Followup to the locked topic

[rdb]

Finally, NOW I understand where Mattmatt is coming from.

Leatherworkers aren't usually very good at too much else other than skins. That's why we ask questions of Art about sewing machines, even though many of us have one.

This site is about the craft itself, and of course marketing is a big part of that. There have been many Topics about marketing, by way of how to sell at fairs, what price to be charging for work, both new and repairs, consignments, and some internet questions. A little searching will show them.

I'm going to bet that there are not too many internet experts among us. A few are wised up to the ways of the "tubes", but most would not be considered SEO experts. It is a field unto itself, and a new one at that. If you were to Google SEO, you would find millions of pages about it. Which advice to use, and which to ignore, I suppose you do so at your own gain or peril. It is not particularly applied to leather trade, but more a universal science. Look at the other related forums, like knifemaking, and motorcycle types, and you will see many of our members are also fairly active there. They are using other forums to promote themselves. I don't know how much success they are meeting with, because they keep that stuff close to vest as it were, as any business man would.

The origin of this Topic was a bit put-offish to some here, and so the actual marketing information got lost in the tide. I'm sure Mattmatt, that if you were ask specific questions in a new thread, you would get all kinds of people jumping in with all sorts of help. Especially any specific questions from school. I'm sure homework was never very big with any of us, but add the word leather to it, and we just might suprise you.

There really isn't any kind of newbie/oldie thing going on here, except that there are people here who truly love the craft. We want us all to do well, make beautiful things, and be successful.

So never be afraid to jump in here, and please do share any information. Even us old people can still use to learn a trick or two.

We all wish you great success in school, and with your Leather, and hope to see your projects displayed here.

From 5140 to 7517

[ETW Grumpy]

I agree with what BillyP said. This forum is a great place to exchange knowledge. There isn't anywhere else on the 'Net like this that I can find.

[rawhide1]

Howdy All

I joined this forum to learn from others and share what little knowledge I have if it's needed. I'm not a real big computer or internet type of guy so I really don't know about search engines or all the other stuff. All I know is I like LW the way it is. But it seems the bigger we get the more people come along and want to change it's intended purpose which is to share knowledge and friendship. This is a great site with great people so why change the dynamics (big word) of it. If a guy can sell something every now and again from people seeing stuff on the site then great. But I would rather find another way of selling my stuff than losing the original concept of LW that makes it so great. Just my .02 cents.

Mike

[Davy]

Get back out from under that rock Ray , no offence taken whatsoever . I dont want to miss out on any thing you have to say , God bless ya little cotton socks !!!! Ah , theres nothing quite like the aftermath from throwing a bit of petrol on the fire . Sure gets things going . Probably one of my faults is to enjoy stirring things up a bit , but ah , what the heck , who cares . - as for being all new and wanting to post heaps of threads and replies , I think that comes from being a leatherworker for so long but only ever having met or spoken to a handful in all that time . finding this site has been like coming out of a 35 year coma and finding over 3000 people i have something in common with . One thing i've wanted to do for years is share all i've learnt over this period and finally I've found a place to do this , with an added bonus of learning new stuff from some truly great craftsmen & women . So , forgive me if I ramble on a bit , or have my bent sense of humour taken the wrong way ( I dont normally apologize for anything ) but youse only have yourselves to blame , afterall you accepted me as a member , warts and all ! And rawhide 1 , that 2 cents worth was priceless . From the original topic and right throughout this one I think you perfectly stated what everyone else wanted to say but couldnt as well as you just have . Summing up I'll just say blah blah blah blah blah blah........................lol

Cheers , Dave.............Sick of me yet ?

[UKRay]

Get back out from under that rock Ray , no offence taken whatsoever .

Cheers , Dave.............Sick of me yet ?

I wasn't very far under there... just keeping my head down... on reflection I deserved a chewing off, Dave. Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. I'll try not to say anything like it again ...though I might THINK bad things occasionally... <grin!>

[CitizenKate]

For website do-it-yourselfers (like me) you can Google "search engine optimization" or "SEO" and find lots of fairly simple things you can do to boost your site's search engine ranking. After you make those changes, be sure to resubmit your site to search engines. You can Google "submit website to search engines" to find out how. Keep in mind that it may take a while to see the benefit, just depends on how long it takes the various search engines to crawl back through your site.

Totally agree, there. It isn't rocket science, and don't let anyone tell you it's a big secret that you need "insiders" or industry experts to sort out. There is plenty of helpful info out there from the people who run the search engines themselves. The more people know how to keep their sites strong in the search results, as well as keep their content relevant to those searches (which yields high quality hits), the better it is for them, too.

Kate

[TwinOaks]

I am going to print at least the second half of this thread. Herein lies PROOF that at least two people have acknowledged that I have a sense of humor- never mind that they're on different continents than me!

....and what's wrong with my sense of humor anyway!?!?

I wasn't very far under there... just keeping my head down...

I'm having a mighty time with the visual of the Rayus Britannicus

_{image copyright of Warner Bros.}

[Mattmatt]

I have been sitting here for some time looking at a blank screen trying to decide what to say. I could come off as a 19 year old kid, or try and keep it adult like even though I am not sure what the definition of adult is. If the new people should shut up and just read then as you all die off so does the forum. If everything was great with the original members then why do you allow new members? Sitting under a tent all day Sat and Sun is not my idea of marketing, neither is posting paper in the tack shop or grocery store. Glad you all like it, but its not for me. Seams to me that if SEO was so simple then there would be no one in business doing it and apparently charging some good money to do it. Some of your ideas of a joke are less than appealing. I came here to learn, instead the first topic I post is ridiculed, cut down and basically one member told me to shut up and mind your elders.

There is a lot of people who are reading and not posting so I will exclude them and the few who posted reasonable responses. But for the rest of you,,,, you can have your forum. I don't want it. I will struggle on my own or try the guy you ran off who I think was trying to help you, but some of you cant grasp that there is a big world out there called the Internet and like TV it isn't going away.

Watch the search engines, looks like the other guy has lunched one hell of an SEO attack. He is already number 1 on google and yahoo for "leather craftsman forum" and number 2 on yahoo for "leather worker forum". There is still a lot of new young people coming up in this world. Maybe they will find the other site and you can have this one!!!!!

MattMatt has left the building!

[rdb]

From my experiences on the internet, this is called a GBCW, otherwise known a s GoodBye Cruel World. The typical first response in any forum to one of these is...

"Don't let the door hit you in the ass."

I am closing this thread. Prodigal sons are always welcome back, although somewhat more humble.

Edited October 14, 2008 by rdb

[tashabear]

On my way to class checked the forum. Someone asked me to send in an item, working on my first post. I think I will stay off the Marketing section of this forum, not sure why it is here if LW in not interested in making money. We all want to learn that is why I am going to class and have read about a hundred posts. I personally want to learn how to sell I think I can develop my work and sales at the same time. I will find another resource for that, Tom gave some good ideas. Gota go.

The Marketing forum is there for the folks who want to sell their goods to discuss how to market themselves and their goods, plain and simple. It's not there specifically to discuss how to market LW. Does that make sense?

[UKRay]

I'm having a mighty time with the visual of the Rayus Britannicus

Droll, tres droll!

[tonyc1]

Droll, tres droll!

Love the cartoon!

[8thsinner]

I have been milling over this thread whilst scoffing my day old 16" pizza left overs and I just wanted to point out where I am right now...

Joined here not that long ago, came on last week with a new bracelet idea asking for critique...

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?s...mp;hl=8thsinner

It was a good enough response to encourage myself and my girl friend to start it properly...

I wore it around showing off to a few people to get extra feed back.

Ordered some stuff and now I have two bracelets from today sitting in a shop local to me selling them at £20 with a 17%profit to them deal. It's not perfect but it's getting my idea out there.

I have been working on a website which should be up this week and ebay should be ready for it too soon.

I wouldn't be in this position if not for this forum...

What have I learned? I have a long long way to go before I am ready to give up my non existent day job, I am way way out of practice with what used to be a rather proud braiding skill, and I will be keeping you all up to date on progress through this site.

Now, personally I like the idea of this forum gathering itself into a global leather selling place indexing hundreds of different types of products. It's never going to happen, which is fair enough. I go to forums to learn,offer help, ask questions and sometimes join a forum just to say how great they or a product is...rarely do all these combine...

I am happy enough

Edited October 14, 2008 by 8thsinner

[RunningRoan]

Totally agree, there. It isn't rocket science, and don't let anyone tell you it's a big secret that you need "insiders" or industry experts to sort out. There is plenty of helpful info out there from the people who run the search engines themselves. The more people know how to keep their sites strong in the search results, as well as keep their content relevant to those searches (which yields high quality hits), the better it is for them, too.

Kate

Nope! Not rocket science at all! There's lot of free info floating around out there. And of course, there's HTML-savvy folks here on LW who will help answer your questions too!

[RunningRoan]

I personally want to learn how to sell I think I can develop my work and sales at the same time.

A smart business move that can definitely be achieved!!