But how do I actually talk about my products?
Today I’m sharing a really common theme among my clients and community members: how to share their products on social media and in email marketing in ways that don’t feel aggressive or sleazy.
You’re in business to enrich your customers’ lives with your products. They’re here to solve a problem, or add loads of beauty to people’s homes and lives. Your products aren’t any old tat – you’re making them because they matter!
So it’s vital that you’re sharing them.
We’re not taught to actively “sell” – and so it feels icky and pushy and inauthentic. I’m here to change that, to teach you things I wish you’d learnt 10 years ago.
Customers need to see your products, on average, 11 times to make a purchase.
Let me just say that again: ELEVEN.
Some customers will see it twice and purchase. Others will see something 100 times before they actually add to cart and checkout. So often, I see clients posting about something once and then assuming (hoping) that their customers will know all about it and remember it’s there when they want to buy it.
Nope. It doesn’t work like that. You have to keep showing your products, to show up when your customers need you.
Ideas for sharing your products
Before we dive into some ideas and inspiration, a couple of important things:
- Sometimes we have to be really explicit about what we want customers to do: buy now, we’ve got three left, it’s here. This is so helpful to our customers – and it feels like confidence, not arrogance.
- Other times, we use “Show Don’t Tell” as our guide. We let the product speak for itself through high quality content, so that customers are drawn in and can put their own spin on the product.
Let’s dive into some ideas:
- Begin at the beginning: How did you design it? What was the inspiration for the product?
- How it started / how it’s going
- When and what your first order was
- How you’ve updated the product over time with colours, options, etc
Customers love these stories! It’s a great way to talk through things on Instagram Stories, or in an email to your customers. You could even make a video or a Reel!
- What you love about it, using language and descriptors that align with your brand values
- “This really caught my eye / made me fall in love with it” – write this just how you would say it and add it to an Instagram caption!
- Spell out the choices available: “You can get it in blue or green”
You don’t have to share every detail all at once – use different snippets and details over several different posts.
- Use feedback and reviews of your products
- Use screengrabs of comments and reviews as social proof
- Ask customers if you can use their photos in your marketing so potential customers can see them in real-life scenarios
- Share a customer story, especially for commissions and personalised products
- Include different personalisation examples and inspiration
- Show different ways the product can be used
Behind-the-scenes
- What’s on your order table today?
- Create a time-lapse of you making or packing up orders
- Show the raw materials before you make them – and after!
- Show how you wrap everything and box it up
Share your products often
My invitation for you is to grab a pen and paper and brainstorm the ways you want to share your products, the different features you want to highlight.
And then keep doing it!
Tag me @thejennypace on Instagram
