So this is a follow-up after my last interview with Amanda, where she shares her PHENOMENALLY successful Etsy shop launch!
When we recorded this, she’d actually done 2 product releases, and they both went super-well.
We talk about setting up shop, how to handle it when things don’t go to plan (like selling the same product twice – eep!), making mistakes, Instagram, pricing, confidence, and much more.
Enjoy!
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Quotes and Highlights…
- Amanda was interviewed a few months ago just prior to the launch of her new business, Dream Forged Dice, and spoke about the fears surrounding the launch and how she was feeling.
- Now the business is running, Amanda discusses following the Set Up Shop process and the lead up to launch which involved heavily sharing her information and building her presence on Instagram.
- “In the end I decided to go with an Etsy shop just for ease and simplicity because realistically this is a side hustle to buy fixtures so I can make more dice, rather than me trying to turn this into world domination.” {Amanda}
- Promotion of the brand started in February with the Instagram challenge through Create and Thrive and the Thrivers Circle. Posting each day worked really well, resulting in great momentum and engagement with people as the aesthetic of the brand developed.
- Amanda continued posting daily and one week prior to the launch, cracked the 500 followers mark, so created a giveaway to coincide with the company launch. Again this resulted in great engagement and sharing of the new brand.
- When approaching the Instagram community:
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- Ensure that each brand has its own aesthetic so people instantly recognise who is posting just by looking at the feed;
- Spend time engaging with other people’s posts and sharing them as this is a lovely boost to those artists who may not have as many followers;
- When sharing posts, say why you are sharing the post or why you like the particular item as this will direct people back to the maker.
- Play around with hashtags and searching different combinations to find new makers and customers.
- Jess and Amanda discuss the dice community being more supportive and less competitive than others, and this is also evident with dice Facebook groups. It is also about how you engage with communities, learn from each other, and lift each other up.
- Choosing the right pricing was a challenge for Amanda as she undervalued her work, and did not want to be seen as overcharging customers. This is a common problem amongst new makers.
- On launch day, Amanda sold 16 or 17 items within 45 minutes, and 22 sets within 12 hours. A further launch was held 2 weeks ago, and these have also sold well.
- Jess made the point that Amanda’s launch strategy works because the items for sale are one of a kind and you can build anticipation for customers who don’t want to miss out on their chosen dice set. However, this strategy will be less successful if selling reproducible items.
- Makers who want to make more money from their business, and aren’t just selling as a side hustle, should consider making reproducible items and selling at a lower price point, as well as the one of a kind items sold at a higher price point.
- “Something is gonna go wrong so just do the thing.” {Amanda}
- Amanda discusses lessons learned:
- Things will go wrong but it just doesn’t matter, back yourself and you can work it out.
- If you don’t know where to start with your new business, set up with Etsy as this is easy to use, and there is lots of help available online. If you are looking at a full time business, there may be better options available but Etsy is a great way to begin.
- Be excellent to each other, and form good relationships with your customers.
- Amanda is considering developing different colour combinations for the next launch, and also handmade dice bags.
- Those who are interested can check out Amanda’s sewing blog Bimble & Pimble.
