Etsy EBay Bonanza Ecrater Poshmark Mercari Marketplace Platform

 

Etsy EBay Bonanza Ecrater Poshmark Mercari Marketplace Platform with LilacsNDreams. Welcome to all who are visiting!

Been thinking about, and trying to feel what platform is for me to sell on. There are so many choices out there. Trying to choose one, or which ones you would like to use can be confusing. Everyone says sell here, sell there, no this one is better, etc. You need to choose the platform that will benefit for you, and what you sell.

I started years ago with EBay. Back then it was fun, and I looked forward to listing things there. Things started changing, and honestly I was changing too. From EBay I moved onto Bonanza, Ecrater, Artfire, and I did land on Etsy where I spent more time there too. 

Things are changing again with Etsy. Fees, rules, how they are charging the sellers, advertising fees that are forced upon you according to the money you make. I was fortunate enough to be able to opt out from that. If you offer free shipping, advertising, and so on its suppose to help with your position of how you are found in searches. Honestly with what little bit I do I have been seen more by my internet actions than what Etsy has done. 

So many places, so many ways to put things together for you to sell. Using a platform you pay fees with, place that you could pay monthly plans with, and many things to consider. Maybe you wish to do Big Commerce where you can work with Facebook Marketplace, and Instagram being in same place. You could consider Shopify, or maybe Square Space too. Then there are ideas for your own website.

So, now you need to consider the shipping company or companies you would like to use. Trying to use the best rates possible with shipping costs being an issue for some right now. If you do some of your sales yourself you need to have a payment processor for completing transactions by collecting money paid. 

Wow! It can be overwhelming can’t it? I have a friend who has a store at EBay, she does well, and enjoys what she does. She has also been using Facebook Marketplace, and doing pretty good there. Less hassle, less fees, and rules to abide by. If you offer items for sale there you should also consider offering shipping with your items too. People notice a difference with sales there by offering shipping which makes it better. I also just found out that if you have an item to sell for over $500 on the Marketplace they do not permit you to offer the shipping. Why I don’t know, but I do find it odd. Some are able to get around that by noting their price for $123, and explaining their asking price is actually XXX amount. 

I’d love to have my own website which takes a little money for that. So, till then I use Etsy a little bit, I show things with my Blog/Site that I have, and I have been picturing items that I will be offering at Facebook Marketplace for sale. Wish I could do more, and be speedier about it too. Unfortunately, there isn’t much support from home to do these things. So, working at my pace, and time I have for me is limited some days. 

I apologize if the posting I offer today seems kind of short. I have been feeling a little under the weather today. Nothing serious. I think yesterday caught up with me riding around looking at properties for sale, checking some areas out for living, realtor in the morning being given information and ideas to look for, etc. Over did it a bit I think, and the weather changes aren’t helping a lot either.

Thanks so much for visiting with LilacsNDreams! Stop on by anytime, say Hi, share something if you like, and hope you enjoy the visit too. Till next time take care everyone, and be safe. Toodles . . . . 

Blog Blogging Website Web Presence Venues For Free

Blog Blogging Website Web Presence Venues For Free 

Welcome to LilacsNDreams! Quite a while back I had read about someone making the comment about their brick & mortar store. They had moved from 1 state to another. I'm not seeing the business name in my notes, but she was from California, and had moved to Ohio I believe. Anyway, she had made a comment about wanting to show that using free spaces on the internet...for instance your blog, website, facebook, etc...how it could be done, and that you would profit from it too. Her ideas she shared was that you could do this free with no/low cost, and that it could be done with results. 

So, I decided to implement some of the ideas of what she had suggested. I can say as of right now the one cost that I do have, and have kept is having my domains that I have for my Blog, another Blog, and Blog page that I have chosen. It makes the web addresses easier to remember, and of course shortens them for use too. I started with my .com which I have LilacsNDreams.com that lands you directly on this page to my Blog. I have LilacsNDreamsShoppe.com which lands you on a page with my Blog that I use mostly for showing things that I offer for sale. I note that you can contact Me for purchases and invoicing through Paypal, I share links for items if you wish to purchase through my Etsy Shop, and I will also share items of others who sell with links back to their items for purchase. Another place I haven't worked with for quite some time is another Blog I had started, and I do have my LilacsNDreams.net domain directed to that as well. 

Then, I decided to work more with Social Media too. That's something that is always mentioned to help all of us being seen, found, advertising our business, etc. Now I found if you can follow charts/analysis with these different places you are able to see what you benefit with, what is helping you, where your traffic is coming from, etc. I have played around with Google a little bit. I have a Google website that has been ignored for a long time. Recently I have doodled a little bit with business.google.com which gives you a minor free website. You can share a little bit about your business there, it helps with locating you in google maps and searches, and you can also share some posts there as well. Here is where I shared 2 items I have listed for sale, I can be contacted through email, or to visit my Etsy Shop to see more pictures and more descriptions of items, and to purchase there as well. Just the other day I looked closer at charts that Etsy shares for the sellers to view their traffic, where it comes from, their views, and etc. It was quite interesting, and helpful too. 

From some of the charts I seen with a few places where my traffic comes from. It's nice to see that my Blog helps with some of my traffic. I can also see that traffic comes from Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.  Once in a while I will see some things coming from LinkedIn as well. What's great is that all of these places mentioned are free for everyone to use. No, I do not sit with all of them all the time. I don't do it morning, day, and night. Facebook I will visit, make a comment with others, and I share things there I have been working on with some links. Pinterest has been known for being good in helping with your traffic too. Not just pinning items of yours, but also of others who have the same interests as they come around and pin on your boards too. Twitter I have set up where my postings on Facebook, and my Blog will go there. When you can do something like this it's a big help in completing tasks that you have for the day. 

With some of these free sites we use to help us we can also get notices sent to our phones, emailed to us, etc. I didn't like the idea, sometimes it still bothers me, but I have found it to be helpful when you do sales online. It's business,right?

I am no professional, and I enjoy sharing with you things I have learned along the way, things I have read by others, what maybe works for me can possibly work for you, etc. I hope this was understandable, and you were able to follow some of the ideas I have shared here today. If you have any questions contact Me. If you have anything to share Please feel free to do so with the comments/talk that you can do below my posts. 

Thanks so much for sharing your time with LilacsNDreams! I enjoy the visits, the contacts made, and comments that are made too. Take care till the next time everyone. 

Some of the Social Media Basics to Know

Some of the Social Media Basics to Know

Welcome to LilacsNDreams where I will discuss some of the social media basics that you should know to help you with your business. 

Facebook is one that we all know, and is by far one of the most popular ones for anyone to start out with. Most of your small, and creative businesses do have a Facebook fan page. It is simply a great way for you to connect with your customers. 

To create a Facebook fan page from your home tab (the news feed page) on the far right dial click on create page. The rest of your process is pretty much user friendly, and self explanatory for you to use. Decide on the type of business that you own, fill in the necessary information, and twala there you have it. 

For those of you with an Etsy shop you can connect your facebook fan page to it. On your Etsy account page click on Info & Appearance under the Shop Settings category. Under the heading of Links you will see the check box that is for a Facebook page, and for Twitter. Click on the Link a Facebook Page with your shop, and connect the two. This will then result in a Like button that is under your Etsy Banner. 

Twitter is misunderstood at times. It is not for advertising as many think. I would recommend strongly to not go through your shop, and try to tweet one product of yours after another. This kind of thing will result with a large amount of the unfollows. 

Twitter is for networking by reaching our to your peers. It helps to make connections with your customers, and other businesses alike. Like others it helps to contribute to your business.   

A few suggestions that will help you to benefit with Twitter is to consider tweeting bloggers with an interesting comment, or suggestion from their posting. Consider maybe tweeting an article that you found interest in. You could tweet about a story for some of the same interest as your industry. You could tweet about one of your favorite characters in a program while you are watching the show. 

You can also link your Twitter account to your Etsy shop by going to your Etsy Account Page. Click on the Info & Appearance under the Shop Settings category. Under that heading Links see the checkbox for a Facebook Page and a Twitter Account. Just click on the Connect with Twitter to connect the two. You will then get a Follow button under your shop banner also. 

Pinterest is something we have all heard about, and has grown and populated amongst many people. Inspiration boards are fun, and very inspiring for many who visit. Have a board for your shop with others shared from Etsy. Have a board with like interests, and products of not only your items, but of others that fit into your same industry too. Have a board that represents blogs which of course you will have yours pinned in there too. When you pin things you can also share them to Facebook, and Twitter too.  

Instagram has been another popluar form of social media that has become popular as well too. I haven't tried this quite yet, but am working on it. I have seen many great comments about it. Many start an account by their shops name. They then will post likable, and some trendy pictures of their products. As has been seen they will then #hashtag like crazy. You will then answer inquiries from others in the comments section of each photo. They will show prices, and they can link the pictures to their Etsy shops and other places of business. 

So, what other forms of social media have I missed? Believe me, there is plenty out there. Some of you have found success with using other places as well as what has been mentioned too. If you have a favorite not mentioned by Me I would love to have you share with us, and also share some of your experiences with those that have been mentioned too.   

As always don't forget to visit with Lisa at Market Your Creativity to see what more she is sharing of these business topics, and helping out with too.

Thanks so much for sharing time with LilacsNDreams. Until the next time I wish you all a Happy Day, and see you again soon. 

Google Plus Is it Needed and What is It

Google Plus Is it Needed, and What is It?

Hi there, and Welcome back to LilacsNDreams! Social Media has become a very big thing over time, it's fun, there are advantages for using with business, great way to socialize, way to get your brand name out there, meet people, make new friends, and to grow your businesses too. 

Google Plus is Googles Social Network. This had revolved to make some of the exiting Google products such as Gmail, Picasa, and Blogger socially compatible. When having a Google Plus account you will not have to sign into different sites, and into different accounts to share and update activities. Information, and your functions from all of these can be integrated right into your Google Plus. 

Thanks to Google the SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) has been changing. Google is interested with how businesses encourage personal interaction with their customers, and to see how activity can be generated by the buttons and links on your sites. 

Next thing many ask is why should I have a Google Plus when I already have Facebook. As with many things how many real friends do you have on Facebook? It is generally assumed that everyone is your friend, but this is not how your social circles actually work in real life. 

Google Plus allows you to categorize your friends, acquaintences, and so on with groups or better known as circles. Doing this you can treat each circle separately too. Yes, Facebook does allow some of the same things. But, their privacy settings are confusing, and always changing too. You don't have to follow someone who is following you with Google Plus. 

Google is the most powerful search engine compared to Bing, Yahoo, and so on. Of course businesses that use their products will naturally rate higher with their pages compared to those who don't. 

To do these things you will need a Google account, and with the one account you can do many of these things from there. The security is great with a Google account, and I myself have noticed that I am not spammed quite as much with it. 

So, do you have a Google Plus account? Do you also have Facebook? Do you have a preference with these, do you use them both, or are you only using one of them? I would love to hear some input with this as to what others are using, the good, the bad, and your experiences with this. 

Hey, thanks so much for sharing your time with LilacsNDreams! I enjoyed you visiting, and hope to see you again soon. Take care, and have a fabulous day everyone!

Social Media is Better Than Granny and Fun Too

Social Media is Better Than Granny, and sometimes a little bit more Fun Too.

Hi there! Welcome to LilacsNDreams! You know that now a days all you need is a computer, internet connection, and a browser for you to have the best of all worlds literally right at your finger tips. Knowing some of this we create Blogs, open up a Facebook page, set up Google+ to publish online, tweet with Twitter, pin on Pinterest, and so on. Then, you have the "global crowd" that will show up to read, maybe like your page, sometimes tell you well done, will comment back, converse with you, loved your photos, and appraise a good article or video. 

We take photos with smart phones, iPads, and post them to instagram. We pin images to Pinterest, we also do this with likes on Facebook, comments made on Blogs, and Twitter retweets. 

We are all human. We crave the attention, the encouragement, and the pat on the back sort of thing. Provide us with some positive feedback, give us a smile, and we will keep showing up having a go at it one more time. The Social Web provides a 2 way channel where we can publish, and receive the encouragement that drives us to maybe some potential greatness. We now have the tools for this, sometimes gaining more as days go by, and we now have the confirmation of the world wide web too.

All reasons for the online creativity, the expressions that are growing, and as we have noticed at a rapid pace too. This is why the Social Networks, or Social Medias have been touching with our souls, and minds.   

So, why would I mention that Social Networking would be better than Granny? Well, the global crowd that we have never seems to sleep. Think about how your friends on Facebook, your circles with Google+, the followers with Twitter, and your readers with your Blogs from the USA, Germany, South America, or wherever fill in the time gaps that Granny cannot match. Ummm, Grannies also need to nap (LOL), and the social crowd is always there 24/7. 

Blogging, Social Networking, Feedback, and encouragement will sometimes get me up early, and sometimes keep me up late reading, writing, researching, sharing, sometimes hearing a "wow" for what I shared, or even a "well done" gives me even more energy. I am often reminded why I like to Social Network with the few places that I do, and I have all of you to thank for that as well. With all of this I am growing, and keep learning. So, call me old fashioned if you like, but this is what I would consider to be the "Granny Effect".

Just some thoughts, and ideas that I thought I would share with all of you today. We often see people talking about Social Networking, and I thought maybe I would share kind of a light fun view into this idea. 

Hope you enjoyed, and happy to have you share your time with LilacsNDreams as always. Thanks again for visiting, and hope to see you again soon. Have a Happy Day everyone!

Social Media Facebook Google Plus Pinterest Twitter For Whom

Social Media, Facebook, Google Plus, Pinterest, Twitter, Blog, LinkedIn for business, pleasure, or both?

Social Media is a phrase often heard, seen, and dealt with today. You have Facebook, Google Plus, Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn, just to name a few. These days everyone seems to be posting to each other, tweeting, and pinning. Hey, even our grand parents are on Facebook now too.  Social Media has become a great way for us all to communicate.

For business Social Media is an excellent source that is a cost effective marketing tool to reach many people with. With just a click of a button you can feature deals, promote products, and just about any brand is using some form of Social Media for all of this. 

• FACEBOOK is a social network service that allows you to upload pictures, and share text.  

• GOOGLE PLUS is another social network that is a new service than Facebook. Here you can also upload pictures, text, and videos that you would like to share with others. You can share things publicly, or with different circles that have been organized by you. 

• PINTEREST is another form of social networking that you will find to be popular. With this site you use pin boards . . . like bookmarking . . . You share things you find of interest like vintage collectibles, handmade, repurposed, upcycled, recipes, blogs, websites, how to, and etc. 

• TWITTER is also considered social networking. Some see great benefits with using this site, and others are still confused by it. Here you do what others refer to as Tweeting things to everyone. These tweets are short, and only about 140 characters long. Read what people are saying, and you can join the conversation that is being shared. 

• BLOG is a platform provided by some places that people use to share thoughts, information, pictures, show links to different things, some use as journals, some use like a diary, and many use for their own personal interests and businesses. You have places like Blogger, Wordpress, Tumblr, and more that are popular by many according to your preference, and your goals. 

• LINKED IN is another social network site that is focused more for business relations. Like many other places on the internet is still growing, changing, and each time becomes better for those who prefer to use this place. 

Keep in mind that there is much more out there for Social Networks that were not mentioned here. The ones I have mentioned above are the ones that appear to be more popular at this time, that have had some great growth, and over time have improved. Like I always tell many people there are many great ones out there that everyone will talk about, and mention. Remember what one likes, or finds to work for them might not be the one for you. Something that you need to test yourself, spend some time with, depending on your goals, and see what is a good fit for you. 

How many of you use Social Networking? Do you use this for business, personal pleasure, or both? Would enjoy hearing your thoughts being shared with us all too. 

Hope you all had a great weekend, and thanks so much for sharing your time at LilacsNDreams. Take care, and see you all again soon. 

Social Media Selling and Best Practices

Social Media Selling and Best Practices

Hello, and Welcome to LilacsNDreams! Happy Hump Day to all of you visiting with me today! I know you often see things about Social Media, and there is a lot out there to read about this particular subject too. There are many choices for Social Media. Some use Social Media for ways of advertising their venues, showing links to their shops, so they can have back links to maybe their blogs, keeping in touch with family and friends, meeting new people, learning, sharing, and so many more things. 

I have often read about Social Media being an important factor for those who sell. There are many choices we can use for Social Media such as Google+, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and of course our Blogs too. I have recently made a sale that came from my Shoppe Blog page, and of course am thrilled with it too. Feels better than dealing with one of the other venues, and is much more personable dealing with customers too. Anyway, back to the subject at hand. Please read on everyone.

There are some general tips to consider when looking more into Social Media, and putting them into use for your business. 1) Evaluate the available tools before you start 2) Genuinely contribute to the conversation 3) Create a separate account for your business 4) Start small 5) Listen and engage 6) Cross-promote your social media channels 7) Do Not expect instant results.

Whew! I could write a book just about this alone with these tips, and then sharing a little bit about the places mentioned. Actually, there was some good things, and points that came within my Ebay Seller Information that I received. If you click on the link, and follow to that being shared by Ebay you will understand it more, get some good things from it, and hopefully it might help you just a little bit more in knowing what places maybe you should use, where to focus your energy with, and so on. I will note that in this list they did not mention anything about Pinterest, but I would also recommend that as a place to also consider in using with your social media as well. The place is growing, and is slowly expanding out with all that they are doing too.

Over time I have narrowed down which Social Medias I use, which ones I participate with, seen the ones I benefit more with, and which ones are helping me. Everyone will have their own choices, and own opinions of what works. Remember, the choices are yours to make, and use what you are comfortable with, and what you see is working for you.

I wish you all a wonderful Wednesday or Hump Day! Thanks so much for sharing your time with LilacsNDreams, and hope you enjoyed it. See you all again soon. Take care, and have a Happy Day!

Beware Bloggers, Careful of Pics You Use in Your Blogs

Beware Bloggers, Careful of Pics You Use in Your Blogs. This is something that is a growing issue, and that many people everywhere on the internet need to be careful of. 

Welcome to LilacsNDreams everyone, and glad to have you here. I apologize for being late today, extremely late it appears. I have been roaming through a few blogs, news flashes with yahoo, reading on google, and etc. There is a lot out there to see, and read. I could get lost with it sometimes too. Know what I mean? 

As Pinterest became more popular, the idea of pinning things you found on the internet was a neat idea! Sometimes we see something sooo cute we want to save that picture for a reminder, or to also share in other ways with others as well. As I have always mentioned, and have it noted in my side bar, I do not mind things being shared from here. It's an honor, and a privilege when someone wants to pass along what you have shared. But, keep mind that some of the pictures and articles from here are written by me, and sometimes things come from other places that I do respectfully try to note to you the names, places, and share the links with you too.

Pictures on the internet is a very big thing. Many like to view, many like to dream, others will share, some people copy the pictures for their needs, and will wrongfully say how it is something that they did. Keep in mind there are some people who make a living with their pictures, photographers, designers, artists, and so on. They also like to be seen as the rest of us do showing our work, what we found, and the things we can do, and are capable of doing too. So, why ruin it for those who trust that far with sharing things on the internet? 

I myself am a casual blogger, and I have learned my way into blogging by watching many others, reading what others had to offer, what they did, how they did it, etc. I learned soon that sometimes a post with a picture looked rather nice, and was quite appealing too. Kind of like eye candy in a store. Gets the attention, and is appealing to read further. Over time it appeared that many would get their pictures from images at google, and within other search engines too. Yes, some would share their own pictures as well. Along with these pictures some shared where they came from, or who they belonged to. Sometimes the pictures had nothing shared with them of where they originated from. With the pictures you would see different disclaimers being noted about using images, and etc. Yet, some of these things done is still not good enough to protect ourselves with. There is so much out there to learn about the copy right laws, about the photos that are actually approved to be used at random by others that we find, about using pictures of others without approval. Then, of course, the worst of it is what can, and will come of it when someone is sued by the original owner to the picture being used. 

With Fair Use it does not matter if you:
• link back to the source noting the photographers name
• you did it innocently
• if you have a disclaimer on your site
• if you didn't claim the photo was yours
• if you remove a picture upon request from your site it still does not remove you from what charges that they can still file against you

So many more things to mention, but know that it does not release you from liability. You are violating copyright if you have not gotten a permission from the copyright holder, or using the pictures of a public domain, creative commons, etc. 

So, what to do?
1.) If you are using images from the internet without approval on your blogs and places, know that you could be violating copyrights, and could be sued for it too. The chance of this really happening is not high, but it could really happen. 

2.) Need to search for photos that are approved for use without any issues. 
• Creative Commons photos that are free to use. This means that the photo would have to be attributed to the owner, and link back to their site.
• Wikimedia Commons has some free media files that anyone can use. 
• You could always buy a subscription to a stock photo site. Some of them can be pricey, so you might want to shop around too.
• Find photos that are in the public domain that can be used.

3.) You could also take your own photos, and share the love with others too. 

4.) As always use sites like Pinterest, or even Tumblr with caution. When you pin something to sites like that you are claiming you have a legal right to that picture. If by chance the owner of the photo would come after the company for violations, you will be the responsible party. 

5.) Safest thing to do would be to assume that all pictures you see have a copyright with it. If you are not 100% sure if you can legally use it, then don't use it. Better to be safe. 

So, please protect yourselves, and also remember to respect the rights of others. I am in no way someone with a legal background, but am offering you advice from many horror stories that have been read on the internet, and stories about some reporting of these things happening to them legally. Keep in mind that this does not only apply to blogging, but also places like Facebook too. I hope that maybe this will help you think a little bit before copying that next picture, maybe sharing something you are not suppose to share, and keep in mind the rights of others too.

Thanks so much for sharing your time with LilacsNDreams this evening. It has been a pleasure as always, and I look forward to you visiting again. Take care everyone, and see you again soon.

    

Social Media Tools Used For Vintage Handmade Homemade and More

Social Media Tools Used For Handmade Homemade and More.

LilacsNDreams Welcomes you. Recent postings have been discussing a bit about Social Media, and Social Networking, and I would like to continue a bit more with this subject. 

Today I will be noting some of the more popular social networks that are being used, and make a little note about them too. Please remember that these places mentioned are not all of them out there as there are so many of them. Just depends on your interests, your business, your personal thoughts and feelings, what your goals are, and so on. So, good luck to you in your choices, and please read on.

Social Media Networks to Maybe Consider:

Facebook:  This social networking service allows the users to upload pictures, and allows text to be shared too. What use to be Facebook Pages, and is now the Facebook Timeline allows you to have followers, or rather people who Like you. With this they can better follow you for your business, and stay better up to date on specials, events, announcements, etc. A regular Facebook page is how many start off to socialize with. Some do not desire to have the extra page, and do quite well too. 

Google+: This is another social network service which happens to be newer than Facebook also. Here you can also upload photos, text, and videos that you would like to share with everyone. When sharing such things they are done publicly, or you can also choose to only share with certain circles of your choice. Having a circle has been organized by you which are different groups of people that you wish to share with. 

Google+ Pages:  This is something that is organized by groups, some organizations, and some businesses that set up profiles for posting which will post information to other groups that would be interested. 

LinkedIn: Another social network that focuses a bit more with business relations.

Ning:  This is a social network that would be designed by you the administrator with the needs that you have in mind. This social network generally includes having a forum, photo galleries, blogs, some have live chit chat, and is a place for others to collect to that share some of the same interests, and same businesses too. It is a way to be active, and interact with others which can be beneficial, fun, and a learning experience for many as well. If you click on my Lets Get Social Tab at the to you can get an idea of what some of them do with some I have listed. 

Pinterest:  Has become another form of social networking which is quite popular now, and has grown pretty fast too. This form is done by using pin boards. You use a photo technique of things that you find of interest which might include vintage, collectibles, repurposing, upcycling, handmade, homemade, blogs, websites, and so on. Another great way to bookmark things you find of interest, for further reference, and also great in organizing some of your thoughts and ideas too. 

Wanelo:  This is another form of social networking using the pin board idea too. Here again you will pin, or save photos into collections that you have organized yourself. With Wanelo the difference is that you are openly allowed to do self promoting here too. 

Please remember that these are the most used, or more popular social networks that have been mentioned. There is much more out there to see, and find. Some days I surprise myself when I come across yet another social network, and am reminded how the internet is such a big place. 

Remember now if you would happen to know of more, or wish to bring more to the attention of all of us here you are more than Welcome to do so. Love to hear ideas, and more input from others that are willing to share with us. Don't forget to say Hi also so that if possible I can also hop over to visit with you. Thanks for sharing your time with LilacsNDreams, and see you again soon.