When we start a new business we aim to reach as many people as possible. If you are thinking of expanding your handmade business in the digital world this is an article you need to read. These are the 5 fundamental steps for a handmade business that will help you start on this new platform.
1. Build your own story 😉
First of all, we need to be clear about our story. What makes your handmade business different from a mass production company?… your unique story!
You don’t need to have a super extraordinary story behind it, only needs to give your customers an honest and real story that they can relate to.
Also, you need to make it personal and detailed, tell them what inspires you to create your handmade products, involve them and make them feel that they are part of that creative process. Not only… but also you can take lots of photos. For example, you can show them the journey that takes you to build handmade each piece. Show them your workshop, what inspires you, make them part!!
An article worth checking out is How to Build a Brand Story: Lessons from Retail Branding Experts by Alexandra Sheehan. It gives you a guide and steps you can follow when telling your story.
2. Create a Plan with realistic goals
Secondly…a marketing strategy! This document is fundamental for every online business. It will help you to guide your steps and to know if they are effective or not. Without it, it is impossible to optimise your handmade business to achieve the best results.
Without a doubt make sure you define your objectives and goals in the short, medium and long term. To succeed, these objectives must be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-based (SMART). It doesn’t need to be long, but they should be thought of in such a way that they can be achieved (stay realistic!).
Important points to keep in mind are:
- What strategies will you use to achieve these objectives?
- What forms of media will you use?
- Do you have a budget? What is it?
Finally, you need to measure the results of your strategy from time to time to see if it is working.
3. Take great pictures📷📷… the First impression is all in the digital world
This shows us how important images are when interacting with our customers.
However, nowadays we are bombarded and saturated by images. So having quality images is key to achieve excellent results and increase our audience.
Therefore the more attractive and entertaining your images are, consequently the more likely they are to capture the attention of your audience and the longer they will stay on your site. In the case of poor quality, out of focus or blurred images will make your audience not even want to know what you are talking about.
Secondly, show your audience how professional and dedicated you are. In fact, visual content plays a key role in today’s online marketing strategies.
Finally, check out this article about How to take great product photos for your online store and get inspired for the next photoshoot!
4. Daily to do list
To start a business we need to be organised. Therefore a daily list of tasks and timelines will give you a good starting point. Based on your marketing plan, set real tasks that are reachable day by day…
But remember, don’t forget to leave some time for rest😅
5. Who is your audience? … go for it!
Define the market niche and the profile of the customer to whom you want to position your handmade products business. This is one of the most important pieces of information as it will help you to define your strategy.
You need to analyse not only those who “need” your product but also who are the most likely handmade buyers.
For this it is important to define the following factors:
- Age
- Location
- Gender
- Income level
Once you have decided on your target audience, ask yourself and do some research:
- What is the size of your market in relation to your audience?
- What motivates your customers?
- Which online channels do they use?
- What are their digital behaviours?
Remember that you may have more than one audience (personas). For each of them, you should create a strategy that suits their goals and motivations. If you need more information on how to create your target audience visit this page How to Define Your Target Market | Inc.com. This page is full of useful information to define your consumers.
Conclusion
Finally we can say that the basics of starting your craft business would be: make a plan, organise daily tasks, put effort into your pictures, know your audience and stay honest to your own story.
Consequently, your audience will grow over time, so the most important thing is to be organised and passionate about it. Best of luck! For more information visit us at The Digital Marketing Institute or in our https://blog.thedigitalmarketinginstitute.org
Reference
https://www.creativelive.com/blog/kari-chapin-handmade-business-tips/
https://www.inc.com/guides/2010/06/defining-your-target-market.html
https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/9040-handmade-business-marketing-tips.html
https://www.shopify.com/retail/how-to-build-a-brand-story-lessons-from-retail-branding-experts
https://blog.wishpond.com/post/70300587846/10-reasons-visual-content-will-dominate-2014
https://www.moo.com/blog/business-tips/how-to-take-great-product-photos-for-your-online-store