Martha Stewart Shop Feature: Three Lessons Learned

This blog post contains affiliate links. Click here for Accented Glory's Affiliate's Disclosure.
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Entrepreneurship can be a rollercoaster ride! It has ups, downs, and loops. I've experienced all three with my women's fashion accessory brand Accented Glory. Too often, entrepreneurs only share about the ups. I believe in keeping it real and share the good, the bad, and lessons learned. 

I recently shared one of my lessons learned with my online community Digital Marketing On A Budget for creative women entrepreneurs. In May of 2019, one of my designs was featured on Martha Stewart Shop as an Etsy Find. I know you're probably thinking that is amazing news and it was! I was so excited when I learned about it, however it was also a missed opportunity. See below the three lessons I learned from the experience. 

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1. ​As you can see from the photo I probably missed some sales. Trust me, "Opps...This Product Is Currently Unavailable" is not what you want to see on a feature this major. When I initially set-up my online shops, I listed quantity of one on all my designs because I was managing three shops and all my designs are handcrafted. Low quantities made managing inventory much easier and I didn't need as much. The creation of my designs was also at a manageable pace. This experience helped me realize that doing this could cause me to miss sales. Now I have a manufacturing system that enables me to have multiple quantities of my popular designs...Lesson Learned.
2. Of all the times my designs been featured, I've only been notified TWICE! For most publications, the turn around on articles is fast. Journalist use your website, media kit, and other online information to create write up for your feature. All the more reason to be consistent with social media posting and keeping your information updated. Now I have Google alerts set-up for my name and brand names, so I don't miss future features...Lesson Learned.
3. When my designs are featured, I normally do a promotional campaign highlighting the feature. I missed my opportunity to promote my Martha Stewart Shop feature. Once the design sold out, the featured post was archived. Because of lessons 1 and 2, I've been able to better optimize my features...Lesson Learned.

​As a mother and small business coach I always tell my children and clients, there are no failures if you learn from the experience. Experiences are building blocks for success!

Tonya Cross - Accessory Designer

What are some lessons you've learned from your experiences?

Accented Glory's design that was featured as an Esty Find on Martha Stewart Shop is our Double Cowrie Shell Adjustable Headband! Check it out in our Amazon Shop by clicking shop now below. 

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