Since I’m new to all this I’m interested in people’s views on where it’s worth spending your time promoting what you do. I don’t have a huge amount of free time as we live on a smallholding, this time of the year is busy. I had a facebook page previously, years ago, but things seem to have changed a lot. Posts don’t even seem to reach a third of likers, I haven’t got many anyway. Is it worth pursuing it, certainly I don’t think I’d even bother to pay for advertising for more likers if people don’t even get your posts on there. Do people have a lot of success with it?
I’m not really interested in twitter, it would be nice if I have somewhere I can post little regular updates like workbench Wednesday, informal stuff about my process etc, for which it would be ideal.
I have a FB page, I’ve had a few sales but not that many that I can retire on. Its hard work promoting no matter where you do it. Some days I find I can spend a good 5 hours promoting which isn’t good if you have other things to do.
Pauline
I also have a facebook page and it has brought sales, again like Pauline , not enough to retire on, but if you don’t give things a try you will never know 
You can set your post to appear in your timeline at a particular time and day so it needn’t be too time consuming.
Jax x
Emma, Have you tried Craftjuice. There are posts on here linked to it and we vote for each other’s items, there’s some good information about it on the site, it might be worth a look and try. Marg. x
I don’t mind trying to build an audience again, it’s just the last post I put had a reach of…one person! I know I only have seventeen at the moment but even so that is pretty rubbish! At that rate retirement wouldn’t ever be an option! Quite what Facebook are doing with the algorithms I don’t know. I don’t see all the posts from my very good friends now.
I have never heard of craft juice so thank you, I will have a look
Some of mine don’t get seen by anyone 
and stranger still I’ve had posts liked by more people than they’re supposed to have reached! I haven’t a clue how facebook works but enjoy the ‘chat’ with fellow crafters and I have had a couple of sales directly through showing things on there.
I’ve been experimenting and worked out that if you post something that obviously promotes your business, then FB will drastically reduce your reach, but if you tell people how little Jimmy did in the three-legged race and sneak your offer in in brackets, then FB doesn’t notice and your reach goes up by loads. My average reach is 40ish, but my last post about the price of eggs (don’t forget my lucite bead sale) reached 138 - I rest my case.
Good luck.
Liz
x
I would say most if not all of my sales have come from my FB pages. I have paid for advertising which has generated likes but I dont think I have had any sales out of it. I would say the key to sales is to be personable and get to know the people on your pages. In terms of reach, I have over 500 likes on my page and am lucky to get 50 reach on a post where there is no conversation. However, if you generate a conversation in comments then that does increase your exposure.
All promoting is hard work and perseverance. I have had a Fb page for years, but did very little with it except post new items. Then last year I upped the anti as it were, spent a lot more time in my newsfeed, liking and responding to posts. That’s what changed things. I started getting more likes and interest in my posts. I went from 200 likes to 800 quite quickly. But the best thing was that lots of sales and commissions came my way. Majority of my sales on folksy are now from Fb. I have had a break from promoting this past month and no sales as a result (3 this month, 17 last month!)
Liz is right you have to mix it up with your posts. If I post a pic and info about a new item it gets a mixed result depending on the item. If I ask a question (no pic) the response can often be ridiculous in comparison!
I also believe in giveaways - it doesn’t just get you lots of new likes, but lots of interest and views to my folksy shop. I believe you have to give to receive!!
I would highly recommend Craftjuice. I use it and Fb mainly and I haven’t done too bad for sales.
The downside is that promoting wears me out and that is why I had to take a break! I have been creating without the pressure and hassle of listing and promoting. No sales, but I feel so much better and I am so pleased with what I have had time to create!
Thanks very much for the replies, it’s really interesting how people use it and I have to laugh you can get more likes than a page supposedly reaches, so much for statistics! 
I used to get a lot of interaction on my art page posting WIP and stuff, I’ll be honest my sales approach is very low key and Facebook does provide the ideal way of giving people an insight into your work, without blogging endless tutorials. Pics of my workbench, projects in progress and so on. I am going to try craft juice as well. Maybe I’ll increase my reach if I randomly chat about my chickens!!
Emma, you will DEFINITELY increase your reach if you chat about chickens. Cakes and puppies seem to go down quite well, too.
Liz
x
Definitely worth it but you have to work hard. I get nearly as many sales via FB direct as I do on here but I have been doing both for a couple of years. Lots of people have come to my Folksy shop via FB.
Di
Thanks, I am going to try, distinct lack of time this week but I’ve already pestered my nieces with the promise of free jewellery to see if they can drum up a bit of interest in my page. Bit cheaper than facebook ads for the time being!
That’s a clever bit of bartering Emma, my daughter has liked my business page and sometimes shares cards that she particularly likes but I haven’t had a flood of orders from her friends yet. Maybe I should send her a box of cards to Uni though as she’s always late sending them to her Grandparents & other relatives (to busy with the student life I expect :-))
I’ve seen how many friends the girls have on Facebook so thought it has to be worth a try. Plus one works in Tesco’s and the other in a gift shop at a large country house, so hoping that might be a bit of advertising out and about too! 
I had a big increase in views last week when I felt encouraged by chatting on the forums to do some more interacting on Facebook. I favourited a few things and shared a few photos but it’s not something I feel I want to spend a lot of time on. I felt too self-conscious to put anything personal on there, don’t have anything like chickens or cute cats. I’m the same on Facebook as I am in real life- find it difficult to make small talk!..
I can sympathise Christine as I’m quite shy at the best of times. I used to actually find it much easier online in terms of chatting, but having attracted a complete obsessive nutter into my life that way I now feel incredibly self concious with every single thing I put, and really have to force myself to do it nowadays, because if I don’t she’s won effectively.
By the way I love your shop, your work is absolutely beautiful. I’m just playing about with chasing and repousse myself
Thanks, Emma! I have a daughter who doesn’t go online much because of a bad experience, so I sympathise. With me though, it’s just that I feel I have nothing of interest to say! Just liked you on Facebook by the way (though apparently it doesn’t count towards your number of likes if it’s from a business page…)
I think it’s worth having a Facebook page. I’m new to selling my crafts too - It’s hard work promoting and building a customer base - just like anything that’s worth achieving though! I’m going to try to focus on Folksy and see how I get on. Good luck - hope your venture is a success X