I was recently asked where I look for inspiration for seasonal themes, how far ahead of an event or show I started to prepare, and what my marketing strategies are?
These were tricky questions for me to answer, as I don’t do many shows and events these days. I sell most of my work in small batches and online, so I had to take a good look at myself and the way I work to answer these questions.
I am constantly inspired by the natural world around me and will usually come home from a walk in the woods with loads of ideas and inspiration for new characters, textures, or scenes I want to create. Greens spaces, open air, and natural textures like tree bark, lichen, pebbles and rocks offer so much, so I’m never short of inspiration.
I’ve found that if I’m excited by something I’m creating then it shows in my work, and in turn when I share this with others in person or on social media, they feel excited by it too. The excitement and buzz of creating something inspired is infectious, and I will often sell my creations before they even get into my online shop.
I always have new ideas and want to move onto the next one, and it’s for this reason that I tend to only make a limited number of the pieces I create, choosing not to follow current trends, as I find this stalls my own creativity and thirst for creating something new.
I do sometimes however follow seasonal themes, like Christmas, New year, Easter, Mother and Father’s Day etc. These seasonal themes come around every year and my work can easily be adapted to meet these, whether it be by a change in seasonal packaging of an item, the way I market the item, or by the simple addition of a pumpkin or Santa’s hat!
If I have an upcoming sales event or show, I have found that advertising the event on social media about a month beforehand is enough to make customers aware of the event (unless it is a big event that does their own advertising sooner), and then every few days leading up to the event. However, I’ve learned that most of my customers are online, so I haven’t been to an in-person event for a while.
For me, customer engagement is more important than marketing, but they do go hand in hand. My customers and followers are investing in me and my stories, ideas, inspiration and the good feeling I try to spread. When my customers buy a piece from me, they’re not only buying a sculpture, but they’re buying into my magical world. They’re buying into a story, an idea, and an emotion. So, it’s important to post regularly on social media (something I admit to having neglected recently) to maintain that communication and interaction with your customer base.
If you sell your work at regular shows and events it’s easier to maintain and update the stock you sell on an ongoing basis, and you will quickly get to know how much stock you’ll need for each event. However, it can be hard to judge how much stock you’ll need and what customers are likely to buy if you only attend a few events a year or are new to craft fairs.
It’s very important to know who your customers are (the types of people that are likely to buy your work), and whether they are likely to be at the show or event you are going to. This will have an impact on the amount of stock you will require for your event.
You are less likely to sell collectables and unique jewelry at small market fairs or car boot sales, than at specialist artisan or renaissance fairs.
I don’t tend to keep much stock of my work, so if I’m going to an event, I prefer to start building my stock a good 5-6 months in advance. This will ensure that I have enough stock without a mad rush leading up to an event. I have done this in less time but it was stressful! Most crafters I know start making their Halloween and Christmas stock in July, so that they can start selling it from September and October. But remember that many people don’t like to see or buy Christmas items until the beginning of November!
I think the reason I found these questions so hard to answer at first is that there’s no definitive answer. Marketing and buying trends are fluid and change all the time. And what works for me or someone else may not work for you.
Discover what it is that inspires you and sparks your creativity. Create something special and unique to you. Start your own trends and go and find where your customers are!
