Quiet Little Sale
Sometimes life things just get in the way of what we have planed to do. Sometimes the best of intentions are left by the way-side because life is happening. As you may remember me writing earlier, I am trying to increase my Etsy Store sales this year. I've been more active on Etsy and actually posted a few pots from the wood firing. While poking around on the site I discovered a little app that I can use to connect my Etsy Shop to my Facebook Page. Sweet. You can even test it for free so I thought it was worth it to give it a test.
I installed it and configured it easily enough. Then I created a sale banner and sent out the message about it but not very well. Yes, I've had a few more visits to the store but no sales. It's not the fault of the app. I hope it's not the fault of the pots. I suspect it's because I have been pretty neglectful about advertising the sale. You can't sell anything if nobody knows about it.
The thing is, I'm a maker, not a seller. Yes, I do a lot of shows, I have my work in some shops and galleries around Atlanta but my passion is making the pots. I love it when someone buys one. It feels great to know someone else loves the piece that I love but I'm not about pushing it on people. I really don't believe in sales because most of the time it just feels like someone has inflated a price just to mark it down (I didn't do that). I do this because I have to sell the work to continue to make it. I have to feed myself and my dogs, we all need a place to live and clay doesn't grow on trees. Okay, it grows under the trees, but you know what I mean.
Maybe I should extend the sale and actually advertise for it more aggressively or just realize that this is not a great month for sales. What do you think?
Check out the gallery page - Future Relics Gallery by Lori Buff
I installed it and configured it easily enough. Then I created a sale banner and sent out the message about it but not very well. Yes, I've had a few more visits to the store but no sales. It's not the fault of the app. I hope it's not the fault of the pots. I suspect it's because I have been pretty neglectful about advertising the sale. You can't sell anything if nobody knows about it.
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| Green Wood Fired Teapot |
The thing is, I'm a maker, not a seller. Yes, I do a lot of shows, I have my work in some shops and galleries around Atlanta but my passion is making the pots. I love it when someone buys one. It feels great to know someone else loves the piece that I love but I'm not about pushing it on people. I really don't believe in sales because most of the time it just feels like someone has inflated a price just to mark it down (I didn't do that). I do this because I have to sell the work to continue to make it. I have to feed myself and my dogs, we all need a place to live and clay doesn't grow on trees. Okay, it grows under the trees, but you know what I mean.
Maybe I should extend the sale and actually advertise for it more aggressively or just realize that this is not a great month for sales. What do you think?
Check out the gallery page - Future Relics Gallery by Lori Buff
Ugh, the selling monster! I don't think any of us that make things enjoy the selling of those things. It's a full time job in itself. The one potter I know that has it dialed in around here is Mark Hewitt. His wife is Ms. Marketing and she does a really good job promoting Mark and managing his business, if only we could all have someone like that! We would all be rock stars.....
ReplyDeletegood luck!
Thanks Tracey. Mark makes beautiful pots and the marketing help is priceless.
DeleteMy sales have been slow this month, although Jeff has done quite well. I use a free app to connect our business fb page to Etsy. I did it a long time ago and I think it was easy to set up.
ReplyDeleteTry advertising your sale on FB. If you are using a discount code post it on FB. I did a sale once or twice but it didn't amount to anything. I think posting new items and renewing listings a few times a day gets more exposure. From my experience, reaching 100 items in your shop is a big help too.
Thanks for the tips Michèle, I'll try them.
DeleteGorgeous teapot :) You said it though, I just like to putter around the studio, although I admit customers are VERY nice to me :)
ReplyDeleteYes Gary, I love the positive interactions with the customers, that's one of the reasons I love doing shows and studio sales. I even get to chat with people on Etsy and they are great but I do love to just be in the studio letting my hands create what my mind is envisioning.
Deletewhat a beautiful teapot
ReplyDeleteinteresting point about the 100 items on etsy, soon I'll reactivate my etsy store and see how it goes. Gary does much better selling my pottery than I do, he is a natural with people, what about putting the mini etsy store on your sidebar here on your blog. I know listing and re-listing on etsy seems to get more sales,
. for my landscape business I went to a marketing consultant years ago and one point he made was "repetition builds reputation" - his point being advertising consistently was key.
Thanks Linda. I don't think the Etsy Mini on the sidebar is working very well, it actually is there. Maybe I need to relocate it.
Delete