Craft Market Tres

It is about 2 days before the market, you have all your pieces done, the tags are on, and you have a plan(ish) for what your display will look like. Now comes the hard part. The part where you have to talk to people you don't know about your work and they either buy it or they don't. This can be more difficult than all the seaming, felting, painting, and exacto cuts combined.





I watched a documentary about buzz marketing a couple of years ago, and it changed my life. Buzz marketing is a style of guerrilla marketing where you create a 'feel' or *buzz* around a product without overtly advertising it. The easiest way to market something to people is if they see someone who they want to be like using, enjoying, or taking part of a product or service.

Therefore; give yourself some buzz.

When I get up and go to work in my crafty studio, I do it in whatever I have been wearing and a paint stained apron. This is not how I dress to go to a craft market. When I am a market vendor I think about who my target audience is, and I dress like them (this is easy, since I'm part of my own target market). If your market is young slightly conservative moms, try to look like someone they would go shopping with, take out your nose ring, and wear a sweater set. If your target market is Brooklyn hipsters, pull out your ironic tee shirt, slap some Vaseline on your tattoos and put on your ballet flats. Remember: part of the 'buzz' is creating 'the image'.

Here is a list of things to remember the day of the market

1. Change. People come shopping straight from the ATM machine, so you should be able to make change for at least a couple of $20 bills.



2. Tape. Something on your display will need to be taped, trust me.



3. Scissors and some string or yarn. Something or someone will need it.



4. Bags or something to put purchases in.



5. Lights, extension cord, table/display and a table covering.



6. Business Cards or postcards.



7. A notebook or sales slip book to record your sales in.



8. A small project to work on. It is a great way for people to strike up a conversation with you.



9. Water and a couple of healthy snacks. It's easy to forget to take care of yourself, but you will feel much better if you can eat something and keep hydrated.



10. Your fabulous products and your smile!









I can't wait to see you all at the Craftastic spring fling.



woot.