Say hello to the dynamic Erin Giles – a crafty lady who’s here to share 3 key ways to show the real ‘you’ behind the biz…
I have been going at my crafty biz for about 5 months now, and the key ingredient that I have found to be imperative to creating success for myself is something some of you may cringe at…getting personal.
Now I am not saying you need to tell them what kind of deodorant you wear (Degree for me) or what your favorite pair of undies look like (teal with white hearts) but you have to reveal the person behind the painting, the jewelry, or the hoops.
Today I am going to share with you 3 snappy pappy ways to get down right personal.
1. Show Yo’ Sexy Self Lady!
There have been countless times when I probably would have clicked on a link, a twitter page, or an etsy page if there would have been a lovely face beaming back at me. But no. I see a product, a cartoon, a stock photo, or a logo. This drives me crazy! And hey, I am speaking from
experience…so I don’t blame you, but this is a must for the success of your biz. Your potential customers want to see the face behind the product, how else can they trust you enough to give you their money?
Yep, this is me:)
2. What Makes You Want to Rip Out Your Gorgeous Hair?
Share it! What are you so passionate about that your heart pounds and toes curl? Me? I am passionate about helping and encouraging others. I am love spreading joy and sparkly silliness so people don’t take everything too seriously all the time. And as far as ripping out my already short hair, well constant complainers…we just don’t vibe well. What can you tell your customers or clients in your blog or about me that will give them a glimpse on what makes you tick?
3. You’re Not She-ra!
Or Wonder Woman for that matter. You have weaknesses, faults, anxieties, insecurities. Reveal them. Share your fears, when you share your fears they have less power over you. If you are in a creative funk and just can’t think of a new design, which happened to me recently, reach out to your friends…tweet or blog about it.
When you show your peers and customers that you don’t always know if up is up, when you let them see your gorgeous self, and what your passionate about they can more easily relate with you. Cause after all…isn’t that what handmade is all about, a real person making a handmade item just for you?
How do you get personal with your customers? I would love to hear in the comments below!
Obsessive about glitter and taking over the world with spoons, Erin Giles of Elegant Girl creates upcycled spoon necklaces and blogs about her journey as a crafty biz owner at http://www.elegantgirlart.com.
Hi! I totally agree that people want to see and get to know the person behind the creative products they look at. When people see the artist – especially if your story’s interesting! – then they feel more connected to what you make. I’m about to add a little store to my site (exciting!). In the meantime, to let people get to know a bit more and see me at work, I’ve been adding videos to my blog.
Great idea Mari! I am working on updating my about me this week:)!!
Wow, I love these ideas. I am normally such a reserved person and find it hard to talk about my life outside of craft on my blog etc. But I know that (due to my life situation) talking about my difficulties (I have a disability), fears, triumphs, and life moments that I could develop a closer connection with my readers. 🙂
So true Lil’! Starting a blog and getting on twitter to reach customers and become a real person to them rather than a shop is the best thing I ever did for my crafty biz. I had a total of 4 sales in January, and since putting some hard work in to the shop and starting blogging etc, I now have a total of 48 sales. So go be yourself, it will empower you more than you know!