Face It – Use Facebook to Promote and Advertise

Our team has discussed creating a Facebook page, but for those who have a Facebook page already – now what?

It’s easy to join a social media site and forget it’s true purpose for your handmade item marketing plan.  How can you utilize social media sites to their full potential?  HandmadeMarketing.org received a few stellar tips from Tara Gentile from HandmadeInPA.  Tara’s handmade-focused blog is a wonderful resource for those looking to sell handmade online.

“Facebook can be an effective means of promoting your shop or blog when used properly,” says Tara. “To use Facebook as a free marketing tool, simply create a “page” or “group” for your business. This allows you to send out group emails, post photos, target sales, and even share video. As people become familiar with your brand, you can connect with them as ‘friends’.“

“Just don’t spam your friends!” Tara continues.  “Share links to helpful sites, other shops, great blogs, and giveaways. Comment on your friends’ statuses and photos. Join in the conversation and you will become more like a mom & pop shop than a faceless online store.”

“When you’re ready to take the next step,” says Tara, “advertising on Facebook is a cost-effective tool. To improve the value of your ad, make sure that your choose your demographics carefully. In addition, your keywords should be as specific as possible.”

Not sure which keywords are best for your shop?  Check out what users are searching for on the Internet!  Using this excellent Google tool to determine which handmade keywords are valuable to your shop can tell you a lot about what your focus should be while marketing on Facebook and other social media websites.

Tara has a great idea for for Etsy team advertising on Facebook!  “Facebook advertising can also be harnessed for team advertising. You can choose to only have your ads viewed by people in your geographical location – thereby increasing your click-thru rates.”

Have a look at all that Tara is doing with Facebook.com to promote “Handmade In PA” – her Facebook page can be found here.

Great work Tara!  We appreciate you sharing your ideas with our readers.  HandmadeMarketing.org hopes to see more sellers utilize Facebook.com as a free marketing tool and a great way to connect with artists around the world.

How have you utilized Facebook to connect with potential buyers?  How do you make the most of your time spent on Facebook?  What tips do you have for sellers who are thinking about setting up a Facebook page for their online shop with handmade items?

Share your ideas with HandmadeMarketing.org!  If we like your ideas, we will link to you shop.  An easy way to get a link, right?  Share your tips for selling handmade online!