mkg-006-Pottery marketing
Pottery Business - 17-06-2024
source: howtostartanllc.com/business_ideas/pottery TRUIC QR code generator
source: cpdonline.co.uk/business-guides/setting-up-pottery-business/
source: potterycrafters.com/how-to-make-a-living-selling-pottery
10steps
1-Plan your Business
1.1 - what are the costs
Think this for investment
- will you wheel throw? - wheel potter machine
- will you build by hand - just clay and glazes
- will you glaze + kiln :
- in house - a kiln - wax resist
- get somewhere else
- Set some cash aside for:
- travelling expense
- art fextivals
1.2 - who is the target market
- target individuals who:
- purchase handmade pieces
- appreciate the time & skill that goes into each creation
- willing to pay a little extra for their one of a kind piece
What is your business offering that others don`t
1.3 How to make money
many sell to individual customers, others sell wholesale
Create pottery pieces as samples: vases, plates, bowls, etc..
Pieces can be similar or different
1.3.1 - consider seasonal selling
Fall: soup bowls and spoons
Christmas: gifts, themed mugs, themed wall art
March Easter: themed eggs, themed deco Pieces
Mother`s day, Halloween
1.3.2 - selling method
commission basis - indirect - other shopowners, interior designers
selling online - direct : Amazon etsy
physical store - direct
1.3.2.1 - Etsy
| pros | cons | |
| easy setup | too many paid advertisers all the top listers are paid | |
| quick to make listing | the fees are fairly high | |
| you will get traffic | ||
| good way to test your product | ||
| if you sell move to your own site | if not work on your products more on photography more on descriptions | |
1.3.2.2 - Your website
co.uk
After testing my products on Etsy and becoming miffed with fees, I decided to move on my own website.
I currently use shopify to manage website. I have been pretty happy with shopify. Templates help you, no coding experience is needed.
Use unofficial shopify podcast to listen
| pros | cons |
| display products however you like: unlimited images | |
| More control over shipping policy | Lots of work keeping things up to date |
| Add blog content and other pages | certain amount of tech expertise needed to learn |
| Unlimited listing without fees | Monthly payments may be more than fees on Etsy |
| Mailing list with Mailchimp | There is no free traffic, you need to work hard to get visitors advertising social media blog posts other promotions |
1.4 - Profit estimate annual earnings
Novice "<" 20.000USD (per year? - (1670 / month )
Master around 47.500 USD - (3960/month)
average income =
Level of potter
mid : 20usd/hr
senior : 25usd/hr
experienced ">" 30usd/hr
20 to 50 USD/hour - so 20 *8h/day * 6 dyas a week * 4 weeks = 3840 USD / month - up to - 9650 USD / month
Determine how much your time is worth according your experience Level
1.4.1 - Calculate like this:
1 kiln firing 60 pieces
| item | cost | 1 firing | 2 firing | 3 firing | 4 firing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| electrical | 300 TL*2 | /60=5TL/piece | /120*2=TL | /240=TL | |
| rental | : 7200*4 | /60 = 120TL/p | /120*4=TL | /180=TL | /240=TL |
| oil/gas car | 2500TL*4 | /60=41TL/p | /120*4=TL | /180=TL | /240=TL |
| house | 8500*2 | /60=142TL/p | /120*2=TL | /180=TL | /240=TL |
| Total | 18.500TL 56400 | 308 TL 1440TL | 154.- 720 | 102.67TL 480 | 77.-TL 360 |
| Pieces to sell min for profit | - | 60 | 121 | 182 | 241 |
| per week item to sell /4 | - | 15 39 | 30 79 | 45 118 | 60 157 |
Most business to really get going from 2-5 years
1.5 - How to make business more profitable
source: potterycrafters.com
You can integrate the following in your business Plan
- Teaching
- Selling wine & snacks to pottery class
invite group to paint/glaze & take home as a souvenir
- Make your process more efficinet
- Use molds
- reduce number of complicated items, simplify some pieces and test them how they sell
- diversification for different markets, make different products
- Collaborate with other artists: it is a powerful networking strategy
- solicite galleries, bars, hotels, restaurants, real estate agents: many will investment
2 - Marketing
source: thelittlepotcompany.co.uk
2.1 - Define your brand
2.1.1 - how
Brand/logo 3 schools of thought:
- persons name
- location specific - prbl if you change your location
- some random clay related mashup
2.1.2 - computer aided design for logo
Truic`s logo generator
free qr code generator
inkscape for logo creation
2.1.3 - taglines - slogan
source: thelittlepotcompany.co.uk
Taglines show what values they hope to convey
What style of pottery is your brand representing: basis for Tagline
- are you an artist or a production potter
- how do you see your potter being used: decoration, tableware
- how your customer will percieve them: decoration, tableware
- Will people aspire to own one of your pieces: is it like Gucci?
- is it affordable for them to buy multiple items and grow their collection: as tableware or decoration?
2.2 advertisement - How to promote & market a pottery business
source: thelittlepotcompany.co.uk
- keep a guest book for each event you attend
- create mailing list:
-remind people of your work
-include contact info
-notify people of kiln opening
- Attend art festival:
- they are costly but
- effective way of reaching broad audience
- even if people are not willing to buy, take their biz card if they enjoy my work
- Post pic of your work on instagram
- Hold online auctions
- Have a billboard or sign prominently displayed:
- include contact info
- must encourage client to visit your studio
2.2.1.Getting traffic from social media:
source: thelittlepotcompany.co.uk
Fact:
Even with the most interested customers visiting your selling page, the conversion rate is unlikely to be over 2%
For blog traffic and social media it is lot lower.
2.2.1.1 - social media
source: thelittlepotcompany.co.uk
- It is hard to be everywhere, I have chosen to focus on insta & facebook, pinterest is great too
- setup your page, try posting on groups, to spread the word-spacing
- use groups with "handmade","handcrafted" and "craft", posting should be quality to get interest
- objective : getting people comments to stay higher in group feed and be more visible
- this works;
- follow this link to buy my pottery
- link to your face or website
- does not work;
- what doyou think I could do differently with this desing
- which is your favorite out of these colors
2.2.1.2 - Mailing list
source: thelittlepotcompany.co.uk
- you will write e-mails to people you don`t know
- getting an e-mail in result means you can contact him/her back
- because social media can close / shut down
- signing up to mailing list means; showing interest to your products / company
- mailing list automation options are great: when placing an order follow up email
- people don`t like to give their e-mails: use incentives: discount
- make it clear they can unsubscribe anytime
2.2.1.3 - Use blogs
source: thelittlepotcompany.co.uk
- writing about your blog could attract some customers
- better to write one long, than little update posts: beginners pottery equipments
- use some click to product pages or join mailing list option
2.2.1.4 - paid advertisement and getting traffic from them
source: thelittlepotcompany.co.uk
facebook 15 pound - first attempt, didn`t work well
- maybe due to bad product? bad image? bad description?
second attempt 3 pund
-sold a few, heart mugs, scented candles
- my products and images were better
face insta and google adverts are the best at the moment
2.2 How to keep customers coming back
source: thelittlepotcompany.co.uk
- your product line should include a wide variety of items
- offer a set of item in various size. Ex: plant potter s, m, l, xl
- product line:
- produt guaranteed to sell
- artistic product
- Offer discount for multiple buying for items purchased together
2.3 -camera / photography
source: thelittlepotcompany.co.uk
- camera phone : lack decent lens, products look distorted
- natural light: better, turn off house lights, shoot near a window, don`t get too close to window to avoid distortion, use phone mini tripod to avoid blurring
- 2 types of photos: photo on many angles, lifestyle: somebody using my product, scene with lots of props to show how it fits into everyday life
2.4 - showing yourself as trustworthy:
source: thelittlepotcompany.co.uk
- security and site design
-SSL checkouts
- image with lower kb for high load speed
- customer views are essential, after a purchase request a review
- make yourself available for any questions: add your phone number
- write and explanation of shipping process, returns policy, if broken what happens, if broken by mistake of client what happens.
3 - create website
use wordpress, wix, weebly, squarespace, shopify, etsy
4 - Setup your biz phone
Easier for potential customer to reach you
pros / cons
| Pros |
Cons |
|
| Cost |
Little startup cost |
Low profit margins |
| Run your biz from home |
inconsistent in busy times |
|
| Rewarding work |
High running cost: elt, rent, mat cost |
|
| You shape your biz: types of product, price, id of biz |
||
| Scale your biz: big / small | high time commitment, time consuming | |
| Control your workload: how many orders/ month workhours |
Stressful: time commitment for orders | |
| local community - participate: in events connect with others |
Difficult physical work |
|
| No high qualification requirement |
||
| Your own boss |
competitive with small & big shops: - UK: emma bridgewater - Malls, stores, furniture store, supermarket -TR: Mudo, Madame Coco, Tepe, Zara home |
5 - Planning
Estimate the demand. Market research:
- which pottery is likely to be in demand
- focus on niche pottery or popular demand
- Assess your competition, look other pot biz:
- do they sell similar products
- material and techniques they Use
- How they sell
- price points
- typical customers
- what pottery material to use: most potter use only one type
- Type of product: one type or variety of Type, specific theme design or decoration for brand
- plan your equipment: instead of buying you can rent
- pricing: consider start up cost, running cost & complexity of material
- how and where to sell: one way or multiple way
- finance:
- yourself
- source outside investment
-estimate when you will profit
6 - ways to promote: - marketing and advertisement strategy: - probably there is no unproduced product
- but you can be original.
- Add your style. Make people attached to your style: interesting handles to mugs, glaze with colours
- keep in mind what the popular demand is
- strong biz id : make your brand stand out
- recognisable to customers:
-leaflet advertisement
- social media
- fairs
- mailing list
- online advertisement
- ways to be profitable:
- teach: classes, workshops. paint session
- hire potters: apprentices, assistants
- Make business objective/targets for 1 year / 3 / 5
- Business objective should be: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time bound.
Comply with all legal requirement
7 - psychological aspect
Motivate yourself and build confidence
Gain experience - there is never enough experience - you should be willing to learn.
Grow your business
To achieve any goal you have to have: confidence, motivation, dedication and passion
Be optimistic and realistic
Wait patienty for your first few orders
8 - turn your studio into a shop
- same home and shop means no travelling
- freedom for decoration
- you need space
- Don`t be too far from main town or city otherwise have to rely on deliveries. This is doable but it is added cost (cost of cargo)
9 - Sell to pottery retailers
9.1. easy option
Sell to:
- stores,
- local coffee shops
- markets
- furniture stores (vase and decors
- interior designers
Ask them to sell for commission:
cons:
- giving the store owner commission
- this makes the rates go high a bit
- you don`t have the freedom of display style
- You might have a look for various stores to find a good deal
9.2 - Online delivery
- setting up a website
- take orders through face, insta or by call
pros:
you don`t need much space for shop
convenient for customers
Online business flourish faster
Using Etsy or Amazon then worries for marketing and delivery is gone
These sites have their own delivery service
Through Amazon custom, you can make custom products
9.3 - Set up a booth
booth = tent or structure at a market, fair, exhibition
For your production which has been in a storage for a while, using booth is great, you can choose one or do them all:
- attend flea markets
- Roadside sales
- Festivals
9.4 packaging
use double walled boxes otherwise it breaks
6" x 6" are safer for mugs, becaus emultiple layers are possible
include printed receipt with a business card and a thank you card
put also freebies like sweets, or something
Comments
Post a Comment