I’m stuck. During the last few weeks, I’ve logged on to Wordpress almost every day and attempted to write a new post. I have a total of 8 drafts just sitting there, staring back at me and I can’t seem to hit the publish button. I’m so focused on providing valuable content that I’m second guessing everything. Will they like this article? Will they find it useful? And by “they,” I mean you, the readers.
And you know who I’m going to blame for this? Seth Godin. Yes, it’s all his fault for getting all that remarkable stuff in my head. He says I’m boring. Yes, boring!
“If people aren’t discussing your products, your services, your cause, your movement or your career, there’s a reason.The reason is that you’re boring. And you’re probably boring on purpose. You have boring pricing because that’s safer. You have a boring location because to do otherwise would be nuts. You have boring products because that’s what the market wants.”Fine. I’m boring. How do I get unboring? I can’t just be a jewelry designer/blogger anymore. I have to be a remarkable jewelry designer/blogger. How do I find the edginess of jewelry? How do I make my business the biggest, fastest, weirdest, funniest or coolest?
Ready? Tell me how many times you’ve heard this line: “Unique, handmade jewelry and great customer service.” He’s right. It is boring. So while I figure out how to find my edge, I’d love to hear how YOU differentiate your business. What’s your edge?
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Look for the free prize, the bonus, the extra. It’s not the stone or the silver, it’s the way it’s sold, talked about, connected to the community…
You’re right…for my small scale business model I should find a way to connect with my customers that hasn’t been done before. That, or maybe create some mystery locations from which to sell my jewelry. What do you think?
Hi Alexandra,
Thank you for posting this. I’m so glad to see that I am not the only Jewelry Designer who is struggling with using the amazing information we collect!
I have been trying to post a Constant Contact Newsletter and have been having the same problem.I have decided to follow the “progress, not perfection” rule. I will simply post the “bloody” thing and tweek it as I go along.
I had to remind myself that the Jewelry I design and create now, is not the same as when I started. I will simply have to grow into this too.
You will get it done, but I understand.
BTW, you left out “using professional quality supplies” and “handcrafted” followed by the usual list of supplies.:-) I see your work as being inspired by a love of nature’s beauty and very organic.
Ha! How could I be so forgetful? What I meant to say was “handcrafted jewelry created from only the highest quality materials.”
With thousands of Etsy members, handcrafted stopped being unique a long time ago. It seems that jewelry only gets popular if a celebrity wears it. Isn’t that sad?