.:The Internet Home Business Magazine for Moms & Dads:.

Ways to Market Yourself & Your Craft (on the cheap).

 

As I said in a previous post many of us crafters make the mistake of not spending enough time and money marketing ourselves and our crafts. This isn’t surprising because as crafters we love making things and the business side of…er…craft business is not necessarily our forte.  But if you you attend to the business side of things little and often, and from early on, you’ll find that you will be busier, and you’ll find yourself needing to make more craft to fill your inventory! So it’s important to market ourselves, and our business, and to keep on marketing to stay on ahead of the game. That’s why the big companies (the likes of Sony, Walmart, and Louis Vuitton etc. etc. etc.) keep on marketing themselves to ensure that we are aware (or in other words, brand aware) of their presence (as if we needed reminding!). But if they don’t do it they are letting themselves be vulnerable to their competitors. NB: I know I have habit of using the activities of large companies as an example but this is just to (hopefully) better describe things. A business is a business no matter what it’s size. Therefore, the same factors still apply to folks who work at home in their jammies (just on a slightly smaller scale)

Right, so last time we looked a ways to market yourself and your business for free, this time we’ll look at way to market our craft business on the cheap (I have written down what I have done for my own business in italics):

  • Get yourself a blog This is my favourite way to market myself and my business. I use my business blog to promote my products, give my customers an insight to who I am, provide tutorials (that use my products), showcase the bag making skills of others. By doing these things I hope introduce bag making to people who have never made bags before, increase the trust that customers have in me as the owner of my business, encourage others to go into business themselves, and create a little corner (that is less formal, and more casual than my shop) for us bag makers to congregate. Having your own blog gives you another web link (that you can get out there in the internet), and a platform in which to talk about you, show off your craft photos, show off your craft, talk about the craft process for example. I have found blogging absolutely invaluable to my business, and I can’t recommend it for your craft business enough! I use Typepad (which only costs me £4.50 a month - bargain!) because it was recommended to me, I think they look good, and I like their type list function. I had never blogged before I started (Nov 06) and I’ve learned it all on the way. You don’t need to be a computer geek (the help you need is in the help pages). Here are a few well known blog providers, some of which are free (I don’t know about the ones in other countries, sorry!): Sixapart (who provide 4 different types of blog depending on your needs), Wordpress, and Blogger.
  • Get yourself your own logo - It’s really worth getting your logo designed by a pro (you can also approach the owners of good looking blogs and ask them who designed their banners, and lots of web designers have their own blogs, see if you can set-up a trade with them!). If you are rubbish at drawing (like I am) don’t attempt to design your own logo yourself because it will look unprofessional and this may well turn potential customers off. In the beginning I had no idea what I wanted for my logo. I just knew that I wanted it to look friendly, approachable, craftish, not too young, and not particularly old. My designer (who is experienced in logo design and branding) and I worked on the logo together and we eventually settled on the final design, font, and colour after almost everyone of my friends said ‘yep, that’s the daddy!’
  • Get yourself a strapline (as defined by Wiki). A strap line is a useful bunch of words that serve to reinforce /inform (in a quick & simple way) just what your craft business is/provides. I’ve had my strapline “Love Bags, Make Bags” from the beginning and I hope that from reading it, it is obvious to the reader that my craft business is involved in handbags, and handbag making. When my strapline appears alongside my logo is serves to inform people of what my business is (in case you can’t tell from looking at the logo in isolation.


I’m guessing that this guy will have to think up a better strapline…

  • Get yourself some labels - and place them on your craft. If you have a pretty logo, in nice colours it will look great on a tag or label and when you put these labels on you craft items it will make them look more professional. When things look more professional the perceived value (what something appears to be worth) increases, making your product look like it is even better quality. Include contact information on your label such as website or telephone number becuase as the owner shows off his or her new craft item (bought from you) you can bet that he or she is going to asked where it was bought from. Also, your craft item may be given as a present and the new owner may well want to know how the get their mitts on more of your craft items. Use you craft items to promote you! You can make your own tags (have a look at these yummy ones,) and/or you can have woven labels made for you. Here are some manufacturers I can think of (there are lots more, have a search on Google). Cashes, Charm Woven, National Weaving, and Clothing labels 4 u.
  • Get yourself some stationary - such as business cards (did you have a look at the Free business cards yet?) postcards, or get creative and think up your own ‘little calling cards’ that you can put your business info on. In the past I have received cute ‘business cards’ that have been made from quilted scraps, cute key rings made from bottle tops, and wire window decorations all of which the creators have used as ‘business cards’. They are so pretty that they haven’t gotten lost or been thrown away! The more attractive and or useful something is the less likely it is headed for the trash, plus they also make you think nice and positive thoughts about the creators (which is important!). If you have a Flickr account (which is free) you can also make up your own Moo Cards, and postcards which are also popular and dead handy becuase you can use pictures of your craft items.

As soon as I hear of more marketing tips like these you can be sure that I’ll write ‘em down and share them with you. Do you have any little cheap and cheerful marketing tips that you use, and you would like to share with us?

 


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  • Hellooo I’m HERE!!! Ways to market yourself and your crafts (for free).
  • Pricing your bags, or other crafts to sell.

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    Comments

    1.
    On September 19th, 2007 at 6:26 pm, Janine said:

    Thanks Lisa for the advice! I am making a second attempt in 4 years to set up a craft business thanks to your blog. I am determined to be taken seriously and as graphic design is not my strong point I have paid someone on Etsy to design a logo avatar and business cards for me.It makes me feel more serious about my business. I am considering getting a blog in the future but it is very scary I am encouraged though because I cannot believe you only started less than a year ago! By the way thank you for mentioning Moo cards because I have seen them mentioned and had no clue what they were!

    2.
    On September 19th, 2007 at 7:34 pm, Monica said:

    Hi Lisa,
    Thanks for this great post. Making crafts is something really fantastic but selling or promoting them is not the easiest part of the process. Thanks for sharing your exeperiences.

    3.
    On September 19th, 2007 at 7:35 pm, jennifer : themakelounge said:

    Great blog! I recently started my own business and it’s great to learn from others and share ideas. I’ll be back. :)

    4.
    On September 19th, 2007 at 11:42 pm, Carol said:

    I think your advice has been spot-on, but I would also suggest familiar with a digital camera. The best blogs/websites have a good balance between text and pictures. It’s not free, but by learning how to take good photos yourself, you won’t have to hire an expert and the photos will sell the items. I learned that on eBay - I sold items that others were offering for less. I’m convinced it was the pictures (and possibly the friendly seller terms).

    And that’s another thing. I think that terms should be upfront and easy to find. People can’t communicate with you face to face so your site is your face. Be upfront and your customers will respect that.

    I have a question about sending out samples. I notice that many craftsters’s goods are reviewed at several places, and I suspect that sending out samples is way to get noticed and reviewed. How does one go about this “professionally”? Do you inquire first or just send an item? What do you think about contests, group or individual?

    5.
    On September 20th, 2007 at 11:00 am, fiona said:

    thanks lisa, such great advice from someone who has made it!!one thing you didnt comment on:how to add more hours to the day!!

    6.
    On September 20th, 2007 at 12:51 pm, Lisa Thoms said:

    This is just a great Blog! I hope you don’t mind if I spread the word to all my crafting friends by mentioning it in my Blog!

    Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge!

    7.
    On September 20th, 2007 at 6:19 pm, Kirsty Hall said:

    Excellent advice, Lisa. I’ve linked to you in my art blog.

    8.
    On September 21st, 2007 at 6:46 am, Tanya said:

    This blog is very interesting, thank you very much!
    I’m in the process of making my own handcraft business now, so I’ve found this link on flickr just in time!

    9.
    On September 24th, 2007 at 9:30 pm, Maureen said:

    I love the MOO cards! I’ve had several different product shots made into MOOs…I use them as business cards and, by punching a hole in the corner for a ribbon tie, they become product hang tags.

    10.
    On September 27th, 2007 at 3:38 am, Liz said:

    wonderful post, thanks for all the fulfilled info and tips, your blog is wonderful!

    11.
    On September 30th, 2007 at 11:19 pm, Gaida said:

    Thanks Lisa for the great tips and new resource links, especially MOO. Another great resource is
    http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/sell/products/newProducts you can add your own design to their products.

    I’ve had business cards made by Vistaprint and was very happy with them. I also received some large magnets in a free offer but was disappointed with them, although they looked great, they were buckling… definitely not a good look.

    12.
    On October 2nd, 2007 at 7:17 am, Gaida said:

    Just like to add…

    The Vistaprint free business cards do have a note on back of card in small print.
    Business Cards are FREE at www.vistaprint.com.au

    Once you’ve purchased you often receive free or reduced offers… eg these just came for me.

    Free - 10 x Christmas Cards, 10 x 2008 Calendar Magnets, 100 Standard Postcards (really nice), 140 x Caricature Return Address Labels.

    Reduced offer of…
    Premium Business Cards SAVE 80% 250 Usually $33.99 NOW $6.74 (these do not have the note on back)

    Before you get excited about all the freebies- you do pay for postage which can add up as they are not light items.

    When adding your details to the card…you don’t have to put the details just as they state. I managed to get a 2 line header (2 line space) at least 3 web addresses on the one card. (2 line space) & I had my name & phone no on one line and email address under that.

    Very pleased with the end result. You get to preview what you’ve set out on it.. so play around with it to get it just the way you want it.

    Hope you this info is helpful when and if you place your order.

    Mentions on other sites...

    1. Ways to create buzz about your craft products on Craft Websites | CraftBoom! on October 8th, 2007 at 10:48 am

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