i'm dreaming by verre encore

Welcome to Craft Venture, a weekly column nearly managing your online indie biz for handmade, vintage and even supplies! Im Brenda, owner of Phydeaux Designs on Etsy and one thousand Markets. Weve spent the concluding calendar month talking nigh preparing for the holidays. Last week, nosotros talked about diversifying your store. This week, we will talk about how to become the word out for a sale for the biggest shopping day of the year:  Black Friday.

There were two days of the year that I used to dread when I worked in retail:  the twenty-four hours afterwards Thanksgiving (Blackness Friday) and the day after Christmas. The erstwhile is the busiest shopping day of the yr and the latter is the busiest returns/exchanges day of the twelvemonth. At that place was no getting the 24-hour interval off for either – all hands on deck! Retailers spend the entire year planning for the holiday shopping flavour, kicking everything into loftier gear with their Black Fri specials and events.

What well-nigh you? Have you spent time this twelvemonth thinking about the upcoming holiday shopping season and what, if anything, you'll practise to concenter customers on Black Friday, but nether two weeks from today? If you've been reading Craft Venture for the last few weeks, you've already read some suggestions most how to prepare for the holidays:  decking your halls (shop), diversifying your prices and products, online advertisement, and shipping.

Rising in a higher place the "noise" of Black Friday sales and specials fifty-fifty with your own promotion is challenging at all-time! What can y'all do at present (this week!) to set up your special or promotion without spending all of Blackness Friday advertizement your shop on Twitter?

Luckily, the answer is "enough!" Here are some ideas for you lot!

Supervene upon your existing online ads with a holiday-themed advertizing – if your ad is animated, add together a frame that mentions your Black Friday special(s).

wee ornamnent by warpe Designs

Brand certain that all of your online presences are updated for the holidays! But brand sure that you update them again following your Black Fri weekend specials (y'all don't want outdated references to a auction that's over!).

Check with your local Bedchamber of Commerce for holiday shopping promotions – do they have a mailer or website that y'all tin can exist added to? What well-nigh your local newspaper? Television/cable channels?

If you lot take a mailing/email list, start with a teaser this week about your great outcome that subscribers won't want to miss – then have your email fix to get out as early on as possible on Black Friday; even better, give them a jump on your special with your email going out on Thanksgiving.

It's not too late to identify web ads via Project Wonderful. Also, blogs or other sites may have special advertizement space for Blackness Fri!

Postal service your specials on your personal or business Facebook pages – with an incentive for your fans and friends to get the word out for you!

Are there online gift guides you can get added to? In that location are many guides that are absolutely free! Do a quick Google search for "holiday gift guide" or related search terms!

Shopping and design blogs may have a section for shop specials and discounts!

And, the easiest (and hardest) form of advertisement:  word of oral cavity. Enquire your family unit, friends, neighbors, coworkers, etc. to spread the word!

holiday star small maple ornament by three dots

2 words of caution most promoting a auction or event. First, the line between promotion and spam is all in the eyes of the beholder. Avoid over-promotion on social networking sites, instead focusing on quality/effective promotion! Second, please make sure you tin beget that special! If yous accept a very small margin of profit, following roofing your overhead, supplies/price to make your particular(s) and besides your own wages, you lot might not be able to afford discounting your toll or offer free shipping. If that's the instance, consider other options, similar a giveaway or peradventure select one particular or line of items to discount.

Of  grade, you may certainly choose not to have a sale or special at all! You tin can however make employ of whatever of the preceding ideas to promote your shop for the shopping weekend, fifty-fifty without a auction.

This is the last week that you'll really exist able to set for Black Friday and the vacation shopping season. On Thanksgiving week, businesses often close early Wednesday to allow additional time for the holiday weekend. Hopefully, you'll be spending time with your family unit likewise! I hope your preparations go well and that you have a very successful and fun Black Fri weekend!

Share your Black Fri, questions, tips  and advice! Thinking from your perspective as a shopper, what do you look for when you're shopping on Black Friday

Images:  I'm dreaming past Verre Encore; Ornament card by warpe Design; Vacation star (pocket-sized maple) past 3 dots;