There I was sitting in my junior high computer class, sporting my huge glasses and side ponytail, practicing my typing skills on a bulky desktop computer, and diligently saving my work to a floppy disk. Mr. Hahn, my teacher, was introducing the class to this mystical thing called…the Internet. He said, “You know, someday you may even do your shopping on the Internet and your items will be delivered to your home.”
Whoa there, I thought, someone has been watching a little too much of The Jetsons. That.is.crazy.
And here we are…
I am so thankful we have the opportunity to start our own businesses over the Internet. An entire world of options has been opened to entrepreneurs. As a young mom, I am so grateful I can earn money and stay at home with my babies. And I am amazed at how the handmade community, especially, continues to find ways to create new opportunities.
I can’t wait to tell you about a new opportunity the handmade market Meylah is offering. It is an opportunity for both bloggers and sellers. In fact, making it easier for them to collaborate! Are you excited already?
Meylah originally launched their new Marketplace opportunity for Premium members. The member, or curator, hand-selects her favorite items and puts them together in a marketplace. Then, links the marketplace to their blog or Facebook and readers can buy directly from the site. The marketplace curator can earn a percentage of the revenue generated by the marketplace.
As of yesterday, Meylah has made Marketplace free! Giving you all of the features of a premium account plus no monthly subscription fees, no listing fees ever, and the opportunity to create your own marketplace and sell with your peers.
Now, why is this so amazing for your business?
Here are 5 Reasons you need to check out Meylah’s marketplace.
- Community-building. If you have been selling long at all, you know that building your community, or tribe, or readership, is the key to your success. When you form a marketplace, you are building a team of sellers who are trying to reach the same target market. Together, you can promote the smaller marketplace more effectively, and market each other.
- Add value. This one is important to bloggers. A marketplace is an excellent way to add value to your blog. It gives your readers just another reason to visit your site. It also gives them more reason to share your site with their friends! For example, if you were a knitting blogger, you could create a marketplace of your favorite patterns and yarns. Your followers respect your opinion and style. They are more likely to buy products from sellers that you recommend.
- Stand out in the crowd. Do you ever get tired of re-listing on Etsy just to keep from getting buried among other sellers? Marketplaces are smaller and more exclusive. They set you apart from the competition.
- Reach your target market. The marketplaces are curated with a certain customer in mind. If you are in the right marketplace then you are spending your marketing budget more effectively because you are reaching your target market. Back to the knitting example, if someone is reading a knitting blog, chances are they are knitters. If you sell knitting supplies, you have just reached your target market. Tada!
- Earn more money. I saved the best for last. Sellers who are in high-traffic marketplaces are going to make more sales. As a blogger or marketplace curator, you have found an additional revenue stream for your business. Everyone wins!
I am putting together a marketplace that showcases the best of the handmade wedding community for my blog, Woodlands Bride, right now. I am personally excited about the marketplace opportunity and I can’t wait to see how the innovators in the handmade community use them to grow their businesses even more!
Jennifer Tolbert — Woodlands Bride
Jennifer Tolbert is a mommy, freelance writer, graphic designer, and blogger. She spends her days juggling household chores and playing make-believe with her kiddos with writing and designing at night. She loves wildflowers, color palettes, and cooking. She recently launched Woodlands Bride, a wedding blog showcasing the best weddings of The Woodlands, Texas and surrounding area. (Bio photo courtesy of Freckled Egg Photography)
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thanks for this post, jennifer! i’ve been a fan of meylah on FB for a while. they have great resources. i’m so glad that you shared your knowledge with us
Great info- definitely checking them out!! Who wouldn’t love more traffic??
Great article Jennifer! We are all smiling over here at Meylah…thank you for the wonderful explanation! And, congratulations on your new marketplace, Woodlands Bride, it’s amazing!
Thanks Lynn and Sarah! It’s so fun to share an amazing resource! Sometimes it can be tricky to find unique ways to add value to your blog!
Jason- meylah is an incredible resource! Thank you for making it available!
Hi Jenn,
Thanks for sharing this article. Showcase Seattle is also using Meylah’s marketplace solution to help our local artist community to attract global audiences. We are using Meylah’s solution as a showcase platform to showcase our local artists work. It is fantastic and cool!! They made it so easy for us to make this program scalable.
Thank you so much for this post Jennifer! Thanks for chiming in Jason and for offering this great new feature!
Chaitra – Thank you for sharing how you are using Marketplace. I am so impressed and excited that you are using this to showcase local artists. You rock!
It sounds awesome. I am definitely going to have a look.
I’m going to give Meylah a shot! It sounds like a great opportunity. Love your Woodlands Bride site. Our wedding was out in a wooded area in Oregon and I loved it!