This is the header for the advertising blog I have been thinking about for over a year now. It is a great idea but lots of details had to be worked out, and I have done a lot of waffling about how, when, why to do it.
The idea is that artists, craftspeople, and purveyors of art supplies, etc. can run an affordable display ad to let people know they exist, or that they have a new product.
Any artist can start a site or an Etsy Shop, or a blog, but unless you have a way to let people know you are there, they won’t come.
If we can start with my online following and get the word out to lots more people, we could create a sort of community resource for the creative community.
The idea is that you can run a display ad with a photo for $15. The ad includes one headline which you supply, one photograph which you supply, 100 words of copy which is about as much as the first three paragraphs of this post, and a link to wherever you want the interested reader to go.
Your display ad is actually a blog post, and stays on the blog until you want it taken off. Ad posts will age like any blog post, but will always be available when someone searches by category (Jewelry, for example). When you ad gets too old, you can afford to place another one.
What to advertise?
Your handmade artworks and craft creations.
Your Workshops or books you have published
Your blog, website, or Etsy shop
Your art supplies if you sell them, or if you just want to move along some of what you are not using.
Anything at all that would be of interest to other creative people.
Tis the Season?
Because the holidays are coming, it seems to me that this Fall might be a good time to Beta test this idea, because people need to find handmade gifts (and make some so they need supplies).
So, I have the blog site ready to go and I need to start it off with some ads. to make sure everything functions correctly.
I was just going to make some up, but I think I have a better idea.
I am giving away the first 8 ads FREE of charge – to the first 8 people who get their information to me.
Here is what I need emailed to me:
Use this email address: gallerydsf@cre8it.com
A photo of your work or whatever you want to sell. Or it can be a photo of your site or the top of your blog or whatever you think will appeal to other creative people.
The photo must be 72ppi and no wider than 500 pixels. The photo should be attached to your email.
If you don’t know how to resize your photos, check this Techinical Tizzie post:
http://www.wisdomwoman.com/Tech/?p=167
A headline for your ad (as long as a typical blog post headline.
100 words or fewer of copy.
Your contact Link
You will be notified by return email if you made the first 8 and win the free ad.
If you do not make the first 8, I will notify you when the Creative Classifieds site is ready, and ask whether you would like to purchase an ad.
This experiment . . .
WIll tell me if there is enthusiastic response to this idea. If there is, I will go ahead with it.
If there is not, I will get the idea out of my head and make room for others.
To PayPal or not to PayPal
I have been a credit card merchant for 18 years. I now accept Mastercard and Visa directly through the Shopping Cart on my website, and process all the charges manually through a real world terminal.
I am sick and tired of being ripped off by the merchant banks.
I have not accepted Paypal in the past because it would mean a separate and second way of bookkeeping, and for a long time, it was more expensive. But that is different now.
I quietly added PayPal as a payment option a week ago. 65% of orders coming through have chosen to pay through PayPal.
Very Important: You DO NOT have to be a PayPal member to pay with your credit card through PayPal.
The benefit to my customers is that they can use Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover, have the security of the PayPal system, and even pay directly through their bank account if they are a PayPal member.
The benefit to me is a savings of both time and money.
I am thinking of PayPal being the only payment option on my site, and I am just wanting to know if that would be a problem for anybody?
Do you know of any reason I should not make this change?
I will so appreciate your feedback on this issue.
Talk to me (and send me those ads!)
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