ACPR Blog

If you make crafts, there are a number of ways to sell them online, even if you don’t have the knowledge to design your own website or a big budget to get someone to do it for you. There are several websites that offer you the chance to have your own virtual shop in a virtual mall. Look at sites like Mumzmall and WAHMall. There are also sites like Etsy or Tuggle or Dawanda where, although sellers have their own page, there is less of the feel of an individual shop. If you’re an artist, I’ve just found Mini Gallery World.

When joining any of these sites, you get the benefit of the fact that they already get visitors, whereas if you start your own website you have to do the work to get people to visit your site. So, when choosing, ask the site owner for visitor statistics, and if you can, ask other sellers on the site how their sales are doing. The sites listed may ask you to pay listing fees, sales commission and/or monthly fees or annual fees. Your fees will go towards the upkeep and promotion of the site. Find out what they are doing to keep the site profile high and attract in new visitors. Also, find out how easy it is to direct people to your items or page or shop as you should do your own promotion and marketing too.

If you want more ideas to help you promote your crafts, download the free PR mini guide, Selling Your Cards and Crafts which I have written. If you want more in depth help, look at A Guide to Promoting Your Business.

Just a quick reminder that you have until 31 March to enter the competition to win a copy of Working Mothers – the perfect guide for anyone who needs a bit of motivation when juggling family and work. Simply email antonia@acpr.co.uk to enter.

You also have until 31 March to buy ‘A Guide to Promoting Your Business’ for £9.99 instead of the usual price of £15.

Since the last newsletter, we have also added a brand new database of contacts at crafts magazines. If you want to get in touch with women who love crafting, this database contains 29 of the UK’s most popular crafting magazines. Use the database to get in touch with craft magazine editors at the click of a mouse, and send press releases to the right people to get them in to print. Just £90 until April 30th – usually £100.

And don’t forget the brand new E-Book, The Beginners Guide to TV Interviews. Not just a guide, this great book by Joanne Mallon will help you get in TV in the first place.

Finally, I’m in need of a Scottish case study, someone who offers a service like freelance gardening, or dog walking, or laundry or ironing. This is for a feature in the Sunday Post. Please email antonia@acpr.co.uk if you can help.

Craft Business magazine this month includes an article on reaching male crafters, with a few tips from ACPR. Read on to find out how you can extend your business to reach more men: (more…)

If you want to get in touch with women who love crafting, ACPR has the media contacts for you. Bang up to date, this database contains 29 of the UK’s most popular crafting magazines. Use the database to get in touch with craft magazine editors at the click of a mouse, and send press releases to the right people to get them in to print. Just £90 this month – usually £100. Email antonia@acpr.co.uk to buy or click on ‘PR Contacts’.