Yes, it is possible to run a profitable crochet business during a recession. But to market your handmade business during uncertain times, you need to adjust your messaging. You need to build connection with your target customer and offer them solutions that speak to their specific needs and emotions. In part five of my series on recession and handmade business, I’ll share how you can change your language to connect with your customer on a personal level.

Marketing to the Heart of Your Target Customer

[00:00:00] Hello, hello. It is Monday morning Crochet Business Chat. My name is Pam Grice. I’m so happy to have you here. We are continuing our series on recession and handmade business. And today we’re going to be talking about your marketing and how you might need to be changing the language that you use or changing the message that you have behind your products or your patterns in order to speak to the heart of your customer and encourage sales during a time of financial insecurity.

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Recession and Handmade Business Part 5: Marketing with a Message

[00:00:34] So if that is of interest to you, stick around. We’re going to be talking about that. If you’re new here, my name is Pam Grice, the Crochetpreneur. I help crochet business owners to create profitable crochet businesses. And I’m on a mission to help 100,000 women find financial freedom through crochet. So if that’s you—I’m guessing it is because you’re here with us this morning—welcome. So happy to have you, if you are, again, interested in growing a crochet business, be sure to subscribe because I will be posting weekly tips and stuff for crochet business owners.

[00:01:13] Again, welcome. I am getting back into the groove of things after not doing a video last week. Things are just crazy here. So I think the house is going to be done this week. I think we’re going to move in this week so everything is chaos. But even in the midst of that, we are going to plug along and talk about message marketing.

How to Speak to Your Customers in a Recession

[00:01:44] So marketing messages are the words and phrases that we use to communicate the product’s value to our target audience. And the reason we need to take a look at this is the pain points and the focus of our customers’ buying habits likely will shift a little bit during a recession. And if you want to learn more about that, you can watch the this series in its entirety and get a deeper understanding of what that means for you and your business.

[00:02:14] But for now, we’re just specifically going to be talking about marketing. And this is not that difficult. Thankfully it’s just a few things for you to think about as you’re considering your marketing. That would be your social media posts, your e-mails that you’re sending to people, your product descriptions, those kinds of things, and talking about changing some of that language a little bit during this time.

Know Your Customers

[00:02:39] So first—and we continue to come back to this topic over, and over, again—is know your customers. If you do not know who your customer is, you are not going to get very far in speaking to them. You need to know who they are and you need to understand their language, meaning the way that they speak, words that are important to them, concepts, values that are important to them. These are the things that drive their purchases. So you need to understand who they are so that you can speak to them in your marketing. [And for more help with getting to know your customer, grab your free Know Your Customer Workbook. Just sign up for my mailing list using the form below and I’ll send it to you!]

Speak to Your Customers’ Pain Points

[00:03:14] Once you know who your customer is, this is where we get to. And again, we spoke about this. I think it was last time or the time before we spoke specifically about getting to know your customers. So knowing their pain points. What is it that they’re struggling with? What keeps them awake at night? How do your products serve them?

[00:03:34] How can you use these pain points in your messaging to share with them, “This is how my product solves this pain point.” “Are you stressed? Here’s a crochet pattern to help you manage your anxiety.” “Are you going to a party and you have nothing to wear? Here’s a gorgeous, handmade garment you can purchase from me or you can make yourself.” Those kinds of things. So speaking specifically to whatever their anxieties are, whatever their worries are. Speaking to those pain points.

Speak to Your Customers’ Emotions

[00:04:06] Next is speaking to their emotions. So you’re not just talking facts. You’re not just talking size, color, materials, those kinds of things. But you’re really speaking to their heart and using words that draw a picture for them, draw them into an emotion, draw them into a scene, and help them understand how, when they purchase your product, how they’re going to feel, whether they’re wearing a product or they’re gifting a product, or they’re making a product. How is that going to make them feel?

[00:04:50] And using those words because, right now, life is stressful. Life is chaotic. A lot of things are going on. Life is uncertain. So if you can speak to bringing certainty, bringing comfort, bringing peace, bringing order, all of those things are going to make them feel more calm and make them feel more relaxed, make them feel happier, all of those things. So when you speak about those kinds of things in your marketing messaging, it really will draw the customer in towards your product and your business.

Name the Solution

[00:05:22] And be sure to name that solution. As you’re speaking to their emotions, name the solution that they’re looking for. Are they looking to feel comfortable? Are they looking to feel beautiful? Are they looking to feel important? Are they looking to feel calm, soothed? All of those things. Understand what is the transformation they’re looking for as they’re purchasing these products? Do they want to go from stressed to calm? Do they want to go from uncertain to certain? Do they want to go from messy to organized? Think of what is the customer wanting when they’re making a purchase? Then speak specifically to that solution that your product brings.

[00:06:05] I know a lot of you are thinking right now, “But my product doesn’t bring a solution.” It does bring a solution and you need to get creative and think outside the box to come up with what that solution is so that you can speak it directly to your customers.

Name Your Commonalities to Create Connection

[00:06:22] Again, as you are connecting to your customers, remember people buy from people they know, like, and trust. So when you name things that you have in common with your customers or you can create a connection through your words to say, “Hey. I get it. I’ve been there too. That’s why I created this for you. I struggle with anxiety and I know that crocheting can help really ease that. So I created this bundle of patterns for you to make you feel better, to give you a place to go when you are feeling anxious, to give you something to do with your hands to distract you., all of those things. That’s the commonality.

[00:07:00] So you’re like, “Hey, friend. I get it. We’re in that same kind of place. And I created this to help you with that.” It’s much more connecting than saying, “Here’s a crochet bundle of patterns that will help ease anxiety.” That’s more distancing, right? It’s more like a wall between you and them. Instead of saying, “I’ve been there. I get it. I created these patterns out of my own experience. And this is the way it helped me and I really think it will help you as well.” So you see how that’s more connecting. So using those kinds of words. 

Get Personal

[00:07:33] And along those same lines, get personal. Share a little bit of your own story. Be a little bit vulnerable and let them get to know you, so again, they can know, like, and trust and feel connected to you and also know that you understand them. All right.

Use Reviews and Social Proof

[00:07:52] Seven is use reviews and social proof. If you have a product that’s been out for a little bit, or even if you have some feedback from your pattern testers or product testers, you can use that in your social media marketing to create that trust factor in that, “Someone else has used this product and this is the result that they got.” Or have someone else make posts about it. Have your testers make posts about it. And that creates social proof. And that builds that trust for your customers.

[00:08:27] And even you could be telling your testers or people who are going to be creating some posts for you, “This is the transformation we really want to highlight.” So share your own experience of getting that transformation if the product did create that for you. So having those people share those same words, those same messages, in their reviews and their social media posts.

Choose Your Words Wisely

[00:08:56] And finally, choose your words wisely again. I said in the beginning, really understand the language of your customer. And if they’re using terms like, “I feel stressed. I feel chaotic. I feel uncertain. I’m I feel scared,” use those words. Mirror those back to them.

[00:09:18] But then again, focus on the transformation. So choose your words and your phrases carefully and use them over, and over, and over again so that it really stays in the customer’s mind when they’re like, “I feel stressed. Oh yeah. I remember that lady on Instagram, she was talking about that same thing and how she had something to help with that.” They can go back to that, find your posts and find your product. 

[00:09:42] So those are some ideas about message marketing during a recession time and how to connect more deeply with your customers so that they understand the value of your products and how your products will help them get the transformation and get the answers they are searching for, for the pain points, the needs, the wants that they have in this time.

Community Discussion

[00:10:07] So I’m going to go check your comments real quick. Oh, Jennifer’s launching an e-book. Yay. Good morning from Idaho, soon to be Washington. Oh, you’re moving. I’m learning so much. I plan to kick off a new business after I get settled. Yay. Awesome. I wish you the very best.

[00:10:33] And Knit and Crochet Tiger said, “Crocheting and knitting helped me deal with depression and anxiety. It makes you focus your mind.” It really does. So that’s a really great way, if you are making patterns, to share that with your people.

Wrapping Up

[00:10:50] So those are my ideas on using message marketing inside of your crochet business to really connect with your customers, drive more sales to your shop, and make a deeper connection with your people. So I hope you find this helpful. I, just so you know, will be taking probably the rest of the week off as we prepare to move into the house and transition out of this space. I’m so excited. Maybe next week we’ll be coming from a totally different background. We shall see. I’ll keep you updated if you want to follow along on Instagram.

Introducing Pamela Grice Coaching

[00:11:27] I also have a new Instagram account. If you are really interested in more in-depth coaching @pamelagricecoaching is my new Instagram account. Would love to have you follow me there. So I’m going to let you all go, get back to your businesses. If you have any questions, be sure to leave them in the comments and I will be happy to answer them throughout the coming days and weeks. All right. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day. Take care.

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