Many people don’t realise that crafting is an art. Starting up a craft business is difficult, especially when you’re competing with mass manufactured goods sold at big box stores. Whether you’re into knitting, crocheting, jewellery making, clothes designing, soapmaking, or creating unique cosmetics, you need to learn how to market your products.
Making your products available to buy online and at craft fairs isn’t enough; you need to create a promotional strategy to increase your brand’s visibility and grow your business. To help you out, I have compiled ten ways to boost your craft business:
Improve Your Brand Name and Logo
You may not realise it, but your brand name might be bringing you down. Your brand name should be short and to the point and your logo should give potential buyers a general idea of what you do.
Update Your Website
If people are struggling to navigate your website and you’re promoting products that are no longer available, then you need to update your website. Your site should be mobile friendly and up-to-date contact details. If you don’t have a website already, now’s a good time to get one.
Invest in SEO
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is an essential part of marketing. It improves your ranking on search engine results pages. SEO includes having a responsive website (which I mentioned above), keyword-rich content on your website (which includes product descriptions, blog posts, etc.), link building, guest posts, building a mailing list, social media marketing, and more. You should also be doing keyword research to find out the search terms people are using to look for similar products. Check out this website for more ideas.
Social Media Presence
You should have a constant social media presence and post unique content regularly to keep people interested. Make sure you include product images and photos of things you’re working on. Let people know when products will be available and keep promoting your site. Regularly interact with your followers and keep a budget set aside for social media ads.
Market Research
Do some market research. Use your emailing list, social media, and face-to-face encounters to ask potential customers what they would like to see you sell more of. Ask them what they think of your products and pricing. Look at what you have sold in the past. Have certain things sold better at different times of the year?
Just as this website suggests, look at what the competitors in your local area are selling. What are their most popular and least popular items? Read their reviews. What is it that makes them so appealing to customers? Doing research on your competitors will give you an idea of what improvements you need to make to your own business.
You should also be looking at where you’re buying your crafting materials from. Is there anywhere cheaper you can buy them from without compromising on quality so you can boost your profits?
Photography
If you have the budget, invest in a good camera and a light box so you can show off your products with professional pictures. If your product photos don’t look professional, how will people know they’re buying a quality product?
Improve Your Presentation
Like with the photography suggestions above, if your presentation is sloppy, then people won’t be as interested. Buy some boxes, bags, and labels with your brand on it to give your product a professional finish.
Get to Know the Community
If you’re taking part in craft fairs, you have to get to know the people you’re selling to, especially if these markets and fairs are local to you. Strike up a conversation with people and let them get to know about you and your business, even if they don’t buy anything then and there. Those who do buy from you have the potential to become repeat customers at your next event.
Encourage Clients to Leave Positive Reviews
If someone buys something from your site, send a follow up email thanking them for their purchase and asking them to leave a review. If you’re selling items at an event, ask them to leave a review online and to tell their family and friends about your business.
Improve Your Workspace
Once you have a consistent income from your crafting business, it’s time to reinvest your profits into improving your workspace. Are there any low-quality or rundown things you use that could use upgrading (such as an old knitting machine or sewing machine)? If you’re working on a fold-out table, perhaps consider investing in something more stable. Or if you’re lacking space, you might want to build a small shed for you to use as a craft room. If you need a few more ideas, head to this website.
Image Credits: Emma Shappley
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