Assignment 1, Bootcamp #5 - Backlinks Basics

[iCraft Admin]

Hello Bootcampers,

We are starting this week with Link Building Basics.

It's not an easy topic, so we'll take this week to educate ourselves on it. Next assignment will be listed next Monday, so this Bootcamp will be at a much slower pace than normal to accommodate people that don't have time for daily assignments. However, we could chat all week about this assignment to help you learn.

Your first assignment is to learn the basics, ask us questions and think what link building strategies would work for you.

1. Read this Beginners Guide to Link Building and any other resources you find online. Just google "Link Building".

2. Think how you'd use link building to promote your store and ask us questions, if you are not sure about something.

3. Since we have new people joining this Bootcamp, we need to know what online marketing you are doing right now.
Please list all Social media sites that you are using on the regular basis (list your accounts, so we could all follow you), list your blogs, forums and any other online communities that you belong to.

Please list your answers no later than this Friday, April 5th.

[JaJeJems]

Ok I am here and ready to start!

[Jewelry by Kat]

If this is the basics of link building I am in trouble.  I have read and re read and went on internet too.  The only thing I really understand is keywords,social networking and using your blog as a link.  The rest is not clear to me. Hope you make it easy to understand..........Kat

[iCraft Admin]

Hi Kat,

Yes, I'll try to explain things in a more simple terms, but I'd like to ask you to post more specific questions.

[iCraft Admin]

Could everyone please check-in, so I know how many people are participating? Thanks!

[Jewelry by Kat]

Kat

[Red Rock Designs]

I am.....Bibi

[Red Rock Designs]

Not sure if # 3 is for new bootcampers only…but in any case here are my social media sites that I use (not daily but multiple times a week):

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Red-Rock-Designs/213914158654539

Twitter: https://twitter.com/redrockdsgns

Pinterest : http://pinterest.com/redrockdesigns1/

Blog - Tumblr: www.redrockdesigns.tumblr.com.  Also posting on iCraft blog about once a month or so.

Since our last bootcamp I’ve joined Instagram: redrockdsgns

Some sites that I’ve registered for but haven’t really used are Google+, Flickr and MAILLE which is a forum for chainmaille - sharing photos, tutorials, general discussions.

I initially started following other jewelry makers only, but have since expanded to any vendors who make handmade items, as well as DIY projects. I’ve seen a big difference in the amount of page views and reblogs. And I’m getting more followers more frequently than before.  The only site where I have trouble getting followers is Facebook.

I do have a question though….on photo sharing sites like Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram, is it wise to post the same pictures on all 3 sites, or should we use different sites to show a different focus?  For example, on Pinterest I’ve been re-pinning other vendor’s products, food, travel; on Facebook the photos are more my jewelry, creative process, custom orders; and on Instagram there’s some jewelry, some day to day pics.   

Should we have a different focus for each site or keep it the same for all sites ie) if we promote handmade, then it’s handmade across the board, or if we promote DIY, then its DIY, or if we promote only paper products, then paper products across the board…and so on.

[iCraft Admin]

The short answer - it depends!
It's good to mix up things, but its also good to have somewhat focused conversations. You just need to monitor what your followers on different social media sites respond to better and where you get most comments (which probably leads to clicks) on your product photos, that's where you post them.

[iCraft Admin]

And yes, those instructions are for everyone to list all of your social media accounts and tell us what you've been doing to promote your store so far. We want to have all this info as part of this Bootcamp, so we don't have to replacement through old conversations. Thanks!

[Jewelry by Kat]

I post to google and twitter bi weekly and pinterest when I make something new. Twitter posts to rebelmouse when I post to twitter.  When I post to listia it also posts on twitter and rebel mouse.  Listia is an auction site where I promote my store auction small jewelryand send business cards to the winners.  I still have craft fairs.  Here are my social sites:

http://twitter.com/jewelrybykat

http://plus.google.com/jewelrybykat

http://www.facebook.com/jewelryandmorebykat

http://www.rebelmouse.com/jewelrybykat

http://pinterest.com/jewelrybykat

http://jewelrybykat.net/blog/

[JaJeJems]

Here are mine:

www.pinterest.com/jajejems 
www.vimeo.com/jajejems - never used
www.twitter.com/jajejems
http://www.facebook.com/pages/JaJeJems/176831249094460?ref=hl
http://plus.google.com/jajejems

I signed up for Indiepublic but have never used it either.

I also belong to 3 jewellery groups on LinkedIn, subscribe to to Social media marketing and Rena Klingenberg's  jewellery newsletter.  I blog occasionally on icraft and on my Google blog spot which I can't find half the time myself.  I only have one follower there - not a great success!  I find that in general Google is very confusing.  My usual pattern is to add new items to Google plus, then pin them and tweet the pin which automatically goes on my Facebook page.  I am usually on Twitter and Facebook daily, Pinterest every few days, google plus occasionally other than posting items.

We now have a website of our own www.jajejems.com where I can blog and my goal is to start blogging there in addition to icraft.  Other promotions include craft shows, taking part in activities at bead shops in the area.

[iCraft Admin]

JaJeJems,

Sites that you don't use, don't count!

[JaJeJems]

Suppose you have a point!  Thought someone might encourage me to use them!

[Fairy Cardmaker]

I'm here.  I read the article.  It was hard to digest.

I will try to spend time on the weekend grafting the article on to my situation.

My promotional activity has ceased completely as I am too busy.  But, I have accounts with:
1. Blogger - still my prefferd medium so I have continued to post there.  Previously minimum of once a week, but now every other week.  I usually show what I've been working on, sometimes for personal use, sometimes for store, sometimes artistic charity work.
http://www.fairycardmaker.com/

2. Twitter - started for last bootcamp.  Not very fond of it.  Seems spammy.  I may use it just to post my blog posts.
@FairyCardmaker

3. Google + - started it ages ago, don't understand it at all.  Only use it because my blog auto posts to it.
https://plus.google.com/u/0/102409086076143088255/posts

4. I have also used Project Wonderful in the past and seen some clicks over to my shops from it for very small advertising dollars.

5. I have a vimeo channel.  I like videos (love watching others) but I don't have oodles of time to make them and edit them.
https://vimeo.com/user10010154