Are you in a place where you need more customers? This usually happens when you’ve sold your handmade items to everyone you know (and their grandmother) and you aren’t quite sure how to break out and gain new customers. Let’s face it – traditional print ads will break the bank for any small business owner. There must be other options…right?
Here are a few ideas –
- Host an event. Try hosting a trunk show either in the home of a well-connected friend or at a local gallery, bead or yarn shop. Have an open house or a traveling event in which you share the traffic with several shops in your niche.
- Look at other small businesses and see what they are (and aren’t) doing. What are their marketing techniques? Now try to see where the holes are. What are they missing?
- Start an e-mail list or newsletter. Invite your customers, blog readers and social media followers to sign up for an e-mail newsletter. In the newsletter, provide tips and tricks relevant to your niche and a discount coupon for your online store.
- Write a book or eBook – Having a free downloadable eBook on your website or blog that is relevant to your niche is a great way to build a following and establish yourself as an expert in your field.
- Create a website or start a blog – Not only do you want to make face-to-face connections but also connections via the internet – both can be valuable to your bottom line. In this day and age, all of your customers expect a “real business” to have an online presence.
- Sponsor a local sports team or charity event. Sponsors are often given space in brochures, programs or signage, and there are usually different levels of sponsor donation options.
- Speak at seminars, workshops, trade shows and other relevant events. If you can teach a class at a trade show, do a make-and-take, or speak to a crowd you can set yourself up for some great marketing opportunities.
- Ask your current customers for referrals. You can ask them to refer some of their friends or you can offer a bonus or discount for a referral who makes a purchase.
- Send handwritten holiday, birthday or thank you cards. If your business is client-based, it is a great idea to keep yourself at the top of their mind by sending appropriate special occasion cards.
Which marketing techniques have worked well for you?
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Get article, I am currently working on numbers 2,3 and 5.
Hi. I’m Carrie. I started out making hemp necklaces in 1996. I loved it. Iciuldnt put the rope down. Before I knew it I had more necklaces than I knew what to do with. So I started selling my jewelry on the boardwalk and in concert parking lots. I love that kind of selling-walking around, meeting and talking to all kinds of people. I’ve also sold my jewelry to local “hippy” stores. How did I get stores to carry my jewelry? I made a showcase of work-making sure the pieces showed different styles and techniques I use. You want your sampler to really show off what you can do. Then I go in the store and start talking to the cashier-try to get in the back of the line so when its your turn they can concentrate on you and not worry about the next in line. If the store is busy buy something small and tell them you want to talk to them about your jewelry but you’ll come back at a better time. I work with local stores so I like to get the cashier on board with me-see they are the gatekeeper-if they tell the owner you showed them your work and they really like it you’re pretty much in there. In stores with only a few employees the owners tend to respect their workers opinions. I’ve actually had a cashier like my work so much he took a picture himself and emailed it to the owner-telling her that she should carry my jewelry. The next day I got an email asking me to send more pics and now theyre biggest seller of my hemp necklaces. Make sure you find out when the owner is there and the best time to come. Come back to the store w/ your sampler, ready to do business. Know what you’re going to charge them and how are they’re going to buy/sell it. Is it consignment or payment up front? When I first come in the store I check out what they sell and for how much. I normally charge business about 60-70% of my normal price, using their prices as guidelines. If everything is around $10-15, its going to be hard to sell something for$25. No matter how nice. Remember these are businesses and they need to make money too. They are providing space and customer flow and they deserve a good cut. When you talk to the owner about yourself-how long you’ve been making jewelry, where you’be sold before and how much you make in sales. This will help earn the owner’s trust and let them know you are sellable and you’ll help them make money. Make sure you smile, smile, smile. Dress nice but be unique. Know what you’re talking about and make sure you use manners. Most importantly be kind to their customers-open doors, ask how they’re doing. Do this and you’ll have a store buying your jewelry in no time.
I crochet and do monthly craft show here in our town I do pretty good I have some regular customers we have a show every third Saturday of the month would like to get more customers though