Good Morning, hi im not new to folksy but new to the chat side of things so please bare with me. I am so desperate for some feedback on my work how im approaching selling it etc. I literally can’t see the woods for the trees any longer. I have my own website, shop on Folksy and i sell through a local gallery. Im late to the table in terms of social media but have really embraced it this last year but i just feel like nothing works. I can not get traffic never mind a sale. Please if anyone can take the time to give me an honest appraisal i would be so grateful. Thank you xx
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Welcome Belle.
I love the way you display your products, the photos are good, tags etc you have plenty of those.
Your price point is maybe not directed at an impulse buy, not saying reducing the prices but to pay £22 for the earrings may mean people think twice. You little bird buttons as earrings would be lovely.
Perhaps add some quick to make etc and lower priced items.
How are you selling on your own website and Etsy. Things are very quiet atm, okay I was lucky last month but that included a trade order.
Do you join in the other Forum threads, we have a daily challenge where you post an item each day, does not have to be a new listing. You then have to click on the links of others posting and heart that item in their shop.
Join groups on Facebook and post there daily. I tend to post daily to approx 10 fb groups and Instagram. Using a the business suite makes it easier as can schedule fb and inst at the same time.
There is plenty of knowledge on this forum and am sure others will be along later to help you.
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Hi x I absolutely love your hand painted earrings, gorgeous! I don’t have pierced ears so could you do similar pendants maybe?
You could try and have a pic that has a plain white background as I often prefer those when I’m sharing things for a folksy Friday board x
I’ve found doing the online markets really helps as everyone shares each others work and it’s great for getting new followers too x It is definitely a bit quiet at the mo! Xx
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Morning,
As everyone has mentioned your items are lovely! I find social media very hard work & difficult to get traction. There is a thread here for IG followers - you add your IG profile & follow the others on the list & they will follow you back, definitely helps to get a few more followers! Also I’ve started doing more on Pinterest this year & seen a large jump in my stats so I’m hoping that will lead to more sales 
Also it does help to join the FB groups, although to be honest I find FB very time consuming some days! I also tend do a folksy friday board every week (you pick items on a particular theme and showcase them on social media with links) which helps raise both your own and Folksy’s profile a bit.
Good Luck,
Cheers Lou
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Hi, and thank you so much for taking the time to reply with so many great pointers. Yes i agree a lot of my work doesn’t really hit the impulse buy, i have recently tightened my margins even more. So with the cost of firing the kiln etc i just can’t feasibly lower them any more. I have though created an under £15 collection on both Folksy and my Web shop. Ive start to post earrings that aren’t Silver and so hopefully a little more affordable.
I don’t do any social media if im brutally honest, other than instagram. I have a facebook account which is automatically updated. I need to drag myself into this century i just don’t get it all.
Thank you again for your feedback.x
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I love your shop and your items are lovely but maybe it’s the price that’s putting people off. I looked at other handmade ceramic buttons and most were less expensive. Would you be able to maybe reduce them a little to put them into a price bracket that people could afford.
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Thank you so much! So many great pointers yes i too am trying to push Pinterest as i can see people chatting about it becoming more popular again. I just struggle so much to know what im doing.
I will definitely add myself to the IG followers thread thank you for the heads up.
Right im going to try do the folksy friday board this week.
Thank you xx
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Hi Thank you. Great feedback. I understand £3.00 for a button and sometimes £4 is expensive and out of reach for an awful lot of people. However the majority of my designs are hand carved, for example the Beach huts are all hand carved in plaster to make the mould as are the Paisley Buttons. On a like for like basis they really are not above my fellow makers price point. Reducing the price would mean reducing the quality and or making at a loss both of which i can’t do.
Thanks again x
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Hi, thank you so much for taking the time.
I love your work, beautiful!
Every time i take new photos i tell myself to take white backgrounds too. Thats my job today thank you for the push.
Also looking for some non pierced earring fittings. Are there any that you find more comfortable?
I tried a couple of online markets last year i didn’t get one sale. Honestly its not funny but i had to laugh! (or i would cry)
Thank you again! xx
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I love your hanging decor. I don’t have any suggestions tbh. Do you have an instagram account? This used to bring me sales, tho since they changed things, it’s nosedived. Fb groups for selling maybe?
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I don’t really wear earrings at all I’m afraid, but do love yours😁
Maybe a pic of them being worn would be good too to help with size x
That’s tough getting no sales at the markets, I really think you should push the hand painted ones, they seem very on trend at the mo, and so unique, lovely shapes xx
Try posting them on insta with some tags like #retrostyle #50sstyle worth a try!! X
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Just a couple of thoughts - your buttons might go down well with the knit/crochet/sewing communities, perhaps there are some groups on Facebook you could post to or some textile-y hashtags you could add to your Instagram posts that might attract buyers? Also there are jewellery designers (I was one for some time!) who like to work with handmade ceramic components, not just beads but pendants, toggles, charms… you could try marketing earring pairs of your handpainted charms, for instance. In both of these cases you’d be selling as supplies, not finished jewellery, and thereby reaching a different set of buyers.
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You are a star I really appreciate your tips. And I’ll take it as a huge compliment when you don’t wear earrings but like mine. Thank you.
Yeah I really need some headshots with them being worn. I did do a few of myself but oh my days it was so cringe. I need to recruit some willing models so will put the feelers out over the next few days. Again thank you. X
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Hi, love your shop, I particularly love your earrings. It it quiet at the moment but hopefully it will pick up soon. Don’t think I can add anything to the other good advice mentioned here but social media and the here on the forums is a really big help. 
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Ahhh such great advice. Definitely worth me looking into the supplies side of things. Yes I need to look at my hashtags too.
Really great of you to take the time. Some great tips thank you. X
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Just taking the time to give me a boost is amazing. Thank you. X
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Hi - lovely shop, fab things and great presentation … as everyone has said. Perhaps it’s a combination of social media and price points that’s the problem. Getting social media right really helps (it’s a pain but it has to be done) and having a few £2.00 ‘bargain’ items also helps get those first sales so you can then present as an ‘established shop’ with a track record (gives buyers confidence). Sales are down at the moment for many people across the board so it is difficult for a new business to get established. I have been doing the 365 daily listing thread on talk folksy - it’s very enjoyable and I think really helps in many ways. Good luck - your shop really deserves to succeed.
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I’m not normally a softy but your kind words really have just tipped me over the edge. Thank you so much yourself and the others have really given me the nudge and confidence to keep pushing and with a clearer idea of what I need to do.
Great advice thank you. X
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I can’t help with pointers as I’m in the same boat, but, I think your work is gorgeous so please don’t give up.
Maybe you’ve some ‘samples, seconds or sale’ items you could reduce to get the ball rolling for you.
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Thank you so much. Yes I do haha far too many. I really should get them online. Great tip and thank you for your support. X
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