For a very short lived period I reinvented myself creatively as a fair trade fashion designer. Being fashion ambivalent at best, it was a strange tangent (I blame baby brain) and, predictably, turned out to not really be the business path for me. It was a wonderful steep learning curve on so many fronts, gifting me even more insights into this creative life and the business of the arts. It was also my brief foray in the life of a marketeer.
Markets are a real double edged sword for the handmade artisan. The fact is markets are usually bloody hard work. They can involve extremely early mornings, very late nights, heavy lifting, lots of lugging, near fist fights over prized stall spots, tyrannical market organisers, rain outs, blow outs, sun stroke, demoralizing days when nothing sells and are often the kiss of death to weekends socializing with friends and family. Added to the fact that I really didn’t have enough passion for my product, for me the downside was a bit too down! But for those who aren’t off put by the downs and better still love the marketeers life, markets provide some really fantastic opportunities for artists.
10 Golden Opportunities for Marketeers
- Sales. If you pick the right market (at the right time of year on the right day) you can actually make a pretty good regular income off selling at markets. Tracking your sales can let you know which markets are most profitable, what products go best and what time of days/years are your most vital to lock in.
- Get to know your customers. Markets are an amazing way of really understanding who wants what you’re selling. Making a note of the gender, age, location and context of who you’re selling to can give you great data to inform your marketing materials, strategy and product development.
- Acquire lifetime customers. Signing up purchasers for your mailing list can turn a market thrill buyer into a lifetime customer. Offering incentives like first dibs on sale products and loyalty discounts can motivate people to sign up and give you the opportunity to sell well beyond market day.
- Test the market. While markets do attract a particular kind of customer, shopping at a certain price point and product range, markets are great for testing which products resonate with people. Because you get to have such a direct personal relationship with customers you can understand what they like about what you do and what you could optimize or improve on.
- Drive people to your shop, gallery, website. Having available at your stall business cards, photos of other products available and easy info to send people to other places where they can buy your products can encourage word of mouth sales and ongoing purchases beyond the market stall.
- Create business networks. Having a market stall is such a great way to meet other creators, potential stockists and generate opportunities for creative collaboration. You never know who will cruise through your stall and be enchanted by what you do or what fellow creator will be camped out next to you for the day to share possibilities with.
- Build a Support system. When you work the markets you meet so many other people who are following their passion, sharing their creations and giving their art a red hot go, just like you. Markets are like a stomping ground for potential kindred spirits and a gold mine for creating networks of support for your arts business.
- Personal Branding – Market day is a great day to be your most shining self. Let people know about you, your product and your creative process. These are the stories that sell and hugely improve word of mouth. Get people to engage with you as a person and as an artist. Don’t be shy to get hands on creating in between customers and give people a taste of your art in action.
- Social Media Opportunity – Take heaps of wonderful photos and share them on social media. Markets are such an engaging location and excuse to take intriguing photos and tell interesting stories. Don’t forget to share the love with fellow stall holders and keep building on that networking and support opportunity.
- Eat market food regularly. Nuff said.
P.S. If anyone’s in the market for girls wear inspired fair trade and vintage fabric wrap skirts, pinafores and nighties my step daughter would love her wardrobe space back …
The photo above was taken at The Seasonal Suitcase Market at Brunswick Heads, NSW, Australia
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