The Seller's Retreat is a 2-day event in San Francisco, CA that will take you through the whole process of selling and marketing your product online. Are you a seller ready to enter the online market? Or are you already online but looking for a way to present your brand and product in the most professional way possible? Come to the Seller's Retreat to learn how to be your own marketing firm! We'll take you through the whole process from taking professional product shots, to professional retouching, to creating your own brand graphics and packaging, to setting up your shop and marketing yourself with social media!
There is a limited number of spots available for this retreat, which means lots of attention from the instructors, and lots of opportunity to get to know the other participants. (And believe us---we have some pretty awesome students.) So reserve your place quickly, before it sells out!
When?
May 21-22, 2010
Where?
The Ferney Art Studio at Paxton Gate
766 Valencia Street
San Francisco
* The FAS is located in the Mission district of San Francisco on a street that is flooded with creative shops that have successfully entered the online market. The are plenty of great restaurants, but we do recommend staying near Union Sq to take advantage of great shopping. No need to rent a car, BART stops just 2 blocks from FAS.
Cost?
$299
Hosted and Taught by...
Nicole Hill Gerulat
Alma Loveland
Mike Loveland
What to bring?
No experience is necessary in Photography, Photoshop or Illustrator to participate in this event. You will need to bring a digital SLR camera, and a laptop with Photoshop and Illustrator installed on it. If you do not own these programs, you can download a free trial version of them before coming to the event.
Classes...
Setting Up Your Store
So you've got a product to sell, but how do you make it available to everyone? We'll talk about setting up an online shop through Etsy and Big Cartel, and how to use these sites to your best advantage. (Not to mention, how to make them look their best!)
Product Photography
We'll discuss all the different ways you can shoot your product (so you better bring it!) Basic tabletop techniques will show you how to compliment your product because so often, the photography sells the product!
Illustrator Basics
Illustrator allows you to create amazing graphics that you can use to market your products. In this session, you'll learn the basics of Illustrator so that you become familiar with this powerhouse program! We'll focus on the tools that you're most likely to use to create logos, packaging, promo materials, and web graphics.
Marketing Your Product.
Learn to market yourself and your product through a blog, twitter, and facebook. In this class, we'll discuss blogging platforms, and techniques to get your blog attention. We'll also talk about how (and why!) to use facebook and twitter to reach your optimal audience.
Improving Product Photography Through Photoshop!
You'll have a chance to shoot your products, now you'll take your product shots to the next level by fixing them up in Photoshop. Not sure if you're a Photoshop.com or Photoshop seller? Mike will help you determine which program is best for the type of enhancing your products need. Learn to give your images a pristine white background, combine several products into the same image, boost the contrast, and present the very best product to your audience. You'll also learn the best format to save your photos for web and print.
Illustrator: The Complete Package!
After you've had a day to let your Illustrator Basics sink in, we'll use this time to learn how to create your logo, blog and shop banners, web buttons and ads, packaging, and promo materials! You'll go home all set to take control of your brand!
Student + Instructor Time
All students will have the opportunity to sign up for private instruction in photography, Ilustrator and Photoshop so questions relating to their products can be answered!
Meeting Successful Sellers!
We'll take a couple field trips to visit nearby successful sellers and hear their tips and tricks in selling online.
