way to support local business!

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Twitter. I love that you can talk directly with people who work at @Etsy or with big name social media gurus like @chrisbrogan.

Today, I caught an update from @Artfire that got me fired up!

While Artfire’s layout and curatorial decisions have irked me in the past (I’m happy to report this will be drastically improving in the near future!), I have been in awe of them as a marketing juggernaut. They are uber accessible. They have founded multiple off-shoot sites that are helping others market their craft. And they have learned from their members and detractors alike.

Case in point: Artfire has been, quietly, executing “Operation Hometown.”

Sara, head of Artfire’s content department, tells me:

Operation Hometown came together a few months ago as a way to further promote our artisans. While featured artisans appear on the front page of ArtFire for two to three days, we wanted to provide them with even more exposure. For that reason, we decided to start sending their interview along with a high resolution photograph and a custom press release to a few of the local papers in their area. While the papers don’t always pick up the story [generally about 1 in 5], those that do help inform neighbors and friends of the artisan’s spotlight and business.

Great work, Sara!

This is just another example of the “world wide web” making it easier for us to support business in our local communities. It’s great that something that has made the world so small has made our small communities so large!

“Free Bird” print above by Strawberryluna