What is the middle market?

Markets are typically divided into low, middle and high-end segments. These segments are tailored to the price, quality and availability expectations of their target consumers. As its name suggests, the middle market sits between the spectrum of mass-produced, low-priced and cheap quality goods, and limited or bespoke, high-quality, expensive goods, by offering products that are good quality yet affordable. Middle-market goods and services typically range from high-volume to limited-edition entry-level premium offerings.

The middle market is popular for brand positioning because it attracts a large, broad consumer base with moderate to high levels of disposable income. This, however, makes the mid-market, as previously mentioned, very competitive. It is here that profit margins get squeezed in a bid to attract customers and be profitable. Sellers in this mid-marketplace segment range from independent small businesses to multi-chain department store retailers that can afford to mass-produce at above-average quality, while keeping prices affordable enough to make a profit.

Why positioning your artisan brand in the middle market isn’t always the best option

1. You will always be competing on price

By positioning your artisan brand in the middle market, you will be competing on price while trying to maintain the quality of your craftwork. Bigger retailers can afford to buy materials in bulk, reducing the overall cost per item they produce. Trying to keep up with this market positioning strategy has a detrimental effect on your business and profitability. This is because at this level, being forced to lower your prices can push your craftwork into the low market. And, the lower you price your craftwork, the more product you have to make and sell to meet your financial targets. On the other hand, charging higher-than-average prices can make your work too expensive for the market, leaving you with little to no sales.

2. You’ll get lost in a sea of average quality brands

In the middle market, your artisan business belongs to neither the high nor the low end. This is because it is perceived as too cheap to be premium and too expensive to be low-cost, so you lose out either way. It is more difficult to make a profit. If positioning your artisan business as high-end makes you uncomfortable, you can create spectacular high-priced bespoke or limited-edition pieces or collections and balance them out with a collection of pieces at more affordable price points. For more on getting comfortable with charging high prices for your craft work, read: What to do if Selling your Statement handmade crafts to Rich People Makes you Feel Uncomfortable.

Positioning your artisan business in the premium sector

The premium sector is not about competing on cost. It is about letting your skills, creativity, and story take centre stage.

The higher you position your work in the market, the less it becomes about how much something costs and more about how it makes a customer feel. Positioning your artisan goods at the higher end of the middle market, or the premium and high-end market, can make financial sense. This is because the higher you go, the less you make, and the less you sell, but the more you can charge, which even things out and can save you time.

Note: If you are positioning your craftwork as premium or high-end, you better make sure your work and how you present it reflect the level of quality that is expected by the market.

That said, whichever market you choose to position your artisan business in, you still have to put in the work it takes to stand out. And, savvy artisan business owners know that offering premium-priced creations alongside their more affordable high-volume collections can be a winning option.

If you’re looking for clarity to help you position and elevate your craftwork in the premium artisan goods sector, my carefully curated services can help. Discover what’s on offer here.

– Tapiwa Matsinde

[Image credit: The image shown belongs to Enikő Tóth from Pexels. If downloaded and used elsewhere, please credit accordingly.]

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What is integrity?

The Cambridge Dictionary defines integrity as: the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles that you refuse to change.

Why does brand integrity matter?

When applied to a business (or individual), brand integrity relates to how well the business lives up to its values and upholds the promise it has made in serving its customers and other stakeholders. In other words, do your actions, words, products, and services always match what you say you are about?

The marks of brand integrity include: honesty, accountability, transparency and consistency. Together, these four marks add up to the level of trustworthiness a brand, or an individual, is seen to have. And, trust as we all know, is integral to the quality and strength of our relationships.

Brands (and individuals) that lack integrity shake their audience’s confidence in them. These brands and individuals are seen as:

• Untrustworthy
• Dishonest
• Unreliable
• Misleading

Brand integrity, therefore, is of supreme importance for any business in any sector.

When it comes to your craft business, the four marks of brand integrity will relate to:

Authenticity (Honesty)

Authenticity means being true to your values, mission and purpose by showing who you truly are in your behaviour, messaging and relationships. Authenticity calls for acting the same in public and in private. It can be tempting to want to embellish or put on a persona that we think will make us more interesting to our audiences, but at some point, the veneer will slip, revealing the real you. So, keep things simple by always being genuine.

Service (Accountability)

Service is how you treat those you connect and work with. This includes customers, collaborators, employees, suppliers, stockists, and the artisan communities you may work with. You may view these groups as being separate, but in this day and age, people talk and share in ways that bring members within these groups into contact, enabling them to compare notes about their experiences with your business and representatives.

Being of service also means admitting when you get something wrong, and taking the steps to sort it out immediately, and not later when the damage sets in and becomes irreparable.

Principles (Transparency)

Principles are your morals, the values that matter to you and are adamant you won’t compromise even when under pressure to conform. Principles require you to keep your word by doing the right thing and what you’ll say you’ll do. When you stick to your values by not going with the flow, you earn the respect and loyalty of your audience and stakeholders. Having principles also calls for transparency in how you manage your craft business in areas such as your costs, production and supply chains.

Quality (Consistency)

Inferior quality products, mixed messaging, fluctuating prices, indiscriminate sales techniques and data leaks are some of the reasons that harm a brand’s integrity. Maintaining the expected level of quality throughout your craft business requires consistency. Consistency is doing the same thing in the same way or at the same level every time you do it. Audiences notice when something is not consistent, and this leads them to question and eventually distrust the business or individual.

Brand integrity is not an option. It is the very essence of your craft business and is what will keep you consistent, accountable, honest, and transparent. If you’re interested in finding out more, brand integrity is something I cover in my Masterclass: Refine & Elevate Your Craft Business.

– Tapiwa Matsinde

[Image credits: The image shown belongs to Feyza Tuğba sourced via Pexels. If downloaded and used elsewhere, please credit accordingly.]

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Why colour is important for branding your craft business

Colour is said to increase brand recognition by up to 80% [Source: University of Loyola, Maryland study]. This is because we humans tend to respond to and remember visuals, including colour, more than our other senses. When it comes to purchasing habits a research study showed that 84.7% of the respondents thought that colour was an important factor for choosing products, while 92.6% said that visual factors were most important when purchasing products [source: colour consultant experts colorcom]. Colour matters.

To help you get started with choosing your craft business brand’s colour palette, we share some must-know tips.

1. Create a brand strategy

A brand strategy maps out the direction of your brand. That includes the colours you will use. As part of your craft business brand strategy, create a mood board to help inspire how you want your brand to look. Pinterest is a brilliant platform for sourcing and collecting images that inspire your brand colours.

2. Isolate key colours

Looking at your mood board, identify common colours by taking note of the colours in the images you are selecting and why you feel they suit your craft business brand. Use a colour-picking tool to isolate the top colours in your mood board and write down the generated numbers.

3. Understand what colours mean

Choosing colours that stand out to you is just one part of the process. Colours have various meanings based on people’s and societies’ perceptions, i.e. red is a colour universally associated with danger and excitement. To ensure that you are creating a colour palette that effectively communicates what your craft business is about, do some research into the psychology of colours. This will help you to understand what the colours you favour are saying about your brand.

4. Cross-reference brand values

Once you understand the meanings behind your chosen colours, cross-reference the meanings with your business’s core values. Then select the colours that align with how you want your craft business to be seen.

5. Finalise palette

Play around with your selected colours until you get a group that works harmoniously together. For additional help, you can use online colour palette generators to find complementary and contrasting colours to consolidate and fill in any gaps in your palette.

We hope you’ve found the tips useful. Choosing your craft business’s colour palette is just one of the handy topics we cover in our signature on-demand course: Refine and Elevate Your Craft Brand.

– Tapiwa Matsinde

Reference: Why Color Matters by Jill Morton, Colorcom

The image shown belongs to Kaboompics.com via Pexels. If downloaded and used elsewhere please credit accordingly.]

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Your brand is a vehicle that connects your business, product, service or even yourself to your audience. A brand is made up of many things including your logo, the messages you send out, the design of your products, and the experience of your service. A brand, therefore, has great value to your business. It is easy to create a brand, but it needs to be nurtured to make sure it stays relevant in the mind of your existing audience, whilst also working to attract the attention of new ones.

However, as the realities of running a business set in it becomes all too easy to forget about maintaining your brand unless you absolutely have to, and before you know it your brand is tired, dusty, and trailing your competitors. 

So, when was the last time you sat down and reviewed your brand? If it has been a while it’s probably time for a brand audit.

What is a brand audit?

To audit, something is to inspect it closely. As the name suggests a Brand Audit allows you the time to inspect your brand and see how well it is performing. The process involves measuring the progress of your brand against the long-term goals you have for your business and helps you see how well your brand is performing in the marketplace.

Why it is important to do a brand audit

Conducting a regular brand audit is important because if you have been nurturing your brand, signs of growth should be evident. Brands are not static, they do evolve in response to the development of your business. This means your brand today could be different from your brand of 12 or even 6 months ago. And some of your key messaging, style of imagery and even values may have evolved to reflect where your work is now. You may find that your audience has shifted. This is especially true of start-ups still finding their brand voice. A brand audit does not mean getting rid of everything that has been in the past. It is merely a process of keeping an eye on growth and how your brand is changing to reflect this. Is important you catch and fix the areas where you are going off-brand and that your brand is moving your business in the right direction.

A brand audit does not have to be complex. The hard part is setting up a process the first time you do it, but after that, it will become easier.

WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING TO DO IS:

1. Make a list of all the key elements that make up your brand i.e. visual identity, website, messaging.
2. Go through each element and ask yourself if it still reflects your brand and the direction you have for your business i.e. For imagery you would want to know if your images still project the image you want for your business. 
3. For anything that is not working decide if it is still useful, if you need to get rid of it, or if it needs updating.
4. Make the updates as required.

And, remember to repeat the process at least once a year.

– Tapiwa Matsinde

[Image credits: The image shown belongs to Michael Burrows sourced via Pexels. If downloaded and used elsewhere please credit accordingly.]

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Why it’s important to have a portfolio of good-quality images for your craft business

Don’t let poor images let you down. Good-quality imagery is all about showing your products at their best. This means having to consider how you style and present your images. Unprofessional images can lower the perceived value of your work. Things like untidy backgrounds and poor lighting are not only unprofessional but distracting, taking attention away from your products. Professional imagery elevates your work and with a bit of practice is something that you can do yourself or if you can invest in a batch of professional photos that reflect your brand.

Good quality also refers to the resolution of your images. Resolution is the clarity of detail that can be seen in an image. Generally the sharper the image the higher the resolution, and the more blurry the image the lower the resolution. Low-resolution images are best suited to online/digital use and high resolution is a must for print use. Print use refers to images that can be used for say a magazine editorial or a gallery’s exhibition catalogue. In today’s world, anyone can take images with their phone, and while those images may be good enough to upload to an online platform they may not be good enough for print use. Therefore a maker’s portfolio must contain images that are suitable for both print and digital use.

To help you put together your image portfolio here are 5 types of images that every maker needs to have in their portfolio.

1. Maker Portraits

These are portrait images of you the maker and any other people you may work with. Portrait images can be headshots, head, shoulder and torso shots or full-length. Portrait images are all about introducing you the maker to your audience.

2. Photos of your making process

These are the images that show how your products are made, highlighting the different stages of your creative process. These images will show you at work and can be close-up details of your hands, and the tools and machines you work with in use.

3. Photos of your studio/workshop

Audiences are interested in getting to see behind-the-scenes, and photos of your studio/workshop help people visualise the space where your products are created. For these types of images, include details of what your workshop looks like, the raw materials you work with, and the tools you use.

4. Photos of your products

These are the images of your finished products. Photos of your products should be in still-life format. A common form of still-life format photography is showing your products on their own on a plain surface and background. You can also include other objects to create a scene, but these photos should generally be about showcasing your product with no distractions.

5. Photos of your products in use

To complement your still-life format images create lifestyle photos that show your products in use or a styled setting. Lifestyle images will help your audience visualise themselves using them and are essential for PR campaigns, magazine spreads, Lookbooks, brochures, websites and social media promotion.

Other things to consider

• When sharing your images always include any photographer’s copyright credit details.
• Colour images are preferred unless your brand image style uses a specific colour palette i.e. black and white.

Finally, don’t get hung up on creating the perfect image or it not mirroring the style your peers have. Image styles and trends come and go, rather focus on creating a portfolio of good quality on-brand images that honour your craft by showcasing it at its very best.

– Tapiwa Matsinde

[Image credits: The image shown belongs to George Milton on Pexels. If downloaded and used elsewhere please credit accordingly.]

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As a business owner, you can’t afford to be bashful about making money. If you want to raise your prices or create gallery-quality pieces then the chances are high that your customer will be those who have a high level of disposable income, in other words rich people, when compared to the average low- or middle-income consumer who would have to save up or spread the cost to be able spend more on an expensive item as a special gift or treat for themselves.

If you are creating high-priced artistic craft pieces, you are going to have to find a way of getting comfortable selling your creations to an affluent customer. Even if you sell your statement crafts through a gallery, you may still have contact with collectors through in-person events or be asked to present your work at a craft fair.

Why does selling high-priced statement crafts to rich people make some makers feel uncomfortable?

Wealth is seen as an invite-only club open to the privileged few. When you add society’s complex relationship with money and those who have it, purposefully targeting a rich customer can come across as crass. We don’t like to appear to want to do so because of what others may think; that we’re greedy, a sellout or have high opinions of ourselves and so forth. But you’d be wise to keep in mind that throughout the centuries, artists and artisans have benefited from having the patronage of wealthy customers. This arrangement has enabled the realisation of important works of art and craft. For today’s makers, focusing on producing high-end pieces or offering them in addition to their affordable volume pieces can make smart financial sense by diversifying the sources of income.

If selling your high-end statement crafts to rich people makes you feel uncomfortable, here’s what to do:

Build your confidence

The key to selling your handmade crafts to rich people, or any other customer demographic for that matter, is confidence. I know this is stating the obvious, but confidence matters, and this stems from valuing what your work is worth. A reluctance to charge high-end prices is often tied to a fear of rejection, which gives rise to an inferiority complex around your work not being good enough to attract those who can afford what it’s worth. Of not knowing what to say or how to behave around rich people. If this is you, remember you are not your customer, and you do not have to be wealthy yourself to sell your creations at this higher level of the craft market.

Look the part

How you present your high-end statement crafts both on and offline, is crucial. It’s one thing if an affluent customer sees your work in person in a gallery or at a craft fair and buys it there and then, and another thing entirely if they see your work digitally and have to judge if it’s worth investing in without being able to physically assess its qualities. Either way, your in-person and digital presence has to reassure the customer, giving them the confidence that it is worth the investment. Your craft brand and portfolio have to look the part, so investing in professional presentation and communication becomes a priority.

Confront the stereotypes surrounding rich people

When we think of rich people, our perceptions are often shaped by media, which likes to portray images of snooty aristocrats, entitled celebrities or megalomaniac billionaires. No wonder we can feel uncomfortable selling our work at this level. Step outside these depictions, however, and you will see that there are many weathly people who are going about their business just like everyone else. The only difference is that they have more money to spend on the things they love, including investing in collectible statement handmade crafts. There are different types of rich people, from the modestly wealthy to the super-rich. Some may have inherited their wealth, while others may have more in common with you and me, individuals who took an idea or skill and turned it into a business. In their case, a financially successful venture, meaning they understand you and empathise with you more than you know. So think of that when selling to affluent customers.

Take the time to understand the affluent customer

Successfully selling your high-priced crafts requires understanding your customer, and targeting an affluent customer demographic is no different.. This involves doing your market research to gather the necessary data, such as their age, location, income, job, publications they read and so forth. This data will help you brand your business and draw the right people towards your high-end creations. Those who can afford to pay for them. One great way to do this is to attend the markets and fairs that attract affluent customers and spend some time observing how the visitors interact with and respond to the work on display. Body language can reveal so much. And, if you are brave enough, initiate a conversation with one or two people around you to get their opinions about a piece that is attracting their interest.

As with selling to any customer, getting comfortable selling your high-end statement crafts to a wealthy customer takes practice. The more you do it, the more comfortable and therefore confident you will become.

– Tapiwa Matsinde

[Image credits: The image shown belongs to Gabriel Bodnar via Pexels. If downloaded and used elsewhere, please credit accordingly.]

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These powerful qualities are not secrets that only the privileged few can access. They are accessible qualities that every creative business owner can use to create their own successful brand. No matter what stage your business is at, you can cultivate these qualities too. So, what are these qualities?

The qualities I have identified are:

1. A people-centred ethos

Successful high-end craft businesses recognise that people are at the heart of their business success, and are known to take a people-centred approach. That means caring and looking out for those they work, collaborate and come into contact with, and treating everyone with dignity and respect. Many artisan businesses strive to make a positive difference, this could be by preserving an endangered craft, or uplifting their local communities by providing income opportunities. These high-end artisan businesses know that they cannot do it alone and will seek to make connections with like-minded people.

2. A strong sense of purpose and a compelling story

Successful high-end craft businesses have a clear understanding of why they do what they do. Their purpose fuels their passion and remains true to a set of well-defined core values. This gives them a strong sense of integrity around their work and brand. Their strong sense of purpose helps to create and strengthen the emotional connections they have with their customers. These craft businesses know that one of the best ways to share their purpose is by having a compelling story. Their story tells the background and history of their business and craft, why it exists, the people who founded it, and those who work in it. They use their story to take their customers on a journey. This helps to make their customers a part of their business. For more on harnessing storytelling to generate sales, read Want to boost your sales? Sell the story not the product.

3. Knowing their customer and delivering exceptional customer service

Customers are one of the most important parts of any business. Without them, your business won’t survive. Successful high-end artisan businesses understand this. They work hard to serve their customers, keeping them front and centre of all that they do. Successful high-end artisan businesses don’t blindly sell to everyone. They find out all that they can about their customers by engaging with them and regularly reviewing data and analytics. Successful high-end artisan businesses ask, listen to and observe their customers, taking note of their likes and dislikes, what they do for work and play and so on. They then use the information to create products and services that serve the needs of their customer. For more about knowing your customers, read: Do you know who you are selling your handcrafted products to?

4. Maintaining consistency in all that they do

Consistency is crucial to building a successful craft business. It creates familiarity and helps to reinforce your brand in the minds of your customers. The successful craft business owner knows that an inconsistent brand strategy is confusing. It can stop their customers from engaging because they will not know what to expect each time they interact. Consistency means that when their customers see or experience certain elements of the business, they immediately recognise it as belonging to that particular business. High-end artisan businesses that are successful maintain consistency across their:
– visuals and graphics – what they look like
– messaging – what they say and sound like; and 
– behaviour – what they do and how they treat their community of customers and collaborators

5. Having a professional-looking website to attract partners such as galleries, stockists

With so many promotional platforms to choose from, a website can be seen as an option rather than as an essential business tool. Successful artisan businesses invest in having a professional-looking website. They understand the power a website has to act as a virtual shop window to the world and how it provides the opportunity to control and maintain their digital brand by getting it to look exactly the way they want it to. This is something that is not always possible with social media platforms that get us to conform to their rules. When it comes to getting PR or securing retail stockists, more often than not, journalists and buyers will check to see if a craft business has a website. A website can give out the message that you’re serious about building a business with a stable foundation, and that is what will attract and reassure those you want to partner with.

6. An ability to plug into trends yet remain timeless

In fast-moving marketplaces and rapid changes in technology, high-end artisan businesses know that their success depends on how up-to-date they are with what is going on around them. They always review their market to make sure that they keep up to date with news, innovations and other important developments in their industry. These craft business owners use their insights to create relevant products and promote their creations effectively. Artisan businesses that are successful get rid of what is no longer relevant and improve on what is working well. They are always on the lookout for opportunities. And, are not afraid to innovate, switch things up, and find ways to serve, surprise and delight their customers.

7. A responsive and proactive attitude

One of the greatest strengths of successful high-end craft businesses is a responsive and proactive attitude. Whether they are interacting with their customers, retailers or press, these craft businesses always display an exceptional level of professionalism, which shows an understanding of the high level of organisation required to sell their crafts to collectors, stockists and affluent customers. They are respectful of other people’s time and don’t need to be chased, they make a note of what they need to do and do it. For example, when contacted for press requests, they are on it, replying to emails and messages in a timely manner and supplying what is needed when it is needed. The successful artisan business owner doesn’t wait for opportunities to fall into their lap; they go out and find them.

These are just some of the key qualities that successful high-end craft businesses have in common. Qualities that help them to stand out in a crowded marketplace.

– Tapiwa Matsinde

[Image credits: The image shown belongs to Content Pixie on Pexels. If downloaded and used elsewhere, please credit accordingly.]

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Well, for some of us, showing up as the face of our businesses when we don’t like being in the spotlight is easier said than done. And, being told you just have to suck it up and go out there and be seen is unhelpful. You know you need to be visible to your audience, but you could be facing internal and external barriers that are holding you back.

These fears could be a feeling of not being a charismatic personality or good enough, which is often rooted in the fear of judgement, being afraid to show your face and share the stories behind your craft business because of what others will say about you and your work. These are valid fears when you consider the dark sides of interacting in our online worlds, where showing up often requires having a thick skin to fend off things like thoughtless comments.

Showing up as the face of your craft business doesn’t mean being visible 24/7; there are ways to do it in alignment with who you are. And, keep in mind, showing up is not just about physically showing your face; it also relates to the relevant personal stories you may want to share with your audience.

Here are some things you can do if the thought of showing up as the face of your craft business is causing you sleepless nights:

Pinpoint the source of your resistance

What is the reason you don’t like being in the spotlight? There are many reasons why makers struggle with showing up as the face behind their craftwork, including being:

• a private person
• naturally shy
• an introvert
• vulnerable

Once you understand why being visible as the face of your work and business is something you wrestle with, you are better able to create a visibility strategy that suits your requirements. The key is to work through your resistance and not against it.

Set boundaries over how you show up as the face of your craft business

It can help to put in place boundaries over how and when you choose to show up. Having boundaries prevents you from oversharing and feeling like you’re losing control. Rather, take the time to plan out how you need to show up. For example, when selling your work at a craft market, being physically present to interact with and sell to customers is, for most, unavoidable. In contrast, posting behind-the-scenes updates on social media doesn’t mean showing your face in every single post you share. For example, you could choose to share one image of yourself every 10 or 20 posts. When showing up is through images of yourself, select in advance the ones you will use and share on your website, social media pages, press releases and so forth.

Showing your face doesn’t literally mean showing your face

Not every artisan business requires the owner to be visible as the face of their brand, but if the story of your craftwork centres around you, the maker, then your audience is going to want to see you. That said, being the face of your brand doesn’t mean literally showing your face, so get creative with how you present your content. Options include presenting graphics and videos, and speaking as a voice-over. You could experiment with poses like not looking directly into the camera, or showing yourself making, where the focus is not solely on you, but on what you are doing. Doing this will help you get comfortable with showing your face.

Create a bank of personal brand images

Having a set of personal brand images can go a long way in helping you feel more comfortable with showing your face when promoting your craftwork. Not only does this give you a set of go-to images to use, taking away the anxiety of having to choose images on the spot, but it also boosts your confidence when it comes to sharing images of yourself. If you can afford to invest in a professional personal branding shoot, I highly recommend it. There are photoshoot options to suit every budget, including free, for example, if you enter into a barter exchange with the photographer. If a photoshoot is not an option, experimenting with your mobile camera and a bit of planning is the next best thing. There are plenty of online resources to guide you on everything from posing to lighting. And, keep in mind the images you create will align with the stories you want to share about your craft.

Start with the platform you feel most confident in

There are many platforms for you to choose from, and it can get overwhelming trying to show up as the face of your craft business on them all. Take it slow by starting with the platform you feel most confident with. Once you establish a presence on that platform, you can then explore the others, adapting the way you share your content and how you prefer to show your face to suit. When you are confident about being seen on a platform, it will come through, and your audience will respond accordingly.

Identify a person and speak directly to them

When you do public speaking, a common piece of advice is to make eye contact with someone who is responsive to what you are saying. Speaking directly to them can put you at ease, encouraging and helping you to relax. This technique can be adapted to how you show up as the face behind your craft business. To do this, identify then create a visual representation of your customer or audience member and call it to mind whenever you need to be visible. This is where having customer personas comes in handy. I go through these in my branding masterclass.

Get help with sharing your content

Sometimes getting someone else, like a VA, freelance marketing or social media marketing manager to create, schedule, post, and share your content for you can remove the barrier around doing it yourself. Just remember to remain involved to ensure that nothing gets shared without your approval.

If you’d like to create a deeper connection with your audience but are struggling with how to show up as the face of your craft business I invite you to have a look at Unfold Your Story, my signature brand storytelling course dedicated to helping designers, makers, creatives and artisan retail brands create and share the stories of their craft in a meaningful way.

*Craft Council: The Market for Craft, Commissioned by the Crafts Council and Partners, May 2020.

[Image credits: The images shown belong to cottonbro studio. If downloaded and used elsewhere, please credit accordingly.]

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Creating a brand helps you take control of your narrative and direct how you want to show up in the world, and how you want your audience to see your craftwork. The process of building a brand, however, does come with challenges, and in this post, I share the main challenges designers, makers, and artisan retailers face when building a craft brand, and how to overcome them, as follows:

1. Lacking clarity on why you are building a craft brand

Your brand is about communicating the reasons why your craft business exists, and why you do the work you do. Successful brands are built on the foundation of their why. It is important that your get clear on the purpose of your craft business because this will inform everything you do, from how you position your brand in your market to the visuals and messages you create. Defining your purpose, your values and your mission can be a difficult thing to do. To overcome this, carve out some time for a spot of self-reflection and jot down the reasons why you started your artisan business, your vision and what you hope to achieve.

2. Not taking the time to understand the craft market or your customers

Your work is not just about you; it is also about your audience and their needs and wants. Building a craft brand requires understanding your marketplace and your customers. A brand is a vehicle to help you connect to your audience. If you don’t know who they are or what is going on in your market, how can you successfully position your business or sell your craftwork? Many artisan business owners, however, bypass the crucial step of researching their market, going straight into launching their products and collections. To overcome this, pay attention to the behaviours of your existing and potential customers and ensure that you are aware of developments in the craft and retail industry.

3. Not being aware of your peers

The contemporary craft & design sector is crowded with many designers, makers, and artisan retailers competing for attention. This means it can be difficult to stand out and get noticed. To overcome this, put the effort into identifying and understanding your fellow makers. Make a note of how they promote themselves and identify the opportunities to differentiate your work and business. Being aware of your peers can focus your attention on what makes your craftwork unique and build a brand that reflects this.

4. Not building a strong online presence

Building a strong online presence is a must, as it helps you showcase your creations and reach your desired customers. However, this can be challenging, as you may not have the technical skills or resources to build and maintain a professional website and cultivate a social media presence. To overcome this, you can seek out online courses and resources, or, budget permitting, hire the services of a professional to help. And keep in mind that a strong online presence is not only about being on social media; you could choose to focus on building a blog, podcasting, or using YouTube or Pinterest to boost your search engine rankings.

5. Inconsistent branding

Building a craft brand requires consistency in maintaining how your brand looks, feels and behaves across all platforms and channels you use. Maintaining consistency can be challenging because it requires chunks of your valuable time. To overcome this, consistency requires monitoring your brand by creating a brand style guide that outlines the different areas of your visual and messaging standards, and use the guide as a reference as you share your brand. Consistency is also about how you show up. This doesn’t mean posting several hours a day every day, it means creating a realistic schedule that works for the time and resources that you have.

6. Not investing in expert help

One of the main challenges faced by creative business owners is trying to do it all on their own. Unless you happen to be a branding expert, seeking help to fill in the gaps and get you on the right track is a smart thing to do. There are numerous resources and professionals out there who specialise in branding and are there to help you. A branding expert will help you to clarify your brand’s vision, goals, and look and feel. Getting help to build your craft brand will save you time, money and effort in the long run.

Building a brand takes time, effort, commitment, and a willingness to adapt and evolve. Overcoming these challenges enables you to focus on doing what you do best, producing high-quality objects and mastering your craft. If you’re interested in building an artisan brand that represents your craftwork, I invite you to have a look at the ways I can help you.

– Tapiwa

[Image credits: The image shown belongs to Photo by Eugenia Remark: . If downloaded and used elsewhere, please credit accordingly.]

The post The main challenges designers, makers, artists face when building a craft brand, and how to overcome them appeared first on Tapiwa Matsinde | A curatorial and artisan brand visibility consultancy for craft businesses.

1. Capture and share the vision you have for your craft business.

Your mission, values, and purpose set the foundations on which your craft business will develop. They provide clarity about what you need to do, where to focus your efforts, and how to share your work. When you share what informs your vision, you…

Cultivate genuine connections by crafting a community of people who willingly support what you do by purchasing your craftwork and telling others about your craft business. You also attract those who want to collaborate with you. Seek to connect to your audiences by…

Crafting compelling & meaningful stories, using storytelling through words, images, video, and audio to give your customers an insight into the inspirations, motivations, skills, history & heritage behind your creations.

2. Align your craftwork to market expectations.

Understanding the market in which you are positioning your artisan business is essential to successfully promoting and selling your handmade creations. The global standard for excellence in fine craftsmanship & design is high. To meet that standard, allocate time to observing the market, the trends, the different levels of businesses operating within it, and the people buying high-end craft. The higher you seek to elevate your craft business, the more you need to…

Be selective about where you show and sell your craftwork. Keep in mind that the company you align your artisan business with reflects on the value of your handcrafted objects. By ‘company‘, this could be maker businesses similar to yours, your stockists and others representing your work. Identify your fellow makers whose work is at the level you want it to be, then work towards raising your craft until you meet their level. Working towards positioning your craft business alongside other businesses at the level you want to reach can act as a motivator by encouraging you to keep raising the standards of craft skills.

3. Take care of your customers.

Your customers are essential to the survival of your craft business, and, as seen in point 1. happy customers can turn into your champions. Keep your customers happy by…

Delivering exceptional customer service. Exceptional customer service is a hallmark of luxury and high-end brands. And the higher you position your artisan business, the higher quality of service your customer will expect. Customer service is about taking care of your customers’ needs at every stage of their interaction with your business, from potential to customer, becoming a customer, then keeping the relationship going after a sale. To do this requires…

Being attuned to your customer’s needs. Taking care of your customer means knowing who they are and what they want from you. Spend time getting to know them by talking to them in person or engaging with them on your promotional channels. Ask for their feedback and use their responses to improve how you meet and surpass their expectations.

4. Nurture your creativity and craft skills.

Maintaining a high level of quality craftsmanship requires you to keep investing in improving your craft skills. Commit to artisanal excellence by…

Embracing good design. Combining craftsmanship with innovative design aesthetics can improve your products by taking your handcrafted work from kitchen table/informal studio/workshop to gallery-level collectible creations. As your making skills develop, you will find yourself…

Cultivating a signature look and feel. Bringing your unique viewpoint to your craftwork is what helps it stand out in a marketplace crowded with similar products. And the more your creations become increasingly recognisable as being your handiwork, the more valuable they can become, and therefore collectible.

5. Take your time.

Refining & elevating your craft business are activities that happen over time. There’s no need to rush; instead, pace yourself by taking it one collection or object at a time. The nature of making things by hand often means work is produced in small batches or limited edition collections, which increases the value of your objects. Taking your time means paying attention to the small details. A practice that can be incorporated into elevating other areas of your business by seeing what works, then improving on it. And, however you choose to up-level your craft business, be sure to keep true to you by doing what instinctively feels right.

These are just a few ways to raise the standards of your artisan brand. If you are interested in delving into a more guided process, I invite you to discover Refine & Elevate, my thoughtfully crafted course designed to get your craft business to where you want it to be.

– Tapiwa Matsinde

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[Image credits: Photo by WARION Taipei on Unsplash]

The post How to refine & elevate your craft business appeared first on Tapiwa Matsinde | A curatorial and artisan brand visibility consultancy for craft businesses.