Hey friends! The original Market Hacks & Tips blog got so much love I had to do an updated part II. I’ve learned a lot since that post was published in 2022 so here we go, 10 more tips.
1. Make friends & follow your booth neighbors on socials
Yes I mentioned this in part I but hear me out. This is a ‘playing the long game’ hack. The longer I do this the more important I value the connections and friendships I’ve made with fellow small business owners. Meet your booth neighbors, hype them up, support them throughout the day and they will do the same for you. And better yet, sometimes they turn into true friendships - ones where you can bond over business stuff AND life stuff.
Some of the best advice, sourcing tips, marketing tips, etc. have come from my small business friends. This community is so special because everyone truly wants everyone to succeed (of course they’re are exceptions but largely everyone). So make friends, follow each other; you’ll get new friends who are there for you in life & business.
2. Use your shopping bags as walking marketing
Every purchase is an opportunity to draw eyes. Every time someone purchases from you they then go and walk around the venue - walking marketing that we need to taken advantage of! I recently switched to clear shopping bags (slightly kills my plastic conscious heart) and every purchase you, and every attendee at the event!, can see the goods inside. See someone walking around with something you like? You know what it looks like and can find it. Don’t hide your goods in a bag - show them off!
3. Its okay to pack up early (Ooo, controversial one)
It’s standard in market agreements that your not supposed to pack up early but it happens, it’s fine I promise. Not every market is built the same. Some are great and frankly, some really fall short (we’ve all been there, I feel you). At the end of the day, your time, effort, and heart is valuable. If you know in your gut the event is just not worth it leave. Leave!
Full disclosure, I’ve made up reasons to leave events early. Oh no! My roommate has an emergency, I have to go! (I don’t have a roommate. There was no emergency). I packed up in a hurry and got out of there. Deceiving? Yes. Could I have just said this event is working for me, I’m going to pack up? Also yes, but here we are. #anxiety
It’s disappointing when an event doesn’t work out but your time would be better served sending out an email newsletter or working on a recap social media post. It’s okay to leave if an event isn’t serving you.
4. If you sell/make apparel where it the day of the event
We all want to be comfy the day of but you are also a walking advertisement for your business. I semi-recently started selling screen-printed t-shirts and will alternate which one I wear to events. It shows off my work, gives patrons an idea about sizing & fit, and gives me an instant talking point amongst other things. Wear. Your. Product. Have a garment that does multiple things? Transition through them between customer chats. Have a mirror? Style yourself with different combinations, or offer to style a patron. It shows patrons how your goods can be worn and helps them envision it in there lives. Get creative with it!
5. Have a sign up sheet for your email newsletter
First off, if you don’t have an email newsletter get one - I mean it! Social media is great but email is evergreen. How many social media platforms have we cycled through in the past couple years? Yeah, email is forever.
Anyways, incorporate a sign up sheet into your display; good ole’ pen & paper. I’m always surprised by how many sign ups I get. If they sign up they want to hear from you & know about your products.
6. ~ASK~ people to follow you on social
We all know the phrase ‘ask for what you want’ and that applies here. People want to support small business and if they’re at a market/event they’re the prime people to follow you. At the end of the sale (or whenever is comfortable) ASK them to follow you - ask for what you want. Markets are an incredible way to connect with your audience and grow your following. ASK, ok? Having a QR code is great but not everyone scans it, don’t miss out on growing your following.
7. Rearrange your product throughout the event/completely change it for day two
My market friends know this, I am constantly moving my product around throughout the day. What customers gravitate towards each day is different. Stickers the most popular? I move them front and center. Notepads getting the most interest? Let’s move them so they’re easier to see/browse.
If you’re doing a two-day event be really observant on day one. How did people move in your space, how did they shop the table? Did they browse everything? Did they get stuck in a certain spot? Did they completely miss something? Then on day two, use that data to make adjustments. Everything is trial & error, so experiment. You might just land on something that changes the whole trajectory of the day.
8. Strategically choose what product you bring
Every market is unique; we always want to keep in mind the audience of a specific market (what area of town is it in? What age range typically attends? etc.) and what time of year it is. If you have seasonal products like me you want to tailor what products you bring to match what needs patrons would have/are anticipating. For example, Easter then Mother’s Day & Father’s Day are just around the corner right now. For my greeting card section I’m going to make sure I bring skus that match those themes. Simple right?
I always like to balance this with best-sellers to have a good mix of seasonal and evergreen products. It gives patrons options but also makes them think ahead a little bit. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve overheard patrons walk up to my card wall and go “oh right Mother’s Day is coming up” or something along those lines. Fill that need, get them thinking ahead.
9. Be honest in market surveys
Did the event you just did send out a survey asking for feedback? Take advantage of that and be brutally honest (but not in a mean way). To me, when a market sends out a survey they get some serious brownie points. They are looking to improve and going straight to the source to find out what they need to work on.
Bad location? Tell them. No foot-traffic? Tell them. Horrible load-in process? Tell them. Great event organizers will be there on the day of but they can’t see everything. Let them know how the day(s) went and hopefully the next iteration of the event will be incrementally better. Baby steps, ya know? I promise organizers will be grateful for your constructive feedback.
10. Last but not least, is there a vendor meet up before/after the event? Go!
I’m looking at you anti-social, one-person businesses! As both of these myself I know how hard it is to put yourself in a social situation where you may not know anyone. I recently went to a Creative Mornings event (if they have a chapter in your city I definitely recommend!) where I didn’t know anyone and I had to work up the gumption to introduce myself to someone. 9 time out of 10 people are lovely and it works out - put yourself out there! I promise you’ll be ok.
Anyways, all that to say, this relates to #1. Joining a community, being able to bond over the good and the bad, talk shop, maybe get an event recommendation, all those things makes all the difference especially if you’re a one person show.
Running a business by yourself can be isolating but it doesn’t have to be. Find an event for makers in your area this month ok? Again I totally recommend Creative Mornings.
Whew, okay a long one but there are my more seasoned 10 Market Hacks & Tips. I’ve learned a lot since the original post in 2022. Am I missing some obvious ones? Let me know here or message me on Instagram! I always love when fellow biz owners reach out.
Talk soon!
Katie
