Wholesalecrafts.com provides the artists on the site with tools to promote their work. We all know that it’s not enough to be here, sit and wait. We must let the buyers know that we are here and for that, we have:
- a quarterly printed magazine called the Buyer’s Guide. This publication is not available in kiosks.
It is mailed to the enrolled retailers, as well as distributed to major trade shows.
The magazine is basically made of artists ads. There is a fee for the artists to be in the BG, varying from $400 to $2000, depending of the size of their ad.
Participating to the BG is voluntary and open to all artists on the site. No jury. You pay, you’re in! - co-op advertising in magazines like Gift Shop Magazine, Inspired Retailer, Niche, American Crafts…
The co-op is one or two pages of ads in the publication where artists share the cost. It is pretty much inexpensive, starting in the $150 range depending on the size of the ad.
Participating to the co-op advertising is available to all artists on the site. No jury. You pay, you’re in! except that when space is limited, preference is given to artists who are also participating in the BG. - a bi-weekly feature ad (thumbnail size with link to your page) in the wholesalecrafts.com newsletter to retailers. It costs $15 to be in. Same as with all the others, no jury, you pay, you’re in.
Participation is limited to 2 features ads a month. In addition of the inclusion in the newsletter, there is also inclusion for a week on the buyer’s welcome page. - a premium feature ad where your photo is randomly displayed on the buyer’s pages. It costs $140 for 3 months.
All of that adds up very fast, so you may wonder of this is worth it…
The bi-weekly feature ad is pretty much inexpensive and gives you a good bang for your bucks. As per wsc.com staff and many artists, it is one of the best ways to reach retailers and to keep your name in front of them.
I have done it many times and this is correct that it brings a lot of traffic to my page.
I have never tried the premium feature ad as am not convinced of its efficiency (personal opinion) but I plan to give it a shot someday.
I love the co-op advertising. It allows to have a presence in major publications for a very low cost. I have had some good contacts from co-op advertising.
And last but not least, the Buyer’s Guide…. it is not cheap, but many artists swear that it’s the best investment we can make.
I think one of the best thing about it is that it’s not a disposable publication. Buyers keep older Buyer’s Guides and refer to them. They also use it to check if artists are here to stay.
There are issues better than others, and it’s different for each artist. There are photos that will appeal, while others won’t.
Basically, it’s a lot of trial and error (and therefore a lot of time and money) to find what works for you but I think that viewed as a long term investment, it is worth it. As they say… it takes money to make money.
So far, my personal experience is lukewarm. But, and this is a big but, I am on the site since a bit more than a year only, thus still in my trial and error phase. And let’s stop to ignore the elephant in the room, it could not be a worse time to start!!
My plan: bite the bullet and keep trying.
Next post will be about the ACRE show.
A bientôt,
Patricia
© 2009 – Unleash the Spirit of Glass!
