We all have hobbies that we do for fun or to relax. We fill our spare time with them, but have you ever considered turning those hobbies into something profitable? With a little time and commitment some of them can help to earn you a bit of extra pocket money, or even turn into a new business. DIY crafts is something many of us enjoy dabbling in and it can be a very profitable venture.
If you’re unsure where to start, firstly find out from friends, family and locals if it’s something people would be interested in. Scented candles, bath bombs, soaps, jewellery and decorations are popular items to treat ourselves to, as well as give as gifts to others. As more and more people try to shop local, now is the perfect time to turn your crafts hobby into a bit of money.
Start with Social Media
If you’ve already got the know-how on how to make your crafts the next step is getting the word out and what better way to do that than with social media? “Using social media is one of the best ways to reach potential customers and once a few people know about you, you’ll soon see those recommendations pouring in,” adds Patricia Geissler, blogger at Draftbeyond and Writinity.
Your Business Page
The first step is to create yourself a business page. It’ll need to be clear, attractive and informative without being overwhelming. Take high quality pictures of the products you wish to sell, think of a catchy business name if you haven’t done already, make sure you detail pricing and make your page public. Once your page is ready, invite your friends and family to like it, just to get you started. When you have a few likes in the bag, it’s time to start advertising to your potential customers. That may sound a bit scary but it’s ok, with social media advertising you can spend as much or as little as you like.
Social Media Targeting
Targeting the right people is key. If you’re making crafts aimed at mothers that’s where you should focus your efforts. You may think that the more people you reach the better, but that’s not the case. “The broader your targeting is the less likely you are to reach the right people and therefore the less likely you are to receive interactions with your business page, posts, pictures and products,” explains Carol Armstrong, author at Researchpapersuk.
Social media targeting is now very simple to set up and there are plenty of guides online on how to do it. Make sure you know who your target audience are, that includes their age group, location, gender and interests. With this knowledge you can make sure that your ads are seen by the people most likely to be interested in your products. The growth of online marketplaces and local buy/sell pages also provides you with a free and easy to use system to reach even more potential customers. The more you are seen by the right people, the more your business will become known.
The key to being seen
Most social media platforms want one thing and that is to keep you on their platform. Knowing this is key to your advertising. Their algorithms support any posts which use their tools such as in-platform video, selling and images so these posts will be seen by more people. However, if your post sends people to an external link, these are going to be seen by the least people, even when you put money behind it. It’s important to consider this when you are deciding what to post.
Your DIY craft hobby could be making you a nice little sum and with these tips on how to promote your business using social media, what’s stopping you?
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