One day, you buy your first plier and some rolls of wire and make your first loop. Disastrous, of course. You add one bead and pain stakingly get to add the hook and you feel like the Queen of Jewelry Land. You actually get it to make a pair. Double feeling of being the master.

Years go by and you keep working at it. Adding the hooks does not take hours anymore, so you start adding more advance techniques, maybe a spiral loop. During these growing times, you learn the hard way of all the ways you can make mistakes in this industry. A few times along the way you decide you won?t make it anymore and maybe ramble with other arts, but pliers and wire always call you back and you find yourself awake at 5 AM because you suddenly woke up with that necklace design in your head. But it?s not easy. It makes you mad to think ?why others can?? while you can?t seem to make it. Your artist ego is frustrated. You are tired of going nowhere. Things like marketing, advertising and promoting sound like something from another world. A scary world. You?re an artist, you?re not a salesperson. But maybe you can?t quit your day job because you wouldn?t pay your bills selling jewelry. (more…)

copyright by Rena Klingenberg

So what do you talk about on the social networking sites where your potential customers are?

Whatever they’re talking about.

For example, if you make horse-themed jewelry and you’re on a horse-related networking site, join in and chat about horses, saddles, trail rides, etc. . . . but *not* about the horse-themed jewelry you make (unless someone else mentions your jewelry first).

Don’t worry – your niche social website friends will most definitely find your jewelry naturally as you participate in the site, and they visit your profile page there. (more…)

copyright by Rena Klingenberg

Most social networking sites have a “Friends” feature.  You can use this feature to keep track of other members on that site whose content, links, or other activities interest you.

But even better, the Friends feature also gives you an opening for connecting and building relationships with other members.

When another member adds you as their Friend in an online social community, your profile will now be more easily found by their Friends, which can help you quickly gain a lot of exposure to more people on that site.

On some social sites you’ll find that you’ve received a couple of Friend requests as soon as you’ve finished the signup process – usually one from the site’s administrator, and sometimes from one or two other members as well. (more…)