One of the things about having my own creative business that seems to take extra bravery and skill is marketing. If you are like me in that you are not independently wealthy you also need to find ways to market your creative business that don’t cost a lot.
I am not an expert and I hope to never lay claim to that title, because that would mean that I have lost my desire to learn and grow and have become complacent. The way I look at things, complacency is the kiss of death to any small business person.
Here are 5 tips for marketing your business that won’t have you breaking open the piggy bank.
1. Go social.
It’s been said time and time again that Facebook and Twitter RULE right now in the social marketing world. Just remember, they aren’t the ONLY game in town and as hard as it may be to believe, some day they may not even be a game (remember MySpace?).
Sure, it’s important to update your Facebook business page, promote your shop on Twitter, ask questions of your audience, comment on the updates of others and just let people get to know you on the BIG sites but don’t forget the smaller web spaces too. Do you have a Flickr account? Do you post photos and comment on the photos of others? Do you have a Tumblr blog where you can do quick updates? What about Instagram? You can’t be everywhere but you can find the sites that feel the most comfortable and spend some time there.
According to one resource I read there are more than 200 well known social networking sites on the internet. Yes, I realize you don’t have all day. Try setting a timer for 30 minutes and hit as many sites as you can and make connections. Setting a timer keeps me focused on what I am doing rather than having me chasing down interesting looking links all afternoon. My trick is to spend 20-30 minutes a day on Twitter and Facebook and another 20-30 minutes updating other social networking sites I like. It may still seem like a lot of time but I do it over lunch or afternoon tea.
Cast your net wide and catch more fish!
2. Blog
Do you have a blog? Of course you won’t want to write about your online shop and craft shows 100% of the time but it’s a good way to let fans of your work know where you will be as well as a little bit about you personally. People like to know a little about the artist they buy from.
Another way to use blogging for marketing is to guest post on other blogs. You don’t need to mention your business at all. Write good, useful content for blogs similar to your own and leave a SHORT bio sentence at the bottom of your post linking back to your blog. If you have a widget at the top of your blog, pointing to your online shop, your blog readers may click though to find out more about what you sell.
The trick here is to be authentic – be yourself. The readers who feel a connection with you are more likely to click over to your site and then maybe to your store in order to see if you really are like them THAT much. (Or if you’re really the goofball you say you are.)
3. Advertising
I know, advertising costs money. Unless… can you trade advertising with someone else who has a blog with a similar feel and style as your own? Can you trade some of your finished goods for ad space on a little larger blog? Also, look at blogs that don’t have a lot of traffic, maybe you can afford a small space on a smaller blog.
Don’t forget to put a business card or post card in every purchase. Whether you hand the sale over a table or ship it out make sure you make it easy for shoppers to buy from you again.
4. Branding
Who are you? What are you all about? What feelings do you want to convey to readers, shoppers and your social network about you, your business and your products? Not necessarily what your products ARE but how they make people feel. Is that an afghan or is it a handmade, cozy blanket of comfort and warmth? Go beyond your basic product description and figure out what makes you stand out and from that write a short slogan or catch phrase to summarize it.
Now that you know the feelings you wish to evoke in readers/customers you can use your catch phrase or slogan to create a logo and/or banner.
Use your logo and slogan or catch phrase everywhere you can. In your shop, on your blog, on your business cards and other marketing materials. Let your brand guide you and help you keep your company looking and feeling consistent with your brand.
Now when someone sees an image that is in keeping your brand they will think of you.
Have you ever seen an item and thought, “Oh! I bet so and so created that.” GOOD BRANDING!
5. Be Consistent
Don’t think that promoting your business from October-December is enough. You should put on your marketing hat every, single day. You don’t have to be pushy and annoy folks. Rather, show up every day, all year long in a way that is consistent with your brand. Be thinking of ways you can get your name in front of potential customers every day and then do the work to get there.
It takes some bravery, skill and creativity but there are plenty of ways to get word out about your creative business without spending a lot of cash.
Do you have any ideas or thoughts for promoting your business that don’t take a lot of cash? What is the most creative way you have promoted your business?
By: Vicki O’Dell , The Creative Goddess
- How to Make Money Blogging - November 30, 2017
- Real Life Sales: Getting Your Crafts Into a Shop - November 11, 2017
- Facebook: Friend or Foe? - February 17, 2014
Shameless self promotion-always have business cards in you wallet/pocket. Wear your creation. Have an “elevator speech”-describe your business in 15 seconds.
Great tips Rose! Every single one of them. 🙂
Don’t forget Pinrest! Pin your own work, linked to your shop, and It will bee spread as a wind all over the world before you know it! That is; If people like it! But it’s free, and great fun! And very inspirational! I’ve got a lot of costumers from Pinrest!
Happy Pinning!
Sophie and Me (Ingunn)
Thanks for the great idea. I love Pinterest and never thought of it this way.
Yep.. just be shameless. As has been said, wearing your creations out and about is the best advertising. One of my guerrilla tactics is to put biz cards/flyers into the middle of local free newspapers.
Will try this.
Great ideas. Most of us have tight budgets or the need to be frugal. I also liked BekkaPoo’s comment about inserting the business card in free publications. Just make sure they are free to the public.
An idea for if you can’t afford “real” business cards at first.
1.) Poke around in Microsoft Word (or an equivalent) and see if it has a folder for business card templates. These are actually pretty decent little cards and you can twitch the information on them as much as you want to get it just right. 🙂
2.) Take your cards to a decent color printer if you don’t have one yourself and print off however many. Most are 8-10 cards per page.
3.) Snag clear packing tape/duck tape and a pair of scissors.
4.)Carefully line up the tape with the edges of the cards so that the card is covered, front and back.
5.) Cut apart and viola you have glossy, protected business cards on the cheap.
Hope this idea helps someone and good luck all.
Can you use clear contact paper instead of the packing tape or would you lose thst high gloss look?
You can also get clear sheets of lamination at most office supply stores. Usually a sheet is about 8×10 or 8×11. You just need to carefully line up the lamination over the cards, to avoid getting bubbles in your finished product.
I am going to share the link to your article in a message group I belong to.
I would like to add that getting in on those free linky blog parties that allow you to link up items you sell online is not only free advertising, but it drives traffic to your online venue.
there are a lot of them out there, but here are a few I frequent.
http://www.TheFridayFlea (always open)
http://www.commonground-do.com every Monday Marketplace
http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/ Tuesday Blog Shop
http://www.EtsyCottageStyle.blogspot.com Market Monday First Monday of every month
http://www.http://cinnamonrosecottage.blogspot.com Saturday Sellers Showcase
Consider signage at your display It should create enthusiasm for and explain the product features and benefits and perhaps use if a new item. Help customers envision the product in their home. I cut and framed a magazine glamour photo of a model with a jewel-encrusted barette holding her pony tail. Of all my, “Blinged out barrettes,”. Those that looked like the one in the photo sold best.
hi,
This is some of the thing s I do that help me with getting the world out.
1) I started a craft show at my school where I work at. The PTO craft and business show. I get my booth free for dircatiing it. We have a drawing for a basket of the things my daughter and I make.
2) When we have anything that I can make something for. Like we are going to have a action for basket at the PTO chili supper. I then make something for the basket to action off. I put my business card on product I made.
3) I have join a craft show club here in MO. It is called the Show-me crafters. We have 2 shows a year. We have over 90 crafters.And on there web page we get more show we can do. I get emails to join other shows threw the year.
4) When my daughter and Husband play music somewhere and I go to listin. I take something with me to work on. I get people to ask me what I am doing and then I pass out the business cards….underhand way of doing it, but I get orders.
5) I set up a table in the teacher lounge. At the High School and Elementary. Right before Christmas for gife products. I make things for under $5. I mostly sale out at both areas.
6) My daughter has a face book page. We got a twitter page. I got picture on my email account.
The more you give things of yours out for action, or some other event, with your card on it. You get your name more out there. I have made more this year then I have ever before.
Also, If you can do it. I have done grouping. Like I get a basket and I make all the things that I make for babies in the basket. I make one for a boy and girl. If they like to buy just a product out of the basket . I give it to them for a price. Like this one lady wanted just the quilt that I made. When I told her the price. She said , Will I can add $12 more to it and get all of it. So, I made $12 more. Where before saleing it by itself I wouldnt.
People talk and when you give out good sales they come to your booth more and they order more.
Also, make sure when you put the product in there sack, put your business card in there as
Carol
very good info for me I am just starting to create my blog and get things going on social media but its a slow proces because I m unsure of a lot of things, I crochet and so want to start doing my own designs and I still havent figured that one out yet but Im getting some little sparks here and there. thank you so much for all your great info
that last comment I made was also a thank you to Carolyn too
When I did that people from other states wanted my knitted items but it would have been too expensive to ship plus the time it took to make the items. I really don’t know how much to charge for the items themselves.
a good rule of thumb determine how much to charge for an item is 2 times the amount of the cost of materials plus your hourly labor. Always pay yourself, maybe it’s only $10 an hour but you get paid for your time. Your time is valuable. Also, people should pay for the shipping, unless you want to add it into the price of the item. Keep on top of the shipping prices as they changed frequently. And, as part of the description, you can notice how long it will take you to make an item so that they know what to expect. Don’t let that keep you from making money!
Great information. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the pricing info. I never know how much to charge either and usually end up giving m y items away..