I am on facebook have a business page etc…promote and post nearly everyday but get no comments or even a simple like…now either people dont like me for whatever reason or its new facebook algorithms.:’( …i am members of groups and its the same with them. personally i am very fed up, the only thing to cheer me up was 2 sales on here…
I am sorry for whining but it makes me wonder if its all worth it…i am thinking of leaving facebook to concentrate on pinterest, here of course and my blog…
What sort of wording do you use in your Facebook posts? If you use words like ‘buy’, ‘sell’ ‘sale’, ‘sold’, ‘shop’ etc etc & generally links to your Folksy shop or whatever & Facebook will limit who can see them because they want you to buy their promotion packages.
It also depends on how many organic followers you have. If you’ve done the ‘like for like’ thing then the reason no one is liking or commenting is probably because they don’t care. If they’re organic follows who you’ve picked up who genuinely like you work then I’d consider what you post.
Photos are generally seen further afield. And you say you post every day- what sort of things do you post? If you post things out of general interest, progress of work etc then you’ll likely get more interest. If you just constantly try and sell, you won’t.
I use Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest & Twitter. I have personally made sales through all of those- in fact I’ve made more sales through Facebook but I prefer Instagram. I just find it much more interactive. It’s cleaner, much more pleasant to use & I find the community on there really supportive & friendly.
I don’t use them all as a tool just for selling my artwork though. I post things that I’ve been up to/places I’ve been that have nothing to do with my artwork.
I’d say pick up only organic followers. The like-for-like thing is pointless. It may look like you have a lot of followers that way but they’re generally not interested in what you post & wont engage & especially won’t buy. I tend to just ignore anyone who suggests that. I’ll only follow people if I like what they do/what they post. I don’t have that many followers on Facebook (not too many over 200 I don’t think) and I don’t post very often. Weekly if not less. But I get a decent reach, engagement & have sold something to about 20% of my followers.
Not sure if that’s going to be of any help to you. It’s just what I’ve discovered over the years.
I’ve just liked your Facebook page and followed you on Pinterest
I’m not really keen on Facebook, I don’t think it has brought me any sales. However, I love Pinterest and Instagram, probably because they are both image based. Pinterest has certainly brought customers to my shop.
Once upon a time, in the good old days, it was possible to set up a business page, create posts and watch your followers grow.
Then Facebook was floated on the stock market and needed to find a way to give it’s shareholders revenue. Businesses were an easy target, and certainly some large companies were rather taking advantage of the free promotion.
Since the algorithm change the best way to promote yourself is to pay for targeted promotion. I am no expert on targeting, but there are posts on the forum by people who are that have much useful advice. Don’t spend a fortune-£2 can get you extra followers if the content of your post is good. Also DO host give-aways and offer discounts to your followers. Give-Away posts generate a lot of comments and therefore go further than regular posts. Also, videos do well.
I actually have the same issues but who doesn’t, Im on Twitter and following all the Girl Bloggers and believe it or not ive just sold 34 boxes to one person so thats my suggestion, good luck.
Have been and liked your Facebook page. My favourite is definitely Instagram have it linked to FB and Twitter too so you can post in all three at the same. The new Folksy Facebook share button saves time too especially if you are in a few groups.
Firstly let me apologise for my whining i know other people find it hard to get seen and sell their lovely items…
Susannah @curiousseagull i dont use those words in my posts and i dont like for like unless i am in a group networking ladder. i have paid for small promotion packages before and dont mind them actually, i post new item made, links to my listings, occasional pictures of flowers, scenic or a good morning. Thank you for your feedback
Thank you Claire @HookandLoop for taking the time to do that its very much appreciated i have started using instagram but not sure of it yet? pinterest i love and post often…
Samantha @Mermaid’s Purse Jewellery i totally agree about facebook giveaways are a waste of time for me as no one enters…video’s i will try
Thank you Tina @DaisyWings i am a member but always forget to post
Hi Hook and loop and Aurora Jayne, it has been interesting reading the replies, I love the first one so far by curiousseagull. Hook and loop, may I ask, how do you use Pinterest for sales? I have a Pinterest board for my makes, can you explain how to use Piterest effectively to encourage sales, is there a method/system to follow? Thanks in advance. Julieann
Hi, I like and follow British Crafters, I am still learning about Facebook and British Crafters seems to be a page where they themselves share peoples makes. Do you know how I get my makes shared on British Crafters, could you please explain how it works, as other groups you post your own things. Thanks in advance. Julieann
Hi @RobinDesign, I can’t know for sure that Pinterest brings any sales but it definitely brings people to my shop. I know this because my top views on Folksy and the other site are usually of tea cosies that I have sold or are out of stock.
A few of my flowery ones get repinned a lot. I think the thing with Pinterest is to pin regularly and have a good variety of things you are interested in, and like @curiousseagull said, not just promoting your own work. Unfortunately I’m not that good with social media myself, so I have no magic answers. (wish I did )
Claire x
Here is how There British Crafters set up works! Sorry if it’s a bit long!
In the main it runs here with a theme everyday Mon to Fri where a post is pinned to the page top from 0700 to 1800 with a theme. You add your makes to the list via a link to your fb photo. (double click a photo and copy the url and it comes up with a preview photo.)
About 15% get shared to the page - people get sales from just being on the collecting list as well as page shares though. To increase your chances of a share…we like good photos, items that fit the theme and also people interacting regularly with the page.
To be sure of a share you can book via the website www.britishcrafters.co.uk which gets you promotion on Fb, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and a Stumble upon Review.
The FB page works best if you interact with your shop page as then people know who you are and can pop and see your work etc. Of course it’s nice to like too from your personal acc so it counts for the tally.
Hope this helps!
Do ask if you have any questions! Dottie x
@hookandloop thank you, that was helpful, I will have a look at you on Pinterest and see what you mean. I am with you , I am not good with social media and am not liking fb as it takes up so much of my time being “social”. I will find a way that suits me and fits in with my time (and my ethics also have role to play!). Thanks again, and wishing you a great day!
Hi @dottiedesigns, that was really insightful and explains brilliantly. Thank you. From what you have said I think I will have to give it a miss for now though, as time does not allow me to do regular posts so it may be a wasted experience if I post intermittently, but never say never! I am rethinking all my social aspects so I could try this one (BritishCrafters) instead of others. It is great to know and I will have to work harder I think, at tailoring my “social” side and getting me out there and seen.
Could you advise on another aspect please? I notice that some of my fb friends share posts from British Crafters page, and others friend’s makes, I have shared other friend’s makes before, but can you explain why facebookers do that with British Crafters posts, to their timeline? Only if you have the time to explain! Thanks in advance.
There is a big downside to promoting on FB that no-one seems to mention, so I wondered if thing was just me, but the more successful my page has become, the less friendly the people on my personal page are. The only people who seem to like my personal posts and shares now are family members and all of my “so-called” friends that I talk to outside the school gates are now ignoring me completely on social media.
I wondered if anybody else has experienced this phenomenon, or if it is just me. I’ve never been that good at making friends, so losing the few I thought I had is a bit disappointing. I will have to get over it as I have done in the past.
Lol! I was a bit surprised that this stuff would spill over into my personal life, after all, everyone else is always going on about their jobs (usually expecting sympathy) and I usually like or comment out of a sense of misplaced duty.
However, on Friday, somebody I counted as a friend happened to specifically ask me how business was and I told her I was delighted to have sold something that very day. I got the impression that she was NOT delighted and had hoped I would give her a sob story. She then proceeded to tell me how “a friend of hers” who runs a jewelry stall at the school fetes locally had told her that she made quite a bit of money making things she did not really enjoy doing, and how she felt she had to because it was commercial. I didn’t go there, because personally, I wouldn’t make a piece I didn’t believe in, let alone try to sell it, but it did make me think that obviously this woman is not really my friend…
and my blog…
giveaways are a waste of time for me as no one enters…video’s i will try 
)