How to Make Markets Work for You
Markets are really hard work. It’s so much more than packing a box, showing up and selling. Businesses that grow quickly using vendor markets all have similar things in common. We watch A LOT of them and want to try to make your time more worth it.
Here are a few tips that we would recommend:
Your booth is an EXPERIENCE for customers to get to know you. It may be a customer’s FIRST impression of your brand. You don’t have to go completely overboard, but make sure that your booth is more than just your product on a table. Consider signs and business cards that communicate your name, tagline, website and social media clearly. This gives ways for people to find and remember you!
Build RELATIONSHIPS! Sometimes shoppers will buy from you the first time they see you. More often they will learn about your product, then think about your product, then check you out online, then see you in person again and shop then. The cycle of impression to conversion is different for every shopper - but the more you can build trust, and give customers a WHY - the better.
Use that CONTENT. Preparing for a market, setting up and selling are A LOT. Make all of that work, work for you. Here are a few ways to use a market to activate social media growth:
Post or share a social story telling your people that you will be at a market AT LEAST A WEEK before the event. When you post tag TWC or your market manager, tag, influencers or some of your market friends - then message them and ask them to re-share!
Content collection day of a market is important. Grab those photos of shoppers interacting with your products - be SHAMELESS and celebrate them! Take pics of your product in the wild on your booth, style your products with a couple of others from brands around you and tag them, get creative…so many collaborative ideas! Growing a social media audience is HARD - it’s more fun and successful when you do it by tagging and being tagged.
Don’t forget to get all of the types of content - take some video, photos and maybe consider going LIVE from the market.
We know that markets are exhausting and sometimes you make LOTS OF SALES during a market, and sometimes you don’t…but sales are just one reason to jump in and make an investment in a market.
Want more specific tips for your business? Struggling with how to pay for a market? Just need to be told that you are doing ALL THE RIGHT THINGS (because you probably are) - it just takes time and patience to grow a brand - we are here for that. Send an email or DM us - would LOVE to encourage you anyway that we can.
You’ve got this! It’s hard, but possible to build a successful small product-based business that revenues consistently and is more than worth your time - we see it happen all the time.
Can’t wait for you to join us at our next market as a shopper or vendor.
In LOVE and POWER,
The TWC Team
