Wednesday, April 2, 2008

MySpace….must I?


In the course of joining Etsy, I’ve learned so much about online presence and online sales. It’s why I started this blog (my personal blog is just TOO personal…and no, I won’t link to it here). It’s also why I joined Flickr – which I will admit I’m now addicted to, although originally it was supposed to help drive sales.
It's called a "bunny suit"...that cracks me up!

I’ve recently joined IndiePublic and BlogCatalog (see those icons on the left??), and while I’ve found more fun blogs to read – and have slogged my way through many more mediocre ones in the hopes of fun – again, the ultimate goal is to spread the link love, and perhaps drive some people here (and ultimately to my etsy or ebay sites).

So it’s with great trepidation that I read posts on Etsy’s Forums about MySpace. I have enough freakin’ stuff to do already! I mean, yes, for the most part blogging is fun, reading other blogs is fun…but there’s an element of WORK to it as well. If I’m sick, or tired, or swamped at my day job – I still have to find the time to do it! My online presence is just to new and fragile, it needs fed and cared for daily. Where am I supposed to find the time to create and maintain a MySpace page?

And to be honest…I don’t wanna! (Stomping feet like angry toddler) I have a few friends on MySpace (real, offline friends that is)….and their pages are either blank (new mom friend) or filled with silly stuff that reminds me of high school (sorry Daredevil Diva). I’m truly concerned that, even if I spend the time to do it, I won’t see any benefit…or worse, it will be so goofy and unprofessional that it will actually do damage to my business. I mean, heck, I’m a thirty-something scientist…it just doesn’t seem RIGHT to join all those college and high-school kids!

Anybody on MySpace who wants to prove me wrong? All the MySpace people I know seem like cultists to me.

“You gotta join, it’s great” “We have cookies after the leader speaks on YouTube!”

Me, at end of work day

So send me your links, tell me why I’m crazy/silly/stupid. Or maybe, MySpace refugees…tell me why I’m RIGHT to stay away!

7 comments:

capitolagirl said...

I have a MySpace and I get a fair amount of blog traffic from it. I was on the fence about it at first too. Working a day job and having a side business is a challenge. My advice would be to weigh the factors and time constraints out and pick only the things that work for you. There are just as many successful jewelry sellers with a MySpace and without :-)

A Keeper's Jackpot said...

Flickr, Blog Catalog, Blogger, it gets so addicting LOL, I can't keep up anymore :)

Unknown said...

I feel you on this one Amber! I am in the same boat, being a new Etsy seller/blogger/etc. and the thought of making a MySpace page as well just makes me tired.

I have heard that it brings in traffic and sales so maybe once I get a little more settled with the blogging and maintaining the shop I'll work on alternate advertising projects. Right now I am way too overwhelmed.

TexasTesla said...

You and me both Tracey! I actually went to the MySpace mainpage last night, but couldn't bring myself to click "join"...

Perhaps I should start a small one, and go find Capitola for help!

:-)

DreamON said...

My family would move out if I spent any more time on the computer. I don't know how you do it! Good Luck.

Amanda said...

I have a pages on Myspace, FaceBook, Friendster, and now Twitter. They take up WAAAAY too much of my time, but I enjoy the networking aspect with my real life friends. I have never in the past 3 yrs of being on those sites gotten a single sale from them.

Like any other thing, there are big trends on the internet, and each social networking site fades in and out of popularity. Myspace, especially seems to be on its way out.

Twitter seems to be the new one, and it takes a lot less time to setup and maintain, since it's just a newsfeed. Check out my page if you want to see how it works: http://twitter.com/breadandbadger

I think having a blog is probably the best thing you could do, especially if you enjoy it. :)

The Beading Gem said...

I so agree. All these social interacting things take a lot of time. It's not possible to do them all. So pick only those you enjoy. For me, it is the blogging.