If you have just started with your online crochet business or been at it for a while you should know by now that engagement and interaction on social media is key to getting sales. In a oversaturated market like crochet it is important to stand out in the crowd and I’m going to tell you exactly how to get interaction on Social Media and grow your crochet business to a successful side hustle.
In this article, I share eight things that have helped me in my crochet business, that you can start doing right now to grow the engagement in yours. There is no magic button or formula for instant success and massive sales overnight, but being consistent and showing up each day can lead to the results you are looking for.
3 Things you should not do in your online crochet business
Before we get into what you should do to create engagement on your page, here are three No-No’s you should absolutely never do.
Remove yourself from the “Follow for Follow’ trains on the mom groups. I know! They are so tempting because of the quick growth in following but, It is a waste of time. Here’s why, You want people to interact with your post and not just like or follow your page, for the Social Media algorithm a like and follow is not enough. By the way, you will gain absolutely nothing from these “trains” because each one joining in is just there to gain likes and follows for their own business. You want real followers that will spend the time scrolling and reading your post.
Don’t be a spammer! I’m so guilty of this when I started my crochet business. I posted five to seven times a day in my business sharing post multiple times each day in the same groups.
Posting this aggressively will get you disliked by many very quickly. It can also get you banned from groups and annoy your following. A healthy amount of post to your page is between one to three a day. Where only one of these three post should be a sales post. If you really have more you want to say and post, use your stories and save it to your highlights.
Don’t use other people’s photos to portray as your own. Again I was guilty of this in the beginning when I had no clue how the crochet community or plagiarism worked. It is unethical and false advertisement, which can get you in a lot of trouble, and cause you to loose customers if they don’t get what you advertise on your page. Crochet is like a fingerprint, no one crochets the same way. It is important to find your unique way of doing this art. Using free or paid patterns to make and sell things are okay but sharing the photos that pattern designer took is not.
Now that we have the negative points out of the way. Here a the eight ways that you can get people to interact and respond to your online crochet business page in a positive way!
Just a short back story of who I am,
I have been running my crochet business since the beginning of 2019. I started taking custom orders and sell the crochet items that I make. I grew my following quickly to a 1000 in the first few months with a very active page. Although I now create crochet patterns my page is still active with over 30k followers across social media.
8 ways to grow your online crochet business
1. Create post asking questions
Questions are a way for people to respond to your post. The more people comment on your post, the more Facebook or Instagram will push your content out to others.
Keep the questions short and simple and at the beginning of your post.
The questions asked should always be with a simple answer. If people have to write more than two words, they will most likely ignore answering the question.
How can questions help
Asking questions can help you to know your following better. If you have made some items that no one seems interested in, it may be time to ask these questions.
Example: “Would you buy a baby blanket or toy as a gift?
Depending on your customer’s response, you can elaborate on these questions. If the majority said baby blanket you can follow up with questions like the colour, Neutral or vibrant, or Granny blanket or solid blanket with no holes.
To get your questions in front of your audience especially if you are just starting out, share them to your stories and tag a couple of your friends.
Save it for later!!
2. Post a funny Meme or story your following can relate too
Meme’s are a fun way to get your followers to engage with you. By sharing a funny meme relatable to your audience and ideal customer, you can create a sense of community and foster a more casual and approachable atmosphere on your page. Example would be if you made baby products, a funny mom or baby meme. If you create wearable items for women, you should share a funny shopping meme.
You can find lots of these on Pinterest or if you happen to scroll by one on Facebook, share it to your page.
Additionally, by regularly posting funny relatable memes, you can establish your brand as one that values humor and creativity, which can help to attract new followers that turn into customers.
3. Create a post sharing -Behind the scenes-
Customers like to know who they buy from. Online shopping can be a shady place full of scammers. Sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of how you make your crochet items can be a great way to connect with your audience. Giving them a better understanding of the work that goes into creating them.
You can do this by sharing videos or photos of your workspace, taking a selfie buying new inventory, sorting out your products, and doing unboxing when you order new yarn.
By sharing behind-the-scenes content, you can create a sense of excitement around your products. It can help to build trust and establish your brand with your customers.
I have put together this content sheet for crochet makers that you can get for FREE! I have included 35 post you can follow each day to create relatable and engaging content for your crochet business.
4. Tell people about your orders
In the beginning, orders can be slow, but if you do get a order remember to make the most out of it by creating content. Create a positive experience for your customers during the packing process. Showing how you pack and ship it to your clients can lead to more sales and returning customers.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money on packaging. You can wrap your items up in tissue paper with a simple thank you card and put it in a poly mailer,or small brown box to ship.
5. Make video content for your crochet business
With video content on the rise and Social Media platforms preferring it over photos, I’m sorry to say that this is one wagon you will have to jump on.
As a handmade business owner, creating video content can be a great way to showcase your products and attract more views to your business page.
Videos can be anything from creating a product, showing a finished product, or recording how you pack an order. You don’t need expensive equipment to create videos for your social media. Your phone and natural light would do just fine. As your business grows, you may want to invest in a quality ring-light, and Go Pro camera.
Edit your video in different time-lapses to keep your viewers watching, and don’t make your videos longer than 60 sec. CapCut is a free App on your phone or desktop that you can use to edit your clips and add music.
6. Tell people who your are with "Meet the maker" post
Once you get more followers and your page is active, you would want to create a “Meet the maker” post at least once a month. This post can include information about your background, creative process, inspiration, and values. These posts are great for engaging with your customers. People are more willing to support and buy from you if they get to know you better.
Keep these posts cheery and uplifting, and never complain about how you struggle to get orders or you’re trying to build a business because you need the money. (I’ve done this in the past when I was still learning how to run a business, we all have at some point) but your followers are not on your page to hear about your life issues and money problems. They have their own. It might sound harsh, but it is the truth.
Always end your post with a “Call to action” Ask them where they live, do they have any hobbies, and what is their pet’s name.
7. Reply and interact with your following on every post you make
Replying to comments on your social media posts can improve your reach and engagement. When you engage with your audience and respond to their comments, you are showing them that you care about their opinions.
The engagement on your post, tells the social media algorithms that your content is valuable and worth promoting. This, in turn, can help to increase your reach and visibility on the platform.
8. Create Call to action at the end of each post
Have a call to action on very post you make. It can be anything from, referring your customers to a link, asking a question or giving them a “job” for example, telling them to share this post, or comment this emoji if you like this photo.
We sometimes assume people know they should do this, but many don’t. They think by just liking a post would give you enough exposure but it doesn’t. For the algorithm to work on your page you need to get your post shared and comment on.
And that wraps up my eight tips on how to get people to engage with your crochet business page.
If you want to more advice on selling your crochet items you can read my post about, Why you should stop using the word “Crochet” if you want to start selling!
Did you find this post helpful? Would you like to see more of these in the future? Leave a comment below.
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March 8, 2023 at 7:48 pm[…] I have also included a FREE content sheet that you can use to plan your daily posting. Read all about it HERE […]