It’s easy to get started on Facebook. To make your business stand out, create a profile with the best copy. Once you have created your personal profile, create a Facebook business page for your company.
How? Easy. Scroll down to the bottom, and click “Advertise”. It’s completely free so get ready for some joy! Click the Pages tab to upload your logo and enter some copy that best represents your craft business.
You can then start to reach out to potential customers, much like you would in other venues by “sharing” the business.
Most likely, your first contacts or “Facebook fans” will be close friends and family. Even the most social entrepreneurs will have to grow beyond their initial contacts.
Be careful. An online business can be doomed to suffer from negative word-of-mouth. To maximize your chances of positive word-of-mouth, spend some time crafting your message and creating a list.
Reach out to other crafters who share your interests, such as jewelry designers, doll-makers, potters, or whatever business you have. While some will be rivals, others will be hobbyists as passionate about crafts as you are. Encourage them to spread the word and offer them tutorials, samples and other helpful information to help them follow your lead.
Twitter is another great way to get your message out. It can also work faster than other methods. However, speed is not always better than volume. Twitter is more for real-time communication. It is sort of Internet chat with steroids.
For online craft business owners looking to share news and announcements, Twitter is a great tool. Are you having a sale? Tweet it. Have you discovered a new material? Send your excitement in as little as 140 characters.
If you own multiple craft-related businesses such as glassware or textiles, Twhirl can help you manage them all. However, you don’t need to be connected to the internet all day. You can use Twuffer to create a list of tweets that you will send whenever you like.
These cases will show you how to not only reach the people who frequent these sites, but also drive them to your website. Again, be discreet, but make sure that your friends know where you are located. It doesn’t make sense to build a better mousetrap or mouse earring, if nobody knows where it is.
You can use both Facebook Pages or Twitter to get the information you need.
- Pictures, pictures, and more pictures. I will repeat it again: PICTURES. Facebook Photo allows you to create and edit photo albums that contain amazing images that showcase your creativity and skill.
- You can take it to the next level by creating videos featuring your most recent and most loved creations. Zoom in on the features that make your products stand out. As you describe what they are seeing, record all sides. Flip camcorders are very affordable and you should get one. Learn how to download them to your computer and then upload them to Facebook.
- Give tips for how to store products after they are not being used or displayed.
- Give tips for how to ship the items
- If something breaks, do you offer a repair? You can remind them of how they can return the product to you for repair.
- You might be able to offer them some tips on minor repairs. You could even offer repair videos tutorials. Written tutorials are also helpful.
- Give gift ideas for the holidays. Offer a discount for people who buy more than one item, one for them and one for their loved ones. This is a great way to encourage multiple purchases.
- If you are able to, offer an incentive. Perhaps you can give free shipping if the order exceeds a certain dollar amount. You can also offer gift wrapping.
- Craft and gift shows are often the origins of craft businesses. Perhaps you could give a list of shows in the area or your state. Or, even better, multiple states and regions.
- Take pictures and videos when you attend a show. Bring your Facebook Fans along. Share with them your plans, your experiences and the surprises you found. If you plan to display your products at shows, you should let everyone know. It’s possible to get unexpected visitors who happen to be nearby. What a great idea!
- Get ideas for the best ways to show and use your products.
- Share a bit of your backstory. Tell your visitors how you got started, who inspired you, and a timeline of the progression.
- Let visitors know what product options you offer when they place an order from you. You can offer a variety of colors, sizes and shapes.
- You might be interested in this type of work if you have the ability to make money from your knowledge. You can hold workshops, classes, or even make video tutorials. You can then announce your new offerings for your visitors.
- Don’t forget to donate to charity! You can get your customers involved by offering a portion of their purchases to the charity. Another idea is to do this. How about a donation drive organized by your online community. You could become the place where handmade toys and other items can be donated to those in need. Your fans and you could work together to support a common cause.
- Make sure to explain to your customers how your product fulfills their needs. What will it do for them?
- You have products so you are in a great position to host a monthly contest where one lucky winner will receive something you made. Maybe you choose a new winner for each 50 fans. You can keep going for as long as it takes.
- How about sharing a list with other online craft directories. Seek out feedback from your fans and see if they are willing to help with this project.
- You’ve probably tried many different materials before you finally found the right product. You could write reviews about materials that didn’t live up to their promises, or ones that made your crafts truly come alive and provided the information you need. This could be a great way to start a conversation with other crafters who visit your site.
- Are there any ideas for what to do about your leftover materials? Do you have any ideas for how your visitors can recycle the materials they don’t use in their projects?
- I would like to see you think less about an “online craft store” but more about an “online crafting community”. Encourage sharing ideas, materials and issues. Everyone should feel welcome to come and share their valuable content. It could become one happy family! It’s possible to form wonderful partnerships with like-minded people and create joint venture opportunities. There are many doors that can be opened. There are deeper connections. Isn’t this the kind of community you want to create?
- You might know of other crafters who have similar products to yours. Why not share this information with your visitors? You might be able to refer other crafters to you. This is a great time for a referral program or affiliate program. It’s a win-win for everyone.