Tanya

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Mistakes Every Soap Makers Make and How to Fix Them

When I speak with soapmakers to see how I can help their soap business, we generally can see the issues instantly. Most of the time, they aren’t marketing their hand-crafted soap successfully.

Soapmakers are remarkable at making their hand-crafted soap as well as various other cosmetics. As a basic guideline, they invest the majority of their sources (time, cash, and also power) on producing the very best items they potentially can. Soapmakers will certainly frequently go above and beyond to see to it their solutions are ideal, their components radiate, as well as they’re obtaining the very best bang for their dollar when concerns materials.

However, all that effort developing fantastic items isn’t most likely to offer them for you; that’s what advertising is for!

Possibilities are that you are a whip wise soapmaker (you are below, besides), however, you simply do not understand just how to market your hand-crafted soap. Or you possibly obtain drawn in a lot of various instructions as well as do not understand just how to progress. It does not require to be that complex!

Questions to ask yourself 

What’s your largest difficulty in making advertising magic for your soap biz? Do you really feel much better able to tackle it after checking out these ideas? Speak up in the remarks!

Are your clients reachable in this manner?
Does this advertising approach associate your brand name’s voice, worths, as well as a message?
Do you really feel prepared to contribute to your timetable?
If you can not address yes to all 3 concerns, placed it on the rack for later on.

midyear

ACTION 1: PUT YOUR MARKETING IN MOTION

Currently, you recognize where to concentrate your advertising initiatives as well as you have a million suggestions for just how to market your hand-made soap … What’s following? Reach function, super star!

The initial point you wish to do is established objectives for each and every advertising approach you are utilizing. Each, go for one to 3 (with a MAX of 5) objectives or goals you have for utilizing that type of advertising and marketing. As an example, your website objectives may be to:.

When you obtain every little thing aligned, operating in tandem, as well as making magic, it’s time to begin with the top. Oh boy!

If you diminish the advertising steed, dirt on your own off as well as return on. The most significant battle for soapmakers in organisation is discovering just how to market their hand-made soap as well as cosmetics. Perhaps you make the very best damn soap in the entire vast globe … If no person understands about it, your profits will absolutely reveal it.

  • Your website (not Etsy, Artfire, ebay.com, and so on, however a real web site you possess).
  • Your e-mail e-newsletter.
  • A blog site or various other kind of web content advertising and marketing.
  • Different natural social media sites publishing.
  • Numerous paid marketing.
  • Various other glossy things/ advertising things.

This advertising prioritization strategy will certainly fit most soapmakers, yet not all organizations coincide. You may discover a far better  Return On Investment (ROI) with paid advertising and marketing than social media sites, or with social media sites as opposed to blogging. You could locate that you radiate on electronic camera, so a YouTube network would certainly be a fantastic web content advertising initiative.

But…. Here are some considerations

when a present client arrives on your internet site, they do not require to learn more about your brand name or hear your tale. They are most likely seeking assistance on their previous order, the solution to their concerns, or a fast as well as a pain-free method to re-order.

Does it match the goal?

Ensure to personalize each advertising and marketing concept that you need to your objectives and also the various activities in the client life process. Cover all your bases! When you complete this titan, unpleasant procedure, you’ll have an advertising roadmap to assist you along your method.

One thing

Determine what technique of organizing helps you– Typical way to manage your time are time boxing, daily organizing, and also concern job administration. Generally, it damages down to just how hectic I am and also just how well I’m handling my psychological health and wellness. (Yes, I have bipolar, you can research my suggestions to various other tiny biz proprietors managing their very own psychological health and wellness has a hard time right here.).

What can you automate?

When you market your hand-made soap as well as cosmetics solo, you definitely have to find ways to automate your work and increase as well as effectiveness in your procedures. Or else, you’ll be constantly overloaded as well as none of this will certainly ever before be simple!

Follow the Plan

Develop an advertising and marketing timetable to ensure that you recognize precisely what you require to do to implement your strategy and also market your handcrafted soap conveniently. As they state, if it isn’t arranged, it will not obtain done. Does this mean you require to arrange to the min? Nope!

  1. Market your hand-crafted soap and also cosmetics.
  2. Inform your brand name’s tale as well as share a distinct perspective.
  3. Aid your consumers to appreciate the story behind your concept, your process, and your thoughts into your products.
  4. This will certainly make it clear what you need to concentrate on when dealing with advertising your hand-crafted soap as well as cosmetics.
  5. On internet marketing, you recognize that to complete your initial objective, your website requires to transform site visitors right into clients, promote a very easy check out procedure, as well as upsell your items usually.

 

ACTION 2: STRATEGIZE YOUR MARKETING EFFORTS.
Since you recognize where to concentrate your advertising initiatives, you can tighten know each advertising and marketing technique and also plan just how you will certainly utilize it to your benefit.

Update Your Marketing Strategies
If you desire little instructions and also a simple to make use of worksheet to plan your advertising and marketing, join us in the Resource Library and also grab our Marketing Master Plan source to direct your method.

When I’m not very active and also have an excellent manager on what’s taking place, I timebox. Which indicates I configuration my timetable with certain blocks of time for certain kinds of jobs on my schedule. (i.e., Friday, from 10 pm to 11 pm, timetable social media sites articles).

You’ll utilize your advertising roadmap to choose regarding whether to deal with a brand-new glossy point (LOOK, a brand-new social media sites system!) as well as if the initiative you are giving out is, in fact, operating in tandem with your strategy.

When I’m definitely overloaded, I utilize top priority job monitoring. This is my last ditch initiative to maintain operating as a tiny biz proprietor. I constantly have a running listing of prioritized jobs filled in my ToDoist. As well as I full jobs in order of top priority. No if’s, and also’s, or however’s.

When you include a brand-new advertising and marketing approach to your collection, make certain to inspect on your own:.

 

ACTION 3: PRIORITIZE YOUR MARKETING EFFORTS

The factor it constantly seems like your advertising and marketing initiatives are all over the area is since they possibly are! Regardless of what the masters are stating, you require to find out where your advertising initiatives are and also which ones take concern.

  1. Enhance your check out procedure.
  2. Boost your copywriting.
  3. Display your items aesthetically.
  4. Drive web traffic to your internet site.
  5. When you lay out various methods to market your handcrafted soap as well as cosmetics, you’ll likewise wish to bear in mind to customize your initiatives to your target market. A person that come down on your internet site might be in any type of variety of phases with your brand name:.
Handmade Soap 1 2
Handmade Soap 1 2

Market Your Handmade Soap with a Personalized Plan.

The large missing out on item for many soapmakers is an advertising and marketing strategy that outlines specifically where to concentrate advertising initiatives, just how to control in those areas, as well as just how to cut the fat. Allow’s go through the 4 essential actions to a reliable advertising method for handcrafted soap as well as various other cosmetics. 

Then..

Automation, Automation, Automation 

After that, concentrate on automating your procedures and also bookkeeping for performance. If you send out an e-mail e-newsletter with a brand-new article each week, configuration your e-mail solution to draw the message from your RSS feed. If you publish on Facebook every weekday, routine your articles ahead of time as well as have Facebook take care of all that rubbish immediately.

I make use of Google Calendar and also ToDoist to handle my preparation. I enjoy these 2 due to the fact that I can perfectly switch over in between the techniques that help me. Whatever sort of timetable benefits you, simply see to it you make an activity strategy and also follow up!

Is this beginning to seem frustrating? But it worths it, right? Otherwise, everyone will be doing it!

When you obtain bewildered by your advertising and marketing initiatives, it’s time to arrange a cutting block. Do not allow FOMO (worry of losing out) drive you to spread on your own as well slim. If you are simply starting, I suggest concentrating on your internet site, e-mail e-newsletter, and also ONE various other advertising and marketing approach. When you quit really feeling tested by those 3, include an additional right into the mix.

The initial step of marketing your handcrafted homemade soap is to focus on …

Where you ought to invest your time, cash, and also energy.

As a basic guideline, I suggest soapmakers concentrate advertising and marketing techniques in their very own home, primarily. What do I suggest by “your very own residence”? That’s all the advertising and marketing opportunities that drop under your control, including your web site, your e-mail e-newsletter, as well as your blog site. You do not wish to lose all that initiative on structure another person’s home!

When I’m beginning to really feel worn out, I set up on a daily basis utilizing Google Calendar. That implies I’m running a lot more on a target date instead of a routine: specific jobs need to be done by particular days. (i.e., Friday, release “How to Market Your Handmade Soap Effectively”).

  • Is the advertising and marketing initiative something you completely manage?
  • Are your clients reachable by doing this?
  • Does this advertising and marketing approach come normally to you?
  • Can you discover just how much better to use this advertising and marketing technique?
  • Can you contract out or employ assistance utilizing this advertising approach?
  • Is this advertising and marketing approach scalable?
  • One point does not transform: your website as well as email newsletter need to constantly precede. They are the only points you can completely regulate as a soap biz proprietor, as well as you do not wish to place all your eggs in somebody else’s basket.
bigstock young mother working from home 88454447 750x400
bigstock young mother working from home 88454447 750×400

ACTION 4: RINSE & REPEAT.

Since you’ve checked out exactly how to market your hand-crafted soap and also cosmetics, you’re possibly mosting likely to despise me for this following sentence …

What advertising and marketing approach should you select to combine with your site and also e-mail e-newsletter? No person can inform you what’s best without understanding you, your brand name, as well as your target audience. Susie Soapmaker could shake Instagram like no person’s service, yet that does not indicate that ought to be * your * emphasis, also. Ask on your own those 3 vital inquiries regarding each advertising and marketing system or technique, and also slim know one to attempt.

Next off, measure each objective. So, rather than “market your handcrafted soap,” your objective might develop into “offer 100 bars of hand-made soap each month.” This is one location where I’m all for SMART objectives. (If you do not understand what SMART objectives are, they specify, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and also Timeboxed.) After that, create just how you will certainly gauge your success on this objective. Possibly, you’ll beg your Google Analytics, e-mail e-newsletter statistics, or month-to-month revenue as well as loss declaration.

Recognition: They understand that you are or what your items are, however that’s regarding it.
Acknowledgment: They identify you of what you do, what you mean, as well as what makes you various.
Passion: They want participating in the activity.
Acquisition: They trade their hard-earned cashola for your items.
Repurchase: They like your handmade benefits sufficient to get it once again.
Dedicated: They will not utilize anybody else’s soap, also if they have not bathed in a week.
Influencer: They inform everyone regarding you since individuals NEED TO KNOW.
To advance the web site instance, a brand-new site visitor is not most likely to fill up their buying cart as well as struck the order switch. They’re in the beginning of the consumer life process and also aren’t prepared to acquire yet. So, what can you do to relocate them on that particular course?

Detail all the various manner ins which you can market your handcrafted soap as well as cosmetics, and after that focus on where to concentrate your initiatives. Take into consideration:.

You see, marketing adjustments as usually as individuals transform their underoos. What functions today may not function following year or following month, and even tomorrow. It’s essential to routinely review your strategy and also change.

Exactly how to Market Your Handmade Soap as well as Cosmetics Easily
As a basic policy, a soap company owner should invest 20% or much less of their time making items or managing manufacturing relevant jobs (such as buying products, developing brand-new items, and so on) The remainder of the time? It’s all company, infant! And also on top of that checklist is seeing to it to market your hand-made soap like your service’s life depends on it (since it does!).

In order of top priority, you’ll wish to concentrate on advertising and marketing your hand-made soap as well as cosmetics in these locations:.

I suggest taking a seat with your advertising and marketing strategy as soon as a quarter (together with your economic records). Usage that as a chance to make changes, profit from what jobs, and also ditch what does not. 3 months is the ideal quantity of time to provide an advertising method a truthful initiative to see just how it will certainly benefit you.

Lastly, under each objective, brainstorm suggestions for reaching it. If your objective is to offer 100 bars of hand-crafted soap on your internet site on a monthly basis, you may intend to make a note of particular concepts t. 

 

 

handmade pumpkin soap

Thanksgiving Pie Cold Press Soap Recipe from Our Reader

Thanksgiving is around the corner! I am sure you have already had at least one pumpkin pie. Usually, I don’t care too much for pumpkin spice pie, nor Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte. And I haven’t yet made any soap that looks like food but hey, who can turn down this soap recipe shared by our reader Caroline from Cleveland.  You don’t even need a lot of soap making supplies to make this!

I have tried making one and will try this soap recipe again to make some more cakes.  Since it takes around 4 -6 weeks for homemade soaps to cure, I can still make some festive cheesecake soap for Christmas gifts!

 

cheese cake

 

This Pumpkin Pie Cold Process Soap Recipe is so versatile that you can use it to make all types of cake soaps.   Once cut into slices, the Cake Pan Silicone Mold creates a realistic pie shape. Coffee bean ground is added to the soap for the bottom crust layer and is also piped on top for a crimped crust appearance. The majority of the soap is colored with the blend of our gold and walnut Mica from our All-time Favorite MICA pigment set.  Since Caroline’s recipe do not include fragrance oil, that will potentially create discoloration.  You will not need to make the orange color brighter nor add the titanium dioxide.  If you prefer to add the fragrance oil, you can visit soap queen for recipes with fragrance oil. 

Follow these recipes to make yummy avocado soap 

Soap making kit you will need to create 3 pounds of soap-

  • Cake pan Silicon Mold
  • 13 1/2 oz Distilled water
  • 4 B Frosting tip
  • 11.5 oz Coconut Oil
  • 10.5 oz Palm oil
  • 1 oz Pumpkin seed oil
  • 1 oz Cinnamon powder or cinnamon essential oil (Learn how to make essential oil yourself here)
  • 12.5 Rice bran oil
  • Coffee bean ground
  • MICA pigment set 

Frosting

  • 4B frosting tip
  • 2 oz Cocoa Butter
  • Frosting Bags

Here you go! Big thanks to our Caroline Shoemaker from Ohio! And you know what? We’d be happy to post your recipes as well and it’d be fine if you have already shared it on your blog.  Simply write to us here.   If you are looking for more soap making

Happy Thanksgiving and Xmas!

 

Trigger Impulse Buys at Craft Fair

9 Sure-fire Strategies to Keep Customers Swarming at Your Handmade Soap

Everyone starting a handmade soap business needs to try participating in a craft fair. This entails strategies for capturing the actual market of the handmade soap and making the brand stand out from the rest.

But enticing a customer to buy handmade soap not only requires a good handmade soap made from a safe soap recipe and quality soap making supplies. It also takes convincing promo offers they can’t say no to and persuades them to purchase a handmade soap making kit right then and there.

So here’s a list of different methods everyone can carry out at the next craft fair you’ll be attending:

1. Create Urgency

Some customers who like your particular handmade soap might put off buying them immediately. We want to eliminate this scenario by creating a promo wherein they can only claim an item or a discount for a limited time.

A sense of urgency helps in their decision making by showing them that there’s no other time to buy this exclusive handmade soap other than the opportunity you’re offering them.

2. Highlight Exclusivity 

There’s nothing more tempting than being part of an exclusive club with special privileges.

You can establish this by releasing a special collection that will only be produced at a limited amount. For example, your limited DIY Bath Bomb or handmade soaps.

The customers will feel that only a lucky few will get their hands on this item so they need to purchase immediately before the stocks run out.

 

3. Bundling 

Match your bestselling handmade soap with less noticed items or a new handmade soap you’ll be launching. Customers think they are purchasing at a cheaper amount for the price of two since they are already familiar with the former merchandise. This, in turn, encourages trial for your second item to help boost the rest of your collection.

4. Show your Social Proof 

Have your handmade soaps been used by others already? Capture these testimonials and include them on your selling point to increase your brand credibility. Being available on other platforms such as Etsy also validates to your business to other potential buyers.

5. Establish an Emotional Connection 

When interacting with customers, be genuine when talking about your brand. Talk about your bath bomb recipe as an example and how safe the ingredients are. Communicate your handmade soap highlights in a concise and friendly manner in order to invite questions and keep the conversation going in order to get to know your customers better.

6. Add Complementing Items 

Complete their customer’s experience by not only offering your main craft merchandise but by also upselling through an add-on. Decide on which handmade soap complements the item they just bought and suggest it to the buyers. This will increase not only your revenue, but for them to maximize their purchase as well.

7. Be Strategic at Positioning 

People are visual and would set their eyes already on what they are looking for. With this behavior, make sure to position your impulse handmade soaps near your most sought-after merchandise. Another approach is to put these items near your checkout counter for the last minute purchase.

8. Choose Impulse handmade soaps Wisely

Not all items in your collection should be an impulse item. Determine which handmade soaps are last-minute-buys and leverage on their benefits.  One of our buyers shared a story of creating unicorn bath bomb as the “hook” to encourage purchase over $50 at family’s farmer’s market.  Since anything unicorn was “in”, this supposedly “free gift” became the best seller of the fair instead!s

9. Stimulate Excitement or Novelty 

With the array of handmade soaps being sold everywhere, there’s nothing more important than making your merchandise unique to convince people to purchase your items immediately.

Creating an impulse need for your customers to buy your handmade soap may sound challenging at first. But following the strategies above can help develop your overall approach to how you want to sell your merchandise. Remember to implement what works and improve on it as you go along.

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Need craft supplies for your DIY handmade soap and Bath Bomb projects?

Our handmade soaps are carefully curated to bring to you the best of the marketplace including All Natural Bulk Dried Edible Flowers, Skin Safe Liquid handmade soap Dye, and Mica. Creativity drives us to keep our offerings on trend and in style.

Purchase from our Store and get these resource booklets for free!

Interested in crafting ideas like Bath Bomb Recipe, DIY Bath Bomb, How To Make Bath Bombs and more? Let us inspire the creative spirit in you. Browse our blog for more handmade soap recipes.

Let’s connect via Facebook and Pinterest and you might just win a free giveaway!

Instagram and Pinterest Tips Marketing

4 Hot Leads on Starting a Soap Business on Instagram

Easy ways to use Instagram to skyrocket your soap making business

Nowadays, anyone with a decent camera and a hunger for fame can just post their pictures on social media and achieve the title of “social media celebrity” or “Instagram model” through re-posts of a thousand followers. The same formula works for starting a soap business as well. It can be a post of an unboxing video of a soap making supplies haul, a new DIY soap making kit for kids, a candle making challenge with mom, or behind-the-scenes footage of one of the customers’ most beloved soap recipes!

It could literally be about anything that could push the business to internet fame. Through tough thorough research and some business know-how plus too much time spent on the interwebs, I present to you…

10 Marketing Strategy Tips for Craft Businesses on Instagram

1. Picture Perfect

I’m sure by now you’ve heard of the term “Instagrammable”?  If you’re not sure what this means, Urban Dictionary describes it as ‘a photo or picture worth posting on Instagram’.  Restaurants and businesses have taken advantage of this trend by focusing on the aesthetics of their business.  And sometimes people don’t even care anymore how the food tastes, it’s now all about how the food looks.  #Instagrammable

And since you’ll be selling on Instagram which is all about photos, it doesn’t mean you can just grab your phone, take a picture of your handmade soap and hit upload right away.  Unless you have the natural skills of Annie Leibovitz or David LaChapelle, you might want to consider editing your picture first.  Remember, Instagram is all about aesthetics. 

Don’t worry, there are plenty of photo editors out there that you can make use of.  Photoshop isn’t just exclusively for the professionals anymore, they’ve released user-friendly programs that even your 90-year-old grandma can use.  Another software you can use is GIMP.  It pretty much has most of the features that Photoshop has and the best thing is that it’s free.

But wait, there’s more!  If you just can’t get the hang of those photo editor softwares, you can opt for a simpler solution.  Every acne-ridden girl’s Holy Grail… FILTERS.  Instagram has built-in filters you can use which are already good enough to use.  But if you want more, there are a lot of apps you can use for your photo editing.

2. Spice Things Up

Salt is not the only seasoning out there!  Variety is the spice of life so instead of constantly posting photos of your handmade soaps trying to convince people to buy them, why not post photos of your soap making supplies being used in different ways?

Like how your creations can be used to beautify a plain oak table in the living room.  Or your handmade soap floating on a pool making someone’s wedding reception even more magical.  Or even your Squidward Q. Tentacles macaroni art turning a blank boring wall into something interesting because yes that would definitely catch someone’s eye. 

You could even post photos of the creating process.  People would enjoy seeing how a simple square cloth turns into a pretty lil’ dress for a doll.  There is just a feeling of magic to it and people love that. And they would even be more willing to buy your handmade soaps seeing how much time and effort was given to create your beautiful masterpieces.

@aromakyoor’s Instagram page is a perfect example of the variety.  When you visit their profile, you can clearly see a theme going.  They alternate their posts between images of their handmade soaps or their customers enjoying their soap making kits, pictures of homes and home spaces made beautiful by candles and motivational quotes.  The result, an aesthetically pleasing profile!

 

You can alternate between fun posts and business posts.  Put up some feel good quotes and even memes, just remember to keep it relevant to your handmade soaps and the business image you want to project.  You can upload multiple photos at once, you can use that to share how to make bath bombs complete with illustrations. 

Keep track of what kind of post gets more attention to better understand your target audience.  That way, you can post contents that can cater to their interests. 

3. Hashtag, hashtag, hashtag but don’t #overdoit

Imagine I wrote this whole article putting a # symbol before every word.  That would be #insanity!  I do know this one person who’d add so many hashtags to his captions but I must admit, I did get curious what hashtags he’d use on his next posts.  But if you’re selling on Instagram, you might wanna tone it down a bit and use a few hashtags that are relevant to your business and handmade soaps. 

Even though you can have up to 30 hashtags for each post, it doesn’t mean you have to use all 30.  You can have 2-3 consistent hashtags, meaning you use them for every post.  For example, #DIY or your business name or if you have a clever slogan for your business.  And the rest can be hashtags for specific soap making kits you post or for contests you’re running.

Interestingly enough, there are actually people who do use the maximum of 30 hashtags.  According to them, Instagram gave us 30 hashtags to use so why not utilize it all?  But what works for one doesn’t always mean it works for all.  Use whichever is more convenient for you or which one you think works best. 

And you can either post them in your caption after a line break or if you prefer less clutter in your captions, you can post them in a separate comment.  If the latter is your preferred method, keep in mind you have to do it fast because the Instagram algorithm works as soon as you post it.

There are also popular hashtags you can use and even one for each day of the week.  Here are some examples of trending hashtags on Instagram:

Monday

  • #MarketingMonday – Perfect time to give your followers the ol’ razzle dazzle of your handmade soap business
  • #MondayMotivation – Post motivational quotes and photos for your followers, a little goes a long way for some
  • #MindfulMonday – For businesses related to mental health or any advice you can give your followers for their wellbeing

Tuesday

  • #TipTuesday – If you have any advice or tips for your followers (ie. How to make bath bombs and not bomb it or how to make candles without turning yourself into a wax statue)
  • #TuesdayTrivia – You can quiz your followers about the craft business and could even use this opportunity to give away free stuff
  • #TransformationTuesday – You can showcase how your handmade soaps can help and improve daily living

Wednesday

  • #WisdomWednesday – A bit like #TipTuesday but more on sharing your business expertise.  Some thoughts for them to chew on (Again don’t eat bath bombs kids)
  • #WellnessWednesday – Use this when you want to give health and wellness advice to your followers and especially how your business can help them get that “glow up”
  • #WoofWednesday – Everyone loves dogs.  Who doesn’t?  Well, those who don’t can stick to #Caturday (See Saturday hashtags list).  Share a photo of your furry friend or any good boy/girl and this would be even fantastic if your handmade soaps can also be beneficial or aren’t harmful to our four-legged friends.

Thursday 

  • #ThrowbackThursday or #tbt – One of the most popular hashtags out there.  Post an old picture of your old soap recipes like when you were just starting out or a meaningful event your company had in the past
  • #ThankfulThursday – The perfect opportunity to thank your loyal customers and followers for their support.  Show gratitude to those who’ve helped you get to where you’re at.
  • #ThursdayThoughts – You can ask your followers their thoughts and suggestions on how you can improve your soap making supplies or soap recipes.

 Friday

  • #FlashbackFriday – In case you missed #tbt, you can still do #FlashbackFriday.
  • #FollowFriday – Shine the spotlight on a particular user you admire or a business you follow and tell your followers why.  And hopefully, you too will get featured in return.
  • #FeatureFriday – Feature a specific handmade soap or even a loyal customer.  Post that bath bomb recipe you created that everyone was talking about at yesterday’s PTA meeting

Saturday

  • #SaturdaySale – Pretty much what the hashtag says, for promotional sales and the likes
  • #SaturdaySwag – Another hashtag you can use when you’re giving away free stuff or for reposting photos of your handmade soaps that your customers have uploaded
  • #Caturday – Cats rule the internet.  How can this help your business?  People love cats – they’ll share your post – their friends who love cats will share your post – and so on = free advertising
  • #SmallBusinessSaturday – Who’s gonna stop you from promoting your small soap making business every Saturday?  No one! 

Sunday

  • #SelfieSunday – Post a picture of yourself or your employees.  Show your followers that you’re all humans who like to do human stuff too
  • #SundayFunday – Highlight some fun ways that people can use your soap making supplies

These are just a few examples you can use. Most of them have been used in millions of posts but don’t limit yourself to these.  You can come up with your own and maybe even start a new trending hashtag! 

Got an awesome hashtag we should hear about?  Tell us in the comments below!

What if I told you could bathe in avocado? Try this DIY avocado soap made with two other special ingredients!

4. Create an Effective Business Bio

So you’ve posted you’re tips on how to make bath bombs for #TipTuesday.  People love it and they are curious.  They want to know more! 

The next thing they’ll do is visit your profile.  You only have 150 characters to impress or depress your potential customer. Make the most of it!  You should be able to clearly define what your business is about, the type of business you are and encourage people to engage with your business. 

You can also add a link to your website on your bio.  If you add a link in your captions, people won’t be able to click on it.   So having your link in your bio is the only other way your Instagram followers can read more about your business and find more of your handmade soaps and soap making supplies they can buy. 

With an Instagram business account, you have additional Call-To-Action options so utilize it and pick the right one for your business.

5. Having a Posting Plan

Picture this: you wake up, make breakfast and send the kids off to school.  Now you have time to check social media, you wanna show off that mimosa you had after the kids left for school so you open Instagram and you see a post on how to make bath bombs.  You think oh that looks fantastic, I should definitely try that.  Few minutes later, you see another similar post by the same company.  Another five minutes and you see another and another and … well you get my point. 

It would definitely be annoying to your customers and you might even end up losing followers.  And most importantly, there are certain times in a day when Instagram traffic is high.  According to this metro.co.uk article, these are the best times to post on Instagram. 

 

  • Monday: 7pm and 10pm
  • Tuesday: 3 am and 10 pm
  • Wednesday: 5 pm
  • Thursday: 7 am and 11 pm
  • Friday: 1 am and 8 pm
  • Saturday: 12 am and 2 am
  • Sunday: 5pm

6. Upload Videos

Don’t limit yourself to pictures only!  Upload a video and let people watch that bath bomb and soap recipes come to life.  There are two ways you can utilize Instagram’s video option.  

One is taking and streaming a live video – you can use this to show some interesting behind the scenes footage of your business.  Your audience can leave comments and if they have questions, you can answer these live.  Once the stream is done, it goes to your Instagram Stories and stays there for 24 hours after which it will self-destruct.  Ok, it disappears but self-destruct sounds cooler! 

If you’d rather have a video that doesn’t feel like a one night stand, you can simply upload a video straight from your camera roll.  Or you could also shoot a video through Instagram.  Post some how-to tutorials (how to make bath bombs or how to lose a guy in 10 days, whichever you feel like doing) and behind the scenes clips. 

Artist @annietarasova utilizes Instagram’s video feature by uploading a clip of her making one of her prints that she sells in her Etsy shop.

Words of encouragement…

Although success won’t be guaranteed, it wouldn’t hurt to try.  Unless it’s trying to eat lava a second time, don’t do that. That hurts.  Don’t even do that the first time.  Did you know you can only eat lava once?

Anyway, you could even experiment and see which times would work for you.  It would vary depending on your target audience, either those who want to make DIY bath bomb or those who eat bath bombs (Just kidding, don’t do that kids).  So schedule your posts accordingly to get the best results.

 

One of my personal favorites is using the boomerang effect.  It is a mini video that loops back and forth, pretty much like a GIF.  Click these links to get boomerang for Apple or Android. They are quite fun to watch and can be hypnotic. 

Imagine that mesmerizing moment your DIY bath bomb dissolves in the water, that graceful dance the medley of colors make… and your potential customers get to watch that over and over and they will want to personally experience that magical moment themselves.  #Ka-ching!

Want to try an absolutely Instagram-worthy soap recipe? Click here!

7. Behind the Scenes

You must be wondering why I keep mentioning “behind the scenes”.  Well when you post behind the scenes images or clips of your soap making kit business, it adds a personal touch to it.  When you’re selling on Instagram, people see you as merely a handmade soap business but you would want a deeper connection than that. 

It doesn’t mean you have to go to their kids’ piano recitals but humanizing yourself creates emotional attachments easily and makes you relatable to your audience. 

This encourages your followers to interact with you more, like and leave comments frequently on your photos.  Your audience would surely love to see the genius behind that bath bomb recipe.  Be sure to reply to their comments too to show that they’re being heard and that you care about what they have to say.  Ask them questions.

 

8. Run Contests and Giveaways

What better way to keep people interested than to give them free stuff?   Contests are a great way to engage with your followers and an even greater way to promote your business.  One clear advantage is that this can ultimately earn you more followers.             

One of the most popular contest forms is the Photo Contest.  You ask your followers to post certain photos with a specific contest hashtag.  You get a lot of exposure through your hashtag.

Another contest you can do is the Likes Contest or Like to Win Contest.  This one is fast, easy and simple.

And you can never go wrong with the Tag-A-Friend Contest.  Your followers will tag their friends and their friends will tag their friends and so on and so forth.

You could even have a weekly giveaway.  This guarantees that your page gets activity weekly.  It doesn’t have to be huge all the time, you wouldn’t want your soap making business to disappear into suds.  And don’t forget to regram or repost those posts your followers have posted that feature your handmade soaps.  People absolutely love it when they’re featured in anything!     

Speaking of giveaways, want one? Click here!

 

Not sure how much to sell your homemade soap? Here are 4 things to Remember on Pricing Your Homemade Soap!

9. Followback Girl

You ain’t no hollaback girl but you can be a followback girl (or guy if you prefer).  It’s pretty much like networking.  The more you branch out, the more you benefit.  Send shout outs to your followers and maybe they’ll even do the same for you.  That’s free advertising!  And it doesn’t have to be every Friday (#FollowFriday), you can do it any time of the week.

You could also send shout-outs to other businesses who are in the same field as yours.  Use that opportunity to create partnerships where you can both benefit from each other. 

Your soap making business could partner up with someone who sells embroidered towels!  It may not be the most ambitious crossover in history but it will definitely give you more exposure and widen your audience.

10. Connect to Facebook 

Why?  Not everyone who has Facebook has Instagram.  And not everyone who has Instagram, has Facebook. 

Your Facebook followers would see that you also have an Instagram account and start following you there too.  You can have contests and deals exclusively for your Instagram followers and then share the news on Facebook earning you some new followers in return. 

Whenever you post content on Instagram, you have an option to also share it on Facebook and other social media platforms so go ahead.  Hit that share button and make some noise!  Believe me, Facebook moms would not think twice to forward and share your bath bomb recipe with their Facebook friends. 

…To Instagram we go!

And there you have it, 10 marketing strategies to get your craft business up and running on Instagram.  Before you know it, Jessica will be raving about your bath bomb recipe at next week’s soccer practice. 

If these tips didn’t work for you, I don’t know what else will help!  (Again, it’s just a joke..) But seriously, don’t miss these freebies when you buy our soap making supplies! And, if you’d like to learn more soap making 101, head here

Tried out these Instagram marketing strategies for yourself?  Or if you have your own tips to share, be sure to let us know.  We would definitely love to hear from you! Let’s connect! via Facebook or Pinterest and check our homepage regularly for more posts like this!

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