Kat Greenberg's Blog

My Candle Making Adventure

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 02:13:09 GMT

Why Candles?

I have always loved candles, but I could never find exactly what I was looking for. I tried making my own candles a few years ago, but it didn't go well. I didn't have the correct equipment, so it failed miserably. Recently, I wanted to experiment with a new medium and decided to try and make candles again with the correct equipment this time. I am always looking for all-natural pet-safe candles that have a strong smell. With some extra time on my hands, I was looking for a new hobby so I decided to try candle making again.

Candle Jars and Tins

I wanted to make candles that not only smell unique but look unique as well. I came up with the idea of using recycled materials as candle jars. I went to Goodwill and found old china, coffee mugs, and jars. For my other jars, I wanted to go with a classic metal candle tin so I ordered some online.

Finding the Correct Dimensions

Next on my to-do list was to measure the candle jars from every angle, so my labels would fit right. After I had the correct dimensions, I used an online converter to convert the inches to pixels, so I could create the correct sized labels on Canva. After a few attempts at getting the measurements right, I was ready to start designing my labels.

Designing the Labels

I wanted each label to be eye-catching so I started by picking a color pallet for each of my scents. At the time I didn't have the best printer so I kept running into issues with coloring. I ended up having to print everything in darker shades than how I wanted them to look. It was a frustrating process, but once I had the correct colors for each label it got easier. From that point, I started looking for pictures and graphics to fulfill my creative vision.

Here are a few examples of the stages each label went through:

Blooming Lilac

My “Blooming Lilac” candle label was the first one that I wanted to create. It was a lot of trial and error because I had no idea exactly what I wanted. I started with a pastel purple-blue color, a basic font, and some lilac images. After printing it, the color came out white, the letters were blurred together, and I couldn't read the bottom word. The design itself seemed too simple so I added some purple snowflakes, changed the font, and made the background a darker color. I was able to read everything but the bottom part so I added a purple box that matched the background. Finally, I had my desired label.

White Tea Jasmine

The “White Tea Jasmine” label was definitely the hardest design to create. Unlike the Blooming Lilac, I had an idea of what I wanted the design to look like, so I had to find the right images. I wanted something simple in color and design. At first, I tried using an image that had more green, and it didn't get to the printing stage. I got tired of looking so I deleted the flowers and let the design sit overnight. With a fresh set of eyes, I began looking for a calm white and dark green flower to add to the bottom. It took a few hours to find, but I was patient, and it worked out nicely.

Candle Making is a Learning Process

On this candle making adventure, I learned that creating labels is never easy. It takes time and definitely more than one try to get it right. Especially when working with a cheap printer. Having a not-great printer doesn't help with a professional-looking project. While creating candle labels, each label had a different set of problems to deal with which made the process kind of fun. Overall I think this project went really well. If you're interested in looking at my candles you can find them on my E tsy shop.

I Spent A Month Building a Website and Running Ads For my Small Business

Fri, 26 Nov 2021 04:49:44 GMT

The past month I have been focusing on building a website for my small business , and testing which type of social media ad would generate the most sales. If you’re interested in reading more, feel free to scroll through my landing page!

Over the past month I spent my time:

- Building a stunning website for my resin art products

- Creating different types of social media ads (video and picture) using Canva

- Testing the ads to see which generates more, views, clicks, and swipe ups

- Documenting the process through blog posts

Why I Chose This Project

I have always been super interested in website building. When I was young I built a few not-so-good websites just for fun, but I never really did a deep dive into building a website. This month I did a deep dive into website building to learn all the elements that go into having a good website. I also wanted to really focus on learning more about social media advertising. I wanted to do a lot of research and then put my knowledge to the test. With my ever growing interest in marketing, I felt this would be the perfect project to do for my small business.

What is KatNeylanCreations?

KatNeylanCreations is a jewelry and resin art business that I created in 2020 during the pandemic. I sell key chains, coasters, ashtrays, jewelry organization, bookmarks, necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets, and jewelry sets.

The Ads

Originally I was planning to run ads on two platforms to see which platform generated more sales, but as you will see in my week three updates I had to pivot my project.

Each advertisement was run for exactly two weeks. I created one video ad and one picture ad for Snapchat . At the end of the two weeks I was able to figure out which ad generated more sales, clicks, and views for my small business.

Follow my Project From Start to Finish!

First week update - planning, product production, and website building

Second week update - researching Etsy SEO, researching social media marketing, listing the products, creating landing pages for my ads, and creating and launching the ads.

Third week update - writing about what I’ve learned, and publishing the rough draft of my website

Fourth week update - writing an ad analysis blog, and publishing the final draft of my website

What I Have Accomplished in 4 Weeks

- I built a website for my small business

Here is the website , and the blog I wrote about website building !

- I created two ads using Canva

Here are the ads , and the blog I wrote about advertising on Snapchat !

- I tested two of the ads on Snapchat to see which generated more views, clicks, and swipe ups.

Here is my Snapchat ad analysis blog !

- I documented the whole process through blogs

A blog about the start of KatNeylanCreations

A blog about time management

A blog about using Etsy SEO

A blog about advertising on Instagram

A blog about advertising on Snapchat

A blog about using Canva

An ad analysis blog

Here Are the Ads That I created

What would I have done differently?

If I were to do this project over again I would run the ads earlier to allow more room for error. I would run the ads starting in the first week, so I would still have time to run them again if something were to go wrong. Other than running the ads sooner, I would probably do some more research on website building before starting to build a website, instead of researching while I went.

Final Thoughts

Overall I really like the way my project turned out. I love the design of my website, and I learned a lot from running ads. I feel like this month's project really showcases my abilities to work in marketing and analytics roles, and also demonstrates my ability to work extremely hard, and learn fast.

So what is next?

Although this project has taught me a lot about hard work and problem solving, it has also helped me to grow. I learned how to balance raising two dogs, a social life, and running a small business, while spending an average of 12-14 hours a day building my website.

If you want to see what project I come up with next, here are all my socials: Personal LinkedIn , personal Talent Profile , business Instagram , and business Facebook .

If you have any questions you can email me here: katngreenberg@gmail.com I look forward to hearing from you!

Marketing project: Weekly update #4

Thu, 25 Nov 2021 21:14:02 GMT

This month I focused on building a website for my small business , and tested which type of social media ads would generate the most sales. If you’re interested in reading more, feel free to scroll through my landing page !

Week Four

At the end of week four, I documented how each advertisement did, and finished building the website. I was able to figure out which ad generated the most clicks, and impressions.

At the beginning of week four, my website was nearly complete. I spent my time going through and checking for spelling errors, making sure all the links work properly, and testing the website to make sure that it was easy to navigate. I also created one blog: Snapchat vs Instagram Which is Better for Advertising?

Problems I faced This Week

This week had a very small amount of problems. The only problem that I faced was while uploading my blog post about Snapchat ads. For some reason my website wouldn't let me upload the GIF of my video ad which was strange because it had let me upload GIFs in the past. I had to go through a third party GIF convertor and create a new GIF, to get it to upload.

What went well this week

This week was smooth sailing. I was able to get my website finished, and write my blog post about the Snapchat ads at the beginning of the week. Now it's time for me to plan my next big project!

What's Next?

If you want to see what project I come up with next, here are all my socials: Personal LinkedIn , personal Talent Profile , business Instagram , and business Facebook.

Video vs. Picture Ads: Which Did Better?

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 04:33:02 GMT

At first I was planning to run four ads: Two on Snapchat and two on Instagram. Then, Facebook deactivated my account and I was running out of time so I had to pivot my project. I ended up doing my analysis on the two different Snapchat ads that I was already running (a video ad and a picture ad) to see which one would do better.

Here Are The Snapchat Ads I created:

The Snapchat Picture Ad:

The first Snapchat ad I created (on the left) was a basic picture ad showcasing one of my products. The purpose of this ad was to draw awareness to my brand, get swipe ups, and website visits. For this ad, I used a clear photo, a minimalistic filter, and as little words as possible. I included a CTA, the name of my business, and a very basic description of the product.

The Snapchat Video Ad:

The second ad I created (on the right) was a video ad of a different product. Video ads are designed to grab the attention of the viewer. For this ad, I actually used Snapchat to create both of the videos so that they would be the correct size. However, videos can also be resized using Canva and other editing software. For this ad, I took the videos outside to go with the aesthetic of the bee necklace. I also used the same minimalistic filter that was used on the picture ad.

I ran both of these Snapchat ads for two weeks to gather data, and see which one got more clicks, swipe ups, and views.

The Analytics

The Picture Ad

The picture ad got more attention than I was expecting it to. The results came in with 663 total impressions, and 22 swipe ups. The audience was all female which was to be expected due to the fact that the product is feminine. The target audience was also in the age range that I expected based on my Instagram following. However I did get some attention from older women, but that could just be because it's the holiday season and people are searching for gifts.

The biggest percentage of my swipe up was 7.14% and that was categorized under parents and family focused, which further proves that the holiday season could have had an effect on this ad. In order to figure out if these are the correct targeted age results and interests, I would have to run the ad again after the holiday season. Overall this ad did better than I was expecting it to, and I was able to learn a lot about the Snapchat advertising experience.

The Video Ad

The video ad results were incredible given the small time frame of 14 days. This ad got a total of 2,783 impressions, and 77 swipe ups. Just like the picture ad shown above, the audience that was targeted was 100% female. My targeted age range for this ad was as expected.

Another thing that this ad had in common with the picture ad was the highest swipe up rate of 5.38%, was parents and family focused. Although this ad generated a lot more attention than I was expecting it to, I would have to run it again after the holidays to be confident with my demographics.

So Which Ad did Better and Why?

The Bumble Bee Necklace (video) ad did a lot better than the Paw Necklace (picture) ad. Although each ad ran for the same amount of time, the video ad got a lot more attention. I think that the video ad got more attention because it's easier for viewers to engage with a video. Video ads have movement and occasionally sound, making it exciting. It's easier for viewers to just click off, or miss an image ad all together because it doesn't stand out as much as a video ad.

My Thoughts About Advertising on Snapchat

Overall my Snapchat ads got a lot of views. Even though they only ran for two weeks, they got more attention than other social media ads that I ran for longer amounts of time. Overall, I would say that advertising on Snapchat is definitely worth it. If you are trying to appeal to younger generations, Snapchat advertising is definitely the way to go. I think that Snapchats does better than any of the other social media advertising platforms. Over the past two weeks I received the most views, and swipe ups, for the least amount of money I have ever spent on advertising. I spent a total of $29.89 for both ads. On Instagram, $30 would probably have only gotten me a few hundred views, and a handful of swipe ups For my business, advertising on Snapchat is definitely worth it.

I Built My First Website in Four Weeks

Mon, 22 Nov 2021 03:03:09 GMT

Starting From Scratch

I decided to build a website for my small business before the holiday season. I set a deadline to have the whole website done in four weeks. I used a website builder called Ionos to create a product oriented site for KatNeylanCreations . I started with a single blank page and built an entire website from there. My website has landing pages for ads, an email sign up, a contact page, and lots of product pages. Over the month that I was working on this I encountered a few different problems, but overall I had a lot of fun making my first website.

Everything Takes Time

I knew when I started this huge project that website building wasn't a fast and easy task. However, I did not expect it to take up this much time. Although I loved building the website, I found myself spending an average of 12-16 hours a day working on the website. I even worked on the website on weekends, and on my vacation. I found myself tired and unmotivated a lot, but I was determined to get it done within the four week goal I had set.

The Problems I Encountered

I had a lot of problems with Ionos, the website builder I was using. I would do hours of work, adding pictures and links to each page only for them to disappear when I returned to the website. For the longest time I couldn't figure out what was causing the issue, and I wasn't able to find anything online about it so I did some experimenting. I discovered that everytime I wanted to look at one of my other pages, I had to republish first. Otherwise, all my work would be gone. I had no idea why this was happening but I sure was glad I figured it out. Finally, all the hours and redoing the same page was over.

The Website

The website itself has a total of 40 pages. Each page has information, pictures, and links to Etsy, or Instagram. I included an about page, and product care pages so my website wasn't just products.

Here is a preview of my website

I like the way my website turned out, and I discovered that I really like website building. It wasn't easy, that's for sure, but I liked how all the little puzzle pieces began to fit together as the site was developing. Despite all the little problems I faced while building this site, I would definitely want to build another one!

The Snapchat Ads That I Created

Mon, 22 Nov 2021 02:56:03 GMT

This month I will be focusing on building a website for my small business , and testing which type of social media ad would generate the most sales. If you’re interested in reading more, feel free to scroll through my landing page!

The first Snapchat ad I created was a basic picture ad showcasing one of my products. The purpose of this ad was to draw awareness to my brand, get swipe ups, and website visits. For this ad, I used a clear photo, a minimalistic filter, and as little words as possible. I included a CTA, the name of my business, and a very basic description of the product.

Here is the ad:

The second ad I created was a video ad of a different product. Video ads are designed to grab the attention of the viewer. For this ad I actually used snapchat to create both of the videos so that they would be the correct size. However, videos can also be resized using Canva and other editing software. For this ad, I took the videos outside to go with the aesthetic of the bee necklace. I also used the same minimalistic filter that was used on the picture ad.

Here is a link to the video ad!

Should You be Using Canva?

Mon, 22 Nov 2021 02:35:36 GMT

What is Canva?

Canva is one of the easiest platforms to use when it comes to graphic design. Canva is an easy-to-use website that makes it so that users don't have to learn a whole software in order to do graphic design. With its easy to use settings, Canva is great when something needs to get done fast. Although there are paid upgrades to Canva, they still have hundreds of free options.

How to create a project

The first thing you need to do when creating anything on Canva is pick a template, or create your own. Canva has hundreds of pre-sets for creating ads, Instagram stories, flyers, posters, and so much more. If for whatever reason you are unable to find the size template you need, you can always create one of your own. The video below demonstrates how to create a custom size template.

Once you have your set template size, there are a lot of presets to look at though. Under the “templates” icon you can find ideas and inspiration for your creation. If you choose a template, everything can be edited. You can change the text, font, colors, and pictures. Under the iicon titled “elements” you can find stickers, and little animated art pieces. Canva also allows you to upload and edit your own photos, videos, and logos.

Here's a quick video walk through:

Why I love Canva So Much

I use Canva for everything when it comes to my small business. I use Canva to create email headings, blog post pictures, instagram stories, edit photos, and plan Instagram posts. The thing that I love most about Canva is that everything is kept in one place. For my small business, I like things to be simple and organized so I'm not using multiple sites to keep track of all my work. Canva allows me to do this, which overall saves me so much time and stress.

So, Sho uld You be Using Canva?

Overall C anva is one of the easiest graphic design platforms out there to learn. Although there are paid upgrades to Canva, the majority of it is free. Canva allows you to choose from lots of different templates, or create custom sizes. Canva also has a search bar under every single element, this makes creating something go faster. After reading all of this blog post ask yourself this: “Should I be using Canva?”

Marketing project: Weekly update #3

Mon, 22 Nov 2021 02:11:48 GMT

Week Three:

I spent this week writing about what I have learned, and working on my website . I added pictures, links, and made sure that everything looked aesthetically pleasing on the site. I also created two blog posts this week: I Built my First Website in One Month, The Two Snapchat Ads That I Created and Should You be Using Canva?

Problems I Faced This Week

I only had one problem this week, but don't be fooled because it was a big one. On Monday morning I went to check in on my ads to see their progress only to discover that Facebook had deactivated my account. My ads were no longer running and there was no way to fix it. I reached out to Facebook, but I didn't have time to wait for a response since each ad needed to run for two weeks. I had to pivot part of my project. I decided that since comparing the Snapchat ads to the Instagram ads was no longer possible, I would have to compare the Snapchat video ad to the Snapchat picture ad.

What Went Well This Week

This week I felt like I really got used to using the website builder Ionos . I found that editing, and adding things was going a lot quicker than the past weeks. I was able to get so much done on my website in a shorter amount of time which was a huge relief. Another thing that went really well this week was writing my blogs. Usually I have to sit and think for a while before I can figure out what to say, but this week that was not the case. The information just poured out of me. I even had time to write an extra blog that wasn't planned. Overall this week was pretty smooth sailing.

Check out week four!

For week four I will be focusing on the analysis of my advertisements, and finishing the final draft of my website . Here's my link to my week three updates!

Everything You Need to Know About Advertising on Snapchat

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 23:14:27 GMT

Creating a Snapchat Ad

To have your ad shown to potential leads, you will need to narrow down who sees the ad. It’s important to know who your demographic is. How old are your customers? What are they interested in? What gender are they? This helps your ad to appear to your target audience.

It’s also important to have a thorough understanding of your goal for each ad. Are you trying to raise brand awareness? Are you trying to get app installs? Snapchat makes it very easy to create the correct ad for your business because they offer lots of ad types.

Top Snapchat Ads

Top Snapchat Ads are GIFs or videos that show up on the top of a user's feed. These ads are good for known companies to advertise new products or run sales. You can't add a link to Top Snapchat Ads, so they aren't the best for smaller businesses.

Long-Form Video Ads

Long-Form Video ads can be up to 10 minutes long. Long-Form Videos ads are great for promoting movie trailers, or music videos. However, they can also be used to show how-to tutorial videos.

Web View Ads

These ads are the same as Top Snap Ads, however, you can add a link. The link must be in URL format. This ad type is a good choice for both small and big businesses.

Deep-link Ads

Deep-link ads are a variation of Webview ads, however, the link doesn't have to be a URL. You can link these ads straight to a website, making it easy for potential leads to find what you are advertising.

App Install Ads

The title App install Ad is pretty self-explanatory. This ad is specifically designed to get potential leads to download an app, with a link that brings them straight to the app store.

Sponsored Lenses ads

On Snapchat there are different lenses that allow users to change their face. An example of a sponsored lens: A lens that allows users to turn themselves into a 3d taco, with a little Taco Bell logo at the bottom of the screen. These ads are especially great for big companies.

Sponsored Geofilter Ads

Geofilters are filters that users can scroll through once they have taken a picture or video. These are branded filters, so it will show a creative coloring aspect as well as the company name. These ads are great for larger companies.

On-Demand Geofilter Ads

These ads are similar to regular Geofilter Ads, however, they are location-based. So if you were sitting in Colorado and scrolling through filters, an animated filter might pop up saying “Gunnison Colorado”. That is an example of an On-Demand Geofilter ad.

Creating a Snapchat Ad

First, you have to create a picture or video that you want to use for the ad. Then you want to go to Snapchat.com and click on advertisements. From there it is really simple to build an ad. You fill out the demographics, interests, budget, and schedule. Once you hit submit, your ad will go under review. After its completion, the ad will start on the set date.

Inside the Snapchat website, you can track the progress and all the analytics for each ad. This makes it super easy to see if your ad is working how you want it to.

Pricing a Snapchat Ad

Advertising on snapchat does cost money, but how much? It depends on what you want to spend. Snapchat makes it easy to set your own budget. You can choose a daily amount, a weekly amount, or a lifetime amount. A lifetime amount is the total amount that will be spent during the ad campaign. Something really cool that snapchat does, is match the price you put down. So if you were to spend $50 on an ad campaign, Snapchat will also spend $50. This helps your campagnes to have a larger reach.

Is Snapchat Easy to Advertise On?

There are many options when it comes to picking the right type of Snapchat ad for your business. Each ad is designed to help provide the correct tools for different types of businesses. Creating a Snapchat ad is super simple, and easy to understand. Snapchat also makes it extremely easy to check on the progress of each ad. Overall Snapchat makes advertising a very easy experience.

Everything You Need to Know About Advertising on Instagram

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 23:09:58 GMT

Types of Ads for Instagram

There are nine different types of Instagram ads. These ads include: Image Ads, Video Ads, Story Ads, Explore Page Ads, IGTV Ads, Reels Ads, Carousel Ads, Collection Ads, and Shopping Ads. Phew, that's a lot! Let me explain what each one is and how it works.

Image Ads

Source account: memento.mori.designs.nyc

Image ads are the most simple of the Instagram ad group. They are designed to simply show a product or an event. Image ads are good for campaigns that want to showcase products using high-quality images. For image ads, Instagram recommends not using a lot of words in your caption. Just the name of your business, slogan, or product description is perfect.

Video Ads

Source Instagram: hm

Much like image ads, Instagram video ads consist of a single video and a bio. Instagram video ads can be up to 60 seconds, however, shorter ads are better. A lot of potential customers will lose interest and closeout of an ad if it is too long.

Story Ads

Source Instagram: themifyapp

Instagram story ads are full-screen pictures or videos that appear between users' stories. Engagement is often higher with story ads than Image ads because more users watch stories than scroll through their feed. Since these ads pop up in between stories, they need to stand out a bit. Whatever you are showcasing needs to be clear, and obvious.

Explore page Ads

Source Instagram: andrew.impulse

These ads can be found in the explore tab in the Instagram app. Explore page ads can either be images or videos up to 60 seconds. What's cool about these ads is that they show up for potential customers that are viewing products similar to yours. This gives you a much higher reach than with any other type of ad.

IGTV Ads

Source Instagram: truebill

IGTV ads are videos up to 15 minutes long. These ads are great for bringing brand awareness through music, videos, and tutorials. These ads will pop up while a user is scrolling through the IGTV page on Instagram

Reels Ads

Source Instagram: gmc

These ads pop up while users are scrolling through the reels page on instagram. Much like story ads, reels ads are full-screen videos, and can be up to 30 seconds. But much like video ads, the shorter the video is the more people will engage with it.

Carousel Ads

Source Instagram: sheinofficial

Carousel ads are constructed of up to 10 pictures or videos. These ads are great for showing multiple products, or one product from multiple angles. This ad allows for viewers to scroll through, and engage with your content. These ads can also be put into Instagram feeds or stories.

Shopping Ads

Source Instagram: vivamacity

With over 130 million users per month on Instagram’s shopping page, shopping ads have extremely high engagement. To create Shopping ads you must have a catalog, or Instagram store set up. These ads allow customers to make purchases without ever leaving the app.

Collection Ads

Source Instagram: forever21

Collection ads are kind of like a combination of Shopping ads, and Carousel ads. These ads allow customers to purchase without leaving Instagram, and showcase multiple products. Collection ads are best suited for online stores.

Creating an Instagram Ad

When creating an Instagram ad there are a few things that you need to keep in mind: The first thing you need to know is what your goal is. Do you want to get more website visits, more sales, drive traffic, more views, increase brand awareness, more app installs, or more email sign-ups?

The second thing that is important to know is your demographic. What is the age range you want to target? What is their gender? What interests do they have? Where are they located? This helps to narrow down who sees your ad down to people that are actually interested.

Ad Branding

Instagram is a very look-based app, so it's important that your ads are good. Clear photography and filters are common ways to make a picture look aesthetically pleasing. Although you want your ads to look pretty like an Instagram picture it is also important that they stand out.

If an ad looks too much like a feed picture or story, it will be easy for potential leads to scroll by it without noticing. To make an ad stand out, you can add a title or a short description to the picture. This will help to grab the attention of the reader.

There are a lot of different types of ads that can be run through Instagram. Each ad type has a different purpose and is good for different types of businesses. It is important to know both your demographics and your goal when you create an ad to optimize reach to potential leads.

It is also very important that your ad is aesthetically pleasing and stands out from other Instagram posts. Overall there is a lot that goes into running ads on Instagram, however, once you figure out what works best for your business, you're golden.

The Ins and Outs of Etsy SEO

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 19:54:07 GMT

What is Etsy?

Etsy is an online world marketplace for small businesses to market and sell products. Etsy may have everything much like Target or Amazon, but unlike these big companies, Etsy is made up entirely of small independent businesses. Although Etsy has vendors from all over the world, it is a secure website. If there is an issue with a scam on Etsy, they will refund the buyer.

Being an Etsy seller is simple. With minimal requirements and a few fees, it's easy to start a business on Etsy. The one requirement from Etsy is that the shop owner must be over the age of 18. Etsy has no subscriptions, no monthly fees, and only charges 20 cents when you list a new product, and takes 5% of each purchase.

The Purpose of Etsy SEO

The goal of Etsy SEO is to increase the visibility of your brand and individual products. If an Etsy shop is not a top seller, without good SEO, their items usually appear on the very last page of the search. However, using SEO can help your items show up in the first few pages of a search. This increases your chances of getting a sale.

While online shopping, do you look through every single page before making a purchase? Me neither. That's why it is very important to have your products show up in the first few pages, and therefore have good SEO. SEO will help your brand be discovered more easily, as well as your individual listings.

Other Benefits of Etsy SEO

Although the main purpose of Etsy SEO is to have your products discovered on Etsy, it can also increase general search engine visibility. This means your products will show up not only on Etsy, but on Google, Bing, and other search engines making it easier for your brand to be discovered.

Etsy is very highly ranked on Google. This means If you were to search “handmade candles” on Google, one of the first websites to pop up would be Etsy. Not everyone knows about Etsy so the fact that it’s highly ranked on Google, makes for a much larger potential audience. As soon as the link is clicked, if your SEO is good your projects will show up on the first few pages!

How to Master Etsy SEO

Etsy SEO is constantly changing, but unlike SEO on other platforms, it isn't hard to keep up with. The key to Etsy SEO is the tags, title, and pictures in each listing. Tags are descriptive keywords used to help your products be discovered. I use a website called Marmalead to find the best keywords for my products. Marmalead shows the competition level for each tag, the number of searches of each tag, and the engagement for each search. This makes it super easy to find the best tags for each of your listings. The key is to find tags that have a high search, high engagement, and low competition.

As shown above, the tags that show green and yellow are strong. The ones that show red are tags that should not be used. If the competition is too high, it will lower the chances of your product being seen, and the chances of a sale.

Picking a Title

The title should be a combination of one to three of your keyword tags, set up in the following format. Although it may go against everything you have ever learned, it is important to only capitalize the first word in your title. Etsy SEO is set up so that each capital letter triggers a new tag. Here is an example:

Tags: Wanderlust Jewelry, Aesthetic necklace

Title example: Wanderlust jewelry, aesthetic necklace

If you were to capitalize “aesthetic necklace”, Etsy would put your listing under aesthetic and necklace instead of an aesthetic necklace.

The Importance of Product Appearance

For obvious reasons, customers are more likely to make a purchase if the listing has good quality photos. That way they know that what they are purchasing is what they will receive.

Here is an example of a good photo and a bad photo:

Good photo: Clear and centered product. Bad photo: Unclear and unfocused product.

Customers also value businesses that show the products from different angles, so that they can see the size and get a real feel for the product.

If you are listing seasonal products, you should include props in your photos. Etsy's SEO will scan for seasonal-looking photos and automatically boost your listing. This is something that can be done for holidays as well as events.

A More Simple Description

Overall Etsy SEO is pretty simple. The biggest benefit of Etsy SEO is that it partners with search engines to help get your page and products discovered. All you need to understand to be successful at Etsy SEO is how to find tags, form titles, and the importance of a good picture.

Marketing project: Weekly update #2

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 18:41:13 GMT

Week Two

For week two I focused on researching Etsy SEO, listing the products, researching social media marketing, creating landing pages for my ads, and creating and launching the ads. I started by using Marmelead to find the best keywords for each of my products. The next step was for me to list all my products on Etsy. From there, I began to create the video and photo ads using Canva, and create the landing pages for each ad.

At the end of week two I launched the ads on Instagram and Snapchat. I will also create three blog posts: What is Etsy SEO, Everything You Need to Know About Advertising on Instagram, and Everything You Need to Know About Advertising on SnapChat.

Problems I faced This Week

This week I encountered a few problems. The biggest issue I had was creating Instagram ads through the Facebook Ads manager. Everytime I tried to create an instagram ad, I would get an error code saying “You must have an Instagram shop to run ads” However with all my research I knew that wasn't true at all. It turned out that I had forgotten a little section where I had to pick where on the platform my ads would show up.

The ad manager was automatically trying to place my ads into the Instagram shop page.

The other problem I faced was listing all my products. Although I had already created all my keyword lists and descriptions, I didn't remember just how long it takes to create each Etsy listing. I was able to get it all done, it just took longer than planned.

What went well this week

I feel like I was doing really well with my research this week. I had no issue finding the information I needed on Etsy SEO and Social Media marketing. I also found that writing my three blog posts this week was easy. I was able to get the blog posts done in a timely manner, and with no writer's block.

I had a lot of fun creating and editing the ads for Instagram and SnapChat. I used Canva to create and size the ads correctly for each platform. As well, I am getting more familiar with the website builder Ionos. I found that creating the landing pages for my ads went rather smoothly.

Overall this week had a lot of ups and downs, but by the end of the week everything ended up being how I wanted it to be.

Check out week three!

For week three I will be focusing on finishing my website and writing. Here's my link to my week three updates!

Marketing project: Weekly update #1

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 00:02:01 GMT

Here's what my project is going to look like:

To start I will be building a website from scratch on a website builder called Ionos. The website will be a showcase of my products with links to my Etsy page, and InstagramThe website will also include landing pages for ads, a landing page for email sign ups, a blog, and an about section, a product care page, a jewelry care page, an FAQ page, and a gift guide page.

I will also be doing a lot of research on different social media platforms for advertising.I plan to test different types of advertisements on two social media platforms to see what generates the most sales. For this, I will be using Snapchat and Instagram. I will create a video and a picture ad for both social media platforms using Canva.

I will be listing 37 new products on Etsy, and doing a deep dive into Etsy SEO.I will use a website called Marmalead to find keywords that will drive more sales. Marmalead shows long tail and short tail keywords that have high competition, and low competition. This will help my products to get discovered more easily and hopefully improve sales.

What I Learned

Week one:

I focused on product production, and website building. The first step to all of this was making my new products. This week I created all 37 products and got them ready to be photographed. Once the products were created I overnighted them to my photographer, so I could get started on my website. I started by setting up each individual page, getting it ready to add photos and links.

Problems I faced this week

This week I ran into a small issue. I didn't have as much time as I was expecting to get everything done. Since I had never built a website before, I had to google literally everything. I had to google how to add picture sections, headers, and links. This took up a lot more time than I was expecting, but once I got the hang of adding sections, it became faster. Creating products also took a long time. With my resin products especially. Each product has to be created and then left for 24-48 hours to harden, so I knew I had to work quickly. I ended up making all 37 products in the first two days, so I would still have time to ship them. I worked for twelve hours a day so I could get it done. Although it took a lot of focus and time, I ended up getting everything that I had planned for the week done.

Here's what I wrote this week:

About KatNeylanCreations

Time management

Week two:

For week two I will be focusing on researching Etsy SEO, listing the products, researching social media marketing, creating ads, and launching the ads. Take a look at week two!

The Goal of This Huge Project

The overall goal of this project is to learn about website building, social media advertising, and drive more sales for KatNeylanCreations. It will be a lot of work, however I am confident that with great time management, this project is going to be awesome!

Time Management

Sat, 06 Nov 2021 14:52:31 GMT

Why I am Writing This Right Now

I am currently doing a month-long marketing project for my small business. This project includes a lot of tasks and will take up a lot of time. I definitely wouldn't be able to get through this project if I didn't have good time management skills. Doing this marketing project has made me realize that I should share my knowledge about time management, keeping organized, and juggling everything at once.

The Importance of Keeping Organized

Keeping organized is one of the most important things when it comes to managing time. I used to find myself losing track of ideas, thoughts, and time over all. Once I started organizing my thoughts, and projects, it began to feel as if I had gained a few hours each day. And to be honest, I was. I was spending a lot less time trying to remember what I needed to get done and worrying about future tasks. Instead I was able to spend the time actually working on the things that needed to be executed.

A Clean Space

I don't know about you, but if I am working in a messy, or unorganized environment, I find it really hard to focus on the task at hand. I notice that I often will look up from my computer and notice that the house is a mess. This causes me to lose my chain of thought so I always make sure that I have a clean workspace before I start a project to stop this cycle.

Task Management Systems and Why They Work

For task management, I use a website called Monday. Monday allows me to keep track of all my tasks. Monday is set up like a checklist, making it easy to see what tasks are complete, what tasks are being worked on, and what tasks I am stuck on. I find Monday very helpful for both my personal, and business tasks. It allows me to create different sections for different to-do lists. I keep a list of random ideas, a to-do list for my business, a personal to-do list, and a list for my school work. I love my idea list the most, because if I ever find myself bored or without something to do, I can surely find something on there.

How to Juggle Everything at Once

Juggling a social life with work can be really hard. Add a small business and school on top of that… forget it! Not true, if you know how to properly manage your time. I used to find it really hard to manage all of the aspects of life all at once, but then I figured out a system that works for me.

The System That Works For Me

Part of my system is to work out loud. I find it a lot easier to get stuff done when I have someone else to run my ideas by. Working out loud makes it super easy to keep my social life, making it so that I can work while having friends around. Working out loud around friends often makes for an interesting conversation. More importantly it can help me to gain more ideas to get to a better outcome for my project.

Another part of my system is alternating background noise. Sometimes while I work, I like to have a TV show on in the background. When I find myself losing focus, I switch to music and from there I switch to a podcast. Then, I repeat the cycle. I find switching up the background noise when I start to feel a little bit distracted, really helps me to focus. It's like it triggers my brain to think that I just started a project, when instead I have already been working on it.

Creating a System That Works For You

Overall time management has a lot of moving pieces, and is not the same for everyone. You may have to try a bunch of different things before you find out what works best for you. However, once you have your own system down, you will feel a lot less stressed, and feel as though you have gained more time to do the things you love.

Time management is different for everyone, you have to figure out what works for you!

Having a system that works for you will help you keep track of all your work so you feel less stressed.

About KatNeylanCreations

Sat, 06 Nov 2021 14:50:22 GMT

Meet The Artist

My name is Kat and I have been doing art for as long as I remember. When I was little, it was apparent that I had a creative mind. Even when I was watching TV, I was incapable of sitting still. As I grew older and started going to school, I was always getting in trouble for drawing on my worksheets. I didn't know how to listen to any kind of lecture without doodling to the point where it became an issue. When I was a teenager my artistic capabilities grew immensely. People around me began to notice my art and compliment me on it. I always hoped to be a “real” artist when I grew up, and I knew the time was coming soon.

How I Started my Shop

As an 18th birthday gift to myself, I created an Etsy shop. I had no idea what I was going to sell and tried different things such as, personalized name signs, and paintings. Nothing was selling but I wasn't ready to give up.

While scrolling through TikTok I discovered the magic medium called epoxy resin. Epoxy resin is a crystal clear liquid that is mixed with hardener and poured into a mold. Over the span of 24 hours, it hardens and becomes a solid mass. "What a perfect quarantine project." I thought. I watched hours of resin art videos and then I went to buy my own. I couldn't wait to experiment with a new art medium. I purchased the resin, and two resin molds so I could get to work.

The Struggles of My First Resin Pours

My very first resin pour was supposed to be a rose frozen forever in a crystal cube. However, in my excitement, I hadn't done enough research. I didn't know that the rose had to be dried first. The next day I found the rose rotted and the resin was blotchy and bubbled. I was so disappointed, but ready to try again.

Have you ever heard of resin poisoning? Neither had I. It had been a few weeks since my first pour and I found myself absolutely addicted to working with resin. I was coming up with ideas, and pouring resin for nearly eight hours a day. One day I woke up hardly able to breathe. I felt as if my lungs were on fire and filled with liquid all at the same time. Assuming the worst, I expected that I had somehow gotten Covid. After multiple negative Covid tests, I began to research all my symptoms and everything I had eaten or touched in the past few days. Then, I stumbled upon a blog about resin . As it turned out, even though Epoxy Resin has no smell, it's extremely toxic. I needed a special mask to work with resin, and every resin pour had been slowly poisoning me. I was extremely sick for two weeks and did not do another pour until I purchased the right mask.

The Learning Process

It took weeks for me to get the ratio of resin to harder correct, and overall my first few resin projects were ugly. Over the next few months, I spent hours researching ideas and trying them. The amount of these resin ideas that worked were few compared to the ones that didn't. I would keep all the projects I loved and throw away the ones I didn't. By September, I had a whole collection of resin art I loved. That's when I decided to list them on Etsy, and by Christmas I was making sales.

Sourcing Supplies

I started by purchasing my supplies at in-person arts and craft stores. It didn't take me long to realize it wouldn't work. With the cost of supplies, I would have to charge a lot for my products, which I couldn't do because the supplies were not good quality. It was frustrating so I started Googling online wholesale materials. My purchases were trial and error for a while. Things would show up smaller or bigger than expected. Some items would come in three days and others in two months. However, once I found my supply websites, and tested products, it got easier.

Recent Updates

I have decided to branch out my business from just resin items. My shop now includes more minimalistic jewelry, jewelry displays, and home decor. I now include non-resin items such as necklace holders and ring holders. These items are designed to safely store jewelry when it is not being worn. I also have created a jewelry line of non resin necklaces, rings, and bracelets. Lastly, I have begun to sell home decor. I sell prints of original art pieces I've created, and ornaments during the holiday season. Do not fear, all of my non-resin items are just an add on to the business. I will of course still be creating beautiful resin pieces!

I Created a Landing Page and Email List Lead Capture for CocoaCandleCo.

Fri, 29 Oct 2021 00:16:51 GMT

CocoaCandleCo. is one of my absolute favorite small businesses. CocoaCandleCo makes soy candles in adorable mason jars as well as wax melts, bath bombs, teas, and essential oil candles. Each item is sure to fill an entire room with its unique scent.

While placing my order on the CocoaCandle.Co Etsy, I wondered if she had an actual website too. As it turns out, CocoaCandleCo. is an Etsy only shop. Cocoa does have a lot of orders and repeat orders on Etsy, but no way to send updates to all of her customers. She does have an Instagram where she posts occasional updates, however not all her customers follow the Instagram. So I decided to create a landing page with an email sign up so all her customers will be able to get updates.

I created a landing page for CocoaCandleCo. I designed the landing page to give potential leads reasons to subscribe to the mailing list. I used CocoaCandleCo.’s background story to give potential leads a better grasp on where this company came from and what it means. I also included information about the products, discount codes, and links to social media, all wrapped up in an aesthetically pleasing package.

I used a website builder called Ionos to create the landing page. It had all the presets that I needed to make it look the way that I wanted it to. Although my personal website is built on Lonos, I learned how to navigate Ionos in a different way. I learned how to create sign up areas, links to social media, change fonts, add multiple images, and add animation.

After reading all of the reviews on CocoaCandleCo.’s Etsy I came up with following demographics and interests:

Demographic: 20-40 year old middle class women, college students, and stay-at-home moms.

Interests:

- Candles

- Tidy home

- Things that smell good find a better way to write this quality! A searchable term

- Themed smells (Fall, Christmas, Spring)

- Seasonal decorating

Landing Page

H ere's my copy from the landing page:

CocoaCandle.co

Vegan Soy Candles, wax melts, & more

Join my email list

for an additional 20% off!

Sales Discount Codes New Products Seasonal updates

Email list benefits:

By joining the email list, you will get important updates about sales, discount codes, new products, and seasonal promotions. After signing up, you will automatically receive a 20% off code for you to use on your next purchase!

The start of an amazing company

Hello! I am Cocoa of Cocoa Candle Company. I am a busy mother of four beautiful kids that was laid off due to COVID-19. I suddenly had all this free time and had no idea what to do with myself. The pandemic inspired me to take the hobby I love and turn it into something special that I can share with others. That is why I created a small home-based business that specializes in handmade vegan candles and wax melts. Each item is hand-poured in a sterile environment and made with love. I use a lot of essential oil in each of my candles, so their scent can fill an entire room. Thanks in advance for your support!
Joining my email list will help me to build my business, and network. By signing up, you will get personal discount codes, seasonal updates, new product updates, and information about current sales.

Get Started

Using Canva, I created three mock emails following the landing pages promise:

A 20% off coupon

The goal of offering a 20% off coupon is to get people to sign up. Personalized coupons are the most common way to get potential leads to sign up for an email list. Once the leads have received the discount code, they are likely to make a purchase soon.

Seasonal updates

Seasonal updates are a way to get potential leads excited about shopping with the company for the holidays. Adding a discount code can also bring up the chance of a sale.

New product updates

New product updates are a great way to get repeat/ pending leads to go back to the website and potentially make a purchase. It is a way to get collectors of CocoaCandleCo.’s products to make another purchase.

Email #1

Here is my copy for email #1:

“Hi, thank you so much for subscribing!

As promised here is your 20% off code: CoCoa21 . Have fun shopping, and expect more exciting updates soon!

Don't know where to start? Here's some of our most popular items!

Essential Oil Candles

Poured with 100% organic soy wax, and all natural essential oils.

Shop Essential Oil Candles

Most popular item

These wax melts are designed for all wax melters, and come in 12 amazing scents!

Shop wax melts "

The purpose of ad #1 is to let the subscriber know that they have successfully subscribed to the email list, and to give them the promised 20% off code

Email #2

Here's my copy for email #2:

“Happy Fall Y’all!

Fall has arrived!

How's it going? I just wanted to let you know that I just released a bunch of new products in the spirit of fall!

Candles, wax melts, and bath bombs are now available in 5 new scents!

Because your support means the world to me, here’s an extra 10% off your next purchase. Use code CANDLE10 at checkout! Enjoy the new scents!

Start shopping

Cinnabunny Wax Melts

Think fresh cinnamon rolls, meat french vanilla. These Cinnabunny wax melts are a perfect way to welcome fall into your home!

View similar products »

Peach Cobbler Wax Melts

Who doesn't love the smell of fresh peach cobbler? These soy melts may be small, but they are loaded with the perfect amount of fall fragrance.

Shop Wax Melts » ”

The purpose for email #2 is to let subscribers know that Cocoa has released a bunch of new products. To get customers excited and purchasing, I have included a 10% off discount code.

Email #3

Here is my copy for email #3:

Holiday Season- This is gonna be a big one!

Are you ready for the holidays? CocoaCandleCo. Sure is! I have a new holiday line dropping next week. There are over 20 scents to choose from. Some of my favorites are:

Salted Caramel, Peremint Mist, Evergreen, and Sugar Cookie!

As always you will have candles, wax melts, and bath bombs and much more to choose from.You will also receive free shipping on all purchases made through the holiday season.

More Holiday Updates Coming soon.

Be sure to keep your eye out for more amazing holiday updates:

Holiday sale.
Even more new scents.
Never seen before products.

We told you this holiday season was going to be big!

Find out more

This email showcases, holiday themed scents, and new products.The purpose of email #3 is to let the subscribers know that there are a bunch of new products coming out for the holiday. I also included some mock favorite scents to get the reader's attention.

CocoaCandleCo . Is one of the most special candle businesses out there. Using all natural and vegan products Cocoa creates some of the best smelling wax melts and candles. Cocoa also dabbles in vegan beauty products such as soap and bath bombs. Over the past two years I have tested ten different products from CocoaCandle.co and I can personally vouch that her products are the best quality!

Next steps for CocoaCandleCo.

The next thing that I would suggest for CocoaCandleCo. would be to build a website. It doesn't have to be a online store site just a simple site that showcases:

Product images
Product back stories
Company updates
A few blog posts

Having a website that's separate from Etsy would bring CocoaCandleCo. to a whole new level. Having a website can also push potential leads to purchase. It would give customers more insight about the business, and brand that they are supporting.

While making the project above, I learned a lot about website building. I looked at examples of other landing pages, and candle companies to create an aesthetic landing page. I also learned how to create emails on Mailchimp that can be sent out at any point. Not only will this come in handy for my small business but it will also be helpful to any companies I may work for in future.

Skills I learned:

How to create emails on Mailchimp
How to set up a landing page
How to set up animations on Ionos
How to convert a video into a GIF

After this project I've also discovered that I really like copywriting, designing emails, and building website pages. Can’t wait to dive into my next project for a real company!

How I Used Social Media Ads to Help Dune Jewelry Boost Engagement.

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 18:19:10 GMT

Being an artist that works with epoxy resin myself, I am obsessed with looking at other resin art. Epoxy resin is a clear liquid that cures over the span of 24 hours, and turns into a clear solid mass. Epoxy resin is often used to preserve plants, however it can be used to preserve pretty much anything. It is possible to mix in colored powder and paint to create a solid colored mass. Epoxy resin is often used for top coats on tables, or to make jewelry, bookmarks, keychains, coasters and much more.

While scrolling through Instagram a few months ago I found a company called Dune Jewelry. Dune Jewelry is a resin jewelry company that uses nature elements from all over the world to preserve memories. They have over 5000+ elements, and allow you to send in your own if you would like. The company has many unique jewelry and home-goods pieces to choose from, and customize.

I used a free website called Marmalead to look at the analytics for Dune Jewelry. Although Dune Jewelry has a good amount of followers, their engagement rate on social media is only 0.35% which is very low. These projects that I created will help to boost their engagement rate, and overall sales. I created two mock advertisements, as well as a mock Instagram profile, and a TikTok post to attract new leads, and drive traffic to their website.

I targeted my project towards the following interests and demographics:

I connected the following interest groups by looking deeply at the Dune Jewelry products and the meaning behind each piece.

Interests:

- Travel

- Travel gifts

- Dainty jewelry

- Customizable jewelry

- Unique pieces

- Handmade gifts

By analyzing the price of the products, who could afford to pay that price, and the customer's interests, I concluded the following demographic:

Middle to upper-class women aged 25-50 who like nature and gift giving.

I created these mock social media ads using Canva:

Ad #1 (SnapChat ad)

The goal of this SnapChat ad is to increase brand awareness by bringing potential buyers straight to the website, which has all their customizable jewelry and home goods.

I used the words “Hand crafted with sand and earth elements from around the world” to appeal to their target audiences who love to bring gifts home from every vacation. The ad is sized well for the platform. The beach setting and style projects to a women demographic that makes up 57% of Snapchat users.

Since “swiping up” doesn't guarantee a sale, I chose a daily $8 budget that can be canceled at any time. This would allow for a potential reach of 3.8K- 12K, and 50- 150 swipes weekly.

This copy is short and simple. The viewers won't have to spend much time reading a bunch of information to understand what it is saying, and the image draws them in.

Here's my copy for ad #1

“Handcrafted

WITH

sand & Earth elements

FROM

around the world.”

Ad #2 (Instagram ad)

The goal of this Instagram ad is to bring in new followers and potential buyers to the account and website, which has all their images and products.

My caption ”Personalize your own 14K Gold Vermeil Delicate Dune Bar Necklace with a memory that makes you smile” will grab the attention of the target audience - middle to upper class women aged 25- 50 who like to travel and customize gifts.

Because the bright blue “shop now” button doesn't guarantee sales I suggest boosting the post. I set up an ad campaign for $5 a day for 7 days which would have a reach of 3,900-10K people.

The purpose of this copy is to attract potential buyers, and bring more traffic to the website by using targeted hashtags, and a simple caption.

Here is my copy for ad #2:

“Personalize your own 14K gold Vermeil Delicate Dune

Bar Necklace with a memory that makes you smile��. Choose from

our 5,000+ Sand & Earth Elements or send in your own! ��

#SandJewelry #goldnecklace #sandjewelry #fallfashion #fallstyle #goldjewelry #Bohochic #experientialjewelry #traveljewelry #taptoshop #bostonbusiness #bostonsmallbusiness #daintyjewelry #daintynecklace #layeringnecklace #sentimentalgift #dunejewelry #sentimentaljewlery ”

TikTok post example:

This copy addresses a problem: While on the official Dune Jewelry TikTok page, I noticed that most of the posts were not getting a lot of views or likes, and that the account didn't have many followers. After looking through the videos on the page, I was able to locate where the problem was - hashtags.

Hashtags are the key to getting discovered on TikTok. It's good to have a mix of popular, branded/trending, and targeted hashtags for each post. This will help the post reach as many people as possible.

Popular or general hashtags (as shown above) will help the post to show up on more users “for you page”. The branded hashtags are tags that are currently blowing up.The targeted hashtags are keywords I picked out to help the post show up on the for you page of the target audience.

Here's my copy for the TikTok post example:

“Keep your memories forever #fyp #foryou #travel

#dunejewelry #oceanjewelry #savememories

#travelgifts #jewelrymaking #TargetHalloween”

Bonus Copy Instagram Profile Example:

This copy example addresses a problem— while looking at the profile of Dune Jewelry I noticed that the bio was cluttered and hard to read.

The bio is the first thing people see when they click on a profile, so it is very important it looks the best it can. The bio is supposed to encourage followers and attract potential buyers.

I used canva to create a mock profile with aesthetically pleasing spacing, emojis and coloring.

Here's my copy for the Instagram Profile Example:

❤️ Founded by @sandy__hands

✈️ The one & only Experiential Jewelry Co.

�� Custom filled with Sand & Earth Elements from your favorite places

�� Shop New Arrivals

dunejewelry.com/best-selling-nautical-jewelry

Next steps for Dune Jewelry

I would love to see Dune Jewelry step up their social media marketing game. This would include a consistent posting schedule, and more consistent hash tagging. I would also recommend for the company to try and post on social media more often. I noticed gaps of time with no posts, and then a series of posts all at once. This can easily overwhelm followers, and cause them to be less engaged with the company.

Other than social media, the website could also see improvement in simple areas like:

Make sure all social media accounts are linked on the website.
Move the email sign up list to the top of the landing page and offer a discount
Create an auto response to email sign ups
Add a paragraph about what experiential jewelry is.

During the projects shown above, I learned a lot of new skills about analytics and SEO. I compared Dune Jewelry to similar more successful companies such as Puravida, and Belvici to analyze social media data and analytics. Using the data I gathered, I was able to see gaps in Dune Jewelry’s social media and advertising. Another thing I learned was all the ins and outs of Canva. After figuring out the exact size for each ad/ post, I spent hours getting each image to look right, and I loved it.

Skills I learned:

Instagram & TikTok SEO
Canva
Data analysis for Instagram
Data comparison between companies
How to successfully advertise on Snapchat

Decorating on a Budget (Anthropologie Style Blog)

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 03:48:32 GMT

When we think of re-decorating, often we think of the amount of money we may need to spend. Decorating can be very expensive, but it doesn't always have to be.

Refresh and restyle your home with DIY projects, or repurposed items for less. Want a gorgeous home without draining your bank account?

Here are a few decorating tricks to uniquely restyle your house, and save money while doing it.

Pinterest- The Inspiration

When we feel stuck on a project, it's easy for us to lose motivation, This is where Pinterest comes in handy. Pinterest is a good place to look at inspiration for decorating ideas. Pinterest has information about everything; DIY decorations, color pallets, themed designs, and how-to videos. If you can imagine it, it's on Pinterest. Pinterest also allows you to create individual boards so that you can keep your ideas organized. Did we mention that it's free?

Thrift It

Have you heard of thrifting? Thrifting has been a growing trend over the past few years. Many people turn to thrift stores for clothing and electronics, however, most thrift stores also have options for decorating. Thrifting is an easy way to find unique house decorations, as well as supplies to create your own. Although thrift stores often sell decorations by themselves, vases, glasses, trays, and picture frames are also good choices for a DIY decorating project. Most of the time you can find these items for as little as $1-$5.

Reuse and Repurpose

Take a look around your house. Look in all the cabinets, and drawers. What aren't you using? It is possible to create decorations out of any household item. For the image above, we used some twine, a jar we had, and spoiled corn! There are a lot of household items that make for an easy DIY. You could decorate an old picture frame, and make it into a front door wreath. You can paint over old canvases, and poke holes in them to hang our earrings. Or even turn a cracked plate into a key or jewelry tray. Household items have endless potential, you just have to get creative.

Get Creative

Sometimes it can be impossible to find the exact decorations we are searching for. That's why making your home decor is sometimes the best choice. Try starting with the space you want to decorate, then create something to fit into that space. Having DIY house decor can make your house feel extra special. If you don't have all the materials for a DIY, the first place to check is the Dollar Store. The Dollar Store has a surprising amount of supplies and materials for DIY projects all for $1-$2.

Gift It

What do you do with the decorations you are done with? Home decor can make a great gift. When you find yourself done with your decorations, you can wrap them up and give them to family and friends. This is great for seasonal decorations as well as year-round decor. However, If you are not ready to part with your decorations just yet, you can always pack them up in a box for next year! Re-using your decorations can be especially great for money saving during the holiday season.

Why it's Important to Practice Creativity (for any type of professional)

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 03:09:14 GMT

Being creative no matter how you do it, helps your brain to take a mental break. Taking mental breaks allows your brain to rest making your daily tasks such as work, or other responsibilities easier to achieve. Creativity can also be a good way to access the imagination. For me, creativity allows me to see the world the same way I did when I was a child. More simply. All the swirls of color that make everything around us, the texture of surfaces, and changing of the seasons. Although these are both great benefits of creativity, there are many more.

Creativity can change your thinking process

Creativity can help you express personal feelings and experiences differently. This can help you process many things. Creativity is also a gateway to your imagination and allows you to come up with unique ideas. Being creative can also be entertaining. If you find yourself bored in your downtime, doing something creative might be the answer you're searching for.

Creativity can help with mental health

Creativity can reduce stress, anxiety, depression, by taking your mind off it, and help you to shift your mindset. Being creative uses a different part of your brain than the learning and logical thinking part. Being creative can also help to process trauma. For some people, it is easier to create a project relating to their trauma than to talk about it. However, these projects can still help the brain process and heal. Creativity has personally helped me to process and deal with my anxiety, and trauma. The creative mindset is rather easy to tap into. Try observing the colors, highlights, shadows, and textures around you. From there simply let your brain wander, and try to think of artistic ideas.

Everyday benefits of being creative

Being creative has a lot of both short-term and long-term benefits. It can help your overall mental health, help you to heal from trauma, and help with anxiety, depression, and momentary stress at the moment. Creativity can also change the way you process things, and change the way you think. Being creative can come in many different forms and is easy to learn even if you are a beginner. Being creative can have long-term benefits as well. Creativity is an outlet to get through tough days. It can help you save money, become a better problem solver, and learn about self-awareness and expression. Creativity uses the same part of your brain as problem-solving. Since the brain is a muscle, the more you work it out with creativity, the easier problem solving will get. Last but not least, my favorite long-term benefit of being creative: Spending less money on gifts for family and friends. Why buy something if you can make it extra special by creating it yourself?

Anyone can learn to be creative

The best part about art is that there is no wrong way to do it. Art can be painting, drawing, sculpting, coloring, or even writing. You can use Pinterest to gather ideas and inspiration.

When creating, we often fear being judged, which causes anxiety. However, you don't need to share your work with anyone, and should not make that choice until after your creation is complete.A good place to start is a simple drawing, abstract doodle, or a short poem. If you are doing a drawing or painting and are struggling, try tracing an outline first, and then filling it in. Tracing can be the easiest way to start a project, especially if you are just starting. Overall, being creative can help you achieve your goals with less interference from your brain.

Being a Woman in the Auto Industry

Mon, 04 Oct 2021 19:03:25 GMT

When I first started mechanic school, I was the only woman amongst nearly ninety men. It was clear from the first day in class that my presence made a lot of the men uncomfortable and unsure of how to act. This tension came out in the form of teasing, awkward attempts to get my attention, and even rudeness. Although I prepared myself for this gender disparity, it was still frustrating to navigate because my number one priority was to learn - rather than deal with the problematic social environment around me. It didn't take me long to realize that I would get a much better education through work experience rather than at the auto school. That’s when I decided to get a job at a local auto shop.

Unfortunately the sexism in the auto industry wasn’t isolated to school. It was very common for customers to dislike a girl doing “a man's work”. One time a customer even complained to my boss about letting a girl work in the shop. They continued to speak negatively about me as if I wasn't there.I have faced a lot of sexism, which is expected, but that doesn't make it pleasant.

The biggest lessons learned

The biggest lesson I learned as a woman in the industry is: There are some shops that will work out great and others that will not, and that is expected. A lot of times people would blame me for everything that went wrong in the shop. A good shop doesn't do this. In any good workplace, people take responsibility for their own mistakes.

- How to say no

It’s okay to leave if you feel unsafe. It can be scary to say no to a boss, but sometimes it's necessary. If your boss and coworkers make you feel uncomfortable, ask you personal questions, it is okay to say no. It sounds simple, but saying no to the boss was a really hard lesson to learn. It is important to stand up for yourself in uncomfortable situations, regardless who you are speaking to.

- How to identify sexism

There are some shops that will work out great and others that will not, and that is expected.. I once worked in a shop where I got blamed for everything that went wrong even if it wasn't my fault. This is an example of sexism. Sexism can also include being talked down to, judged, or being asked if you're strong enough to complete a task. It is important that you are treated the same as other employees regardless of your gender.

- What to look for in an employer

Not every single shop is safe for women to work. A lot of ex-felons and registered sex offenders enter the auto industry. Do your research before starting a job, and make sure you feel safe in the environment. A good employer should treat everyone equally regardless of their race or gender.

A hopeful future for women in the industry

As a woman in the auto industry I have accepted the fact that I will face a lot more issues than men. Even though it will be a long journey, I will not give up. I am prepared to stand up for myself, and keep learning from every experience. Whenever I feel demotivated, I think of my future shop, and I remember to continue forward. Even though I had many tough experiences in the auto industry, I am not giving up. I plan to open a shop one day, specializing in modding offroad vehicles. I will create a safe environment for both men and women to work, and hope to eliminate a lot of the problems I have faced.

How to Bring Creativity Into Any Role

Mon, 04 Oct 2021 19:01:12 GMT

How to identify projects that can benefit from a creative touch

It can be hard to see professional instances that could use a touch of creativity. If you find a project boring, or hard to focus on, try adding some color, or rearranging the title or logo. Make it something you're proud of. Another example: If you work in an ice cream shop, you can make a creative tip jar sign, or write the menu in different colors and fonts. Or, you can arrange the toppings and cups so the colors work nicely together.

This will draw more eyes to these items.

How to use creativity in a non-creative setting

If you're in an office, making things creative can feel impossible. I learned this the hard way, but there are a few things I do to make working in an office more creative:

Add color, rearrange titles and pictures to make projects look incredible

Much like this blog post, I always make sure that the picture and title are aesthetically pleasing, and look good next to my other posts. It helps make my website look more professional.

Involve yourself in all creative things happening around you

One time at work, I noticed my boss was trying to pick new colors for the wall. I asked if I could help and ended up picking all the colors and going to the tile store with her to pick tiles to match.

Ask questions

Just the other day I was looking at a blog post my co-worker created and I asked “how did you decide on those colors?” He said, “I just picked random colors. I'm not an artist.” That was a perfect opportunity to show my creativity. I helped pick colors that looked better as a pair, making the post look more professional.

The benefits of using creativity in a workplace

There are both personal and non-personal benefits for thinking creatively in a workplace. Showing off your creativity helps customers remember you. It can also make co-workers ask your opinion on future projects. Another benefit of thinking creatively is it shows employers you go above and beyond demonstrating something most people don't have. Also, using creativity in the workplace motivates you to work and do more projects. It helps work feel more exciting, and for me, that is the most important part.

There is creativity everywhere

Being creative in a non-creative setting can seem intimidating, but if you go out of your way to involve yourself in creative projects, it’s possible. Creativity isn’t always a piece of art. It can be how you write the menu, make colors work together, or arrange toppings. Look at the surrounding people, and jump at every creative opportunity. Ask questions about the creative side of co-workers' pieces, and offer input. Overall, using creativity shows employers, customers, and co-workers that your brain functions slightly differently, noticing things that non-creative people do not. Using your creativity can also help you feel more excited about the minor projects at work.

What is Operations?

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 21:24:10 GMT

What is operations?

Why is operations an important role in a company?

The goal of operations is to make sure that everything is functioning properly. Operations is a very important part of a company. It's a behind-the-scenes role that ensures everything runs smoothly. This can be day-to-day tasks, long-term planning, or adjusting/shifting course to adapt to changes in the market. Without operations, workplaces can become hectic and stressful. When something goes wrong, a printer breaks, you need to call in sick, or you have an idea for a SEO related project, who do you talk to? The operations team.

What does someone in operations do?

Operations is basically a large-scale organization role. The operations team (sometimes only one person)is in charge of a lot of different roles:

Day-to-day time organization

Updating co-workers if the printers or other office supplies are not working

Calling maintenance to fix broken things

Long-term planning: company goals and strategies

Analyzing budgets to maximise income and minimise expenses

Utilizing opportunities to change SEO according to the market

Operations may run slightly differently in different companies.

The same way that car salesmen and vacuum salesmen don't use the same selling tactics, but they are both still salesmen. In some businesses, the operation team deals with payroll, budgeting, and scheduling. This can mean they schedule meetings, repair appointments, and employee schedules. In other business, the operations team focuses more on SEO and marketing.

A bit of everything

Operations roles require a little of everything business-related. Operations ties in customer success, marketing, and sales. No matter what specific roles an operation team faces, they always end up talking to customers/clients. So it is important for them to have practice in customer success. It is also important for the operations team to understand marketing. If they are adjusting their plans and SEO based on market changes, they must understand what these changes mean and how they will affect the company.

Another important thing that the operations team does is sales. For example, if the refrigerator breaks, the operation associate might talk to the repair man.. This is a chance for them to sell them on the company/service. They could wrap up by saying: “Thank you so much, remember if you ever need (insert company product or service) you know where to go!”

Conclusion

To sum it up, operations is a management-type role with a lot of diversity in task types. Operations roles span anywhere from marketing and sales to planning and payroll. Operation teams make sure that everything runs smoothly, and that all the pieces of the company fit together.

Social Media Marketing: Why It’s Great

Tue, 21 Sep 2021 05:00:34 GMT

Social media marketing

Social media marketing is so amazing because it's free unless you choose to pay for ads. Social media marketing may seem simple, but it can be a lot of work at first. However, once you get the hang of it it will become second nature.

Picture aesthetics and branding

Your aesthetic is an important part of social media marketing. You will easily attract more followers if your account looks good. Instagram aesthetics are a group of one or more pictures that work well together and look pleasing to the eye. Here's an example:

Which company would you be more likely to buy from?

Although both of these shop projects may be great, generally people are more likely to purchase off an account that looks pretty. Aesthetically pleasing pictures of products provide value to the customer. It helps make the product appear more special to the customer, making it easier for them to purchase it at the price you have it listed for.

How do I make my account look pretty?

Try using:

A basic colored background
Natural lighting
Props that relate to your product

For example, If I am planning on posting a picture of a fall product, I may add some fall leaves, a pinecone, and a vase of sunflowers in the background. The important thing is that the product you are selling is the center of attention. Once I have the perfect picture I use an app called VSCO to edit. It is important for your aesthetic to use the same filter and filter settings. What I like about VSCO is that after you edit a picture to your liking, you can copy and paste your edits to any photo you want.

How I gain Instagram followers for free

Having a large following can lead to more shares, sales, and reviews, which help you grow a successful business. The first thing I do is find a more successful account that sells products similar to mine. I go under their follower list and just start following as many people as I can. I send this message to the people that follow me back:

“Hi! Thank you for following me! I wanted to tell you a little more about my art. All of my art is handmade in California. My bookmarks are made of clear cast resin and pressed flowers that I pick myself! My jewelry and key chains are also clear cast resin with translucent or gold inserts! I make everything as affordable as possible while still using good-quality materials. I work really hard and I’m just starting out so I really appreciate the follow and support!”

I use an app called InsMaster to see who isn't following me back. A week after each following spree, I unfollow the people that didn't follow me back. Then I find another successful account that sells products similar to mine and repeat the process.

Overall social media marketing is an efficient way to build your business for free. It is easy to gain followers, grow an audience, and have an aesthetically pleasing account.

Dollar Shave Club: Case Study

Sat, 11 Sep 2021 20:31:07 GMT

Dollar Shave Club was founded by Mark Lavine and Michael Dubin in 2011. The creators wanted to create a faster, simpler, and cheaper way for men to get razors. Dollar Shave Club’s target audience was younger men that wanted to save money. Think of a broke college student that doesn't want to look scruffy for their first day of class. The generation of thrift shopping and side hustlers. Don't worry they have options for women now too. When Lavine and Dubin came up with Dollar Shave Club, they created a business model that was so strong it generated $9.8 million in series A funding. Meaning they generated that much funding on their first try. Wow!

Drawing in audiences through advertisements

Dollar Shave Club's first advertisement got almost 5 million views in the first 90 days. This was not your average advertisement though. It was funny and had language that most ads didn't have at that time, causing people to laugh and want to share it. Dollar Shave Club’s Ads seemed more “real” than most ads in 2011. It wasn't another sugar-coated “here's what we sell '' ad. The people featured in the ads seem like real people making viewers feel like they can relate more. This makes the ads personable and ultimately drives more sales.

Dollar Shave Club’s first ad:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUG9qYTJMsI

The subscription and how it works

After a customer places an order, they can choose if they want to subscribe. Subscribers can customize what goes in their box and choose if they want the box shipped to them every 2, 3, or 4 months.

What makes customers subscribe to the Dollar Shave Club?
Unlike a lot of subscriptions, Dollar Shave Club makes it easy to cancel your subscription at any time. With little to no purchase pressure, the customers feel like subscribing is a safe choice. It’s fast and simple. There are many options for subscribers to choose from for their box. Some of these options include: New blades, soap, deodorant, shave butter, shave cream, and shampoo.

Costs and Supplies

Dollar Shave Club’s costs are divided into three sections. These sections include: Product, Shipping, and selling/advertisements.

The product cost is used for:

Razors,
Liquid products,
Bottles, boxes
Labels.

Shipping costs are used for:

Packaging,
Labels,
Address labels,
Stamps,
Shipping costs.

Lastly, The selling/advertisement costs are used to pay for the creation and distribution of ads. Dollar Shave Club uses a low-cost warehouse and videographer to create video content.

Revenue
So where does the money come from? Dollar Shave Club buys all their products in bulk and then sells them for more money than spent. Buying in bulk results in cheaper products. This is called turning profit. An example of turning profit would be: You bought a desk on Facebook marketplace for $20 and then sold it for $80 ultimately making $60. Another was that Dollar Shave Club makes money by selling directly to the consumer. This means they don't deal with the fees and percentages that come with selling through retail stores such as Walgreens or Vons. Dollar Shave Club continues to seek funding through updated business models for new ideas.

Why is the Dollar Shave Club’s business model so strong?

Dollar Shave Club makes their money by ordering in bulk and turning a profit. They save money by using low budget studios and videographers to make ads. These ads are what bring in the customers and subscribers. Turning profit, budgeting, and selling directly to the consumer is why Dollar Shave Club has been so successful.

Research Credits:
https://www.feedough.com/dollar-shave-club-business-model-case-study/
https://www.strategyzer.com/business-model-examples/dollar-shave-club-business-model
https://relevantlymarketing.com/news/dollar-shave-club-ad-sales-through-facebook

How to Succeed in a Customer Success Role

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 01:42:20 GMT

What to expect in a customer success role
Although a lot of people think customer service and customer success are the same thing, they have a lot of differences. Think of customer service as a training course for customer success. In customer service, your role is to do as the customer asks, meaning you’re being “reactive.” In Customer success your role is to ensure that the customer has everything they need, to ask questions, and be “proactive.”

How to succeed in a customer success role

The most important part of a customer success role is the customer. You should be thinking of the easiest and most efficient way to get the customer to their end goal. After the goal is achieved you should check in with the customer to see if there is anything else they need. As new products come out, let the customer know if you think they would be interested. Don't only reach out to customers that reach out to you. You should also be reaching out to “silent” customers to make sure they’re enjoying their products. This will help to build a bond between the customer and the company.

Why are customer success roles important to a company?

Not only can Customer success roles get your company more positive reviews, but they can also bring in more money from upselling, loyal customers, increased renewal sales, and fewer turnover. Companies that take the time to reach out to their customers have less “turn away” rates. It's about building the bond between the customer and the company. The more happy customers the better. This will prompt repeat customers overall bringing in more business.

Research Credits: https://www.helpscout.com/helpu/customer-success