A to Z Challenge - 2019 - P is for Promotion

Any good business person knows that in order to sell their products they need to promote them in some way.  I have an Etsy site and whenever I make something new I take pictures and post them on the site, here on my blog and to Instagram and Facebook to let people know about them.  I know that Pinterest is a good way too and I am learning how to navigate that as well. 

Another way I have used for the last few years to promote my crafts is by signing up for craft fairs and Holiday Boutiques.  I had never tried anything like that before but I know that with my type of crafting, sometimes it is better if people can touch the products so I decided to give it a try.  The Etsy site has teams that you can join and one of the teams I was in posted different upcoming events we could register for.  My first one was at an Elks Club event.  My husband had been an Elk in the past and so I was familiar with the building and felt comfortable in the area.

This was my display table from that first vendor event.  It was held in conjunction with an Antique Car show and there was a lot of activity in and out of the showroom.  I didn't make very much money but it was definitely a learning experience and it showed me some things about how to place my items so they would attract attention.  It also helped me get over my nervousness.

The next one I did was an outside event.  Because my crafts are mostly paper, I wasn't sure how the outside would work but fortunately it was a nice day and it was okay.

I made a double-sided banner with the name of my Etsy site, "A Smile 4 U from Janet."

I learned that I could use different things to make my cards more visible.  The cards at the end of the table are actually clipped on a jewelry stand so it can turn around.    

The next event was inside again.  I have an 8 foot table here and it is much nicer to be able to spread out a little.  

It was a Holiday Boutique so I switched the banner to the gold side to make it more festive.

After the fourth or fifth show I began to get really comfortable.  This is another Holiday Boutique and now I even have poles to hold my wreaths, not to mention the top hat!

The events cost money to participate in, anywhere from $30 to $60 depending on the size of the table you get.  I try to feature as many things on the table as I can without having it look too cluttered.

I have a little cup at the end of the table that has my business cards in it and am getting better and better at the displays I think, making it easy for people to pick up things and/or ask questions.

I really have fun doing these craft fairs even if it is a lot of work setting up and taking everything down.  Fortunately most of the time I don't have to trek too far from my car to the set up area or my husband helps me.

Almost every time I have at least made back the money I spent to reserve the table.  If I do that I call it a win.  At the last Holiday Boutique I actually had a request for some custom made items and that was really exciting.  I have a "Square" device that I can put on my phone or tablet to be able to collect payment with credit cards and that is great.  It also syncs with the Etsy site so if I sell something at an event, it automatically takes it out of my stock online.  I almost had a snafu though because while I was selling at the boutique, someone online bought some cards.  I had to make sure and take them off display right away so someone else wouldn't try to buy them!  Good thing my phone sends me a notice when I make an Etsy sale!

I am also using this A to Z Challenge as a promotion since I am linking to my Etsy site with each letter.  So far no sales - come on people ~~ just kidding ~~ not really.  Please feel free to share the links with anyone you might think of who likes this personal touch to their cards and gifts.

Okay, enough promotion.  Now on to the letter "Q."