Written by Martha Jameson
Guest Contributer
Online marketing is a key skill for craft makers to develop. The rise of the internet as the most powerful and varied marketplace in the world has meant that any craftsmaker with an eye for turning a profit is obligated to engage with it. However, it’s not as simple as uploading a few photos and a description. Making sure that your wares are marketed properly on sites like Etsy can be a really crucial way of finding success and, similarly, a really difficult skill to develop.
Here are 10 strategies for online marketing to the best of your ability.
1. Advertise On Your Own
Often, if you find a middleman site like Etsy, it can be easy to metaphorically wash your hands of the whole ordeal and just hope for the best. This won’t work. Things get lost on client sites, so you have to drive your own marketing. Take the link and share it.
2. Use Facebook Ads
Facebook, apart from having an absolutely enormous userbase, has an incredibly intuitive advertising system, allowing anyone with almost any amount of money to their names to do some seriously nice targeted ads. Plus, you can share your wares with your Facebook friends and use your personal connections to motivate your sales.
3. Get a Website
Having a website is the first step towards self-branding. It’s professional and lends credibility to your craft. Part of your self-marketing should involve a website. Calm your consumers’ fears of the uncertainty of online shopping and boost your professionalism.
4. Invest In Photography
A few smartphone photos aren’t going to cut it. Hire a photographer to shoot some really professional looking photos of your products to put on your website and third-party sites as well as all of your adverts. Having pro photography sets you apart from a lot of individual sellers who aren’t capitalizing on how effective it can be. Plus, you only really have to hire the photographer once. It’s worth the investment.
5. Social Media
Use it. It’s a powerful tool. Not only is it easy to self-advertise, it’s a place where potential customers share amongst themselves, ideal for your marketing purposes.
6. Be Responsive
Communication is key. Hardly any customers will click buy the second they see something they like; the majority will have questions. Answer them, make sales.
7. Tutorial Videos
Making a YouTube video of how you go about making your products, or perhaps one element to them, can be an excellent way to draw in sales and a clever piece of creative marketing. Just be a bit careful: If the product seems easy enough to DIY, then you might be pushing yourself out of the market!
8. Email Marketing
Bag those email addresses! Make it a prerequisite to a sale; ask for it as they leave or arrive on your website. Do what you have to to earn that privileged access to the inbox of your customers/potentials and then use well-formatted, enticing emails to capitalize.
9. Market Your Personality
As a small seller you do have a few advantages over mass producing companies. One of those advantages is that you are allowed to express your real character. Use humor in your emails, post a personal bio or even post a video on how you got started making the products.
10. Send Free Items to Internet Personalities
Youtubers, Instagrammers, streamers and influencers all welcome gifts and, though it isn’t a guaranteed, it can be a really creative way to do some mass marketing. They might love your product and show your work on their next vlog, you never know.
Conclusion
Being creative, innovative, consistent and hardworking are really important elements of marketing your crafts online. Most of all, make sure you understand the importance of self-marketing and professionalism and you’ll be well on your way to racking up the sales in no time.
Martha Jameson works as a marketing specialist and writer at Academic brits and PhDKingdom. She is passionate about getting engaged with readers who are seeking marketing related information, startups, brand development and personal growth at Origin Writings. With more than five years of experience, she enjoys supporting smart people to achieve success online. This article is neither sponsored nor paid and any views expressed in it are by the author and not those of the Stony Brook Independent. We do not condone the use of “homework help” sites and strongly advise against it.