Are you having trouble getting excited about the marketing part of your business? In fact, maybe you even hate it and it feels like a big burden, and you’re wondering:
What should I do if I love making my products, but I HATE marketing them??
Believe it or not, this is a completely normal thing — it’s not at all uncommon. I work with makers every day and this is something I hear a lot, and something I will help you work through in today’s article.
Ready? Let’s dive in.
So as I said, it’s not uncommon to dislike the idea of marketing your products, but it’s potentially really problematic, right? Because if you’re not going to market your products, your products aren’t going to sell, and then you’re not going to have a business — so we do need to take a look at what’s happening here.
What I want to do in this article is get to the bottom of WHY you’re feeling this way about marketing so that we can try and flip those feelings about marketing on their head! We’ll also talk about ways to do marketing that might not feel like such a burden.
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I work with a lot of makers and sellers helping them to overcome their fear and their aversion to marketing their products, and from this I can tell you that there are two main reasons why you might hate marketing.
The first reason – and I’m just going to say it the way I hear it – is you may think marketing is a bit gross. Right? It’s a bit sleazy, it’s a bit yucky, it’s a bit of an uncomfortable feeling. You might feel that you aren’t being genuine, or that you’re being dishonest, that you don’t want to take people’s money, and that you definitely don’t want to take people’s money in a way that’s unethical.
And the reason you’re thinking that is not because you’re crazy, it’s because most of the marketing that we see these days is gross and unethical and not authentic.
And so you’re looking at what you’re seeing on the TV, on other websites, on social media, in your inbox — wherever you see messages and ads these days. And most of what you’re seeing you’re probably not resonating with, and you’re probably thinking “I don’t want to be someone who does that or sounds like that!”
But you do not have to do marketing this way. The genius thing about having your own business is that you actually get to create the rules and you do not have to do anything that is pushy, salesy, dishonest, or anything like that. And in fact, because you’re selling handmade products, it’s very important to build up that connection with your potential customer, meaning that you have to sell like a real human being, and you can sell as an authentic version of yourself, and in a way that feels right.
So the first thing I want you to do is to forget about all the gross things that you’ve seen out there because you can completely rewrite the rules here and do marketing that is genuine, helpful, and honest. You don’t need to go all “car salesman” to make money selling your products.
This leads us right into the second reason you might hate marketing, which is because you’re trying to do your marketing in a way that doesn’t fit who you are.
Perhaps you’re trying to do marketing like other “successful people” that you follow do their marketing, or maybe some “expert” online or in a course is giving you some advice on exactly how to do marketing to be successful.
And you think that this is the only way to do it because well, that’s how this person did it, or that’s what this expert told me I should be doing.
But the fact is that maybe the marketing you’re doing is just not a fit for you and your personality and your brain – because the marketing you’ve been doing is not something you enjoy and it’s not where your zone of genius is . . . because as much as there is a zone of genius in the making of your products and in your creative sphere, there is also a zone of genius when it comes to marketing — marketing is creative, and you cannot do something that’s not going to be a fit for you.
Some of you might love marketing your products by creating designs using graphics and photography, some of you may love blogging and writing, others might love making videos or Tik Toks or reels.
So you see that there are marketing options for everyone – if you don’t want to perform on a video, or you hate writing, etc, there are other different ways you can market your products — you just have to find the kind of marketing that fits your zone of genius and is a good fit.
There is this great test that I always recommend from Perry Marshall called The Marketing DNA Test which basically helps you try and understand the kind of marketing that is a good match for you. The cost is $37 – I’m not affiliated with it in any way and I’m not going to make money if you go and do it – but it’s a great test to find the type of marketer you are.
Now that we’ve looked at some of the reasons you might hate marketing, you need to look deep inside and ask yourself “which of these reasons is my main concern with marketing, and how can I tackle that and actually face those fears and change my mindset around marketing?”
Many of you may hear what I’ve said so far and think:
“OK, if I can choose the marketing method I want to use, and I don’t have to use the God-awful one I was told I had to do but I hated doing it, maybe I can market my handmade products after all – I may even ENJOY it!”
But others of you may still be really stuck and hate every marketing method you hear about, and for those I’m going to give you a very unpopular but very wise expert business opinion, which is that maybe turning your hobby into a business… is not for you… As I said, unpopular expert opinion, I should try to convince you but the hard truth is that you’re going to need to do some marketing if you want to sell your products.
And if you’re hoping that you’re going to have a successful business without being able to touch the business and marketing side or delegate it all from the start, I’m here to tell you that’s not possible.
You might be able to hire these roles and tasks out down the road, but as you grow your business you need to know how to do these things yourself – because even once you have the money to hire someone, you need the knowledge gained from marketing your products to hire the right person to do it for you.
Like it or not, you need to do that marketing – probably more so than actually creating the products when you’re first getting started and getting things off the ground.
If you’re still not sure if you should keep pushing on to sell your products and learn the marketing, or if it’s maybe not for you, here is the best way to figure it out:
When I gave you my advice above and was frank about maybe you should just keep your hobby as a hobby, how did you feel when you read that? Did you feel relieved? Like, “hey, you know what? Yes, actually, maybe it isn’t for me.”
Or . . . did you feel that you wanted to push back a little bit against what you read, maybe you felt a bit more defensive? Like, “no, no, it is for me I can do it. I just don’t really like it. But I can do it.” If you did, that’s your answer — that feeling that you got as you read this.
If you felt relieved, maybe it’s a signal to pause that business thing for a bit and try to enjoy your craft as a hobby – and that choice is completely OK! You can get a job that covers your bills and keep doing what you love in your home studio, enjoying the creative process and the beautiful outcome without the pressure of marketing and selling what you make.
But if you felt a bit of pushback, then you can work on the two points above to turn those feelings around and make marketing something that you actually enjoy and that’s fun doing!
Now, if you’re reading all this and thinking “Deb, I think I can find a marketing approach that works for me and that I would be good at and not be stressed about, but if I find a way of marketing that works I’m going to get sales, and when I think of selling I still feel nervous and a bit panicked about it.”
If that’s the case for you, I wrote an article about that talking about why you might not like selling and how to change your mindset to be more comfortable with the idea of actually ‘selling’ your products so you will want to read that next!
Thanks for reading, and until next time, aurevoir!
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The article is an absolute gem for anyone in the handmade product industry. It beautifully captures the essence of bridging the gap between creativity and marketing, providing valuable insights and strategies to help artisans thrive. What sets this article apart is its ability to ignite a newfound passion for marketing, transforming it from a daunting task to an exciting opportunity for growth. The author’s practical tips, combined with their genuine understanding of the handmade community, make this article a true masterpiece. From emphasizing the power of storytelling to embracing authenticity, every paragraph exudes positivity and encouragement. This article is a true game-changer, empowering artisans to not only love their craft but also the art of marketing it effectively. It’s a must-read for anyone seeking inspiration and practical guidance in their journey of turning their handmade creations into successful businesses.
We’re glad to hear that you appreciate our article, Robert!