what to do...

[#1]

given the post etsy admin put out "advising" sellers not to do a collective shop like we are working on, what do you all think is the best route to take with this?

[SarawenPerfume]

Thanks for chiming in Christen! I'll contact you later (I'm doing taxes right now. fun. *tears hair out*) with info on my donation. I personally have no problem with making the main collective shop loveforjapan, seeing as it's already up and running.

[Former_Member]

eww, taxes. that totally reminds me i need to do mine. i'll look forward to hearing from you!

[cindylouwho2]

since people have already publicized that tag, I would use it anyway - it wasn't just for this shop. Both H4H & HelpTheGulfCoast had 4 tags, although a lot of gulf coast listings never got tagged properly, which really hurt. On H4H we had volunteers who went through & fixed the listings that were done too rapidly, to maximize exposure. I kept the GA for both shops & would be happy to do yours too if no one has set it up already. It really helps you narrow down what tags are working!

I'll try to donate a few things too, but I am on the verge of agreeing on a big wholesale deal & if it goes through, I will not be making anything for my shop til the end of April

Feel free to contact me if you need help!

[Former_Member]

I'm ready to promote LoveForJapan - would you also like me to put out a call for volunteers to put some time in under your direction? If that would help, let me know - I'd direct them to convo the shop unless you have another method you'd prefer.

[Former_Member]

I just tweeted about the shop and made announcements in my Etsy team as well as the "Captains Quarters" team (many team captains are part of this team). I encouraged everyone to spread the word. I told people to convo the shop or email, and said that the shop could probably use volunteers to help out with behind-the-scenes stuff.

[FineFashionsbyLinda]

Christen,
I'm available if you need any help listing or sending out emails or whatever. I can put in an hour or two a day during the week.

IMO I should think we could just use this team for both shops (in the event JoyForJapan does take off down the road). It may be confusing opening another team now that this has been started.

I agree with Cindy that we keep that tag but we can also add more tags.

I''ll be sure to add at least one LoveForJapan item every time I make a team treasury and hopefully make a few just for LFJ too.

[4GetMeNotTreasures]

Hey folks :) I totally "lost" yesterday.....sorry!

Christen, thanks for jumping in here -- and of course it's fine that you answered my convo here!!! Saves the "middle man" - and that's a good thing :)

Thanks too for clearing up the "Gulf shop" -- offhand, I don't remember who told me it was you...but.... glad to the facts straight, regardless :)

As for a team for LoveforJapan -- I'd just leave stuff here. I'm sure Kelli would change over "Captainship" to you...or one of us here. Right now - this team has a "membership" - and we're all here for the same reason. Why start up something new that would need additional "attention". Leaving it here allows us to focus on the total moving forward -- and should Joy open -- it would still be a combined effort for the same cause.

And, I'd say the same for the tags too. To "change" would just confuse things, I think. Though maybe we can get them to "add" it to the "publicity" - that could be a possibility.

[4GetMeNotTreasures]

cindylouwho2 says

since people have already publicized that tag, I would use it anyway - it wasn't just for this shop. Both H4H & HelpTheGulfCoast had 4 tags, although a lot of gulf coast listings never got tagged properly, which really hurt. On H4H we had volunteers who went through & fixed the listings that were done too rapidly, to maximize exposure. I kept the GA for both shops & would be happy to do yours too if no one has set it up already. It really helps you narrow down what tags are working!
*************
I remember doing that job Cindy!!!!!!!!!!


Seriously, I'd highly recommend taking Cindy up on this offer of hers. She's phenomenal at Google - and right now....it might not seem terribly important -- but it will be once things settle down in the press.... The sooner GA is enabled...the better it is for the shop.

[4GetMeNotTreasures]

cindy - congrats on the wholesale job!!! I hope it goes through for you!!!

[4GetMeNotTreasures]

thanks so much oneinthehand!!!!!!!!

[4GetMeNotTreasures]

Christen,

Glad to hear you're going to put the "how to donate" front & center. I can only imagine what a time suck having to explain the process....every time.....has been.

LOL - and now that the word is getting out - donations should begin to POUR in (literally!!!) -- so the sooner you have it explained -- the better for you :)

Speaking of which....I haven't visited there in over 24 hours! Gonna head there right now before I get interrupted -- again!

[Former_Member]

Wow-I've been out of here for a day or so and all kinds of things happen! Very exciting! It all sounds good! I'm working on a donation, but just haven't gotten beyond the drawing stage yet :)

[4GetMeNotTreasures]

LOL Colleen! I felt the same way! That'll teach us, won't it?!
(All IS good though....very good!!!)

[Former_Member]

I've continued to promote via Twitter & Facebook. Have just sent an email off to a handful of bloggers to inquire about creating a blog campaign to promote the shop.

From my point of view, as this disaster is less and less a hot topic in the news, people will slowly move on to whatever the next big news story is. Sad, but true. Also, the reason these collective shops do well is because they offer such a variety of items. Someone can donate to charity by shopping in my shop, but all they're going to get are cup cozies. In the collective shop, they can look for all kinds of stuff.

There isn't a TON of variety in the LFJ shop right now, I'm assuming this is because not that many Etsy sellers know about it, and possibly because there aren't that many people (maybe just one) handling all the listings. So I'd like to really get promotions going so that sellers know to donate their items AND time, and so that customers know to shop there.

I hope to hear back from my blog friends and that we can cook up something interesting that can get spread to lots of bloggers, and will keep this team updated on whatever that turns into so you can participate and/or promote.

[Former_Member]

I have been using the hashtag #LoveForJapan in Twitter (I'm @SewSoDef) when promoting the shop, and I noticed someone else was also using #LoveForJapan. @PatDryburgh is also using it to promote his website http://www.LoveForJapan.com. At that site, you can submit a drawing of a heart, and he's going to put them all together into a poster of some sort. He's selling the posters and the money will go toward a relief agency.

I contacted him and he's agreed to list the LFJ shop on his site, along with other fundraising efforts. I told him I'd help promote his posters. Here's a blog entry from his personal website (looks like he does web design, marketing, etc) telling about the poster site in more detail: http://patdryburgh.com/blog/love-for-japan-disaster-relief-effort/

I've heard initial responses from a couple blog friends who want to help put together a promotion campaign for the shop. So I'll keep you updated on that as it develops.

[Former_Member]

That's awesome oneinthehand! I think promotion is going to be a huge thing with this shop-forum changes mean we can't promote as easily within etsy as with the previous shops like this. I need to do some tweeting! And creating....and shopping.... :)

[Former_Member]

What can we do to get Etsy in on the promotion? I wrote about the LFJ shop in the captain's team, and Etsy Admin followed up with a link to the Storque article (http://www.etsy.com/storque/community-stories/thinking-of-japan-12478/) . . . I thought that would have been a great opportunity for Etsy Admin to encourage captains to tell their teams, but it didn't happen. Which makes me think it's not gonna happen, especially after how difficult it was to get the ok for the Japan shop. Am I just being pessimistic?

Obviously it can't hurt to just ask if they will help promote in some way.

[Former_Member]

Can't hurt to ask, but I would be pretty pessimistic about etsy promotion too-took them awhile to do anything with the other big shops like this...and that was without all this hoopla. But, you never know :)

[cindylouwho2]

ok, GA is set up, so we can track views now. I have been promoting on my teams.

[SarawenPerfume]

OneInTheHand says:
Which makes me think it's not gonna happen, especially after how difficult it was to get the ok for the Japan shop. Am I just being pessimistic?
---------------
I seriously think its the least they could do, after everything. :/

[localcolorist]

Hello, I made a treasury and would like to donate to the loveforjapan shop

" 100 percent donating to Love for Japan fundraiser " treasury

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d8bde907ff78eefd7939449/100-percent-donating-to-love-for-japan

[FineFashionsbyLinda]

Great work oneinhand!
Yes, I think promoting within our teams is the most obvious way to go.
I have been promoting in my expats team and also a little in the International team (but that's more of a forum than a team so lots of ppl popping in and out).

[FineFashionsbyLinda]

Great T local:)

[Former_Member]

How is the shop going? I donated something friday but haven't heard anything via convo or email-hoping things aren't totally swamped.

[Former_Member]

Oooh-nevermind-it's there now! Yay! I'm just too impatient :)