Brand Interview – Payson Cooper, Transformational Jewelry and Easy Marketing Secrets
Brand Interview – Payson Cooper, Transformational Jewelry and Easy Marketing Secrets
How long has your company been in business? Please tell us a bit about your company, its mission, goals…
My company has been in business for several years, since about 2005, but started out quite different than it is now. When I launched my first online business, PaysonJewelry.com, I was focusing on learning how to build an online jewelry company. That process evolved into a second, much more targeted jewelry site, called TransformationalJewelry.com where a collection that was inspired by my belief in Law of Attraction and personal growth is showcased. While I was working to build both sites, I learned a TON about online marketing, off-line marketing and just business building in general. And, it was through an effort to continue to build those businesses that I stumbled upon an even bigger passion than jewelry making (I love making jewelry, but that has almost nothing to do with building a jewelry business…). That passion is helping female, service based entrepreneurs leverage their businesses and market better, so they can serve more people, make more money and really live their passion.
Do you donate to charities? Tell us about that also and why.
Over the years I have donated to many different charities, some of my ‘regulars’ include The Smile Train, The Environmental Defense Fund and some specific Hospice organizations. As with so many entrepreneurs, giving back is a big piece of my vision for building my own business. The next area I plan to support, likely with both time and money, is to help teach adults to read. I can’t imagine what my world would be like without words, and I want to make sure that anyone who has the desire can access books and information and everything that they offer.
How did you know what typeface (font) would be right for your company wordmark or logo? If your logo has an illustration, describe why that art was the right thing, animal, place, object, etc…
My typeface and logo are still a ‘work in progress’, I try to find things that express the feeling of the project I’m working on, and I know very soon I’ll have something I feel expresses my brand very clearly. It’s a project I’ve wanted to wait on – putting together my colors, fonts and design elements, until I was really clear on what I wanted to express. That is coming together for me now. The things I know will need to be included? Something fun and familiar.
How did you decide which type of designer to work with, or did you design your own identity and web presence?
At this stage I have designed most of my own identity and presence, trying to keep it simple and unified. To me, investing in a designer is an important part of pulling all the pieces together, but you need to have clarity before going there, or you can’t help the designer get to the core of what you want. I’m arriving at that stage now, and I know, once I complete the design and branding phase, it will help me to grow and expand my business even faster.
In what order did you present your company to the world? Did you start with marketing and products, or website, blog and social media?
For the jewelry business, I started with products and a website, then did live events, blogging and social media to help build traffic and awareness. With the marketing aspect of my business, it started very organically through the live networking I was doing, when I realized it was something I really loved and could help people with, I built a website, started blogging and doing social media around it as well.
How long after the launch of your company did you start pitching in social media?
My company started before social media was around, but as soon as I started to get involved, I began experimenting with sharing things here and there that could have been described as ‘pitches.’ It is important to balance your social media accounts, remember that first and foremost, they are ‘social’ and you should be too. But I have gotten involved with so many things and purchased so many packages and products because of introductions and recommendations on social media that it would be silly for me not to use it for business. I’ve connected to prospects, clients, media opportunities and much more – it’s a huge part of how I get the word out about what I’m doing. My approach is to give great content, share great links to supporting or ‘complimentary’ content, interact and sprinkle in some promotional stuff. It seems to work very well.
Did you do research or study any software, take webinars, teleclasses, before approaching any area of your marketing or web presence?
Oh, yes! I love love love to learn. It’s one of my favorite things… and I’ve taken teleseminars, webinars, video classes, joined member sites, been to workshops and seminars on everything from social media to PR to marketing to project organization and management. I don’t see the need to recreate the wheel if there is someone I can learn from. A shortcut like that can save you thousands of wasted dollars and hours – it is well worth the investment. If you are interested in taking programs, be sure to ask around for referrals from friends – there are all kinds both online and off – people who really want to serve and people who aren’t as focused there. Take your time and chose what you feel will work well for you, then really dig in and don’t just ‘learn’, start to implement as well. It’s the implementation and action that will lead to a return on your investments in your education.
Do you advertise locally in newspapers and/or nationally in magazines? Are they effective?
I haven’t done a whole lot of advertising for my businesses in newspapers or magazines, although it is in my marketing plan for sometime down the road.
Do you advertise online using Google, Facebook or on other company sites? Are they effective?
Yes, I have advertised online with both Google and Facebook. In both cases there was some impact, and it was fairly effective with Facebook. I’ll be working on several new Facebook campaigns coming up soon.
When you printed your products, packaging, business cards and other print marketing did you choose an online printer or visit a local vendor?
For my jewelry packaging I have done all of it – purchased from local vendors, from jewelry catalog suppliers and from online vendors. For my marketing business I have stuck mainly with online vendors.
Did you know anything about different types of papers, when you wanted to print your marketing materials?
Not a whole lot, but for my business cards I knew I wanted a heavy weight and matte finish. It’s my preference as I wanted the cards to feel really good in the hand. I’ve gotten a great response to them.
Have you ever used “green” technology in printing, using FSC certified papers or recycled paper and if not, how likely are you at trying this on a next project?
Yes, every chance I get – from jewelry boxes to business cards, I am 100% committed to using recycled materials whenever possible.
If you sell products, are they produced in the U.S.A. or abroad?
My jewelry lines are produced here in the U.S.A. with recycled/repurposed precious metals. Certain items, like chains, are sourced from suppliers and I’m not always sure where they come from.
Is there anything you haven’t yet tackled, but will want to do soon?
There is SO much! I’m working on a few different packages and online/virtual marketing workshops and mentorship programs. It’s really exciting to see my clients’ businesses growing and to watch as they create the success they set out to achieve, so I’m really looking forward to expanding my reach, so I can support more people in the process. We all have something unique and very special to share with the world, and it’s an honor to be able to support a few people to get their gift out into the world, and support them while they transform not only their own lives, but their client’s and customer’s as well.
To learn more about Payson Cooper visit the links below:
Website: http://www.PaysonCooper.com
Blog: http://www.PaysonCooper.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EasyMarketingSecrets#!/MarketingYourBusiness
Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/PaysonCooper
YouTube: http://www.YouTube.com/PaysonCooper
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/paysoncooper
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/109881325468383769309#109881325468383769309/posts
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