Have you heard how some very clever arts & crafts retailers and sewing shops are using Facebook Live to sell crafts and craft supplies online?
Yep, while a host of craft businesses are only starting to see the value in social media, some small but mighty craft stores are already meeting large audiences and selling their goods through Facebook Live.
Want to learn the tried and true tricks of the trade? We’ve observed what’s working for top craft shops selling on Facebook Live. Now your craft business can use the same techniques to gain new customers, increase sales, and build a loyal community around your brand just like they have!
1. Host creative workshops
Right now consumers are taking all kinds of interest in DIY culture, arts & crafts projects, and handmade goods. They’re looking for online craft shops, sewing shops, and quilting fabrics online. They’re looking for you. Instructional videos can grab their attention and ignite their curiosity. To do this, showcase a particular project or make a video series of projects.
As the expert, you can be their guide, interact with them, and answer their questions while fostering valuable rapport. Workshops can offer a high level of personalization and the ability to be responsive, just like the kinds of workshops you may have offered in-person. Workshops are also a great way to attract groups of like-minded people and to build a crafting community in and around your business.
2. Upsell with DIY project kits or complimentary items
Crafters tuning into your live shows and workshops naturally want to make the craft you are making. So, in addition to showing them how, offer a DIY kit brimming with all materials they’ll need and make it easy for them. Save your customers the hassle of running all over to find all the supplies.
For example, if one of your workshops is making a burlap and bittersweet wreath for the holidays, bundle all the supplies needed, and sell the wreath kit during your show the week or so before. This does more than guarantee your audience will attend the show, it provides a very real connection your customers want.
Consider the various complimentary items you could offer along with that DIY wreath project kit—door hangers, light-up kits and batteries, monofilament, suction cups for hanging on glass, 3M no-harm Command hooks, glue guns and sticks, craft wire, and the list goes on.
And don’t forget that you can add value for the audience members without project kits, busy moms, or the crafting impaired, too. Once you are finished with your workshop, you can sell the finished product! Viewers will love that they can also buy those special handmade items.
3. Let tech lend a helping hand
If you’re already using Facebook Live to sell crafts online or to sell items for your sewing shop, then you’ve experienced the all-too-common problem of trying to capture payments. This is where technology shines. If you’re tired of using spreadsheets to tally orders and document payment, consider using comment reading software like CommentSold.
CommentSold is an e-commerce software program that’s designed to facilitate sales through Facebook Live. As you sell and customers comment ‘Sold’, the game-changing technology collects customer information and automatically sends them an invoice through Messenger for a quick and easy checkout. That’s right! No more manual invoicing. No more lost sales. You can even allow your customers the ability to “buy now, pay later” or choose local pick up at checkout.
CommentSold also offers several features that free up your time so you can focus on important things—like engaging with your customers. Instead of juggling inventory and repeating purchasing instructions, CommentSold displays visual purchasing instructions on the video with a professional overlay, and allows you to manage all aspects of selling through live video with a “talent view”, where you can see all products, real-time inventory count, in-coming comments, and more.
Plus, if you really want to maximize your video’s visibility by streaming your video to multiple places, CommentSold can help with that too. The software allows you to stream to both your Facebook Page and to one or multiple Facebook Groups at once.
The Takeaway
It’s hard enough to stand out and capture your customer’s attention today, especially among the scores of online craft stores or sellers on online marketplaces like Etsy. But whether you’re selling craft supplies, handmade products, or DIY kits, live video sales can boost your business in a way that craft sites like these could never match!
Combining sales with live video and social media is a powerful way to reach large audiences and provide them entertainment, human connection, inspiration, and interactive shopping experiences, especially when you put these tips to use!
