Wintry Weekly features link to articles with tips, tricks, and advice to vendors, to help make the most of your experience at Wintry Market! 

Welcome to another installment of Wintry Weekly! We are focusing on how a strong online presence can help boost your business on and off the internet. Whether you use Facebook, Twitter, or a blog, having a way for customers to contact and interact with you online helps build a loyal and trusting relationship with current and potential customers. But where do you start?

We recommend that all of our vendors have a Facebook page for several reasons: most of your customers use Facebook, it gives you instant access to said customers, it’s easy and it’s free! Oh My! Handmade has a great post on how to set up and style a Facebook page, from the cover photo to making your posts look appealing. Once you have your Facebook page set up, it’s all up to marketing yourself and finding your customers. Etsy has a GREAT comprehensive guide with ideas from small business owners on running your Facebook page.

In addition to having a functional and engaging Facebook page, it’s also important to have a website or blog where you can showcase your work on a larger, more intimate scale. Jena highlights 7 reasons shop owners need to blog, and why it’s so important to your business. It can be a little intimidating committing to having a full fledged website, however being able to showcase your items in a way that’s all your own, and giving your customers an inside look on your creative process can be a invaluable resource. Handmadeology has a fantastic list of blogging topics and Oh My! Handmade’s ways to make your blog “bloom”. Check out Etsy’s guide to blogging, too!

There are an abundance of other social networking sites out there including Twitter, Pinterest, Ravelry, even many online forums such as Craftster. Spending the extra few minutes a day to expose yourself to the online community full of potential buyers can make a huge difference in your customer base. Here are a few more articles focusing on online marketing and presence:

Marketing Advice from Tara Swiger

11 Free (and cheap) Marking Ideas from Modish Biz

The Best Way to Get Your Site Out There Fast by biz ladies at design*sponge

P.S. Applications are due September 1st! Apply today!