5 Must-Have Craft Business Marketing Materials

If you are just starting your craft business, you won’t want to spend a lot of money up front on non-essential items. You will already be spending most of your budget on supplies for creating inventory. And let’s face it. No inventory = no income.

Whether you’re selling your crafts in a brick-and-mortar store, online, or through an online art marketplace such as Etsy, you will need to have a few marketing materials on hand to get your craft business growing. Below are the top five must-have marketing materials when starting your craft business.

Business cards are an absolute must-have. They are perhaps the cheapest, fastest and easiest way to get the word out on your craft business. They should be handed out to friends, family and anyone who will take them and posted on public bulletin boards found at local grocery stores and offices. They should also be included in all of your physical and shipped orders to encourage your customers to repeat their business and maybe even pass the word to others.

Though postcards are initially more expensive up-front, those who are first starting their business and are looking to build a customer-base find that postcard marketing can be extremely beneficial in the first few months. Postcards are generally larger than business cards and tend to be more attention-grabbing. They also allow you to reach potential customers in farther areas, such as friends and families living non-locally.Whereas business cards should keep it short and sweet, postcards give you the opportunity to add images of your products, information on sales and specials, or even include a reward system.

Business labels are important to keep your packaging looking professional. They show your customers you are serious about the way your business is run and that you take pride in the details. They also make it nearly impossible for your customers to miss. If you are looking to save money on business labels, an alternative to these labels is to purchase return address labels that include your business logo, your shop name, and the location -- whether it be a physical location or web address. Return address labels can be purchased at most than half the price as most business/logo/product labels.

If you sell items such as handmade greeting cards, art prints, or anything that is placed inside a packaging box, rubber stamps are great ways to your business name attached without spending a lot of money. Recipients of these products will see your business information and will more than likely search for your store to see more available products.

Whether your craft business is virtual or not, you should have a website and/or a blog to market yourself. Though building a website can be somewhat daunting to many individuals, there are many sites where you can create a free craft business website with little to no effort. Your website does not necessarily need to include a shopping cart (especially if you are a brick-and-mortar or 100%-online marketplace shop), but should at least have a homepage where potential customers can find out more about you, your shop, and the items you are selling.