[TheForge] Advertising your craft

[Daniel Crowther]

Our best advertisement is to Architects, Designers and Re-enactment/Living 
History people.  We did some research in our area, as far as the architects 
and designers go, found out which ones focused on restoration projects and 
sent them a brochure of our work.  The living history people we were able 
to "advertise" to by simply doing demos anywhere and everywhere there was a 
historical event.  The people who do re-enactment are diverse enough that 
there is no really good source list for mailings, or other forms of 
contact.  Events worked the best because often multiple groups get together 
to host them.

As far as our website goes, we have had it up for 3-4 years now.  In that 
time we have gotten only 5-6 requests for items, and only 2 of those were 
actually completed.  The other 4 or so were just inquiries.  Basically, the 
website is at its best for being the "Ultimate Sale Brochure".  Although 
there have only been 2 "internet sales", MANY of our face to face customers 
check out the website before finalizing their projects, or the deal.  Being 
able to use the site as a gigantic portfolio that the customers can flip 
through at their leisure has helped quite a bit and drives home the point 
to: **photograph ALL your work!**


Dan Crowther
http://www.oakandacorn.com
http://home.nycap.rr.com/clancrowther