3 STEPS TO INCREASE JEWELRY SALES THIS YEAR
January and February are typically a slow time of year for handmade business owners. You’ve just gotten through the hectic holiday season filled with craft fairs and gift orders. This slow period is a great time to get your ducks in a row, think about the year ahead and plan any changes. Here are 3 steps to reaching more people and encouraging more sales this year:
FIND YOUR AUDIENCE
Instead of creating a product then looking for people to buy it, start by looking for groups that are easy to reach online & off and then think about your next product.
Research:
- Groups of people large companies serve (i.e. if you make jewelry, how does Tiffany & Co break their website down by audience? They may allow people to shop based on being: engaged, married, new mom, etc.)
- Online groups (i.e. what type of blogs, Facebook groups, and forums are out there?)
- Offline groups (i.e. magazines, events, and boutiques targeting a specific audience).
This research will show you the popular groups people are categorized by and where you can find them when it comes time to sell.
TWEAK YOUR PRODUCTS
Now that you’ve found an audience, get to know them really well. What are the subcategories found under the groups of people the large companies serve? What options are commonly offered? (These could help you narrow down a niche for your products.) What problems are commonly discussed on the forums? Can you tweak your products to solve them?
BUILD YOUR BRAND
Branding is a step a lot of handmade business owners skip because it takes a little more time and money to build a strong brand. But it’s worth it and is what can help make an ordinary product extraordinary, attract customers, stand out from competitors and encourage shoppers to choose you over competitors.
Think of your brand as a person. When you meet someone, how do you decide if they’re a fit for you?
- Looks – what initially attracts us to someone. The same goes for your brand. When scrolling through photos or walking through a craft fair, we’re drawn to colors, fonts, styles, etc. Does your brand’s looks attract your targeted audience?
- Values – we’re naturally drawn to people who share similar values to ours. Define the values of your company and how to communicate them. If kindness is a strong value of your business you might communicate it through your thoughtful replies to emails and social media comments.
- Communication – if you’re quiet and reserved, you may shy away from someone loudly telling inappropriate jokes at a party and search for someone interested in a quiet, engaging conversation. Think about your brand’s communication style. Is it formal or informal? Is it mainly done through speaking, writing, or visuals? Is it bold and in your face with social media posts and selling tactics or a little more reserved and in the background?
- Interests – we typically hang out with people who have similar interests as those that give us topics of conversation and a way to bond. What are the motivations and interests behind your business? Are you helping to save the environment or do you simply want to make the world a prettier place? If you create products out of recycled materials you want that to come through in your brand to attract others who care about the environment.
For more information on these points and other ways to improve your handmade business and increase sales, check out the ebook THE SUCCESSFUL INTROVERT (which includes over 50 ways to market your business without saying a word!)
Erin Mooney is the founder of the 100% free online marketplace, Made Urban. She is also a craft fair veteran, starting and growing her own handmade business for over a decade and learning all the ins and out, do’s and don’ts and secrets to small business success along the way. She shares all her knowledge on Made Urban’s BLOG and through her ebooks MAKE MORE MONEY AT CRAFT FAIRS – How to be the Busiest Booth and THE SUCCESSFUL INTROVERT.
Unpublished Blog Posts of Resin Obsession, LLC © 2020 Resin Obsession, LLC