You've likely curated both a follower and following list that resemble you in some way. People are drawn to others that are similar to them in some way. Did you ever hear advice to be wise with your friend group because they have the potential to either bring you up or pull you down? I never saw this more clearly than when my sons were growing up and I watched their personalities be swayed by the company they kept.
"Be as careful of the books you read, as of the company you keep, for your habits and character will be as much influenced by the former as the latter." -Edwin Paxton Hood
I was talking to someone the other day about her social media account. She was perplexed why none of her followers used any of her links or bought any of her products. My first question was about why they follow her. She explained that the majority were fellow artists also doing surface pattern design and that they loved supporting each other.
Of course I am so happy that she has like-minded and like-purposed people supporting her and rooting for her. But as I explained to her, they aren't her intended audience. A better audience for her would be designers, home décor influencers, new mothers designing a baby's room, or even companies that license designs with surface pattern designers.
If you are still growing your social media account, I'd like to advise you to look for a few things when curating your following.
Having some like-minded people that will give you positive feedback, advice, & encouragement is always a great place to start. They will lift you up on days you need that and offer you guidance when you need help. They can show you techniques, tips & tricks that work for them, companies & products they like, etc. They likely won't be your customers though. But you can collaborate with them and share audiences and they can forward your content to people they think would like it.
The second group is influencers and people that would use your products or designs in their projects and share your work with their audience. Sometimes you may have to pay for this kind of exposure, but frequently if the account is the right size, they may be willing to exchange exposure simply for providing your product for their project. You can use the cost as part of your marketing budget.
If you design paper goods, you could partner with teachers, the homeschooling community, local gift shops, wedding coordinators or photographers, or gift some of your products to influencers that you see using the types of products you sell.
Let's say you make patterns mostly for quilt fabric. You could send a set of your fabric collection to a quilter. This isn't just to show people how they can use your fabric (although that's one of my top reasons.) It's also to borrow the quilter's audience. The quilter likely has a following of other quilters that love to watch her make quilts and frequently ask about the fabric used in whichever quilt she is making. You would repost about the quilter and the quilter would post about you~ you get to borrow each other's audiences so it's a win for both of you. Perfect collaboration.
If you illustrate childrens books, guess who makes a great audience? Parents. You could create a mini-story, where you have one character going on an adventure that is only shown through social media. Kids could message you with ideas of what adventure they want the character to do next. And you've built yourself a beloved audience that can't wait to buy your products, whether it's a book, t-shirt, blanket, or a mug with the character.... you see how this could be lucrative. I honestly really love this idea. I would happily follow along just for the joy of it even though my kids are grown.
Several of the people in my membership just want to sell simple passive products without too much emphasis on design. This is a great time-saver and it worked well for me starting out. But they don't understand how to find their audience. Let me use my mugs as an example. I make sarcastic coffee mugs. They're simple and funny and they brighten my day. When I was starting out, I mostly posted sarcastic funny quotes or comments, not selling anything, just cause people love to laugh. I know that not everyone loves sarcasm all the time- but the people that enjoyed the funny quotes I posted also liked my funny mugs and cards.
The gist is, if your follower list is only filled with people doing the same type thing as you, you likely need to branch out in search of the people that need your product. They are your ideal audience.
Then be a bit creative with how you showcase your product. Can your audience picture themselves holding it, gifting it, using it, or displaying it? Make it desirable. Frequently people don't even know what they want until they see it. Think about the popularity of Joanna Gaines & Shea McGee- they got where they are by showing people how beautiful products look in use. They take a wallpaper and make it look right at home in a space. How many people flood Target determined to get the exact bowl they show on an episode? It's because people see it in use & can visualize what it is that they now love too.
Curating the right audience is a complex task anymore. But we need to be better about going where our people are & showing them what they need to see~ so that our products become irresistible.
Warmest regards,
P.S. If you want extra guidance on getting your products seen in overcrowded marketplaces, take a look at our Designed Simply Membership. We've got a bit of everything involved in the process & you have the ability to ask for help with anything you're stuck on.
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