How to Promote a Craft Show (as a vendor)

Although event organizers will take care of the majority of marketing, it benefits everyone when each vendor does their part to let people know about the event.

The more people working together to spread the word about a project, cause or event, the more shoppers there will be and, hopefully, more sales for you.

Not to mention, you always want your customers and fans to know where they can find your products and support you.

Below are 10 options for promoting an upcoming craft fair.

 

1 – Flyers

You can either create a printable flyer yourself (here’s a simple template) or ask the event organizer if they have marketing material they can send you.

Making your postcard will allow you to promote your products and list ALL the upcoming events you’ll be at for the next 3 – 6 months.

You can try this forget about this fun trick to save some cash on printing and make sure your postcard doesn’t just end up in the trash.

Here are some places to distribute craft show flyers:

Other craft shows

If you participate in craft shows regularly, hand flyers out to people who stop by your booth, whether they buy or not. Many people don’t purchase the first time they see your products but a flyer stating where you’ll be next will make it easy for them to find you when they are ready to buy.

 

At work

If you work another job, leave a stack of flyers in your break room for your co-workers to check out at lunchtime. If you work a B2C job, like a coffee shop, ask if you can tack a flyer up on the bulletin board for customers to see.

 

Mail

If you have a mailing list, send flyers to your VIP customers along with a “thank you” note for their past support. Mention any perks you think they’d be interested in (new product line being debuted at the event, promotions, and discounts, etc.) and that you’d love for them to stop by. Be aware of your local laws as it may be illegal for you to place flyers in mailboxes.

 

Extra-Curricular Activities

Give your flyer to people on your soccer team, in your art class, walking group, etc.  They obviously like getting out and being social, so why not tell them about another way they can do so?

 

2 – Social Media

Try using a variety of social media platforms and methods (photos, videos, links, etc.) to see which gets the most engagement. If several people stop by your booth and tell you they saw your Facebook post, spend more time marketing events there. 

 

3 – Online Marketplace

Update your Etsy announcement section with events you’ll be at to let online shoppers know where they can view your products in person. Many people change filters to shop locally on online marketplaces, so although the platform is global, you may attract local shoppers. (Here are more tips for your Etsy announcement section)

 

4 – Blog

A blog is a great way to market your craft business and an easy place to mention upcoming evens. You can create a post outlining upcoming shows or write a post about each event and what makes it special. You may even work with the event organizer or fellow vendors and ask them to answer a few questions for the article. They’ll likely want to share a link to that article on their platforms. 

 

5 – Website

If you’ve created a website for your business, it’s a good idea to have a “where you can find me” page. You can fill this page with events you’ll be at throughout the year and any boutiques that carry your products. Be sure to keep it up to date as you add events to your schedule and as they pass.

 

6 – Newsletter

If you haven’t done so already, start a newsletter for your craft business (here’s a quick and easy guide). You only need one subscriber to start sending newsletters and “come visit me at my upcoming craft show” is an easy email to put together. You should be able to tag your subscribers based on location, so take advantage of that filter when choosing who to send your newsletter to.

If you don’t have a newsletter yet, use a free printable form to start gathering email addresses at your upcoming event. Be sure to tag those people as “local”, as they’re ideal subscribers to send future event notifications to.

 

7 – Contests

Consider running a contest to encourage people to visit the event. Work with the event organizer to create a prize, (i.e. tickets to the show or a gift basket with items from vendors) or offer one of your products to the winner. Decide on the rules for entry, which can be; anyone who shares your post about the event will be entered, or ask people to visit you at the craft show to fill out a ballot for entry. Either way, give people an added incentive to visit or talk about you and the event.

 

8 – Email Signature

When emailing from your business’s email address, use your email signature to share the date and location of an upcoming craft show. Be sure to update your email signature as events pass or simply share a link to your website’s “where to find me” page so it stays evergreen.

 

9 – Word of Mouth

Word of mouth is all about the Internet these days but don’t forget to let your actual mouth do the talking too 😉 Tell your friends, family, barista, and hairdresser about your upcoming shows and ask them to tell anyone they think may be interested as well.

 

10 – Press Release

Typically, an event organizer will send a press release about the event to local media. Let the organizer know you’d be happy to participate in any interviews or send products so the organizer can show a sampling of the type of items shoppers will find. Alternatively, you may send out your own press release, sharing something interesting about your business, and if you get an interiew, mention the upcoming show(s) people can find you at.

 

Once you have shoppers there, make sure you’re making the most of each one. Improve your display so you attract as many shoppers as possible (you may enjoy my free 5-day challenge) and hand out marketing material so you can continue to make sales after the event.