot recently. I think there are a lot of untapped markets out there for handmade goods and The BlogHer Conference sounds like one of them. It hosts a wide array of powerful women motivating each other- a great resource- not just to sell your products or ideas, but to find out what other communities want and need. I would like to grow my business outside of the craftosphere someday, so why let this untapped market go to waste?
That being said, I think it’s wise to do an analysis (re: Marry Ellen) on where and how your business could make an impact, but there has more than one way to grab the attention of this group of successful women. They’re like our counterparts in the blog world.
I’m not surprised by your findings, Megan (and Tara, read your post too). I have always envisioned the blogher group as being that mainstream mommy-blogger/large corp. sponsor set.
However, I am all for breaking into that sphere and educating them on the value, joy, love, quality, amazing uniqueness and heart that goes along with our craft businesses.
Being an Australian, too, I’m able to stand outside the vast American perspective. It’s funny, I have often felt a little bit of an ‘outsider’ in the craft blogging community, because I am not American.
My goal is to be one of the premier handmade/design blogs out there, regardless of where I am, but I’ve always felt it a little hard to ‘break in’ to the clique of design blogs online 🙂
I know this is a little off-topic, but I guess my point is that I’m all for breaking down any of these artificial barriers we put up to differentiate us and them in any way – and that craft and handmade business SHOULD be mainstream, just like it was once before!
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When I am on a blog my jewelry is there once. I am the product of the day or of the moment. The next day I am gone. I’ll be in the archives where maybe I will be seen again, maybe not. I don’t find that bloggers are loyal to crafters and feature them again and again…unless it is paid advertising.
But my shows and the people who produce them are loyal and the customers who go to these shows year after year are too. I guess I don’t know, Megan and Tara, we were supposed to be at Blogher to pitch our products to the bloggers there? Were we supposed to be there to talk about our own blogging experiences?
As far as handmade being mainstream… It is! Where I am from, Boston, there is a show every weekend of the year. Handmade and artist own shops are on the trendiest streets in downtown and in the small towns of the suburbs.
Don’t get me wrong. I love the Internet. My jewelry is seen by people all over the world. But what i see happening with this blog and others is that you want to lump everyone who makes or designs something together. Makers, artists, indie designers, DIY”ers, we’re not all the same and we are not going to take the same paths and advice from bloggers. The trend in handmade now is telling artists how to grow, grow, grow. That’s a lot of pressure. My business is growing, but at a slow and steady pace. And being at a show this weekend with artists who have been creating for decades just reaffirms my feelings that it is just as good to be a small Independent business and make special, quality products. My path is becoming more and more old fashioned. I do shows, I talk to people about my work in my local community and I try to make new and interesting things that people will enjoy.
Hi Heather!
I completely agree that when you are covered on a blog (or really any kind of press) you may only be in the minds if those readers for a day or two. That’s why I think it is so critical to have systems set up so that once they arrive on your site you can begin to build relationships with them. The internet has made it possible to do that through blogs, social media, and email marketing. The most important thing isn’t the blog coverage, but rather how you engage with people once that traffic arrives on your site.
(On a side note, I’ll be talking a lot about this in my upcoming ecourse – Marketing for Makers.)
I also firmly believe that there isn’t one correct way to run a craft business. I talk a lot about alternatives to the craft show circuit because that method of making a living didn’t work for me or the lifestyle I wanted. (I didn’t start my own business so that I could spend every weekend sitting outside in a tent.) But kudos to you for making that work. I’m glad to hear that many people are still finding that a successful way to run a business.
I also talk about growth a lot because I do think it’s something many of my readers are interested in. Heather, you have been doing this for a long time, and are able to make a living from your business. I know many of my readers aren’t there yet, but would like to be. My goal is to help people grow their businesses to whatever level they’d like them to be at.
I would also say that the makers who successfully run their businesses online certainly aren’t sitting around and waiting for traffic to come to them. Running a successful online business requires work, and I don’t think I’ve ever said otherwise.
I can’t seem to stay away from this thread. What I am hearing is that as artists, crafters, and users of the internet we are all trying to make a living from our passions. This can take many different paths and exploring an event like blogher is just a way to see if there is an opportunity there. Like it or not our culture is shifting. The ways we make money are changing, and will continue to do so, as big business faces the challenges of catering to a less docile public. I love the idea of interacting with my customers at a show, but I am also fascinated by the possibilities of the internet. That Megan and Tara are out there testing the waters and graciously sharing their findings is a huge and valuable gift. For that I am grateful.
I thought the comments made by Heather were so insightful. I have been a potter, making a good living for 41 of my 62 years.
My daughter is an artist and told me about the DIY craft movement on line. Where I live in the southwest, craft is also mainstream. It has been my whole life.
She keeps telling me about all these bloggers who want her money to help her make her business better. I looked at your work Megan. You are talented. But most of the other people she showed me make nothing. How do they know what an artist’s life is about. What qualifies them?
Selling art is not like selling tea. I think more artists need studio time not computer time.
Thank you.
I am potentially shooting myself in the foot by jumping in here, but I’d like to offer a a response to Alice’s question.
I am a professional communicator by trade. First, in PR and now managing communications for a trade association. My area of expertise is in reaching and influencing my employer’s target audience to reach business objectives.
Does everyone need my help? No. But just as some people need or want to hire an accountant to assist with financials, others make the choice to hire a strategic partner on communications. Perhaps they don’t have the time to do it all themselves. Perhaps they want to expand into a new market. Perhaps they just hate picking up the phone and calling reporters.
When objectives are clearly defined (not just PR objectives but the desire effect), outreach can be incredibly powerful. Again, it’s not for everyone, but I’m saddened to see my trade dismissed out of hand.
Hi there:
I have actually thought about that for quite awhile, and I think the answer is in tradeshows. Crafters/Makers don’t have a real place at the table….where the press sits. Shows like Pool, Designers and Agents, Focus et al, all cater to independent small designers. Who’s to say that we couldn’t get them to add a craft/maker category if there was enough business with appropriate production and presentation capability (meaning that the businesses attending upheld the highest standards and could fill larger orders). The press regularly reports on these shows and we are not at them. The San Francisco International Gift Show has gotten on board with handmade, but doesn’t garner the the kind of press Fashion Week does. I also think that our entanglement with a “makers” lifestyle also alienates us in some ways from the mainstream; so in a way, we are a more raw commodity. We need to look beyond our journey as makers and transcend into what makes us relatable when it comes to presenting ourselves. Truly, when I read a maker’s statement it almost always starts with ‘I started sewing at age 6….”. How can we change the vernacular and make it more tangible for the folks? I think our folly as a handmade community is that our version of unique has become cliche.
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I agree that crafters have to break out of the Etsy mold for several reasons:
1. Although it is often portrayed otherwise, sellers do not have much leverage or leeway to work with SEO through Etsy itself- other than tweaking titles and descriptions with keywords, there isn’t a lot of options.
2. Most Etsy sellers are virtually invisible to search engines. It shouldn’t have to be this difficult because it is a relatively large site- for example, when I do keyword searches, a lot of eBay auctions come up- why don’t Etsy things come up?
3. The only way to become visible as an Etsy shop is to obtain several quality keyword links to your shop. Not only that, but the inbound links need to be from sites with a good PageRank. Otherwise they don’t matter. So you either need a lot of money to pay someone to do SEO or a lot of time to spend cultivating it the hard way (unless one gets very lucky and is picked up by a high-profile blog), all the while avoiding sounding like you’re spamming these bigger sites.
4. The sellers who do well via Etsy are usually ones who are visible within the Etsy community itself- i.e. featured several times for their products’ look, etc. Some may have websites outside of Etsy, but they draw from Etsy itself for many of their sales. This again, is outside the control of many individual sellers.
5. Most of the SEO advice is not appropriate for sites like Etsy, where you don’t have a lot of individual control over your shop. Yes, good photos are important, but they don’t matter when your shop isn’t visible to Google searches to begin with!
These are just some of my observations and I can be wrong about them. But we desperately need a professional craft community to start to address e-commerce issues like these. Many people are jumping into crafting on the ‘net only to hit a huge wall of discouragement when they remain invisible to search engines.
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