Here’s where you can share your tips for promoting your own work and store.

Some of the ways that I have found to be quite effective for promoting my work and my store is to make a few things for my sister, mum, friends to wear around to school and/or work. I give them a bunch of my business cards, and when someone asks about the item they’re wearing, they can hand over a business card.

Also, being active in the Mintd Community in general is certainly a great way to get your name and store known.

And I have a MySpace page, which has a link to Mintd on it. You can find out how to add a link to Mintd on your blog or MySpace page here: Mintd Banners

Also, you could organise a bussiness card swap with some fellow Mintizens. This is a fun way to promote, and if you swap a few extra cards, then maybe someone might pop one of your business cards in with the next package they send out to a Mintd customer!

I’d love to hear some hints and tips from other Mintizens about how they promote their products and shops!

Hmmm… let’s see.

I bully my friends into buying my stuff for exorbitant prices and tell them if they don’t I will steal their children (although a few actually seem quite willing for me to do so…)

I suggest getting a stamp made (www.vistaprint.com will send you a free one if you pay for shipping. I’m happy with mine) with your name and address and your URL under it for stamping on all envelopes, even christmas cards.

Get a blog… I can help anyone who is daunted by that and doesn’t know where to start.

If you don’t want to design and write a blog then just have it redirect to your Mintd store. I am not sure how this is done, but that way anyone who goes to that page will be automatically transferred to your mintd store. This allows you to give out a simple blog address instead of the complicated one you get with the free mintd account.

This is kind of goofy, but it works – if you have a large, clear stamp with just your URL and you live in a cold climate I take the stamp and heat it a bit (I wrap it in one of those instant heat packs) and then apply it to the glass walls of the bus shelter covered in ice. It leaves your URL behind in the ice and people go there out of curiosity.

Craft in public. I do a lot of mine on the bus and I made a project box to hold my stuff that says “Wondering what I’m doing? Go to www.sixthandelm.blogspot.com to find out.” on the lid that faces people as I have it on my lap. I usually have my Etsy address there, but I just made a new one with my Mintd address.

Umm…..what else…

Ask your library or community center if you can leave a business card holder and cards on their reception desk. Get a really nice one to catch the eye…there are a few here.

Join as many webrings as you can that relate to your craft. If you aren’t familiar with web rings just contact me and I will fill you in.

Join a local community like a craft mafia or church of craft (neither have anything to do with Religion or the mob)

Write for crafty websites – do a craft book review, tutorial or social commentary on the state of craft. Many will gladly post your article along with a link to your store. I have a “featured teacher” series on my website for anyone who wants to write a tutorial on ANYTHING (serious things like a creaft instruction or not-so-serious like “how to get your kids to mow the lawn”) if you would like to get involved. Just contact me with your tutorial idea and I will post the full tutorial and many links and pictures of your stuff.

Most importantly, don’t waste all day relpying to forum posts so that you have no time left for actual craft production.

ah well.

Your hints and tips for promoting are BRILLIANT sixthandelm! I especially love the icy bus shelter idea and the “Wondering what I’m doing?” idea!

Thanks so much for sharing your great tips with us!!

Heh heh..thanks. There’s this one lady on my bus that gives me a dirty look whenever I pull out a crochet hook or start to draw a pattern on to a box to woodburn later. I guess she thinks crafting should be “private.”

I usually craft on the run too! I have a very busy 4 year old on the go so I try to pack a project to keep me busy too while he is playing, conquering the world, learning new annoying habits, etc. Usually it’s crochet in one form or another but I have chainmailled my way thru drop in playgroup and spent a couple of hours making wire rings for mums in another group. I recently got my Artist in the Park permit so I can craft outdoors in my local park and advertise/sell for free!! The first time I did it I was so nervous that I virtually hid behind a wall hoping no one would notice. Nowadays I’m bolder so I think I might tape a business card or promo to my craft box! Thanks for the hint!

and PS: it rains a lot here so I’m wondering if dishwashing liquid or solid soap might work on the bus shelters instead of the ice trick???

Hehehe @ Sixthandelm, “Private” crafting. I don’t know why, but that makes me laugh. Maybe she’s jealous, and is just annoyed because you have the ingenuity to utilise your time properly to include crafting.

I also love to make stuff on the run. I spend a fair bit of time on public transport, so I love to use the time (sometimes several hours at a time) to make things. I have one friend that lives a really long way from me, and it takes 4 hours on the train to get to her place, and I have found that it is exactly enough time for me to knit a pair of fingerless gloves, from start to finish.

And I always have a sketch book with me at all time, as well as my camera. So I’m always drawing something, or taking a photo of something odd.

I really think I need to add a “Wanna know what I’m doing” type meassage to my sketch book or project folder. It’s such a cute, funny way to advertise. And I know I have often seen people making things on the train and wondered what they were doing.

Shara – you’d be surprised how many people are interested! Make sure you have some business cards with you, though. Since I put the “what am I doing?” thing on my project box people are more confident about asking for a card.

Ebb – I don’t think I get how you would use dishwashing liquid. Wouldn’t it just drip down the sides? Or am I missing the point completely.

I just made a project box for a friend with “what am I doing? Come and find out..www.etc” woodburned onto the lid for her and she loves it. It fits all her portable tools and projects.

hi sixth i’m not sure how it would work and i think, on reflection, the hard soap would be best. my theory is that it would disrupt the water dripping down the panes of glass or affect the steam on the window (it works in the shower!)

OH! Okay, now I get it! Thanks! I think that would work…

Thank you for the tips. I just managed to add Mintd to Myspace.

I love all your ideas – but I might have a bit of trouble with making jewellery on the move – this elittle beads get everywhere even when I’m still!!! Not to mention flying bits of metal etc. Still nice idea. I especially like the bus shelter ice trick. I’m spending my days looking at forums, so I really must ‘get out more’ and get on with making stuff

come and see my shop if you have time – it’s only a few days old and I could do with a few more looks to make me ‘interesting@ hehehe :)