I’ve been with folksy for years, but only reopened my shop late last year. I’ve loved the listing and easy way to add products, along with the forums. I had a couple of sales before Xmas, but nothing this year, even after pushing for Valentines day and including lots of different price points. Unfortunately, I’ve just lost my job, so now I need to boost my sales and I don’t know that I can manage it with folksy. I’m thinking of joining the other side. I speak to so many people who haven’t heard of folksy at all, but they all know about the other side. The advertising here is non existant, and I’m.not sure how else to push it myself. I’ve added items to gift guides, I do craft fairs and hand out my cards with my folksy shop on them, I’ve instagramed, I’ve Facebooked, I’ve twittered. Maybe my stuff is just crap? But folksy can’t sustain a wage for me right now.
I don’t do social media, so my promotion outside Folksy is very limited. But I have found that when I ask other crafters, say at craft fairs, “are you on Folksy”, they have never heard of it. Folksy has been in business for quite a few years, so you must ask yourselves the question, “how can we as a company increase the sales for our sellers”?. It seems to me that Folksy members are doing most of the promoting, and so far most of my sales (which I am really pleased with) are to Folksy sellers, and so you are receiving free promotion, but it should be us who are also receiving free promotion, as we are a team. It seems to me that Folksy members are selling in the main to other Folksy members.
I have sold lots on the famous auction site, in fact my sales became too high, and I felt I was on a production line, so I joined Folksy for a more relaxed selling platform.
I love the friendlyness of Folksy (sometimes), but maybe it’s time for me to get up to speed with social media to further my sales.
Where do I see myself in a few years’ time. Watching the clouds go by without a care in the world. I have to have my dreams!
I’ve been on Folksy for 5 years now and until recently my doll making has just been a hobby alongside my job as a teacher. However, I’ve now retired and have more time to spend on my Folksy shop. I have also recently been contacted by 3 different retailers in different parts of the country, who have shown an interest in selling my mice. I would love to improve and develop my Mousehole Manor brand, as I don’t think there is anything quite like it on the market at the moment and it introduces very young children to the concept of history. I think it is an ideal brand to sell in National Trust type places. My problem is making enough, as I like to complete all aspects of the creative process myself. I love my Folksy shop and I am very grateful to Folksy for giving me the opportunity to grow as a little business. My principal selling place will always be Folksy - I love having my shop on here. Folksy is so attractive for customers and very supportive to sellers.
We definitely want to grow! Next steps - wholesale!
What we would LOVE Folksy to do is to continue building their British links and networking to raise the profile of Folksy sellers with other awesome British bloggers/companies/etc. to create more collaborative opportunities. Eg. Lucky Dip Club x Folksy was AMAZING! The Awesome Merch x Folksy comp was also fab (sad we didn’t win! 
- but it could be more than this - eg. linking into key UK style bloggers and developing links there, inviting guest curators for seasonal wishlists (including those with national kudos - curators, buyers, designers, bloggers etc.) Just generally knitting together all the awesomeness of the UK - with the added bonus of not being London-centric/biased! 
A&K
Hi
I love folksy!
It would be really great though if you could add pricing options as this limits me to what I list on my folksy shop. e.g. offering a greetings card on seeded or normal card or A5 or A6 etc
I think it is an amazing starting place for business, those that want develop and grow I agree advertising options would definitely be a bonus 
Even different package options in the future like £xx amount for 10 professional pics, a months advertising and a press release or something like that! The commission is lower here than other sites too so there is room for advertising/press budget etc.
Only an idea but options on the shop would be a huge plus!
We have big plans, but at the moment we are waiting…
When the children have left home and the animals we have now have pegged it, Mark and I will start our new adventure. 8 years ago we bought a house in France which we have been slowly doing up ready for our eventual move, there is enough land to be almost self sufficient, we even have our own water source. Cant wait.
I have been building up our business, so that it will be of a sufficient size to keep going in France too. So I know the importance of internet selling. I’m not sure I will be able to keep making jewellery on the scale I do now (with enough stock to do 2-3 weekly events) in 10 years time, but I’d like to think I will still be able to do online orders and make mosaics. However I firmly believe Mark’s artwork will keep us going into our old age.
I keep saying to him, how much do we have to sell before you are famous (in the last 3 years I have sold 7800 separate images/prints of his paintings. But its a tough world out there for artists. Luckily he doesn’t seem to be slowing down and over the past 6 years continues to produce his best work.
I joke that I will have to pop him off one night, then we might truly get to reep the rewards!!! Haha!
Hi Sharon, which marketing book are you reading and is it any good? I had one to help sell ‘over the other side’ and, although it was good, it was quite involved! Anna x