As a result of new technology and media transformation, the advertising industry is much different today then it was in the 1980s and 1990s. Newspaper advertisements are taking second fiddle to the likes of Craigslist and other Internet advertising platforms. Up until about 10 years ago, the USA Today and the San Francisco Chronicle used to be able to charge much higher advertising rates because competition from the Internet was not as as strong. However, in today’s advertising market, companies like Google, Craigslist, and even Ebay are dominating market share to the point that newspapers are going out of business.

    This recent “changing of the guard” in the advertising world should make you more aware of the best place to advertise your handmade jewelry. And the best part about the Internet is that most of the advertising is done for you with sites like Ebay and Craigslist. Not that these sites will pay for your advertising, but they are so popular that people know where to find them. If you have an online store on Ebay, for example, you will get people viewing your jewelry because they know that they can find what they are looking for.

    A good place to advertise your handmade jewelry is on Craigslist. The most important thing you need for your ad is photos, a good description, and valid keywords in the title. When people shop on Craigslist, they generally go to a topic category (like jewelry in this case) and type in a few keywords like “handmade jewelry.” However, they might type in the words “handmade jewelry making.” Make sure that you have a broad range of keywords in the title. If you decide to advertise on Ebay, you can do it for a small fee for a specific period of time depending on the advertisement.

    Whatever advertising method you choose, it is important to understand the changing habits of the consumer. And although I like to pick up a newspaper every once in a while, I am more likely to go to on the web to shop for handmade jewelry then the classifieds of a newspaper.