It’s true. There is a lot of competition in the handmade world. I am not talking necessarily just on Etsy either but even if you are selling on your own website, there are many handmade shop owners selling items that might be close to the ones you are selling or intend to sell.
So when I hear makers say things like “there is too much competition now to succeed”, “it’s not what it used to be” “everyone and their mother has a handmade shop these days” or “it’s impossible to stand out from the crowd” … when I hear these things – I understand.
Because factually, yes – it’s true – there is a lot of competition. This video isn’t going to try and convince you otherwise.
But what I’d like to do instead is offer you some tips as to how you can still stand out from the crowd – how even if there is some competition, you can still find more than enough customers out there to have a successful handmade shop.
Ready? Let’s do it then – let’s talk about how you can get your handmade shop to stand out!
I think it might be a good idea to start with what will NOT help you stand out, actually.
So let’s start there.
What I see a lot of makers do is look at what someone who is selling similar items to the ones they are selling or want to sell – so this shop that’s similar to yours but that’s’ ahead of you, that’s doing better than you might be right now – and try to not imitate, not copy but to a degree take inspiration and replicate what that shop is doing so that you can stand out too.
The logic being: well they stood out doing THIS thing, so this thing works, so I am going to do this thing too.
So “if it works for them it should work for you” – is the logic.
The problem is that by definition, standing out means doing something different.
Actually, here’s what the dictionary says:
“STANDING OUT: To be easy to see, or notice because of being different.”
And under synonyms, it reads:
“To be different from something.”
This is nothing you didn’t already know – but if you compare that to what most shops are doing – you can’t help but notice a little bit of an issue.
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You can not stand out by doing what someone else already did to stand out.
That’s a done way of standing out.
If you take a stadium (and I promise I am going to bring this back to your handmade shop) and fill it with people who are all wearing a black t-shirt, and then you make one person change and come back with a blue t-shirt, that person stands out.
If another person gets changed into a blue t-shirt, still kinda stands out, but after a little while… blue stops being enough to stand out on its own.
You’re going to have to go put a PINK t-shirt on OR if you want to keep your blue t-shirt, you’re going to have to dive deeper and differentiate yourself in some other way because BLUE simply isn’t enough anymore.
No magic keyword or marketing or SEO trick will make blue stand out if everyone is wearing blue.
This is crucial to understand because when it comes to your handmade shop, whether it’s on Etsy or on your own website or any other marketplace you might be selling on…
You can NOT stand out without differentiating yourself.
Something needs to be different, in what you’re offering, or in the way you’re offering and positioning your brand.
You’ve got to find your special standing out sauce.
Your products being handmade – helps! They are unique because they are handmade.
To which you’re probably thinking “yes they’re handmade but there are still thousands of shops selling items that are very similar to mine”
Now of course you’re going to have competitors with similar products, and a similar style and overall a pretty similar look in their shops to yours, but
A. never exactly the same products and
B. there is another element – a very very important one – that comes into play when you want to “differentiate” yourself, something that’s got nothing to do with your products, and everything to do with you, your personality, your brand, your brand’s voice and personality.
THAT is 100% unique and different because no other person can be exactly like you – and this uniqueness of yours, needs to be reflected in your brand and in your shop.
The best shops, the best brands… the ones who stand out from the crowd aren’t everyone’s best friend.
They can’t be.
You can’t be.
If you are going to stand out, you have to be different – your sense of aesthetics, your unique designs and your products will get you halfway there – but the rest of the way is all about how you show up as a brand.
What you stand for – and what you don’t.
You will stand out to people who stand for the same things you do.
Your shop, your brand will stand out to the people who stand for and live by similar values, who have a similar sense of humor, who have a similar lifestyle… to the one that your brand communicates, to the one that your brand sells.
Remember you are not selling products as much as you are selling the lifestyle around your products.
You have to make it a priority to REPEL people as much as you ATTRACT others.
Because…
“Why is your shop not making money if they are thousands of other shops just like yours out there?”
….is the tough love question I am really asking here, and the honest and loving answer I want to give you is that “Your products can not be everything to everybody.”
Often when I ask makers or shop owners I work with “So who do you want to sell your products to? Who is your ideal customer? This person you’re trying to put your products in front of because you know they will fall in love with it?” the VAST majority of answers are so broad it’s essentially half the world’s population.
For example,
“My shop is for every woman who wants to feel special and express herself through her jewelry.”
That’s 100% of women in the world. Many billions.
It’s impossible for your shop to stand out by staying that broad.
If you want to stand out – you have got to make it a point to NOT be for everybody.
You won’t lose visibility online because you’re pushing people away and focusing on a small pocket of people inside your own niche.
You won’t lose sales by niching down, you will get more.
You won’t struggle to get found online – you will stand out.
Don’t be just another fish in the sea – be a big fish in a small pond.
You want as many people coming to your shop saying “nope, not for me” than people coming and saying “WOW that’s EXACTLY what I am looking for, I love this brand!”
Now…
At this point, it totally makes sense that you would think that pushing people away can not possibly be the answer to making your shop stand out. That this advice I am giving you right now is the dumbest advice you’ve ever heard because I am essentially telling you to TURN AWAY SALES.
Crazy, huh?
And deep down because you’re proud of your work and of your products (and so you should!) you can’t help but think – going back to the same jewelry designer example – that most women would love your designs and that it would make them feel special.
But I promise you – if you cast your net too wide and try to make your brand stand out for everybody – it will stand out to nobody.
Trying to appeal to everybody AND standing out at the same time is… not feasible, and also dangerous!
Because the problem with “being like a lot of other brands” is that you’re not only competing for attention but you also will end up competing on PRICE…
…because in front of a similar product and a similar brand experience – the only element left to compare for your customers will be price – and you can’t afford to compete on price.
Competition can feel so overwhelming – but the good news is that you can decide how big that competition pool really is.
Focus on delighting a small part of your market.
You get to decide whether you want to swim in the ocean or in a much smaller pond – you’re in control.
Be the glittery unicorn soap shop for little girls:
Be the skull and morbid soap shop selling coffin shaped soap bars for the gothic lover:
Be the organic, sustainable, natural soap bar stamped with inspiring words for the eco-conscious 30 year old who’s into self-development:
Just avoid being the soap for everybody.
Actually be different, and the sales will flow in – I can promise you.
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