WHERE TO SELL AND HOW TO PROMOTE IT?

You can sell your handicrafts stationary. This solution has many advantages and, contrary to appearances, does not always have to involve high costs of running such a business. After all, selling by traditional methods does not necessarily mean having to set up a private art gallery. You can successfully sell products of this kind at various fairs or craft fairs. When choosing locations for this purpose, it is advisable to focus on an attractive part of the city. However, it is important to remember that demand for handmade products is lower in smaller towns and cities - operating there, you may not have the opportunity to present your work to a wide audience.

If you decide to sell your handicrafts at fairs or other such events, you usually do not have to worry about promotion - this is taken care of by the organiser of the event in question. The disadvantage of this solution is the lack of sales liquidity. Such events are of short duration and usually take place at a specific time, for example around Christmas. You don't have to take special care of marketing issues either if you give your original handmade products to an art gallery or a commission shop. When selling in this way, however, you must take into account the margin of the shop in question.

Online galleries and other such sites are quite popular channels for selling  artists' products. However, if you do not want to sell stationary, but still want independence and freedom when it comes to creating a space for your business, your own online shop can be a great solution. Contrary to appearances, its creation does not necessarily require technological skills or huge investments in infrastructure. You can start selling online with one of the available e-commerce platforms. The most popular solutions are open source services such as WooCommerce (an advanced plug-in for WordPress) or PrestaShop. There are also platforms that operate on a subscription model - you choose a service provider, purchase a shop template and make recurring payments to maintain your site. By contrast, the most expensive but most empowering solution will be to create a dedicated online shop from scratch.

The specific nature of handmade products requires the inclusion of high-quality photos of the product range on the webshop website. Items of this type are often true works of art - the potential customer wants to see them in all their glory and with attention to detail. Special attention should also be paid to product descriptions. They need to include all relevant information, while at the same time they should encourage purchase, be written with flair and an understanding of the needs of potential customers. You can promote your own online shop using advertising campaigns (for example Google Ads) and by implementing SEO measures.

Selling handicrafts via auction sites is an interesting solution for both established and newcomers to the market. You can also exhibit original handmade products on them if you are just starting to build a customer base and do not yet want to set up a business. Auction sites offer many opportunities for paid promotion of listings - marketing activities within them can therefore be effective, but involve expenses (the amount usually depends on the number and type of listings and the method of promotion). However, it should be borne in mind that the very high competition and service charges can make it difficult to operate on an auction portal.

Social media is a very popular method of promoting handmade products. The undoubted advantage of selling handicrafts in this way is that potential customers can be easily reached. Sales groups, hashtags or themed fanpages can be used for promotional purposes. You can trade, for example, using the Facebook Marketplace app - the features available there can make it significantly easier for you to find customers. However, when opting for this channel, you need to keep in mind the systematic nature of your marketing efforts and the various limitations that come with the specifics of your chosen service. If your handmade products are not niche products, the disadvantage of such a solution can also be very high competition.