How to make sales CRAFTS My TOP TIPS

Updated on 22/07/2015

I had an idea of writing this post for a long time. Even if I’ll help one person only by writing this – that’s an achievement!

I often come across frustrated crafters who don’t know why they creations don’t sell. They think they do everything to sell but do they really or are they doing it right?
The points I am going to make in this post are my private, honest opinions after being in so called the craft industry over last two years. Having better and worse times! I’m not an expert although I see myself as a good observer and I’ve tested many techniques so if you pay attention to what I am going to tell, you may save yourself a lot of hassle and time!

Golden Rule! Interact with others!

• Set yourself a goal of going and talking to 5/10 people a day.

What I mean by that?

Visit another crafters fb page, leave comment along with link to your page, make sure you like their work don’t do it just for the sake of doing it. Quality not quantity. Talk to other crafters, you can learn a lot from their experience. Fetch networking pages (e.g Hike Those Likes, Network with Heart&Flowers, Networking Angels) where you can post to their walls and later get shared. Post to any craft/handmade related pages, they may like what you do and will feature you work.

Do similar with any social media you may be using, Instagram, Twitter, Pintrest.. Interact!

• Be brave! Send emails to craft magazines, 99% won’t even response but you maybe be lucky to be the 1% and you’ll get featured
• If you work with wool, send pictures of your creations to wool suppliers, they like to post it on their social media, do the same with any supplies/supplier

I even messaged Ikea once! They replied, their policy do not let them to post it anywhere but I got new liker☺️

Contact local newspaper, local community centres they may want to write about you even if it’s just a short note on their facebook.

Don’t make assumptions that they won’t reply, they won’t like it, won’t read it! On Hundreds doors you’ll knock to.. couple will open and may even let you in! Sometimes it is just a matter of this one step, one influential person or company.

• post only good quality pictures! You do not need professional camera to take good pics! I personally use iPhone 5 (iPhone 4 before) any smartphone will do great if you remember to capture your creations in natural light, prepare nice background, preferably plain and test by taking millions of pics what works best for your products!

Pictures taken on the carpet, sofa or bed where you can see your bedlinen are so poor..they tell your possible customer that you are not professional.

Find bright spot in your house, it could be by the biggest window and test, test, test! If you need nice background my top on the budget tip is to use a nice wrapping paper (just don’t go for the crazy, decorative one.. stay plain, maybe small pastel polka dots they always look good
– Facebook, whenever you need to post, announce, remind something.. Always, always attach a photo! Picture less posts will not be noticed!

• Social media presence

CONSISTENCY! Facebook and Instagram must become your every day routine!

If you run your business via Facebook you know the pain! 2000 likers, but only 65 seen your last post!? Remember not to post pictureless. do not over use collage pic apps by adding flowers, balloons etc to your actual photos. One that I found quite useful is an app called Rhonna Designs, and one great for collages is Pic Stitch. (Both of them apps do not give your pics any watermarks, brand names etc that you often see in the corners)

Do not post 3 or 5 times a day, it may really annoy your audience to see your posts throughout the day in their newsfeed but do post regularly, if you decide to share pictures of your creations 3 times a week, keep doing it, be regular

-encourage your followers to interact with the page otherwise if liker has never interacted with your page they will not see your content in their newsfeed in future

-Do not clutter your page with lots of links and unrelated stuff! I Have recently visited around 100 crafters pages and on half of them while scrolling down their content I could not see what they actually make/sell. While it is good to share some funny or motivational quote from time to time… overdoing it may put off potential new likers!

How to encourage to interact?

Ask interesting questions in your posts, an example: in my last post (posting wedding gift idea) I’ve asked people what age were they when they got married.. I also mentioned my own experience saying I got married young etc. The post reached over 9k people and I had lots of comments under it which resulted in new orders and likes.

You can also encourage people by giveaways, although not to often as fb is not happy when we do it:/

-Groups! Join any group that is craft related, if you create for babies join mummy groups, if your product is a house decor find group interested in house interiors, also join your local groups where people are selling, buying, swapping
*check the group rules before posting as some of them maybe a bit restricted when comes to advertising

At last but not least!
Be confident! Know value of your work, don’t listen to uncostructive criticism. Some people will tell you that you are not good, but in fact they wish to be where you are. Believe in your products. Share your passion for handmade. Find your niche, be recognised by what you do!
Do it now! Sometimes ‘later’ becomes ‘never’ and stop dreaming, start doing!

My crafts: In My Nest

My DIY blog on FB: The Crafty Mummy

x

Kasia