It is an unwritten expectation that if you are paying to access a website, you do not see advertisements. On the Internet, free stuff has ads, paid stuff does not.
I think this is short-sighted, and here's why.
In the office last week, there was uproar when I proposed trialling advertising at Wardrobe and Foundations. Uproar for exactly the reasons stated above. You don't have ads unless the site is free, right?
I'm glad to say I convinced my team otherwise, and as we launch advertising at Foundations Revealed today, here's my reasoning for you, too.
"On all pieces I placed the grain line perpendicular to the waistline. This gave the greatest stability at the waist,
and on some of the curved panels it provided a little bias over the hips."
Competition winner Kelly Cercone walks us through the 1913 E. F. Hume Corset (Feb 2013)
Ever since I launched Your Wardrobe Unlock'd back in 2007, we have received regular emails asking to be put in touch with suppliers. Readers want to know where to get 4mm steels or a crinoline kit. They want to know where they can go on in-person courses, or what events are in their area. You can see it all over Facebook communities - people want to make connections.
Meanwhile, many costumers and corsetieres email us wanting to know how to market their work and get the word out there. They are working hard and trying to make it pay. They’re selling supplies, they’re running courses, they’re putting on events and they’re designing patterns, but advertising is out of their league. The big sewing magazines or websites are hellishly expensive, multiple hundreds of dollars even for a tiny classified ad buried in the back pages, and their reach is too general. They need a highly targeted marketplace where they can get in touch with the people who want what they’re making.
"The Winter Rose corset: 'More and more and more' is what I'm always thinking with my corsets..."
Towards a Distinctive House Style, Jenni Hampshire, Sparklewren Bespoke Corsetry (Dec 2012)
I set up a trial advertising feature on Foundations last week, and when the team objected, I cut it back – but it was still there.
That same day, I received an email from Laura. She's a costume maker who has just launched a corset pattern and a sewalong to help people less experienced than she into corsetmaking. She was reaching out to make connections. She has 700 followers on Facebook, and she’s trying to make it work.
That night, after I replied, she submitted an advertisement for Foundations under my trial scheme. This is the ad that threatens to so offend the unsuspecting Foundations reader:
Is it really so offensive to paying members to support and connect our community in this way?
This ad is sitting in a folder, pending my approval. (Yes, I get to vet the ads that appear on our sites.) Now: do you want me to turn down Laura’s ad, or do you want to support, connect, and strengthen your community?
One more story.
A couple of weeks ago I visited the International Living History Fair, where a lady in a beautiful Tudor costume caught my eye. She told me all about the historic and vintage underthings on her stall, with her partner(?) looking on proudly as she summoned up her courage and dared give me, the punter, her spiel.
She handed me her card and I recognised the name – Jo Lawler, the Seamly Woman, is one of our members at You'r Wardrobe Unlock'd. I introduced myself, and we had a lovely chat. I told her that what I love most about running these websites is not just giving people sewing instruction, but supporting them, championing small businesswomen like her to put themselves out there, by become writers, for example. She seemed a little overcome. “We need a champion,” she nodded enthusiastically, and I know exactly what she meant. It ain’t easy making a living doing what you love.
"I usually triple stitch each bead to ensure that it is secured firmly.
I also catch the coutil layer with at least one of the three stitches in each bead if possible."
Flo Foxworthy, Embellishing with Rhinestones and Beads (Dec 2012)
Now: would it be so terrible to let Jo tell you what she does in a space under our articles at Wardrobe, or to let a corsetmaker tell you about her new pattern? Would it be so awful to let her supply what you need to do your work? If she decides to give a lecture or a class, do you want to know about it?
Jo’s business card is still sitting on my kitchen table right now. I want to help her. I think you might like to help her too.
And in return for helping relevant businesses move forward in this way, could we not ask for help with that core funding we need to keep Foundations and Wardrobe going at this crucial moment?
If you have a small, relevant business that you'd like us to champion, we're now offering promotional opportunities for varied budgets. Get the exposure you need, and help us survive! Find out more and browse options and prices.
Right now we have 653 members. We need 750 to survive beyond the next seven weeks, and 1000 to pay our taxes at the end of the year and keep moving forward and improving our service comfortably. If you see value here and you want to support this project, SIGN UP HERE, and share this post on social media!
I still think this project is worth saving. I hope you do too.
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As someone who just makes corsets for herself for fun and costuming, I would prefer to support those who are trying to make a business out of something they love. But those people are hard to find.
These sites were started to share hard to find information of interest to a specific group of people. We pay our subscription for that information. I think "places to find supplies/patterns/classes" is part of what we subscribe to learn. By charging sellers to place their information on the site you guarantee that they are serious about providing quality goods and services to your subscribers.
If you don't want to have "ads" on the sites, have a "brought to you by seller A, company B, and subscribers like you" section on the side of the pages.
I say again: relevant ads? Yes, please.
Advertising Windex or Charmin Ultra would be annoying and offensive! Showing support for other corset makers, pointing people to good suppliers and giving people more ways to network is NOT offensive AT ALL!
Adverts keep publications in business. This is why you get free newspapers. This is why you get amazing photoshoots in Vogue. And they add value. When I buy a sewing mag I look through for suppliers I've never heard of (in UK mags anyway), in a paper I might see an offer of interest etc. They aren't evil, they're helpful. So long as they're vetted and affordable (no point being priced beyond small businesses)then they can only be beneficial.
Also very much like the idea of a "what's on" or editorial column, just something with its finger on the pulse of the corsetry community, as mentioned above.
As long as we don't lose you!