The definition of craft is “to make by hand,” so it’s only natural that buyers of crafts are interested in hearing the story behind the hands that make crafts. Every crafter has a tale about how they started making and/or selling their particular product. These stories are not only exciting but can also prove to be a powerful marketing tool for craftspeople. So use your unique story to sell your craft products.
So, What’s Your Story?
Of course, you have one. Remember that what may not seem interesting to you may be very interesting to someone else. Here are a few questions to ask yourself when developing your story as a marketing tool.
- What initially sparked your interest in creating your craft?
- How did you learn your particular style of craftsmanship?
- Did anyone mentor or encourage you?
- Have you always “had a knack” for creating things?
- Do you do this as a full-time job?
- What else do you do besides crafts?
- Did you just begin selling your crafts? If so, what made you decide to start your business?
Memorize Your Story
Ask yourself these and similar questions that someone might want to know about you. Over time, you will get a feel for the questions that customers ask over and over. If you pay attention to your clientele, your story will evolve quite well on its own.
What’s the best way to tell your story?
This is where marketing comes in. No one way is any better than another but consider the following tips.
When you are selling at craft shows, be sure to always greet browsers. Often, people who may be interested in buying your products will eventually ask about the story behind your crafts or yourself. This is when you tell your tale!
Not all of us are natural salespeople, but it will get much easier after you tell your story several times. You’re just telling a story about you and what you enjoy. Remember, no one knows your products like you, so you are the best salesman for your crafts!
If you have decided to create a website for your crafts, include a section titled “About the Crafter” with a page that tells your story. If your craft has some unique history, recount this part of the story as well.
You can also include pictures of you in your workshop/work area. This will help to bring the customer a little closer to you. Be creative, and remember that sharing your story online is only a little different than sharing it in person.
One of the most well-known places people share their stories is Facebook. On Facebook, you can share pictures, and information about you and your craft, send and receive messages, and even sell your product. It can be very valuable when it comes to selling your work.
Your story is what will make you stand out above the other creators. People aren’t simply buying an item; they are buying a piece of someone’s heart and soul, making it more meaningful than any store-bought item.
Here Is My Story
I have always had a passion for sewing and embroidering. I learned when I was 17 how to embroider with a machine. The owner died, and the shop closed. I continued to sew as a hobby but wanted my own embroidery machine. It was about 17 years later when someone I knew brought an embroidery machine to me to fix. I embroidered a few items, sent the machine back to them, and realized it was easier than I thought to own one. So with the help of my parents, I was able to get my own machine.
That Christmas, money was tight. I had lost my job, and I decided to return to college to earn my degree in Human Services. While we could pay our bills, we had five young kids to provide Christmas for. I was able to embroider items to sell and buy Christmas gifts for the kids that year.
After Christmas that year, I wanted to continue to make extra income and help support my family while doing what I love. I needed something flexible to work around my school and my kid’s schedules.
Four years later, in 2018, I started a blog. I took online courses and learned how to run a small business. When COVID hit, everything came to a halt, and I couldn’t work on my blog like I wanted to, so I turned back to my embroidery business. I applied what I learned about running a blog business and applied it to my craft business. I could do something I enjoyed and make a lot of money with my craft business by implementing what I had learned.
I discovered that if I focus on running my Craft business like a small business, my business could grow. Someone approached me and asked me to help them set up their business. Through word of mouth, I started helping small businesses in my community with their business start-up and marketing.
I realized that I could take the framework I was using to help others create their businesses and turn it into an online course to reach more people. With my course I:
- Help people avoid the mistakes I made by not running their craft business as a small business.
- Save you time, money, and frustrations of figuring out how to run your craft business on your own.
- Help fast-track your craft business so you are making more money faster.
- Help you create the life you want to make money and do a job you love.
Life is too short to be stuck at a job that makes you miserable. Why not do something you love while making money doing it? What is your story? Share it in the comments, and you may inspire others to follow their dream.
Want to know if you are ready to turn your craft hobby into a craft business? I’ve created a free checklist of the 5 Things to Have Before Starting A Craft Business so you can turn your hobby into a craft business. I created this checklist because I often see DIY Crafter and Handmade Crafters struggling with knowing how to get started as a business. If you can relate to this, my 5 Things To Have Before Starting A Craft Business is explicitly designed to help you know exactly what it takes to start a handmade business and get to do what you love, crafting. So if you’d like to take advantage of this free download.
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