Followup to the locked topic

[Mattmatt]

I do not want to start a bunch of crap with a new post, but I thought this was interesting. If you want to understand what I think was being talked about in that other post do a Google search: "how to Use a forum to advertise"

I found forums dedicated to advertising. That is the point of some forums apparently? I had no idea?

[tashabear]

Dedicated to discussing how to advertise? Or dedicated to posting ads?

[Mattmatt]

The ones I looked at were dedicated to posting adds. Free. If I understand the process (I am not an expert) Google crawls forums all the time. So the more forums your link shows up on the better your chance of being on the first page of a google search. But your URL has to be on the post, just having it in your profile doesn't help at all. Once again NOT AN EXPERT I have been reading since I saw the first post here. I kinda live on my computer, but what 19 year old doesn't. Should be practicing my leather work more.

[Johanna]

LW encourages people to post their links in their profile and/or signature, and talk about their business and their products as appropriate. People don't use this board to spam, and they discuss whatever they want. We have had a few spammers, and we dealt with them, but they are not from the leatherworking community. See, many of of know or know of each other, so when you read a post here with someone's name on it, it means they aren't afraid to say, "This is what I think." Readers can decide for themselves who has more credibility.

By the way, Google lives on this board, and lots of other spiders are here every day. Links in profiles do matter.

Johanna

[Mattmatt]

Thats cool. Something I don't understand. People I hang with like some of the leather stuff I have played around with. If I ever get good enough how will they find my work. The only thing they want is the bracelet, they don't want to read a leather forum to find it. I did see the sales area but it's not broken into categories or published as a web page it is still a forum. Did I not look in the correct area? I just know the people my age are not going to get on a forum unless they are interested in the topic. Sorry not trying to offend just trying to understand.

[TomSwede]

Thats cool. Something I don't understand. People I hang with like some of the leather stuff I have played around with. If I ever get good enough how will they find my work. The only thing they want is the bracelet, they don't want to read a leather forum to find it. I did see the sales area but it's not broken into categories or published as a web page it is still a forum. Did I not look in the correct area? I just know the people my age are not going to get on a forum unless they are interested in the topic. Sorry not trying to offend just trying to understand.

Marketing yourself is an ever ongoing battle. You think of it when you go to sleep and you basically practice it as much as you can. There are just as many marketing methods as there are people. I use myspace and now also facebook + website/blog to show myself. Wearing my bracers to a bar often generates lots of interest and a few times I had orders on the spot at bars. Friends and their friends, tell 'em to show off your stuff since you obviously want get away with selling for full price to them.

I don't have hordes of customers, I barely break even on the stuff I make. I've made unprofitable portfolio stuff to show at my website, hopefully one day the right customer stumbles in and see that big bold rodtube and think it is a must have.

At the moment I feel like I should do more to attract attention to my work but gotta have time to work the leather too.

Allways carry something nice with you to showoff. When you say you work with leather people will be curious but probably not think about how cool stuff we can do. At least not here in Sweden. It is impossible to explain my work to someone here so I direct them to my website to look att all the stuff. This has not generated too many jobs the past four mounths the site been up but it has spawn a very high interest amongst people around me. I'm builiding a rep.

I look for people with special needs and target them.

Why did I make that first bracer? Easy..I wanted to showoff. The ones available looked like crap but my friends had them so I made one of my own and sold three more right on the spot because now those friends wanted to be no less;-)

One guy at work came up to me and wanted a type of tool bag matched to his vintage US car and we discussed a bit and drew up a nice design then he said..-oh waitup, I'll go and check with two other guys. When he came back he told me that they had been surfin my site and the other also wanted this for their car. One of them is into serious car competitions with a $70 000 car and wanted it done and completely matched to the cars interior before summers first show. Could be favourable customer perhaps.

Marketing is the darkest cloud over my head and I often feel bad about it. I'd rather spend my time here and work leathers alot more.

Imagination is your best friend and most things are allowed. Lying about your product and backstabbing the competition is something I hate.

Good luck with it, I'll let you know if I get any;-)

Tom

Edit: I hope no one saw the horrible typo I made, sorry!

Edited October 12, 2008 by TomSwede

[Mattmatt]

Tom this is all cool. Other dudes have told me basically the same thing. But I have seen more than one post from Johanna (!!!! please don't get mad at me!!!!) saying this site sells. I believe that if your a member. But if your not a member then I guess I default to what you stated Tom. I won't misrepresent my self, I give stuff to good friends because I think my stuff is still crappy. They sometimes give me some money but that just covers material. I liked the idea of using other forums to try and sell when I am ready, that idea didn't seam to go over so well here. I tried to PM the dude that posted that stuff to get clarification, he seams to be gone.

Tom I put your post in my notes so I can refer to it some day. Does anyone else have any other ideas?

[Billy P]

I may be wrong, as I often am, but it seems to me that the purpose/goals of the LeatherWorker.net/Forum from the start was not so much selling, but a place to get and share information about leather stuff. Shit, there are thousands of places to sell stuff, but I personally, don't know of anywhere else like the LW. I am sure that there are some that are only interested in how much the can sell/how much money they can make through LW, but the most of the active members are just wanting to learn new things and to help other leatherworkers if they can. MattMatt's member # is 7517, and I'm not picking on him, but he really, like most of the newer people have not been members long enough to know what the LW is all about. Sure just about everybody on here wants to sell their work at a good decent price, but that's not the main reason for being a member here. I feel that if the only reason that a person is a member on this forum is to make money then they need to look other places and they will be better off and we, the people that have been on here just about every day will be better off with out them. With over 7500 members and only about 100 to 125 maybe dedicated and active where are all the other members at. Johanna if I'm wrong for what I said you can scold me and I'll take it, but I'll still be here anyway. Billy P

[Jordan]

Here, here, for the fellowship and free exchange of ideas from all those wonderful leather heads out there. And I like the photos, jokes and the smattering of sarcastic wit too. Life is too short to fret the small stuff.

[wildrose]

I think BillyP really hit the nail on the head.

When Johanna and I first were discussing this sort of board, it was because we were "fed up" with a certain large guild. Speaking for myself, I wanted somewhere that information was freely shared in a friendly environment, and also where people could talk about goings on in their lives and world as well. Selling stuff is obviously a bonus. Talking about HOW to sell stuff definitely went along with my initial desire for the board.

TomSwede hit a good point in talking about carrying work around with you. I always have a purse or dayplanner on me that I made. I wear a bracelet I've done too, so folks can see it's not all about big ticket items. And the show I was at yesterday, I also laid out my folio and Bible cover (folio I made 10 years ago, cover is about 3 months old), so people can see how things hold up, and what's available by custom order. I set them aside from my "for sale" items, but within easy eyesight and reach.