How to Grow your Newsletter at a Craft Show (free printable signup forms)

Product – check, amazing display – check, business cards – check! You’re all set to attract, obtain and keep customers at a craft sale right? Weeeeellll…there’s another important aspect many people forget that should become part of your craft show checklist.

We know selling your product is your first choice. And if they don’t buy today, handing out your business card is your second choice.

But you’re leaving money on the table if you don’t get either of those shoppers to sign up for your newsletter.

When you hand out your business card, you leave a 2nd interaction in their hands. It’s like giving someone you like your number; they hold all the power and all you can do is wait and hope that they call…or that you bump into them again.

Your newsletter ensures a 2nd interaction with shoppers (who sign up) and increases your chances of a future sale.

STEP 1 – Choose a (free) service

To legally send newsletters, you’ll need to use an email marketing service, such as MailChimp. There are many email marketing services out there and most offer a free account until you have a set number of subscribers (for example, Mailchimp offers a free account for up to 500 subscribers).

Research a few and choose one based on your newsletter goals.

STEP 2 – Understand newsletter laws

Where you’re operating your business and where your subscribers are will determine the laws you must follow. 

Google “newsletter laws for _______ (your country)” to find a list of rules you must follow.

For example, Canada has an anti-spam law (CASL) which requires someone to give consent (to receive emails from me), that I retain records of each consent, each message I send must include my information (such as name, mailing address, etc.), meet unsubscribe requirements, etc.

Understand how to properly collect email addresses and send messages so you’re compliant with your local laws.

STEP 3 – Define what subscribers get

Craft show shoppers will want to know what they’re signing up for before they give you their email address. There are a few things you should define:

Frequency

Are they going to receive an email from you once a week? Once a month? Decide on a newsletter sending schedule and stick to it.

Benefit

People also want to know what’s in it for them.

Consider your target market and their main interest. What would they be genuinely interested in reading about each week/month/quarter?

For example, if I’m selling vegan (i.e. beeswax-free) reusable food wraps, I’m targeting people who are interested in saving the bees and the environment. With that interest in mind, I may use my newsletter to share bee-saving and eco-friendly tips, along with product launches, contests, and sale updates. 

Incentive (optional)

To encourage more people to sign up for your newsletter, you may also want to provide an incentive. For example, people who subscribe at the event may:

• • be entered into a draw to win one of your products or a bundle of your products
  • receive a discount on their purchase
  • receive a free downloadable resource (e.g. I may send each subscriber a free checklist that shares 10 ways to reduce your carbon footprint)

You don’t need to offer an incentive, but it does tend to encourage more people to join. Just be sure you’re adding value through your newsletter, outside of the incentive, or you’ll get people signing up for the free gift, then quickly unsubscribing.

Define your newsletter’s purpose and clearly communicate it when asking shoppers to sign up (e.g. “Would you like to join my newsletter? You’ll be entered into a draw to win ____ and each week I send tips on simple ways to be more environmentally friendly”).

>> If you don’t think you’ll have enough to write about to start a newsletter, you’ll find 365+ ideas for what to email people here.

Step 4 – Decide how to collect email addresses

It’s best to use a tablet to gather email addresses at an event so you’re tracking consent information. If you don’t have a tablet, research your local laws to determine how to legally collect email addresses using a physical form. 

If you’re using pen and paper, you’ll likely need to send them an opt-in email after the event, to gather digital proof of consent.

>> Mailchimp has instructions for gathering emails offline and sending an opt-in.

Below are a few printable newsletter signup forms to use at a craft fair. It’s also handy to have a clipboard so people don’t have to clear a space on your table to write.

Click on an image to enlarge & print

Step 5 – Be consistent and offer value

You only need one subscriber to start sending newsletters. But if you gather email addresses and wait until you have hundreds of people on your list to send anything, or you randomly send emails every few months, you won’t get a return on investment.

Plan ahead so you know what you’ll send each week, month, or quarter (whatever you’ve decided on for newsletter frequency) and stick to that schedule. 

We all have more emails in our inbox than we’ll ever read, so make it a goal to be the newsletter your subscribers always open because it’s so valuable to them.

A subscriber isn’t going to buy a new product from you every week. So if you only send sales emails, your open rate will be lower and your unsubscribe rate will be higher. Be sure to send a mix of promotional and non-promotional emails to keep your subscribers on your list and opening your emails.

>> 13 Non-Promotional Emails to Send to your Newsletter List

>> 12 Types of Promotional Emails to Send to your Newsletter List

Have questions about starting your newsletter? Leave your question in the comments section.

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Erin (Creator of Made Urban)

Hey, I’m Erin 🙂 I write about small business and craft show techniques I’ve learned from being a small business owner for almost 2 decades, selling at dozens of craft shows, and earning a diploma in Visual Communication Design. I hope you find my advice helpful!