CheapTweet Blog

A recap of the interesting stories and articles we tweeted about in the past week.

If you’re looking for a gift for your kid’s teacher, check out this great set of creative and thoughtful ideas for 20 Simple Teacher Gifts from @247moms.

Here’s an interesting list of 9 Ways to Find Twitter Users in Your Town from Mashable.

Our newest seller interview is up! Check out our conversation with Sharon Paradiso, a jewelry designer from Atlanta, Georgia (@seedlingstweets).

REI’s Passport to Adventure program looks like great summer outdoor fun for kids.

And finally, one more list.  This one explains 5 Awesome Tools To Track Trends On Twitter from @MrTweet.

A lot’s been going on in the CheapTweet offices lately!  We’ve had a busy spring and are gearing up for a great summer. Here’s a rundown on some of the recent changes.

Smarter and faster search

Our search keeps getting smarter and faster. If you haven’t tried searching for something specific on CheapTweet, you should definitely give search a try.

Easier advertising

You can now buy advertising on CheapTweet directly from our website. We accept PayPal and all major credit cards.  It’s never been easier or more affordable to advertise on CheapTweet.

Deals in your city

You can now see where a seller is located and browse other sellers in that location. For example, here are the sellers located here in Austin, TX. If you see a seller you like, click on their name and see where they’re tweeting from.

More blog content

We’re adding tons of new features to this blog! You’ve probably seen our weekly faves and saves already, where we highlight some of the coolest deals we found on CheapTweet throughout the week. We’re also incredibly excited about our new seller interview. We’re interviewing local, independent and handmade sellers and posting those interviews here.  We’re also posting interesting links and articles as we find them, as well as writing about our perspective on Twitter, saving money, and e-commerce.

Measure your tweet’s reach

Ever wonder how many people saw something you tweeted? One of the coolest things about Twitter is how a tweet travels around, being retweeted and replied to. If you want to track that path, check out TweetReach, an app we developed to help people, brands and companies measure a tweet’s reach.

Our next seller interview is with Sharon Paradiso (@seedlingstweets), who designs and sells the jewelry at  Seedlings: Jewelry Because.  Sharon says she designs and creates jewelry as an escape. She’s been involved in website design and creation since the mid-1990s, after getting a degree in music composition. You can find her jewelry on her Seedlings Jewelry website and on Etsy. She also has a blog and is on Twitter.

How did you get started making jewelry?

I started making jewelry for myself because I was interested in the process and thought I could do a comparable (or better) job than what I saw at retail stores. When people started asking me where I bought my jewelry and I was wearing pieces I made, I would usually just give them what I was wearing or make them a pair. Friends and family started insisting on paying me and Seedlings was born.

Tell us a little bit about your jewelry.  What sorts of pieces do you specialize in?

I feel like a kid with too much candy at the moment, so many ideas and all of them begging to be created! However, I’m drawn to silver and copper, pearls, shells, glass (love me some sea glass and recycled glass such as krobo beads from Ghana), and amber. I love making custom pieces from random ideas too and get a lot of requests to just ‘whip up something in orange.’

I adore earrings and that has been my focus for awhile but the challenge of bracelets, necklaces and more is just too strong of a lure. This month I’m rolling out rings, stitch markers, maybe a tiara…who knows! I also recently did a custom order for a wedding that was a fun project so I plan on expanding specific designs for brides.

Beyond learning about as much as I can for materials and techniques — including metalsmithing, chainmaille, lampworking — my goals include using recycled metals, fair trade or ethically sourced materials, and using less toxic chemicals for my processes (more important now that I’m getting into metalsmithing).

Where do you get your inspiration?

Typically it will start with a particular material such as some cool amber beads I found recently that look like little tree trunks. My brain will noodle on different ideas and I’ll either sketch out what I want to try or I’ll attempt it with craft wire first. Sometimes it will be the reverse i.e. the ‘make me something in orange’ request so I’ll start piecing together what I have on hand to see if anything just jumps out at me.

I’ve found that usually what I think is really cool, I’m the only one who does! It’s always my happy accidents that are popular with everyone else (like Peas and Carrot earrings). So I try to just let ideas flow out of my brain and not worry about what will happen.

How do you market or promote your store?

Everywhere and in every way imaginable! I have a huge network of family and friends that help with that too by passing along information about the website, passing out cards, and wearing my jewelry. I try to thank them as much as possible with test pairs (plus having a group of folks who give honest feedback is fantastic).

Social network sites such as Facebook have been great to stay in touch with customers and I use that plus a monthly e-mail newsletter to let them know about special sales or promotions ahead of the rest of the world.

I recently joined an Etsy street team, Team NorGa, that has been amazingly supportive and helpful in a variety of ways. Working with other folks who are going through the same things as myself and learning from their experiences or being inspired by their words is invaluable.

How do you use Twitter to help with your jewelry-making and your business?

At first I was very skeptical of how Twitter would be helpful or even interesting. I remember had a long conversation with my mom where I told her straight up I would never use Twitter…oh how that makes me giggle now. To be sure, it still seems a bit raw in how a lot of folks use it and for those people who are just, ‘here’s my ad, buy this, buy more, oh and this too,’ hopefully they quickly learn that is not the way to do things.

I primarily use Twitter to meet other crafty folks, get exposed to what they are doing, and just generally be helpful and share what I’m doing. The neat side effect is that it has had an impact on my business. I am just myself and typically pretty silly but I’m having fun! I do post links to what I’m working on and when I have new designs up, when I have weekend specials, that sort of thing.

Do you have any tips or advice for someone just getting started with her/his own store?

Find an active street team or guild based in your area or around your focus (such as eco-friendly) as it can really make a difference. You won’t feel like you are stabbing in the dark on so many things!

Set aside specific time to focus on your craft and separate it from the business end of things. When you find yourself more worried about your blog rather than your latest designs, it’s time to rethink.

Hopefully you are in a position where you don’t have to worry about sales, so don’t. Take the time to get your shop set up with good information, good photos, a consistent brand or design, and then get busy — take the plunge!

Talk to as many people as you can about their experiences and listen to what they have to offer for advice. Be friendly and helpful in return when you meet people who are going through the same as you. Give back as much as you can either monetarily (to your favorite cause — mine is Heifer International) or by sharing what you know, which includes tutorials or by featuring your favorite artisan’s work.

At CheapTweet, we love to talk to people who run their own businesses and sell things they make. If you’re interested in being interviewed for our blog, please send us an email!

A big thank you to this week’s sponsors!

CheapStingyBargains.com
Designs Are Unique
Freebie Princess
Product Samples By Mail
Sunshine Rewards
VacationRentals.com
Visual Apex
Webbyplanet.com
Wish Children’s Boutique

If you want to sponsor CheapTweet, get more advertising info here. It’s easy and affordable!

For this week’s faves and saves, it’s all about babies. Check out these deals on all kinds of baby-related items.

Custom baby sling for $30 with free shipping from @sugarbugslings

Green tots organic bib is 20% off from @turtleparktots

Handmade baby booties are 15% off from @kraftylady

Diaper cakes are currently 25% off from @diaperchef

Funny onesies, like this chunky monkey onesie, are 10% off from @journey2baby

A recap of the interesting stories and articles we tweeted about this week.

If you’re new to Twitter, you might want to check out these seven informative Twitter Tutorials on YouTube from Mashable.

Get Elastic asks the question: Is free shipping more attractive than a dollar discount?  The answer? Yes, free shipping is more attractive to most shoppers.

Read our inaugural CheapTweet seller interview with Tracy Owens Chasteen (@polishedtwo), a jewelry designer in Austin, TX.

A big list of 30 deal hunters to follow on Twitter from Savings.com. Actually, there are  others added in the comments, so it’s more like 50 deal hunters to follow.

CheapTweet is free for anyone to use. And it’s always going to be free to get your deals on our site. But if you want more visibility for your deals, we offer several paid ways for you in get your deals in front of more people. Advertising on CheapTweet is easy and affordable. You can now order ads straight from our website.

We’ve made it easy to buy ads, so for a limited time we’re making it easy to get more for your money! For every 1,000 impressions you buy we’re giving away 100 free if you use coupon code CT1002.

How does it work?

1. Go to our advertising page, pick your ad type and click one of the “Buy Now” buttons
2. Click “Enter CheapTweet Coupon Code” on the Review Your Payment page and enter CT1002 into the box and we’ll throw in 100 additional impressions for every 1,000 you buy. Buy 5,000, get 5,500. Buy 10,000, get 11,000!

Advertising on CheapTweet is a bit different than advertising on other sites. We pull our ad text straight from your Twitter profile. This means you need a Twitter account to advertise on CheapTweet. You can choose to promote your Twitter profile with a sidebar ad or a specific tweet with a sponsored tweet.  Examples of both types of ads are shown below.

If you have any questions about advertising on CheapTweet, let us know. And stay tuned, as we’re soon going to be offering lots of new ways to increase your deals’ visibility on CheapTweet.

Today marks the beginning of another CheapTweet blog feature – a weekly interview with a local or independent seller or small business owner.  We’re always looking for new people to interview, so let us know if you’d like to participate!

Our first interview is with Tracy Owens Chasteen (also know as @polishedtwo on Twitter). Tracy designs one-of-a-kind pottery shard jewelry, vintage-inspired earrings, and whimsical accessories in her Austin, Texas studio and sells these affordable handmade items through her online Etsy shop at http://polishedtwo.etsy.com.  You can also find her on Flickr and MySpace and see all of Tracy’s deals on CheapTweet.

1. How did you get started making and selling jewelry?

I started making jewelry about 10 years ago. I had been doing crafts ever since I can remember so it was just a matter of time before I got my hands on some beading projects. I tend to see interesting things in boutiques and think “I can make that!” I started out stringing beads on elastic just to make colorful stretch bracelets, but I had my eye on bigger and better projects. I really wanted to make chunky necklaces with big, bold pendants. I did some research on materials, read a lot of beading magazines and tutorials, and took an instructional class led by a jewelry-making friend. Meanwhile, I amassed large quantities of beads in every shape and color!

In the past decade, I’ve made thousands of pieces of jewelry. Selling these creations was just a natural extension of my hobby since I couldn’t possibly keep everything I made. My online shop opened less than three years ago when I realized I needed a venue that would accommodate my busy schedule with the added flexibility to sell worldwide. I still show off my creations to my family and friends and always hope they’ll buy from me, but my Etsy shop offers greater selling potential.

2. Tell us a little bit about your jewelry. What sorts of pieces do you specialize in?

I call my jewelry colorful and eclectic—with a bit of whimsy—but I really specialize in statement pieces. I’m a big fan of chunky, bold necklaces and love using large, colorful pendants as a focal point. I was drawn to Ming Dynasty pottery shards when I saw them on truly unique necklaces in a local boutique years ago. The necklaces were exceptional pieces that were out of my price range, but my “I can make that!” mindset set me on the path to make my own jewelry. I love to work with these colorful porcelain pieces because I can lay them in a pile of bead strands and see the designs emerge. Other designs come out of my own needs—like wanting to have a different pair of earrings for any outfit in my closet—or thinking of ways to recycle vintage pieces and parts from abandoned or long-lost jewelry collections that have been hidden away in a drawer for decades.

3. Where do you get your inspiration?

I’m often inspired by shopping trips, especially a long day at a big flea market. I have to bring a notebook with me! I’ll see lots of great vintage materials and find inspiration in their history. I have to jot things down so I’ll remember how I want to use them when I get back to my studio. I love working with vintage buttons and jewelry parts – giving them new life in a modern piece of jewelry. The quality of vintage materials makes them great for recycling into new designs. I really like to mix old and new, so I’ll combine vintage parts with new materials to get my latest inspired designs. I also get inspired by the chaos of life. Some of my best necklace designs have sprung from a wild mix of orphan beads on my desk after a long, busy week when I haven’t put everything away. It may look like a mess to someone else, but I tend to find the most interesting and unexpected color combinations in an intermingling, wild pile of beads!

4. How do you market or promote your store?

My best promotional tools are new designs and great customer service. I find that personally thanking each customer, offering quick and affordable shipping, and making sure I always have something new in my shop has kept my customers coming back. To get the word out and attract new customers, I generally rely on social networking resources to promote my store. They’re free to use, so I am able to keep my designs affordable by not having a big marketing and advertising budget. I do this by being active on the Facebook, MySpace, and Flickr communities.

5. How do you use Twitter to help with your jewelry-making and your business?

Twitter has been an amazing resource for my business as a whole by opening up a new community of networking. Twitter offers immediate information without filling anyone’s email account. I use Twitter to show off my new Etsy listings as I add them to my shop—and also to give a sense of my personality. I let people know what I’m up to and how my day is occupied, even when I’m not making jewelry. Before I discovered Twitter, I had opened up a traditional blog site, but I never felt like I was interesting enough or had enough time to write compelling content when I really just wanted to be making jewelry. Twitter is great because I can always answer the question “What are you doing?” and keep it short. I can make a quick connection with my network—posting what I’m doing and reading a few posts to see what others are Tweeting about—then run off and make something!

6. Do you have any tips or advice for someone just getting started with her/his own store?

My number one piece of advice would be “Do what you love!” I say this because when you open your own store, you are going to work at it more hours than you ever imagined. This is true with starting any business of your own. But if you love it, you can put your time in and personally feel the rewards of doing something that makes you happy. One other piece of advice would be to gain a true understanding of your target market and what speaks to them. If you want to sell what you have in your store, you have to be where your customers are. People who appreciate handmade are shopping on Etsy, so that’s where you’ll find me. And handmade buyers are active and vocal all over Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter—so when I’m not working/making jewelry, I’m interacting in those communities as an extension of my store. Be active in the communities where you find your shoppers and become a part of their networks. People like to buy from people they know, so making these connections is an important part of successful selling.

At CheapTweet, we love to talk to people who run their own businesses and sell things they make. If you’re interested in being interviewed for our blog, please send us an email!