Social Marketing Ideas to Promote your Craft Business

#4 in a series of 8 blog posts dedicated to providing real-world social marketing tips and content ideas for some of the most common industries and small businesses. You were smart to start a craft business online. Low overhead, flexible working hours, and complete creative freedom. But you need another element for success: a good marketing plan. Make sure that social networking is a core part of that plan. Facebook and Twitter are no longer optional add-ons for a good marketing strategy. Theyre at its heart. Getting started on Facebook couldnt be easier or more essential to panning online gold. Create a profile that contains the best copy possible to make your business look not just good, but hot, hot, hot. After your personal profile is in place create a Facebook Business Page for your company. How? Easy. Scroll to the bottom and click Advertise. And, get ready to jump for joy its absolutely free! Click on the Pages tab and upload a logo and input some copy that portrays your craft business in the best possible light.

Also, we have developed some exciting social media strategies within ourInternet Marketing Strategic Initiative Packages that you might find ideal for what you want to accomplish. ~Andrea
Then, just as you would in other venues, start reaching out to potential customers by sharing your business. Your first contacts, or Facebook Fans as theyre called, will probably be real friends and family. But even the most social of entrepreneurs will need to expand well beyond that right away. Dont be indiscriminate, though. One of the worst things that can happen to an online business is to initiate a spiral of negative word of mouth. Spend some time tailoring your message and your list to optimize your chances of positive word of mouth.

You can reach out to crafters with similar interests jewelry designers, doll makers, potters whatever your business line(s) happen to be. Some will be competitors, others will just be interested amateurs who love crafts as you do. Ask them to spread the word, and give them helpful tutorial content, free samples, and more to encourage them to follow through. Twitter is another superb way to spread your message, and can sometimes work even quicker. But you trade off speed for volume. Twitter is intended more for real-time communication. Its sort of like Internet chat on steroids. Twitter is a great social networking tool for online craft business owners who want to announce things that are happening right now. Having a sale? Tweet it. Discovered a new material or technique? Share your enthusiasm in up to 140 characters of text. Use Twhirl to manage multiple accounts if you have multiple craft-related businesses, such as glassware and textiles. You dont have to be tied to the computer all day, though. Use Twuffer to queue up tweets that will go out whenever you want. In all these cases, you want not only to reach the audiences that populate these sites but drive them to your websites. Here again, use a little discretion, but always make sure your friends know where to find your business. After all, theres no point in building a better mousetrap or mouse earring if no one knows where to buy it.

Sell Handmade Crafts Online by Lowering Your Shipping Fees

When you sell handmade crafts online, you may determine your shipping fees without a lot of strategic planning. With online sales, however, shipping fees have such an impact on customers, they should not be overlooked as part of your marketing strategy if you promote and sell online. In fact, in "How the Offer of 'Free Shipping' Affects Online Shopping" published at Knowledge@Wharton, the Wharton School's business newsletter, marketing professor David Bell notes that "A survey from 2004 found that shipping and handling costs triggered 52%

of the abandonment of online shopping carts." That's a lot of online sales lost due to shipping fees. While you do need to cover shipping costs when you sell handmade crafts online, if your shipping fees are too high, you'll lose customers. Depending on your country's postal service fee structure, your shipping costs may be greater than those of a competitor in another country, so you'll need to find a way to compete. I'm not suggesting that you lose money on shipping just to make a sale, but you may want to be more strategic about your overall pricing strategy. If your actual shipping costs are higher than the fees your competitors are charging for shipping, you may want to consider recouping shipping costs in other ways when you sell handmade crafts online.

Here's an Example:
I recently saw a great crocheted hat on Etsy. It cost $22.00 to purchase, but the shipping fee was $5.00. I'm certain this seller is not adding profit into her shipping fees. Based on the postal rates in her country, $5.00 for shipping this item is not out of line. However, some quick research shows that most similar items on Etsy will ship for about $2.00. So if most comparable items have a shipping fee of around $2.00, the $5.00 shipping fee has the potential to to turn away customers very quickly. In a case like this, rather than using her actual shipping costs as the shipping fee, the seller may be better able to sell handmade crafts online if she is more strategic about her overall pricing and fee strategies.

Some Alternative Pricing Strategies to Sell Handmade Crafts Online:

Assume the person selling the crocheted hat needs to charge $27.00 ($22.00 purchase price + $5.00 shipping) to cover all of her costs and make a reasonable profit on the hat. Let's also assume that $5.00 is a high shipping fee, and other comparable items on Etsy ship for $2.00.

The seller could set the purchase price of the hat at $25.00 and the shipping fee at $2.00. That way, the shipping fee is competitive, but money is not lost in shipping because the fee was added on to the purchase price of the hat.

She could even set the purchase price of the hat at $27.00 and offer free shipping. Or, she could set the purchase price of the hat at $24.00 and the shipping fee at $3.00 and offer free shipping on orders over $30.00.

In all cases, the customer is still paying $27.00 for the same item, but the psychology has changed. A potential customer who is considering purchasing this hat views the hat as something of value. They're willing to pay money for the hat, because they see value in it. In fact, they may even view the hat as being more desirable if it costs a little more. On the other hand, online customers view shipping fees as an annoyance, extra money that they have to spend to get the hat. Shipping fees are a negative to online sales; they don't add any value to the customer's shopping and hat owning experience.

When the hat costs $22.00 and shipping is $5.00: Customers think, "That's a cute hat. It's kind of cheap for something handmade. Oh, I have to spend $5.00 just to mail a little hat; that's a lot. I wonder if the hat is not very well made because it's so cheap."

When the hat costs $25.00 and the shipping fee is $2.00: Customers may think, "That's a cute hat, and the price seems just right. Oh, and shipping is $2.00. Well, that's what other people are charging for shipping here, I guess that's a fair price for buying something online that I couldn't find locally."

When the hat costs $27.00 and the shipping is free: Customers may think, "That's a cute hat, and the price is what I expected. Oh, and shipping is free. That's a great deal; I won't have to pay any extra annoying shipping fees."

When the hat costs $24.00 and shipping is $3.00 or free with a $30.00 purchase: Customers may think, "That's a cute hat. The price is in line with my expectations. $3.00 shipping is not too bad, but if I buy something else, I'll get free shipping. Hmm, I'm going to take another look at the store to see if there's another inexpensive item I like to bring my purchase up to $30.00. I'd rather pay a little more and get something of value than waste money on shipping which is of no value to me."

These thoughts happen pretty quickly. Customers may not be completely aware that they are going through this kind of thought process, but they do make decisions in this way. Think about your own online shopping habits. How many times have you abandoned an online purchase because the shipping fees were too high or bought an extra book at Amazon just to qualify for free shipping because you'd rather pay for a book than pay for shipping?

In the same article noted above at Knowledge@Wharton, David Bell also reported that "Approximately 60% of online retailers cite 'free shipping with conditions' as their most successful marketing tool." When you sell handmade crafts online, shipping fees will have an impact on your sales. If you use good pricing strategies, your shipping fees can have a positive impact on your business when you sell handmade crafts online.
The Asian manufacturing industry is highly diversified, comprising of several establishments engaged in manufacturing of pottery, ceramics, clay pieces, paintings, sculptures, metal craft, antique furniture, antique jewelry, gems and stones, textiles, paper craft, toys, leather based products. These industries provide additional employment and raise the level of living for both rural and urban populations. The global handicrafts industry accounts for a market share of 100 billion. This industry plays a dominant role in the economic development of the rural mass of every country and earns substantial foreign exchange. Ceramics : is an art of making different kind of objects such as earthenware, porcelain, tiles, cookware, dinnerware etc with the help of fired clay. The leading Asian countries that produce ceramics based articles are India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, China, Iran, and UAE. Glass crafts : includes assorted range of crafts such as glass blowing, glass

bead making, stained glass paintings,

hand painted glassware, glass pearls etc. The principal Asian nations producing glass crafts are India, China, Iran, Iraq and Lebanon. Glass crafts: includes assorted range of crafts such as glass blowing, glass bead making, stained glass paintings, hand painted glassware, glass pearls etc. The principal Asian nations producing glass crafts are India, China, Iran, Iraq and Lebanon. Fibre Crafts: consists of plethora of craft techniques like Lace making, Macram, Spinning, Tatting, traditional rug hooking, weaving, carpet making etc. China, India, Bhutan, Pakistan, Nepal, Thailand etc are the prominent producers of Fibre based objects. Leatherwork: comprises of wide range of activities such as leather carving, leather painting, leather-stamping etc. The dominant Asian countries that are engaged in manufacturing of leather based goods are China, Korea, Thailand, India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Wood crafts: covers broad range of techniques such as woodcarving, woodworking, wood burning etc. Woodcraft refers to the skill in carving or fashioning objects from wood. Thailand is the chief producer of Lacquer ware, which is made of woven bamboo or wood and coated with lacquer along with exquisite designs. Both China and Nepal are famous for their exquisite architecture made up of carved wooden struts. Sri Lanka is known for its wooden polychrome masks while India is famous for its wide range of woodcraft items carved wooden furniture, carved wooden memorials, masks, wooden toys etc. Stone Crafts: is an art or skill of manufacturing objects by combining together pieces of rough natural stones. China is well known for its wide variety of stone-carved miniature artifacts and jewelry made up usually of rare stones such as Shoushan stone and Tianhuang stone. Japan is a renowned producer of Satsuma stoneware. Thailand is the leading producer of high-grade gemstones and jewelry in the world. Metal Crafts: contains diverse range of objects such as metal jewelry, metal utensils, silver ware, brassware, metal statues etc. The chief metal based objects producing countries include India, Bhutan, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Trade Shows
A very important section displaying information about latest forthcoming tradeshows, tradefairs, trade events pertaining to art and craft industry. Tradeshow information provided under this section includes venues, dates, and profiles of the event. For more information kindly click on the name of the events.

Cowboy Christmas Gift Show (05-DEC-13 - 14-DEC-13) Event Profile: More than 400 exhibitors will come together at the Cowboy Christmas Gift Show. This is a unique platform that helps the professionals and experts from the gifting industry to gain good ideas and information about the new gifting prospects and opportunities. The expo helps you to learn about the latest products and new items that are available in the market for you. You can get hold of some unique items and gift it to your friends in order to experience and see a wonderful smile on their face. Venue : Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, United States Of America

Christmas Market (06-DEC-13 - 15-DEC-13) Event Profile: Christmas Market is a significant event for producers & suppliers for gift and craft products. Here, participants will get a wonderful opportunity to get the target buyers at one place who would purchase the products for the rest of the year. Visitors will get everything which is required for the Christmas season. The show will exhibit New Year's trees (artificial) and decorations, electrical garlands, fireworks, pyrotechnics, fancy dresses, masks & accessories, Easter goods, fancy package and accessories, decorative furnishings, package and accessories for presents, interior goods, glass, ceramics (vases, ware, ornamental flowerpot), post cards balloons & celebration services. Christmas Market is inviting visitors from all over the world to explore magnificent gift collection for the Christmas season. Venue : Brno Exhibition Centre, Brno, Czech Republic

Salon Piscine & Spa (06-DEC-13 - 15-DEC-13) Event Profile: Salon Piscine & Spa is the only exhibition deals in renovating the spa, pools and the overall environment. Various designs and productive ideas are discussed by the skilled professionals of the exhibiting companies. The main advantage of visiting this event is the unique platform to meeting a large number of manufacturers from the leading companies in this industry. The exhibitors provide the latest and modern designs that enhance the existing environment. Salon Piscine & Spa will be organized for a time period of nine days held at Paris Porte de Versailles, Paris. A free catalogue will be provided to each visitor which will provide guidance regarding the floor plans, an

outline of the products and the contact details of the exhibitors. Venue : Paris Porte de Versailles, Paris, France

World Bazaar Festival (06-DEC-13 - 23-DEC-13) Event Profile: World Bazaar Festival is held at World Trade Center Metro Manila, Manila with special focus on Housewares, Home Appliances & Household Consumables. The main objective of this event is to promote the products and services of the companies associated with household consumables industry. This is the most important event of the country which focuses on household consumables. The exhibitors related to this industry will participate in this show and will exhibit their innovative products and services to the target audience. In this World Bazaar Festival the exhibitors will get an opportunity to be able to counter their exact target group. World Bazaar Festival will help the exhibitors to make new contacts and good follow-up business. Venue : World Trade Center Metro Manila, Manila, Philippines

Paris International Boat Show (06-DEC-13 - 15-DEC-13) Event Profile: Paris International Boat Show is going to be a big and largest event which will be held for a period of ten consecutive days and the venue is in Paris, France. This is an international field and it will display Boat & yacht accessories and some such products here are Diving products & accessories, Fishing products, Luxury yachts, speed, power & pleasure boats, Marine accessories, Boat & yacht insurance, Boat charters and there are more to come. The visitors who are invited to take part here are Navy & Coast Guard, Tourism, Fisheries, Sports, Forest & Inland Waterways departments, Boat Builders & dealers and Ports & Harbours, Underwater diving & salvage services, to name a few. Venue : Porte de Versailles, Paris, France

Motor Show-Bologna (07-DEC-13 - 15-DEC-13) Event Profile: Motor Show-Bologna is being held for a period of nine days in Bologna Fair Centre, Bologna. The 36th session of this international motor show will highlight the latest technology and innovative electric vehicles. This exhibition is the only Italian event that is involved in exhibiting modern and easy to handle automotives. The show tends to draws a huge number of visitors from the automotive sector who aim to gain knowledge about the introductory products. Motor Show-Bologna attracts a huge number of visitors owing to the facility that the exhibiting companies provide. The visitors get free test drives, in our previous editions we have observed that over 36000 test drives were offered to the visitors, so that they can know the features more closely. Venue : Bologna Fair Centre, Bologna, Italy

Salon Nautique de Paris (07-DEC-13 - 15-DEC-13) Event Profile: Salon Nautique de Paris is the most distinguished event which will facilitate the attendees to find out latest models in nautical world. It will enable the participants to demonstrate their new products including boat & yacht accessories, boat building material, repair & maintenance, trailers & hoists, coast guard & emergency equipment, deck fittings, diving & fishing, jet skis, motor boats, nautical gift items, sailing boats & yachts, small boats, super yachts, water skiing equipment, water sports clothing, water tourism, cruise liners & charters, wind surfing & equipment. Salon Nautique de Paris will provide unique

opportunity to meet and network and develop new trade links in all over the global marketplace. Attendees will explore the hottest trends in the industry. Venue : Paris Porte de Versailles, Paris, France

Chichester Christmas Craft Market (07-DEC-13 - 15-DEC-13) Event Profile: Chichester Christmas Craft Market is a distinguished event which will commence the fourth edition and shall see wallowing on the success of its erstwhile editions. There will be a lot of people seeking to come across inventive and rare craft products Christmas involves a lot of gift sharing among the people hence the platform will provide an ideal place to purchase gifts to be presented to the near and dear ones. Chichester Christmas Craft Market will also see the superior quality craft products being showcased by the makers, designers and distributers. There will also a lot of communication and socialization among the visitors enhancing the feeling of a pre festival milieu. The event will be beneficial for both the exhibitors and the visitors. Venue : Chichester City Centre, Chichester, United Kingdom

Salon des Artisans Dart Et Des Jeunes Createurs (07-DEC-13 - 15-DEC-13) Event Profile: You are about to witness one of the grand event of art and craft sector namely Salon des Artisans Dart Et Des Jeunes Createurs. Leading crafts men and artist will gather here and showcase a wide range of products and services such as Sculpture, leather, jewelry, clothing, toys or accessories, glassware, decorative items, pottery, and more. The collections here are so unique and beautiful that they will make you crave for more and more. So without further delay, visit this event as early as possible. Venue : Parc des expositions de Toulouse, Toulouse, France

Kisan Expo (11-DEC-13 - 17-DEC-13) Event Profile: Kisan Expo is an important platform for the agricultural personnel to come across new and productive items that will increase the productivity of the harvests. This agricultural event provides better and modern yielding technologies that are easy to use and maintain. The event offers a friendly environment to the farmers as well as they are well guided by the volunteers so that no confusion is created. Kisan Expo is about to celebrate its 19th edition for consecutive five days. This edition is also organizing various activities and the happening one is the Kisan Film Festival, where various agricultural films will be shown to entertain and bring enthusiasm to the available visitors. It will be located in International Exhibition Centre, Pune. Venue : Hindustan Antibiotics Ground, Pune, India

Best Adomments of Russia (11-DEC-13 - 15-DEC-13) Event Profile: Best Adomments of Russia is a dynamic international trade exhibition of jewelry, watches and other fashion accessories. It will focus on Russian styles, designs and techniques of jewelry making. It will bring together many leading jewelry companies, designers and craftsmen along with producers and dealers of different precious metals, gemstones and beads. It will be a great platform for the exhibitor to showcase their products and services and network with many trade partners and customers in order to improve their brand awareness. Best Adomments of Russia will present a mesmerizing showcase of a range traditional and costume jewelry, gemstone and beads and their innovations, innovative jewelry making techniques, watches, other

expensive fashion accessories and much more to create the ideal shopping destination for jewelry lovers. Venue : All-Russian Exhibition Center (V.V.C), Moscow, Russia

Sistep Midest (11-DEC-13 - 14-DEC-13) Event Profile: In Grand Casablanca, Morocco for the period of four days, Sistep Midest is going to be held. It is a significant trade show and it is meant to develop and promote the large scale electronics and metal equipment industry of the nation and abroad. The robotics and It industry will handling and storage equipment will be offered an excellent opportunity for market promotion in front of a large number of technical experts, market professionals and business owners. Interactive sessions will help the industry in solving many challenging market related issues. High profile speakers and leading business professionals will actively participate in Sistep Midest. Venue : Casablanca Office des foires et expositions, Casablanca, Morocco

Conference on Web and Internet Economics (11-DEC-13 - 14-DEC-13) Event Profile: Holding its ninth edition after eight successful years, this conference namely Conference on Web and Internet Economics will focus on the theoretical computer science, artificial intelligence, and microeconomics which mainly focuses on ways to tackle problems involving incentives and computation. There are other application areas like the Web and the Internet that involve large and diverse populations which will surely make it huge this time. Thus, you are about to focus on the interdisciplinary forum for the exchange of ideas and results on incentives and computation which can be seen in various fields. Venue : Harvard University, Cambridge, United States Of America

Midest Maroc (11-DEC-13 - 14-DEC-13) Event Profile: Midest Maroc is a significant event that is associated with the industrial sector. The show is known for bringing together more than 191 exhibitors from all around the globe to showcase their quality products, services, technologies and new equipments that have been produced in the sector. The show is a leading event that helps you to get detailed ideas and information and to bring the professionals and experts from the various sectors who will gather to share their ideas and information about the sector. The exhibitors will get a good opportunity to develop their business opportunities and to generate good business opportunities for themselves. Venue : Casablanca Office des foires et expositions, Casablanca, Morocco

Conference of Neurological Soceity (11-DEC-13 - 15-DEC-13) Event Profile: At the Conference of Neurological Soceity, the main topic of discussion shall be the new technologies and techniques that can bring an improvement into the healthcare of the patients, emerging challenges in the field of neurological diseases and much more. The main aim of the program is to make the public aware about the achievements and challenges of the neurological field of healthcare. There shall be scientific sessions as well and lectures given by my leading scientist and doctors related to this field. Venue : National Centre For The Performing Arts, Mumbai, India

Plastivision India (12-DEC-13 - 16-DEC-13) Event Profile: Plastivision India is a show that is designed for the plastic manufacturing industry and

displays the latest and superior range of equipments which will aid the professionals to a great extant. The exhibition will be visited by the producers, retailers, wholesalers and other important executives who will examine the demonstrated items and provide relevant feedbacks to the exhibitors, which will inspire them to a develop such range. Plastivision India is a trade type of show and welcomes only the associates and relevant professionals from the mentioned fields. The exhibitors confirm that the visitors are well versed by the respective range of products so that the attendees can decide to select the best one for their firms. Venue : Bombay Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC), Mumbai, India

Zak Doors & Windows Expo (12-DEC-13 - 15-DEC-13) Event Profile: Zak Doors and Windows Expo is a unique trade fair for the fenestration industry. It will focus on technologies and innovations for doors, windows, and facades and showcase a range of products, materials, components and equipment for door and window, manufacturing, design and installation. It will bring together a host of industry experts, materials giants, thought leaders, design specialists, buyers and sellers under one roof to create a comprehensive platform for business development. Zak Doors and Windows Expo will showcase a range of doors like automatic doors, aluminum doors, wooden doors, auxiliary products and accessories like locks, hinges, door closers, handles and blinds, raw materials like insulation materials, glass holding gaskets, adhesives and coatings, different types of windows, metal processing and woodworking machineries, operational software and other tools and equipments. Venue : MMRDA Exhibition Center, Mumbai, India

India Telecom (12-DEC-13 - 14-DEC-13) Event Profile: India Telecom is an international exhibition and conference in India dedicated to the telecom sector. It will bring together leading companies operating in the field including service providers, network infrastructure manufacturers, mobile handset manufacturers, content providers, accessory manufacturers and IT solutions and services providers to present a comprehensive showcase of latest products, equipments, parts, technologies and services. It will be a valuable networking platform for different quarters of the IT and telecom sector. India Telecom will feature extensive conference sessions under specific titles to discuss different issues and objectives of the IT and telecom industry and explore unique development strategies by leading experts. It will witness the participation of industry representatives from many countries like Finland, China, Taiwan, Canada, Belgium and Sweden. Venue : Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India

Performance Racing Industry Trade Show (12-DEC-13 - 14-DEC-13) Event Profile: Performance Racing Industry Trade Show offers a wide range of automotive range. The attendees will get to see racing and sport cars which are widely accepted by the racers. The attendees will get to see new and modernized range of cars which have added features. The exhibitors have arranged racing programs and free test drives which add life to the show and also increase the popularity to the show. Repairing classes are held where the garage professionals are informed about the various ways and techniques of repairing the cars. Performance Racing Industry Trade Show will have over 3200 exhibiting booths which will be exhibited by over 40000 customers coming from various parts of the world. This exhibition will be taking place at

Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) located in the city of Orlando. Venue : Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, United States Of America

ZAK Glass Technology International (12-DEC-13 - 15-DEC-13) Event Profile: ZAK Glass Technology International is a premier trade event which will be focusing on the entire aspects of glass industries. It will be an ideal venue to strengthen relations with major players of the industry. There will be a showcase of new technologies and products including laminated glass, stained glass, hardware for doors & windows, doors & windows, art glass, colour glass, architectural glass, processed glass products, toughened, tempered and frameless fittings. It will be a perfect location to build new business contacts and develop profitable partnership for expanding business in booming Indian market. ZAK Glass Technology International will provide cutting edge knowledge of present and future trends pertaining to the glass industry. Venue : MMRDA Exhibition Center, Mumbai, India

Trade Associations
Trade associations provide a wider network for better understanding of the changes and challenges of the dynamic arts and crafts industry worldwide. Today, only those businesses can survive and prosper who can interact among themselves not only regionally but globally for exchanging views and for learning from each other. This section provides all necessary information about the international craft trade associations categorized on the basis of their country of origin.

Resources
Gain unlimited access to free online resources, including - Craft Industry Associations, Publications, NGOs, Forums, Craft Sites and valuable industry links of arts & crafts companies and directories. The section serves as a valuable and convenient resource for research, information, and news about the latest developments and trends in global crafts industry. The links within this section are maintained and examined on a regular basis to ensure the highest value for our readers. ASSOCIATION http://www.iaca.com http://www.craftassoc.com http://www.ruralcraftsassociation.co.uk http://www.tsca.net

PUBLICATION http://readymademag.com http://www.craftsreport.com http://www.fingerlakesgifts.com http://www.eastcoastartisan.com

more...

http://www.handmade.com.au more...

NGO http://www.hobby.org http://www.nacaarts.org/home.html http://www.mainecrafts.org http://www.craftcreativitydesign.org

FORUMS http://forums.craftzine.com http://www.americancraftforum.com http://www.getcrafty.com http://www.craftz.org http://forum.craftmagazines.com.au

Craft Central Suppliers Directory

Supplier Directory contains lists of suppliers, manufacturers, exporters, wholesalers, and traders dealing in crafts products. This well categorized and user friendly listing gives you information about hundreds of suppliers
with their product catalog and contact details like address and phone numbers. You can also contact the listed member by sending a quick business query through the free query link placed next to their information.

How to Use Browse through the relevant categories or Search for products and companies Obtain necessary information about the product and the supplier Contact suppliers by sending a quick business query Use the phone numbers and address to contact suppliers

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