For exposure
I know this headline is going to get some people’s hackles up, but hear me out. In my situation doing things for exposure actually makes sense. My fledgling business needs all the exposure it can get. Everything is a marketing opportunity for me right now.
For eample, I bought a plant on Facebook Marketplace the other week. When I met the seller, I gave her a card along with her payment. Hopefull she’ll like the card and buy more. Or at least she’ll use the card and maybe the recipient will buy cards from me. This is why I include a business card with each card, in addition to the branded sticker on the back of the card.
Sharing Spring Cardmaking Collab hosted by @ThatCraftGolden on Instagram.
Of course I have my sights set higher than converting one person at a time by giving them a freebie. If you can guarantee wider exposure, I’m interested in hearing any proposal you may have. Hopefully this phase isn’t going to last long, so now’s the time to act.
Instagram Collab
The Instagram cardmaking collaboration that I’ve shared about before is now taking shape. Starting on the equinox, I’m participating in the event. It’s called Sharing Spring and is organized by @ThatCraftyGolden on Insta.
At the beginning of each week all the collaborators will share the week’s theme on their Instagram feeds and on Sundays we’ll all post our cards for that theme.
The collab lasts for 12 weeks, so it’s quite a commitment. I think we’re 24 people now, so it’s a big group. We’ll see how many of us make it across the finish line. Hopefully I’ll be able to make it! One card per week doesn’t sound like a lot right now. But I know that can change quickly.
While the themes will be announced publicly one at a time, the members of the collab already have the full list. Some have started making cards and sharing them in our Discord channel already. I too want to get a jump on making cards, so that I don’t have to scramble each week. In fact I’d like to plan out all the cards on the weekend. If I have sketches for all of them, that’s a good starting point.
This is my MO in most things - make a rough plan and have a couple of extras in my back pocket. That way I am prepared for most situations. I don’t mind changing my plans if the situation changes and new opportunities open up. Those of you who have worked with me, will likely recognize this.
Ostara cards
A cute little witch with her cat and toad familiars is sending Ostara blessings.
For example I saw on Etsy that people found my store searching for Ostara cards. As you may know, Ostara is a Pagan name for the Spring Equinox. So I’ve made some cards explicitly celebrating Ostara. Hopefully that will yield some sales this weekend. I already have cards celebrating the Equinox for people who are more astronomically inclined.
Unfortunately I have not found any stamps or dies with names of Pagan holidays, so I had to make my own. I think the Ostara banner that hangs above the little witch turned our very cute!
Another example of this happened today. An acquaintance contacted me about using a photo I’ve taken. She offered me one thing in return. Before I started Valley Oak Paper I would have jumped on that. But now I asked for exposure instead and we came to an agreement. Very excited about that. Keep your fingers crossed for me that it works out!
