Instagram is a great, FREE way to sell your handmade products online. If you're a beginner or an expert at Instagram, we have some tips for making sales via your profile. With more than 800 MILLION users, Instagram is the third most-used social media platform in the world. So take advantage of it!

A STRONG IMAGE

The very first step is to make sure you have a strong image. After all, Instagram IS all about photos. Read about how to take stellar product photos with your smart phone here. The photo of your product is what is going to draw your buyers and future clients in, so make sure they are good ones. Bright, minimal images with lots of background space and a single color background are shown to capture more likes.

DIRECT LINK IN BIO

Instagram only allows users to have one link on their profile, so make sure you use it wisely. Make things easy for buyers with a direct link to your website, Etsy site, Shopify site, whatever you use for e-commerce. Alternately, you can get a...

As a maker, your revenue is dependent on selling your handmade goods. Your booth at shows, your website, your Etsy site, your instagram site: they are all working toward that one goal. But, there is one thing many makers don't take seriously: their product photos! Photos of your products are one of the most important parts of marketing.

You don't need a fancy, thousand dollar camera to take excellent product photos. You have the tool in the palm of your hand: literally! Your iPhone or other smart device can take some excellent product photos with a little help from natural or artificial lighting, white paper or a solid background and your products!

 What you will need:

BACKDROP

Use a light or dark grey backdrop. It will give your photos a tidy and consistent look without a lot of noise in the background.

You can make your own backdrop by using a jumbo roll of white paper. 

LIGHT

Using natural light is the most affordable (it's FREE!) and easiest source to use when...

We're sure you know, craft shows can be hit or miss. They can be a great way to get your products in front of new customers, get feedback on what is popular and of course start generating income for your business.

Even slower shows can have their benefits (meeting future fans, growing your following, meeting other makers, learning about great shows in the area, getting crucial customer feedback, etc.), but picking the right shows can help you grow your business faster and save you lots of time.

We have a few tips for choosing the perfect craft fairs for selling your amazing maker goods!

ATTEND:  Visit potential shows to see if your items would be a good fit.

COST:  Determine how much booth fees are for each show.

SHOPPERS:  Consider the audience demographics.

VENDOR ATTENDANCE:  Find out what vendors have participated in the past.

CUSTOMER ATTENDANCE:  Ask the curator or past vendors how many shoppers attend.

ONLY HANDMADE?:  Find out if...

It's the BIGGEST shopping week of the year: Black Friday, followed by Small Business Saturday, and then Cyber Monday!

SALE IDEAS FOR CREATIVE BIZ OWNERS:

• Offer a substantial discount (15% or more) on certain items both in person (at a Holiday Craft Show) AND in your online shop.
• Give a gift certificate with a minimum purchase, which is a great way to get customers to return to your shop at a later date.
• Advertise a free product with a purchase. For example: offer a free ornament with a purchase of $50 or more.

You can schedule your sales ahead of time and share on your social media. If you have an Etsy account, you can create a sale and change your banner to reflect your sale.  Here is a great example from Craft Show CEO co-founder Carly Rae of how she published her sales on her social media:

You can see she mixed in sales both at her in-person events and also online and she encouraged her followers to screenshot the graphic (it was posted to her Instagram stories). This...