I have been giving a lot of thought to advertising and getting more sales lately. Here are some of the things that are going through my head…
1. You have to get your name out there. Unless you have an edge that no one else has, people are not just going to flock to your company. Whether you’re a crafter, or an advertising agency, you need to let people know you are in business.
I have been trying a lot of different things. I tried putting links on Twitter/Facebook every day and although it brought views to my Etsy shop, that just felt like spam to me. I was very uncomfortable with this kind of “in your face” marketing.
Then I found a $100 coupon for advertising on Facebook. I am trying that now, I will let you know how it works out. So far, I have had some click throughs, but no sales from the ad. But, it’s only been two days.
Other than that, I’m hanging out on forums, and joining groups of like minded people. I’ve had the thought that I should look for different types of groups to hang out with and I will work on that this week. Would anyone like to share how they market their things? Do you have to be aggressive?
2. Don’t let yourself get discouraged. I have to constantly remind myself that my hard work will pay off soon enough. It’s a bad time to start a business. It can be done, but you have to be patient. I constantly remind myself that my main sales will be at craft shows, and if I get a sale from Etsy or Artfire, it’s a bonus.
3. Don’t be quick to change your niche market. I admit, I’ve been thinking that maybe I should get into making jewelry. Jewelry makers seem to be doing great over at Etsy. So the thought process goes..”I want a ton of sales. Making jewelry seems to be the “thing” right now. Maybe I should scrap my sewing and make some jewelry.” I might give it a try sometime, but I already know it’s not my thing. I enjoy sewing, and I really enjoy sewing children’s items. So, I remind myself that I started this business to do something that I love to do. Plus, I really don’t want to spend more money on a new craft right now. Instead, I’m going to hang on, and ride out the slow down.
So, this is an interactive post. What do you do to keep your sales up? Are you aggressive? How do you handle the slow times and inevitable discouragement? (Don’t tell me you don’t get discouraged, I know you do!). Please share your thoughts.
Peace.
A Geek and her Babies 
I think this is what a lot of us are thinking. I appreciate this post very much. I have recently been trying to decide what I want to focus on. I think doing what you love is the key. Great post!
I’ve been thinking along the “switch to jewelry-making” lines. I don’t know much about advertising, I’ve been having the same problems. Hopefully patience and perserverance (**gag**) will win out, if I can tolerate it.
First off, I am really enjoying your posts on the various artists! After reading today’s I went back and “caught up”
with your continuing saaaaga of trying to work from home successfully. When I worked from home, my favorite part was the sales and marketing. I love brainstorming anf coming up with novel ideas. Where I would start, were I you, is with WHERE the BABYMAMAS are! Your items are geared toward moms and little ones, so you should be posting flyers at preschools, hospitals, ob-gyns, pre-natal classes, etc. Stop focusing on selling to fellow crafters. You should look into daycare centers ( how cute are your travel blankets for them) kids exercize programs like the Y and so forth. You want to be out where the likely buyers are.
Also, join a Business Women’s group as well as your area Chamber of Commerce. NETWORK! Make sure you have enough product, and make sure it is priced well. I wpuld suggest running specials on a certain product, not a broad 30%off. You want to make PROFIT. You want your customer to buy more than one thing if possible so allow a special to reel them in, but keep most at regular price for your profit margin.
What a great post. My own blog is about alternative ways to make a living – there’s definitely some useful stuff here! Wishing you all the best!
I saw you on the etsy thread about blogging – just thought I’d drop by and show some support 🙂