themerriweather council blog

February 5, 2019

Episode 083: All Product Sellers are Marketers, Too

Product Sellers are Marketers

Product seller, you are also a marketer. Did you know that?

Sometimes I read things on the internet that really bum me out (as I’m sure you do, too.) One thing I see consistently in the handmade communities I am part of is this idea that product sellers wouldn’t, couldn’t or shouldn’t learn from certain people or implement certain strategies because they wouldn’t apply.

In some cases, that is true. There is basically no reason for a person who sells handmade products to go and take a cookie course with the expectation that it would directly influence their product business. But then again, that is not usually what’s being floated as a possibility that people are knocking.

Marketing a Product is Like Marketing a Service

No, instead, what I see is comments like “that’s for service based businesses” or “this is for marketers” or similar sentiment. Basically alluding to the idea that if you sell a product, you wouldn’t / couldn’t / shouldn’t pay attention to certain things… they don’t apply to you.

WHOA, NELLY. Not cool, y’all. Not cool.

Business is business. At the end of the day – it doesn’t actually matter what you are selling. If you sell something, you are a marketer. Or at bare minimum: you have to be. Whether you want to call yourself one or not, it’s best to get comfortable with the fact that you are a marketer. And marketing a service is not all that different from marketing a product.

That’s what today’s episode is about.

It’s short and sweet and to the point. An episode of tough love. Have a listen.

Episode 082: Launching a New Product Line

Amy’s used her personal experiences to identify a gap in the market and create a new product. Listen to learn about launching a new product line.

It’s always a treat when I get to chat with people who I’ve known for years online but never actually SPOKE to. How crazy does that sound, really?

Launching a New Product Line to Fill a Gap in the Market

On today’s episode I am speaking with Amy Richards of Amy Richards Illustration. She is one of my Etsy Training Course students AND she is a Council Member. Most importantly she is a super talented artist with a lot of passion.

Amy’s used her personal experiences to identify a gap in the market and create a product that will speak to others who feel that gap. I think this is something all small business owners should constantly be trying to do – this is where small businesses come from. I hope you feel inspired by her story!

In this episode:

Meet Amy
Amy’s new product line inspired by her journey through sobriety
How Amy planned and produced this line
What Amy is doing to prep for launching this new line
Amy shares a little bit about being a Council Member
More!

Thanks so much for listening, and be sure to check Amy’s shop and follow her on Instagram.

What I Learned About “Self Care” in 2018 and My Experience with TalkSpace App

I’m discussing how the TalkSpace App helped me cope through hard times in 2018. I truly hope that someone who needs to hear this, hears it today.

Can I be honest for a minute? Hope so because I’m going to be. I really debated whether or not to publish this episode. I recorded it. I sat on it. I thought about it. I decided not to post it. Then I had second thoughts. Then I spoke to a few people about it. Then I decided to edit it and see how I felt. Then I decided not to publish it. Then I spoke to the people again. Then I decided to publish it.

So. 2018 … not a great year, honestly. 7/10 would not repeat.

TalkSpace App

In this episode I’m discussing one of the tools I used to cope. I truly hope that someone who needs to hear this, hears it today and feels a little bit more confident or motivated to get help if they believe they could benefit from it.

You can find the TalkSpace App in the App store and on Facebook.

My Experience with the TalkSpace App

You will hear me talk about a dark time I experienced in 2018, albeit vague as I chose to spare you the nitty gritty details and my experience with digital therapy. Since that took up sufficient time, I did not extrapolate on what happened next in this episode. So, please know that I am feeling MUCH better these days. The dark time that was causing me a lot of turmoil has mostly ended and I am better equipped for dealing with myself.

It’s important to note that there were some significant highlights in 2018, including seeing my beloved Backstreet Boys in Vegas before they end their residency, being a bridesmaid in my beautiful friend Meagan’s wedding and moving to one of the most wonderful places I have ever lived. So don’t you worry about me. AS Taylor Swift would say, “I’m doing better than I ever was.”

And just so you know, this episode is completely not sponsored in any capacity. No one asked me to do this, no one paid me to do this. No one is getting a commission or points or credit from this. This is just a plain and simple recap of my good experience with a service.