Treat my articles as inspiration. Think about how my suggestions might work in your context. The handicraft market is very wide. My observations are generalized and will not necessarily be true in every case.
What to get out of FB groups without expecting anything?
The topic of “networking” that I have recently described has probably not been exhausted. In the previous article, I focused on the advantages or disadvantages of having new likes, followers or comments from certain initiatives on groups. Some time ago, I also wrote about how to effectively write posts on various groups on FB. However, there is something more to it all that is worth mentioning…
You probably belong to some handicraft groups on FB – after all, this is how you came across our group ? Networking (including groups on FB) is made by definition for supporting your businesses, looking for ideas and new opportunities. And this is what I would focus on being a part of such groups and building my handicraft business.
So what to do to make good use of the group’s potential?
Share and comment on other people’s posts, suggest how you experienced something and praise others for interesting works! I am writing about it because it is not so obvious, and I have already seen some groups… ? We sometimes assume that if there is a sales group (or even not), we will just share our crafts… Sure, but don’t you expect that others will like your posts, share or even buy? Therefore, show that you also support other businesses and that it is not a one-way transaction. Networking is about building relationships, supporting each other – assuming that you will only “take”, but do not “give” something from yourself is in the long run illusory and ineffective.
Now let’s think the opposite. You post a post that someone likes your work under, maybe even comments that you have done a great job, then starts following your profile, and maybe even shares your work with their community. You’re well, aren’t you? ? You are probably so pleased that you will be happy to see what this person is doing, or as soon as they post something, you will repay with a good word and like it. And this is a fantastic and spontaneous two-way exchange ? The more such initiatives come out naturally, without pressure on numbers, the better the results will be. Therefore, do not do it to everyone, because in social media it will be easy to sense impure intentions…
Another thing is reacting to comments and messages from others. It happened to me that I praised someone for their work and they didn’t even react. I can understand that when you post in several dozen groups, it is impossible to control everything… But I also advise you not to do everything at once if you are not able to manage it well. The same de facto applies to platforms. From the point of view of a potential client, it makes no sense to even make contact if you see that the person “does not care” (and although this is not your intention, unfortunately this is how the client will perceive it). And even if a potential customer could be found in the group, he was so trivially discouraged…
And why is it worth following other craftsmen and sharing their work?
Because that is how you belong to a group. To a group whose COMMON goal is to promote handicrafts. It cannot be treated as competition. Even if our client buys something from another craftsman, he will also appreciate you for your approach and willingness to promote others. You may not see it, but the chances are that the client will recommend you further, seeing that you are simply fantastic people who are willing to help others as well. It is building your own image as an open and cooperative person. And how many times the handicraft that you provide is not competitive for you at all, because it serves something else … And if you have people in your community who are passionate about handicrafts (because they have already bought something from you), there is a good chance that they are potential customers for the rest, right? Mutually exchanging this base in such a simple and pleasant way can be very fruitful for everyone ?
Another thing is that observing the actions of others can give us a lot of inspiration and good examples, for example, for running our channels on social media ? And I’m not talking about copying someone else’s solutions, but rather trying to adapt them to your brand vision. Because not all of them will be indicated for each type of handicraft, or they will work better in one type than the other. Viewing a lot of different ideas can help you find your own way to stand out ?
I can see that many of you are already doing it and it is fantastic: D I can already see on my channels that many of you share our posts about other people and I am very happy about every such nice gesture towards your colleagues ? Sharing your communities is one of the ways to bring people closer to handicraft as a diverse industry with many fields – an incredibly creative area and with wonderful people behind the works ? Such joint and unforced projects should be the basis for networking ? What do you think?
Have a great day!
Aga
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