Hello
Online events? Have you done one? What do you think? Thought I'd share my thoughts.
It depends on how involved you get, how much you prepare, how well you advertise that you are taking part, how well the organisers advertise it, the date its on, what else is going on that day, what the weather is like - you are probably starting to realise there are a lot of variables and as a result there are no guarantees. Some fairs might not be the right one for you. Which is a bit like when you do real life fairs, but there are some different ways you can get ready for it and make the most of it while its happening and keep some of the momentum after the event.
Below are some of my thoughts, tips, advice etc..
Things to do before the event...
- If you have an email list (and if you don't get one started) then let your subscribers know that you have the event coming up and how they can get involved.
- Get all your photography done for your social media posts
- Create videos before the day so you can post them during the event
- Plan a stall set up - how do you want to display your work
- Contact other makers who are doing the event and see if they want to do a live with you
- Think about any special offers you want to give (doesn't have to be discounts, might be a free sticker, or a postcard with every order over £10
Do get involved...
Although its online, you can still get involved in lots of ways,
- prepare your posts for instagram and other social media platforms and post regularly throughout the event
- Do use stories on instagram
- Make sure your online shop is well stocked up
- Do post videos to show off your products
- Show some behind the scenes of your working space - customers are interested to know more and this is a big advantage of online fairs being able to share your spaces and stalls with them.
- Show glimpses of how you create your products
- Chat with other makers online doing the event, leave comments, like and share their posts too.
- make sure you know what the hashtags are and use them
- Close ups of your products - imagine you are a customer at a fair, what would they normally do, pick something up for a closer look, try on a piece of jewellery
- Show them the different options - do you do different colours? Different sizes?
- Videos are a great way to talk to your customers, if you don't like putting your face on camera, then focus on the products
- Show them your work space - customers love to know more about you and how you create your work
- Work in progress
- How its made
- What do your products look like in the home, styling photos help customers see what it might look in their house, on their wall, or on their sofas etc.
- Show some customers photos of your products
- Customer reviews
- Tell people how to order from you
- How do you package up the orders - what can your customer expect
- Share other makers products too
- Say a big thank you
- Remind your followers what you sell
- Remind your followers how they can order with you - do a post on how to find your website link or make sure you have the shopping tag on your social media
- If you bought from other makers, share what you purchased too
- Write a blog post about it!
What if you don't get sales on the day..
- Online events are a really great opportunity - reaching new people, connecting with new makers and generally building your community and customer base.
- A lot of customers don't buy from your online shop the first time they visit it, so you need to remind them you are there after the event too, keep posting on social media, and send out a follow up email.
- Keep on top of your social media, see if you can promote your newsletter and ask people to sign up.
- If you don't get lots of sales on the day of the events - don't get disheartened - sometimes the sales come in later, and that can be difficult to measure.
- They can be a lot of fun if you get involved but just like any fair - there are no guarantees, and they might not be for right for everyone, but I think they are worth a try :)
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