This is me. While I'm attempting to cut up these big pieces of wood into little pieces of wood, what I'm really doing is contemplating throwing my computer under the spinning blade and roasting marshmallows over the ensuing barrage of sparks. I have made the conscious decision to go all out promoting the on-line aspect of my business, http://nnlamps.com. First of all, it seems like every site I use that relates to my business, like Facebook, and even this blogger site, are changing their layouts, profiles, or whatever name they give to the way you actually input to your page and the resulting look you get when you're done. I find this colossally annoying because it takes soooooo much time to figure out how to use these sites all over again. Seriously, am I just stupid? It took me hours to add "social plug-ins" to my blog and my website. And on my Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Natures-Nurture-Lamps/173645422688422, I've been trying to find where to put the links to my blog and website - and actually have people be able to find those links without searching for half the day. What am I missing? Maybe I should go to the dreaded "help" page. But once again, that takes the one thing I just do not have enough of - time. So, if I post using the "public" setting, what does that actually mean? Does the whole planet see it? Do they see it because it posts to everyone's wall? That would be too easy. I'm thinking it can be seen by everyone if they search for it, right? If I post as Nature's Nurture Lamps, does the post get seen only by the tiny number of people who have "liked" me so far, or does the post also go out to all my friends on my personal page, too?
Should I even bring up the subject of SEO? 'Cause I'm thinking I'd rather poke something really sharp in my eye than tackle this monster. I had to ask my son what SEO stood for, for Pete's sake! (Search Engine Optimization. Who knew?) HTML, (or is it HMTL?), meta tags, keywords - seriously, people??? I do not have a degree in computer science, or computer technology, or computer anything. I don't even know what kind of degree I would need to figure this stuff out. Can't I just hire someone to do this crap for me? Oh, wait, silly me. That would entail using the second thing I have none of - money.
Branding. Just the thought gives me nightmares. Why would anyone want to brand themselves? Isn't it bad enough that we do it to all those poor cows?
My son, from here on to be known as "Eamon", because that is , after all, his name, is a techno geek. He is the Picasso of amateur video production. So, why not utilize yet another on-line venue to promote my business which no one will ever see along with everything else I do that no one ever sees? Because it would be a hoot, that's why. I could publicly embarrass Eamon and the rest of my family without really embarrassing anyone because people would have to be able to find my video, and since I don't know how to make that happen, I figure they're pretty darn safe. Insert big sigh here.
So, the moral of the story is, like the rest of you micro business owners, I will keep plugging along, learning what I can as I go, trying to stay afloat in this booming economy we got going on here. I will stop taking things so seriously, because in the big scheme of things, none of it matters. Unless I get hit by a bus, which would have to leave Route 104 at a fantastically high rate of speed, slam into and run over the giant tree in front of the cars in the driveway, run over said cars, barrel right through the humongous posts supporting our post and beam house, take a left down the hallway, and finally smack the ever lovin' crap right outta me as I sit in my office typing this blog. I'm not too worried.
Keep your nose to the grindstone, fellow crafters and business owners, and if that hurts to much, then just have fun. It's what I'm going to do from here on out. Anyhoo, gotta run. I think I hear someone coming down the driveway.
Happy SEOing,
Kathy
http://nnlamps.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Natures-Nurture-Lamps/173645422688422
