So, for someone who has been in the marketing field for 15 years, I've found it very challenging to market my own jewelry! I'm not sure why... but I think it is just lack of a solid plan.
When I first started, I was definitely just doing it for fun. Then, I started making so many earrings, that I really NEEDED to sell some just to make space for more. Also, the investment in inventory, and the need to buy more materials sort of required that I actually sell some. I'm slowly moving to a more organized business plan, though I'm also allowing myself to just wing it quite a bit too. After all, even though this is sort of a business now, it is also still FUN.
So far, my best marketing strategy has been word of mouth and repeat customers. My sisters and friends and extended family have been my best source of sales. I've been talking up my jewelry a lot at work and have been giving them away as birthday presents to people/friends I work with. This hasn't generated too much yet, though I'm hoping it will eventually catch on. One thing that Jon and my parents both saying is that I need to stop giving my stuff away/heavily discounting them. To some extent, I know they are right, but on the other hand, I need to get them "out there" so people can see them.
I had been a little iffy about etsy, but I finally made a sale! I'm not sure how that one customer found me, but the next day I got a question about another pair, so I am definitely getting traffic somehow. I've also been experimenting with Facebook advertising. That has gotten me some "likes" and possibly some views on etsy.. but it's fairly hard to measure. It's not expensive, so I will probably keep doing it, on and off.
I know I have spent a lot in supplies, and on etsy, and facebook, but the thing is.. I really believe in this. I don't have a plan, or even a goal.. I don't know if it would be possible to do this full time. But I love it, and people seem to like my stuff, so I feel like I have no choice but to go all in.
I put together a traveling road show for the Phillips, maine, farmer's market. They are a small and new farmer's market and kind of off the beaten track, but they ARE somewhat on the tourist track to Rangeley. I stopped to talk to them a few weekends ago and they are looking for more vendors because they want a bigger draw for customers. They offered to take my stuff and sell it at a 10% commision. Or I could get a tent and pay $5 and sit there all day. That might be fun, but it's a 1.5 hour drive and I'm a busy girl. So we'll see what happens. I dropped off 16 pairs to my parents yesterday and they dropped it off this morning. No news yet, so maybe none of them sold. : (
I also have an art show at work. I was able to get 5 pairs displayed at one of my company's office buildings. There is not a lot of public traffic, if any, but several hundred people work there and everyone is customer, right? Unfortunately they hung mine on the 2nd floor - home to the IS department, which is essentially all dudes. But they have girlfriends and wives, so I'm not too bummed out about it. Just gotta get them out there.
This fall, I am seriously considering doing a craft fair. They are about $120, so I may not even break even, but if I can get some repeat customers then it will be worth it.
Another strategy is to get my inventory up on etsy. Every time I post new things, they go to the top of the search results, so I'm trying to post at least a couple a day.
