Shownotes
Selling your crochet takes time and effort, but it can take even more time and more work if you're making these common mistakes
Let me tell you about them, and how you can avoid them
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Transcripts
Hello and welcome to the Croce Business School podcast.
Speaker:But you can use your crochet to build a business that will give you the lifestyle you've been dreaming of.
Speaker:The seven biggest mistakes Croce sellers make There are a lot of ways that you can make errors when running a business, But the truth is that if you don't make mistakes, you don't learn.
Speaker:You will never meet anyone who has never made a mistake in their business.
Speaker:It just doesn't exist.
Speaker:We all have to learn and mistakes apart that learning process.
Speaker:But knowing what the mistakes the common mistakes are can help us to avoid the big ones, the ones that are easily fixed and the ones that are easily avoided.
Speaker:And the seven biggest mistakes are all fairly easily avoided.
Speaker:You just need to know that that they're there to be made.
Speaker:So number one trying to be everywhere.
Speaker:Now, if you look at what the big brands do, and not just crochet brands, any brands Coca Cola, apple, anyone, they are on every single social media platform.
Speaker:They have campaigns running.
Speaker:They have sponsored posts, they use stories, reels all there, right Hashtags.
Speaker:Facebook posts 3 to 5 times a day.
Speaker:They do it all.
Speaker:Here's the thing.
Speaker:They have big marketing teams.
Speaker:Even independent sellers who are on every platform have assistance to help them.
Speaker:If you're selling your crochet by yourself, you simply don't have time to do this.
Speaker:And actually, if you try to be everywhere, you're essentially nowhere, because if you don't use a social media platform properly, you don't get traction.
Speaker:You don't build an audience, you don't build relationships with our audience.
Speaker:And so the sales don't come.
Speaker:It is far more effective to focus on one single platform and get it right and really focus on that to get the business Now.
Speaker:The truth is that you can make you can make your business work on any platform.
Speaker:He just needs to choose the one that is right for you.
Speaker:The second mistake is not knowing your customers.
Speaker:You need to know who you're selling to.
Speaker:Who is it that you're making your products for?
Speaker:It is true that anyone can buy crochet, but no one is going to buy your crochet because it's crochet.
Speaker:It will buy it because it solves a problem for them.
Speaker:So who are you solving the problem, for?
Speaker:You need to get to know your customers, and your customers need to know what to expect from you.
Speaker:So if they come across a post by, you're selling baby booties, they're going to go to your shop expecting to find baby products.
Speaker:But if they go to your shop and suddenly find a wall hanging, a shower puff and a sweater, they don't know what you're about.
Speaker:They've just stumbled upon a jumble sale.
Speaker:They're not going to know what to keep your mind for.
Speaker:It's just very random.
Speaker:Your customers need to know what you're about, what you sell on, what to keep you in mind for when they are ready to buy.
Speaker:So make sure you know who you're selling to and then tailor your product line to cater for those customers.
Speaker:Mistake number three.
Speaker:You don't start a newsletter.
Speaker:Newsletters might sound a bit old fashioned, but they are extremely valuable, and they are the only part of your business that you truly own.
Speaker:The truth is that your social media accounts your shop on at sea Shopify anywhere can get shut down overnight, and unless you have a newsletter list Unless you have been collecting your customer emails, your business will go with it.
Speaker:You'll have nothing, because how are you going to communicate with your customers about where you can now be found once you set yourself up again?
Speaker:Unless you have that list, you have to start from scratch all over again.
Speaker:But if you have that list, you simply send an email with the links to your new social platforms.
Speaker:Your new shop and your customers have found you again.
Speaker:You can remain in contact.
Speaker:You can keep building those relationships, and you don't have to start again.
Speaker:It's easier to say that.
Speaker:Oh, that will never happen to me.
Speaker:But I guarantee you that most people who've had their shops shut down who have had their social accounts taken away or thought the same thing.
Speaker:So it's best not to take that risk and encourage sign ups to your newsletter.
Speaker:And don't forget that not every one of your followers sees your posts on social media.
Speaker:In fact, a very small percentage of your followers will see your posts on social media.
Speaker:However, you can guarantee that your email will land in the inbox of every single subscriber.
Speaker:Whether they choose to open that email is a completely another story, but they will see that you sent an email.
Speaker:Email marketing is far more effective than social media, so grow that list because it can make your fortune Mistake number four your photos, especially when you're starting out.
Speaker:It can be difficult to know how to take good photos, and it's a bit of a learning process, but your photos are the first contact your customers will have with your products.
Speaker:Your photos need to be enticing.
Speaker:They need to make your customers want to click, to find out more.
Speaker:So your photos have to be right.
Speaker:They have to be clickable because otherwise your audience will just scroll on and move on past.
Speaker:If your photos do not do the job, you're not going to get people into the shop.
Speaker:Your photos are your shop window.
Speaker:They've got to be good.
Speaker:They've got to be clear.
Speaker:They've got to be bright.
Speaker:They've got to represent the colours as true as possible.
Speaker:They need to be taking natural light with an Uncluttered background.
Speaker:Okay, you don't want any props to be drowning out what you're selling or even to make it confusing as to what's the sale.
Speaker:So make sure that you are taking really nice professional looking photos that make people want to click.
Speaker:I have an E book that can help you with this if you're struggling, and I'll put a link to that in the description to this podcast, the next mistake is the pricing.
Speaker:Pricing gives everyone anxiety.
Speaker:It's one the hardest parts of running a business.
Speaker:It's setting your prices and then sticking to them, especially if you're on social media a lot.
Speaker:It's so easy to get caught up in what everyone else is charging and start with the mindset of.
Speaker:I won't be able to sell what the price I'm charging because everyone else is selling for less.
Speaker:However, you can go to a jewellers, and you can buy a cheap necklace, a mid range necklace or a very high end necklace.
Speaker:There is a reason why the jewellers sell all three price points, and it's the same with your crochet.
Speaker:Different price points are attractive to different people.
Speaker:Different customers will want different prices, so the people who are going to buy the low end price range products will not by the mid range.
Speaker:The people who by the mid range products will not by the low price range and the ones who by the luxury for I send will not buy anything lower end.
Speaker:So instead of thinking known by, if I don't price low, you have to change it around.
Speaker:Are you wanting to sell to those who want to buy the low price range?
Speaker:Or are you trying to get in front of those who want the luxury or mid price range change?
Speaker:Who you are marketing to?
Speaker:You are not trying to get the same customers as those who sell cheap.
Speaker:You are looking for an entirely different customer.
Speaker:You've just got to find how to get in front of them, which means changing where you're looking.
Speaker:It might sound a bit intimidating, but you've just got to change the way you think you are not your customer.
Speaker:You are not the one that's going to buy this, so you just have to find the people who will, and that goes back to knowing who you're selling to.
Speaker:The next mistake is hiding.
Speaker:It's scary when, especially when you're getting started, that you're putting yourself out there to be seen by Lord knows who, Ian Lord knows what country, and you're opening yourself up to judgement, and it's scary.
Speaker:I mean, we all know that the online world can be quite a nasty place at times.
Speaker:The truth is that most people are actually quite nice, but unfortunately, it's the odd bad egg that really makes the impression, and that really brings us low.
Speaker:You can get 10 wonderful comments about the quality of your work and how absolutely fabulous it is.
Speaker:But it's the one comment that is nasty that sticks our minds.
Speaker:We sort of ignored the good comments, and we focus on the bad.
Speaker:Even though we're not getting that many, it's hard to put yourself out there, but unless you do that, you're not going to get sales.
Speaker:So you have to get out of your comfort zone.
Speaker:If you're comfortable, you're gonna stay where you are.
Speaker:And if you're not making sales, that's exactly where you're going to stay.
Speaker:You have to get yourself out there.
Speaker:You have to post on social media.
Speaker:You need to go and get yourself known in other groups.
Speaker:Do some videos go comment other groups and go find your customers.
Speaker:You have to do these things.
Speaker:And as hard as scary as they are, it gets easier with practise.
Speaker:So get the practise in and go do it.
Speaker:Otherwise those sales will not come.
Speaker:And finally, the last mistake that everyone makes is to be constantly sell, sell, selling.
Speaker:We're on the face of it.
Speaker:That doesn't sound bad because you're supposed to be selling right, but it's not a good way to build relationships.
Speaker:If you are posting on social media.
Speaker:Nothing but selling post.
Speaker:Here's my latest product.
Speaker:By now, look what I made by now.
Speaker:If that's all you're putting out there, it's not a good way of engaging customers.
Speaker:There's no content there that they can get involved with that they're going to feel compelled to comment on the Post.
Speaker:There's no way of asking questions and getting their input of getting them to engage.
Speaker:There's no way of actually enticing people to like your page in the first place.
Speaker:Yes, you need to show what you do, but you also need to show you what your brand is what you stand for.
Speaker:Give a bit about your story why you started selling why you choose to sell what you do, give some background, give an insight into the design process, show works in progress, build relationships with customers and make it interesting for them.
Speaker:Constant selling posts are not interesting.
Speaker:It's a bit like flicking through a catalogue.
Speaker:You don't do that unless you are actually looking to buy or making a Christmas list.
Speaker:So if your people people to find your social media and get interested in your brand, you've got to make it interesting for them.
Speaker:You need to make content that engages.
Speaker:So there you have it.
Speaker:The seven biggest mistakes that crochet sellers make, and they are fairly easily avoided.
Speaker:So now that you know what they are, ask yourself.
Speaker:Are you guilty of any of these?
Speaker:And what are you going to do to fix it?
Speaker:Thank you for joining me today and listening to this episode.
Speaker:If you have any questions about this subject or would like to carry on the conversation, then why not come and join our Facebook group for crochet sellers, Whether you're selling what you make writing patterns or making money from crochet Another way, the support group is the place for you.
Speaker:It You can also check out our newsletter.
Speaker:Just sign up using the link in the show notes and have tips and advice sent straight to your inbox every week.
Speaker:So thanks again for joining me.
Speaker:And I shall see you next time for the next episode.
