Ep. 13 – How to Stand Out from the Crowd as an Online Crafter

[00:00:00] Kam: It is no secret that I am a bigger fan of having your own real estate online, but how can you do it and still stand out. I am glad you asked. Hello, creatives. And welcome into episode 13 of the maker-space podcast, where we are providing tools for crafters in their journey to build an online business.

[00:00:25] Kam: Now, before I get into this episode, I wanted to update you on an upcoming event. The virtual street market, we’ll be hosting a bootcamp on building an online craft business in February. On the first, second and third, we will be showing you the ins and outs of running an online craft business. So be sure to sign up for that@thevirtualstreetmarket.com.

[00:00:47] Kam: And watch your email for more information.

[00:00:52] Kam: Regardless of whether you are a wallflower or enjoy being the center of attention. You need your product to get noticed when you are selling online. Today I have five suggestions with a bonus on how to do that. Now, like any thing in business, this is not an overnight, I made six figures type of episode. It takes work to create a business and patients, especially to grow it online.

[00:01:19] Kam: If you keep that in mind, what I’m about to share with you will make the process a whole lot easier. I do promise that.

1) Now first suggestion You want to create an eye catching portfolio or like a showroom to showcase your product.

Be sure that you’re using good photos, which I’ve mentioned in the past, um, of your pieces and your product include reviews from customers. If you can get those, if they’ve purchased from you before, ask them if they would mind leaving you.

[00:01:53] Kam: Either a video. Or a written review, either one. And just to kind of use as a mental visual, think of the feeling you get when you walk into a hobby lobby. And then compare that to walking into a yard sale. Now. Especially for me, both have exciting possibilities, but you may be missing a piece of something at the yard sale.

[00:02:15] Kam: That same feeling comes across you across when you don’t take time to showcase your product online. And it could be the first time that anybody. Meets you. Kind of quote-unquote.

2) Second suggestion. Offer personalization or gift wrapping something to stand out.

When you’re a purchased a whole lot of after season wrapping paper and with the thought that I could use my shaved ice trailer as a wrapping station for people to go to. What I did not take into consideration was the fact that one, I don’t like to haul my trailer out in the extreme cold that is our winter.

[00:03:00] Kam: And besides that who’s going to bring their items out in the cold. When I don’t like to even be out there. Just to have a wrapped. So that was not my best idea, but I have also offered. A personalized set of pillows for adopting families that actually did quite well. And we used it as a fundraiser for our own adoption.

3) Now third is to stand out Please utilize social media.

With videos or at the very least images. It’s building that know like, and trust you factor. And I have suggested these in previous episodes, but I will link my own. Social media accounts in. The show notes, but Instagram is probably my current favorite with Pinterest being a close second.

[00:03:53] Kam: I do also have a Facebook group and page, and I’m just kind of starting to explore Tik TOK, but not quite there yet. Postal plan is the social post planner that I use, uh, instead of going to each one. And I will also link that in the notes as well.

4) The fourth suggestion. That I have is to use materials that reflect the quality and the uniqueness of your product.

[00:04:22] Kam: Now, if I say sock monkey, most of you will probably know what that is and what the sock looks like, that it’s made out of. You can get that same pattern. To make that same monkey out of any sock, but it’s not that unique branding. The same is true. When you say Wilson leather goods. Both her products using specific materials that people relate to their brand. So used materials that reflect that quality of your product.

5) The fifth suggestion I have for you Is keep up to date on trends.

Now I myself am not a trendsetter, but I am a business owner. And I do recognize that some times. The underdog crafts are not going to sell. Even as fun as they might be to make, at some point, sand art loom bands have to kind of be put away for treasure hunters to find them in like 200 years, which is probably how long they’re going to last anyway. So we’ll let them find those.

[00:05:33] Kam: Now. This is the bonus round. And I’m so glad that you’ve made it this far.

Bonus – My bonus suggestion for, for standing out. Is to network with other crafters and look for collaboration opportunities.

This is my favorite suggestion and why I named it the bonus, because, and here’s why. When I was starting out in the crafting world, people just didn’t share ideas. Crafters didn’t share things. No one shared the journey to building a business.

[00:06:07] Kam: They were afraid someone was going to come along and steal their idea. And it’s funny now, when someone says I can make that myself, but it was a serious business back in the day. Um, I remember when I worked for Joann fabrics a long time ago, It was, and it still could be part of the cutting tables job to ask what the person was working on. That you were cutting the fabric for.

[00:06:36] Kam: And so that way we could suggest items, items that they possibly needed to complete their. Whatever they were working on. And quite frequently I would be told oh, stuff for the craft show. And I knew that was the end of the discussion. They were not going to tell me what they were working on because they didn’t want somebody standing in line behind them to get that same idea and sell the same product.

[00:07:02] Kam: So whether it was just their lack of confidence in their own stuff. Or kind of that fear. It just, wasn’t a thing nobody’s shared. So to me, the creatives who are not afraid to share ideas, Uh, like the Christmas wrapping stand are very special and we’re just a community trying to make our way in a big world with so many opportunities. So many talented people.

[00:07:32] Kam: And we can even join forces and that’s where the collaboration comes in. Maybe you make goat cheese and you can find somebody who sells. Shark who dearie shark coterie, but there we go. Charcuterie boards. Put the, put the two together, sell them as a, a bunch. You know, or a group, you can market them together.

[00:07:56] Kam: I do the collaboration. If you’re looking for a community of like-minded people. I have a tip for you. I have a Facebook group and I would like to invite you to it. It’s called crafters building online businesses. And it’s like I said, it’s on Facebook. You can network there, you can share ideas. Even if you’ve created something brand new on your Allume board, that’s fine too. I’ll let that go.

[00:08:29] Kam: So, these are just some suggestions that I hope kind of helps you to market your brand, to stand out so that when we do have that real estate online, that is ours. And when we do market it in our social media, we bring people to it. There’s just that special something that people will just keep returning to. And it’s kind of like building that super fans, like PatFlynn says.

[00:08:58] Kam: So thank you for joining me on this episode. And remember if you need any of the links mentioned in this episode, go to the virtual street market.com. I did have to put the VI in there, so don’t forget it. And in the website, you can also get a free cheat sheet for marketing your crafts online. Now go light your word, creative. See you on the next one.