If you are a maker with an online shop, you know how hard it can be to stand out in the crowd. There are a ton of shops competing for the same customers and getting eyes on your products can be really difficult. With online shops you can no longer just open the doors and expect customers to come rushing in, you have to (virtually) go out there and find people and drag them into your shop. I know, it sounds depressing. You’ve spent all this time perfecting your craft, polishing your shop and now I’m telling you you need to work hard bringing in customers.
Don’t shoot the messenger!
Outside of Etsy, the best place to focus your marketing efforts is on social media. And you’ll get the biggest bang for your buck using Pinterest. (So to speak, since Pinterest is FREE to use after all, lol). So I’m going to show you how to create pins for Etsy listings and the best way to add them to Pinterest.
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(This means I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link.)
Fair warning: This post is novel-length. 😀 But I know you’ll find it super helpful, so hang in there!
Pinterest is a great platform for product sellers because it is basically a visual search engine. People go there to look at all the pretty pretty pictures. And online product sellers already have lots of pictures to share. It’s a good match.
Do you typically spend your evenings and weekends baking, knitting, making cards or creating homemade gifts for friends and family? If people have commented on your creations or you’ve had inquiries after sharing photos on social media, perhaps it’s time you thought about monetizing your hobby! If you’re motivated to craft (ha!) a new career, here are some tips to help you get started.
This is a collaborative post.
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Research your market
To create a successful business, no matter the size, there has to be a demand for the product. Before you take the plunge and invest in new equipment or even hand in your notice, do some research. There’s no point in sacrificing what you’ve got if you’re going to find out months down the line that your product isn’t going to sell. See what’s already out there, take a look at prices and get an idea of how well those products are selling.
If you love being creative, whether it’s through drawing, sewing, graphic design or writing, you might be at a point in your creative life where you are wondering if you can monetize your hobby. For a lot of creative freelancers, turning a hobby into a business is not easy, but it’s totally possible. After all, there are plenty of people who earn a living, or at least supplement their income through their creativity, so why couldn’t you be one of them?Â
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I’ve always known that I wanted to turn my creative interests into a business of some kind because I love making stuff and I love being an entrepreneur. 🙂 The businesses I have now are nothing like where I thought I would be though, they evolved and grew with me and the changes in my life. And for me, that’s even better!
You may have a very clear idea of where your creative pursuits can take you, or maybe you’re still in the brainstorming stage. Either way, it is important to start now. Put pen to paper and start with a list or an idea or a goal. Don’t put it off until all your ducks are in a row. Otherwise you’ll never start. Take it from me, my ducks are still all flying off in different directions, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make my dreams a reality.
Here are 5 key elements I recommend you have in place to help get you started on your entrepreneurial journey.
I’m a list person. Always have been. I never leave home without a list and I typically have 3-5 lists on the go at once. I believe in lists and lists believe in me. But sometimes my lists are just plain unreasonable. When I write all of the things on one list, it is overwhelming and I get self-critical when I can’t accomplish it all. (I know, I’m my own worst enemy.) But I recently discovered the beauty of realistic goal setting vs endless list writing and it’s really working out for me! Since it’s the start of a brand new year, I figure now is the ideal time to share my strategy with you!
Everybody Likes to Talks the Talk
I’ve read countless blog posts that advise the importance of setting goals. Setting yearly goals, 90 day goals, health goals, financial goals or career goals. Whoa. That’s alot of goals.
Now I could set goals till the cows come home, but giving myself a whole year to achieve a huge task is vague and unrealistic. And wayyy too easy to procrastinate doing because hey, I have a whole year to get it done so let’s binge watch The Crown instead!
I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit and I’m crafty, so naturally I’ve wanted to be a creative business owner since before I knew what that really meant. Â It took me a while to find my ‘thing’ (wool felt!), I first tried several other crafty ideas. Â I’ve also always wanted to be a stay at home mom, so I had to find a way to make those two dreams work together.
It’s hard work to be self-employed and work from home with kiddos running around, but it’s possible if you’re determined!  I want the flexibility of being self-employed so that I can be here when the kids get home from school, or if they need to be picked up.  There’s no need to miss a meeting or a soccer practice because I set my own hours.  I have systems in place that help me stay on track and succeed as a small business owner.  And here’s a great, free printable workbook full of pages to help you set attainable goals and become a master of time management!
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