If you’re a handmade seller, you’re always looking for a way to get your name out there to new customers. Sending samples to media outlets is an effective way to get more press for your Etsy shop and get in front of new buyers. This is the time of year when publications are planning their editorial for the winter months, so if you have a craft business, now is the perfect time to figure out how to get your business featured in a print magazine or blog, especially in their holiday gift guides and recommendations sections. Sending samples is a sure-fire way to increase your chances of getting the most media coverage. It puts your product physically in the hands of decision-makers. What could be better? But it’s also time-consuming and an investment of capital, so it pays to plan your PR blitz for maximum effect. Learn more about how to utilize samples for free press.
Sending Your Samples to Social Media Outlets
Before we jump into the more traditional media outlets, let’s talk about social media. Influencer marketing (getting people with large social media accounts or blogs to promote you) is something we talk about all the time in our magazine because it can be far more effective than using paid ads. That’s why large companies like Addidas and Loreal work with so many influencers. But everyone can use the power of influencer marketing, including you.
The goal is to find a person within your target market (someone who would normally purchase from you), send them free product(s), and have them post about it on their social media. Ideally, you’d then get more followers and some purchases from their post.
When looking for influencers, here are some things to consider:
CONSIDER THEIR ENGAGEMENT: A large following isn’t everything. If their posts don’t get a lot of likes and comments, then your post on their page probably won’t, either.
DON’T OVERLOOK SMALLER ACCOUNTS: Larger brands tend to look for influencers with over 10,000 followers, but people with smaller accounts often have better engagement because they interact with their followers more. Additionally, people with smaller accounts are more likely to work with you in exchange for free products, whereas the large account owners will likely want to charge you for the promotion.
MAKE IT A WIN-WIN OFFER: Everyone wants to grow their accounts, so be sure to let the influencer know that you’ll post their photo and tag them as well. With any luck, each of you will gain new followers from the exchange. 🙂
LOOK TO YOUR OWN CUSTOMERS: Did you know that your own customers are influencers, too? Offer them a coupon for their next purchase if they share a picture of the product that they purchased from you. You can do this by simply adding a card with your packages that you send out or setting up an automated email if you’re using your own website and email system. Another thing you can try that’s less traditional is offering to refund 10% of their purchase once they post about your product on their account. That’s an immediate reward for them and doesn’t require an additional purchase, so it may motivate them to post right away.
MIND YOUR BUDGET: If you’re sending free items, you want to offer products that will make a good impression but won’t cost you too much. Look through your previous orders and social media posts to see what items and pictures have gotten the most attention.
Sending Samples to Traditional Press Outlets
The drawback to sending your samples to traditional media outlets is that, with more people working from home, offices might not be as populated as they once were. Your package could get lost in the shuffle or sit in a mailroom for forever. To avoid that situation, reach out to the publication first and find out who would be the best person to send something to. You may not hear back from them, but don’t get discouraged! It’s a fairly common occurrence and not reason enough to avoid that particular publication or media source.
As a handmade seller, you are your own publicist, so you need to be proactive to get the exposure you’re looking for. Doing a bit of calling and/or emailing can land you the right person at a local TV station, newspaper, or magazine. Editors, for example, are very busy, so you may have to email them 2 – 4 times to get a response (or until they tell you to stop emailing). Assume that even though you’re sending many correspondences, only one is getting read, so include all pertinent information in every message. You’ll find that a little bit of persistence will go a long way.
Tip: To speed up the process of getting more press for your Etsy shop, start by contacting your city’s newspapers, magazines, bloggers, and TV stations. Then expand to your state’s outlets. Then expand to your country’s outlets, ect. Local media has more incentive to cover your story than national media does, so starting with them first will boost your confidence and give you even more credibility with the larger outlets.
Introducing Your Product
Once you find the decision-maker at a news outlet, it’s time to send them an email.
- Begin with an email introduction explaining your products and backstory, but don’t go overboard. Keep it short and to the point (like an elevator pitch).
- Include a low-res image in the email.
- Include a teaser telling editors to look out for your samples coming in the mail.
Prepare Your Samples to Get the Most Bang for Your Buck
In the mailing of your samples, first impressions are everything! The people opening your packages may be opening many other similar packages, so yours needs to stand out. Make sure you use a nice mailer and add branding touches such as tissue paper or confetti to add distinctiveness to your package. Include the following:
- Your business card
- Info sheet
- Press release
- Your product
Your info sheet should be the same sheet that you email (more on that below). Explain that you have many higher-res images if they would like to see them. Offer to be available for interviews via phone, Zoom, or email and in-person appearances/visitors to your workshop where applicable. In your info sheet provide suggestions on timely ways to cover your product; would your product make an awesome addition to their gift guide? Did you just do something amazing in the community like a charity donation or volunteering, do you have a new product that has a positive story behind it like going green or do you have a personal story that will tug at the heartstrings and inspire readers/viewers? Include all of this because it’s time to brag a bit!
Keep After Them
Keep a running list of recipients for follow-ups. Keep organized with who you send samples to so that you can reach back out to them several times (a spreadsheet works great for this). Include a low-res image in the body of the email and in all of the subsequent emails. Include the info sheet and press release in electronic form and sent them as a hard copy with your samples. Make sure this email is sent within a few days of recipients receiving samples. Follow up with emails asking if they received the product. It’s important to also not have hard feelings if your piece gets ignored or take it as a personal diss on your creations. It is a numbers game and you will not hear back from many people. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth continuing to try! With a little bit of organization and work, you’ll get the exposure you need to grow your handmade business.
Good luck! If you’ve successfully sent out samples to media outlets, we’d love to hear about it! Click here to share your story with us or comment below! 🙂
Want more ideas on how to get publicity for your business? Click Here.
