Video is definitely a MUST When Selling Craft Items

(Warning:  Some of the links below may contain affiliate information.  I may receive a commission for that link. For a full explanation, please see my disclosure page. Thank you.)

Ok, you must be wondering what am I up to now?  Let me set the scene…

I need to pay for the last bit of my September cruise to the islands (The Caribbean that is).  Now I know what you are thinking and I will not address that AT this time.  Maybe when I share one of my personal journal moments one day but not right now.  Besides, by the time I get at least a temp job (which is what I am looking for when I say I want to work with clients anyway), it is time to make my last payment on June 1^st.  What must a girl do to get her hands on some cash besides begging the financial gods (AKA banks, credit unions, and those check cashing places), relatives, or going to the local casino?  How about getting rid of some stuff you are no longer using?  AKA giving them a good home.  

So, I started with my Longaberger business and the art of getting rid of every basket, pottery, or wrought iron piece that I do not like, or no longer can house in my 2-bed condo.  Besides that, I can also use the leftover money to buy the baskets and pottery that I DO want, but was not able to get, even with my discount as a consultant.  Did I tell you that I am sort of not making much success with it?  I will tell you why in another post.

Next, I decided that I need to get rid of some of the craft items, especially the ones I bought while working at Archiver’s when it was a brick and mortar store.  When you are a scrapbooker and card maker AND you work in the place where your loves are (meaning scrapbook supplies), AND you get a discount, you sort of becoming a hoarder.  Not the kind of hoarder on a show like Extreme Hoarding, or whatever that show on A&E is called, but you know what I mean.  So, I found some ribbon, which I do not use anymore.  I graduated to washi tape.  Same difference.  I put it on a destash craft group on Facebook.  No bites as of yet.  Next, I found clear rubber stamps that I am not using.  I still use them, but I want new ones to go with my Tim Holtz distress inks and my Stampin Up ink, as well as my Mementos black ink.  I did not want to put up another post on the same Facebook group, so I tried video.  Guess what?  It worked.  In 7 hours, I was preparing my little package to send off to my buyer.   I now have $14.00 going towards my cruise.  Yay!

What does this have to do with writing?

It has everything to do with writing and you do not have to use videos to only sell products.  In fact, you can use videos in any type of how to post you place on your blog.

I follow a You Tubber named Jennifer, and she has a vlog called Pretty NeatLiving.  She is a lifestyle vlogger, but she also has a blog by the same name.  The way she uses the blog/vlog method is simple, she repeats everything she said on her vlog in written form.  Hey, everything cannot be done in vlog form.  The reason is perhaps there is a giveaway form a person needs to fill out and she needs to count that.  She also has sponsors, who may not want her to have more than one way to get their campaign message out.  The finally way could be that she is using the oldest method of getting her message out, which is some people learn by reading, some learn by doing, and some people learn by listening. It is the most effective way of getting your brand across.  I am also learning that as well.

Another You Tubber I follow is named Tmika, who is ScrapDaWorld.  She is a crafter like me, but she also uses the blog/vlog method.  This is how she uses it.   She runs crafting swaps throughout the year.  I am preparing to create a flip book for her swap this month.  Tmika announces the swap on YouTube, including showing the sample project and how the project should be made.  Next, she will repeat those instructions in her blog, post the link to the video, a thumbnail photo of video, and finally a picture of the project. Tmika also goes a step further by posting all of this through her social media. 

I am working out my kinks on how my videos are posted on this blog and my other blog, P. Lynne Designs.  Currently, I am using IFTTT program (which stand for If this that that) which allows me to post my videos on this blog, but some videos are not related, like my recent Dollar Tree Haul video or Selling my clear stamps video.  I need to check to see if they did a post on P. Lynne Designs blog because that is where they belong.  I am not an expert on how I figured how to link it to a WordPress blog, but for a blog in Blogger, it is easy. 

My Takeaway for you:

If you are interested in enhancing your writing (no matter what niche (subject) you write about), my suggestion is to eventually have a blog/vlog combination going.  It does not cost much to start a YouTube channel if you do not have one.  Vimeo is also a good platform to have a channel.  You can also start your blog first, and then have a video channel.  You do not need a camera to get started, use your phone.  You do need a tripod for your phone. Especially if you do not want to hold your phone.  Down the road, when your finances are freed up, get you a camera with great quality.  You can also invest in a voice over microphone. Again, that is in the future.

If you are uncomfortable being in front of the camera, try talking while being behind the camera, or do try a short 2-3-minute video in front of the camera.  This is how I got started. How about, “just do it” as the old Nike commercial used to say.  I always say, try it once, and if you hate it, skip it for a while.  Videos are not for everyone, but I do encourage you to at least try it.

If you do try it, your last piece is to invest in a good editing software.  I am currently not editing because I do not have the software I was using.  I am getting ready to try a software by Adobe Premiere Pro.  There is also a good one by Apple called Final Cut Pro.  You can use it for both Mac and PC as well.  (Note: Neither of these software links I receive a commission on.  They are simple the editing software that I like). If you hate looking at yourself while editing, hire someone to do it for you, but eventually, you will have to do your own editing.

I do hope you do try this combo for your writing and gaining traffic.  You may get offers for a collaboration or even a job offer.

The Dark side of Writing: PLRs and Plagiarism 2

(c) 2015 P. Lynne Designs

There is a dark side to the world of writing and if you are a new writer, I thought I should warn you about this very nasty beast.  As I sit here munching on a cookie (and very tempted to grab another one, along with some milk or coffee), I was thinking about how this would be addressed.  After all, this blog has had its share of freedom articles and the like.  It is time for me to return back to why I started the second phase of My Ambiance Life in the first place.

I started to title this post, Trying to Avoid This 2: PLRs, but I did not because for one, I did not want anyone to think that I am writing yet another “Look what Beyoncé/Jay-Z/Black Panthers/police brutality” type post again.  Take note writers: when you get tired of a subject, it shows.  Second, 95% of you do not know what a PLR is, and what it has to do with plagiarism in the first place.  Well, now you are going to learn, so get ready to take notes (if you desire).

PLRs is abbreviated for Private Label Rights.  You pay a person to write you a basic article or post, and they sell you the rights to make changes and claim the article as your own piece.  This is difference from ghost writing, which is perfectly legal (more on that in a moment). 

You can have PLRs for anything.  Think about your Royal-free photos if you are into photography or Royal-free music if you are a musician.  It is the same thing, only this is for writing.  Let me give you an example:

You have just started a blog.  Your subject is about cars, classic cars.  You love talking about these cars, but you do not know a thing about them at all.  you first few posts turn out well, but you are a little concern about how long can you keep up the hype.  How long before people start noticing that you are no expert on classic cars?  (here is a tip:  make sure you are well-versed on your subject before attempting a blog, or you will run out of subject to post about).  You start researching for the answer to your little problem (when you should be learning about classic cars), and you stumble on an ad from a person who writes PLRs on any subject that you desire. Great, so you check out their website.  The “R” in PLR gives you the right to make changes in the document you now own (for a price).  The original writer cannot come to you and claim copyright infringement and order a cease and desist letter to you, because it is now your blog post to do whatever you want to do.

Problems with PLRs

As explained, you have the right to make changes to a post once you pay the person $5 or more to pen your post to your blog.  Now it is perfectly legal to have someone write for you, and you pay them, as in ghost writer or a guest writer on your blog.  The only thing you have to do as the blog owner is to just post it or give that person credit where credit is due.  The problems associated with PLRs are:

·         Plagiarism.  Didn’t your parents and teachers teach you anything about this subject?  PLRs is just another form of it.  Many sites use a program called Copyscape to check to validity of the article, and to make sure you are not spinning a post that has the same wording as the one you have written.  If there is any hint of a post, that can choose to reject it.

·         As the saying goes, make sure you check your sources.  Some writers are in it for the money.  They write stuff, do not check their facts, and next thing you know, you have a post with the wrong information on it.  For example:  If I know about the subject of glues and adhesives for scrapbooking, and I told you that you can use a specific type of glue for paper, but it causes a hazard later on.  You later find out from a friend that the type of glue used in the project was not made for paper project.  You could blame me, and I could blame the person who sold me the information.

·         Search engines frown on it, especially Google.  Enough said.

·         Scams.  You can spin the information in so many different directions once you get it, after all, it is now yours.  Again, most sites use Copyscape and the post you buy could be stole from a writer who worked for hours to get their message across.

Over all, do not get involve with PLRs, in both writing them and receiving them. Do not take the lazy way of writing a blog post or reposting them. You are better than that and your writing deserves better too.  There are better ways of earning money for writing blog post, articles, and publishing a book.  Prepare to be amazed at what your writing career can do for you and you never know where it can take you. Do not sell yourself short.  You can do this.