Video – Incorporate Video to Boost Handmade Sales

HandmadeMarketing.org reader Ana Herda recently told us why she loves to sell handmade.  “I sell on Etsy because I love the community and because I buy on Etsy, constantly! The best part about the site is the sheer ease of use,” Ana said.

When looking for ways to stand out in the mass of blogs, handmade sellers have a unique opportunity to utilize video to walk potential buyers though their craft process.  Ana recently incorporated video to showcase her shop, Etsy’s LolaBags, on her own blog.

“I wanted to show my creative process and bring people into it,” Ana told HandmadeMarketing.org.  “I think if people see an item actually being made the handmade aspect really kicks in.”

“This was the first time I every filmed myself making anything. I wanted to go for the sped-up look, like time-lapse. The hardest part was setting up the camera so I could capture all the processes,” she explained.  “Normally, I spread out over my table but for this I had to keep it confined to a small area to capture everything. I really enjoyed putting it together and finding the right music. I plan to do more.”

When our HandmadeMarketing.org team asked Ana how she thinks the video will help drive traffic to her Etsy shop, she explained it simply.

“I think of it as a little commercial. It brings attention to the labor that goes into a piece and all the activity involved in getting it out to someone. When people see it hopefully they’ll think it’s cute and want to check out what else I make,” Ana explained.

Ana thinks over-doing promotion is a  challenge for handmade sellers attracting online buyers.  “I think it’s a fine line between being in someone’s face about your shop and being tasteful about how you get your name out there,” she said. “In one shot you have to communicate what you make and who you are.“

Utilizing video on her blog sn’t the only Ana does to connect to buyers.  “I send out a monthly newsletter, I twitter and I also link my shop and my blog. Every Friday on my blog I feature an Etsy artist and the hope is that while I’m bringing the spotlight to someone else it will also bring awareness to my shop,” she told HandmadeMarketing.org.