EB Friday Hotlist

I've decided to make a Hotlist of the websites I use to meet people.  No, I'm not talking about online dating sites, though feel free to recommend a good one in the comments. ;-)  I'm talking about websites where I can network, advertise, shop, sell, etc.  Each Friday I'll give information about a different website.  Be sure to subscribe to my blog so you'll be updated whenever I feature a new website that may benefit your business or help you find other artisans you'd love to purchase from.

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Today I joined a web community called IndiePublic.  Actually, I joined several days ago but it took them a while to approve my account.  It's basically a place for those who buy and sell handmade, vintage, and other indie goods to connect, network, and get exposure for their products.

The site doesn't look very exciting with its design and its interface could be more user-friendly, but it still seems to pack a lot in substance.   I haven't been around long enough to tell whether or not the community is helpful and welcoming, but I did find 15 separate groups (voluntary collections of members who are interested in a particular topic, specific craft, etc.) which I found relevant to me.  That's well over 7,000 people with whom I can exchange ideas, share my craft, and (hopefully) make sales.

Other features include the ability to upload photos to the site which are then put in the general pool of photos available and can drive traffic to your profile page (which should include your shop info).  There is also a blog section, but unfortunately you can't sync your blog RSS feed to input information to the blog on the site.  However, a bit of copying and pasting and use of the link, photo, and file attachment features allows you to put your blog posts into the Indie Public Blog.  Sellers promote their sales, veteran Etsians and other artisans post tutorials, and services that would help aspiring sellers (i.e. advertisers, virtual craft show owners, etc.) post information about what they offer.  There is an online "Library" with tips on how to be successful as an artisan, an online market (supposedly - my computer couldn't load it), a forum, and a place to upload video content.

Overall the site may turn out to be a powerful networking tool as well as avenue to make sales, since it is targeted both to indie artisans as well as lovers and buyers of handmade goods.

Have you checked out Indiepublic.com before?  If so, please leave a comment and let me know what you think of it.  If you're interesting in joining, you can register on their site or I can send you an invitation link via email.

Until next time,
Elle