How to use videos to promote your handmade shop: 3 examples (2024)

You might’ve heard that video marketing is the future and that this is a very powerful tool to help you make more sales in your handmade business – and honestly, that’s true. Video can help you connect with your customers and tell the story of your products and your brand. That does not mean that you suddenly have ideas on how to get started and what to even record, right? That’s why I’m going to share with you three examples from a fellow maker who’s done that really well so that it will not only inspire you but give you practical ideas on what you can do. I also share my tips on how to get started along the way. Let’s dive in.

You can watch the video or read the written version below.

This video is based on examples from one of the Tizzit HQ community members. I’m very proud of what she’s done and I couldn’t think of a better example to show you how to use video marketing in your handmade business. Let’s dive in with example number one, which is your story.

Your story

As a maker, artist or designer you are the face of your brand, and people who buy handmade products are not just interested in the product themselves. They’re interested in purchasing the story behind the product, how it came to be, the story behind the brand, the love and the care that was put into the process. That’s why when you can tell your story in a way that helps potential customers and visitors connect with you, the maker, you build trust – and trust sells.

Without further ado, let’s dive into your example number one from Nilla Webber. I would introduce her to you, but she’s doing that herself in the video. What is really well done here (apart from the beautiful shots) is that Nilla starts talking about her and that gives you that human connection. She introduces herself, but it’s pretty brief. After that, she dives more into her experience and even though she’s still talking about herself, she really puts the focus on the product and the brand because she’s talking about classes she’s taken and techniques she’s learned. What you really hear when you watch the video is not just her story, but how experienced she is, how good she is at what she does and the quality of her work. That’s very important because as much as it’s important to introduce yourself, you don’t want to make it all about you. You can say a few things like “I have two cats” – as she says, but don’t dive into too many personal details unless it brings it back to your brand or products.

Behind the scenes

Let’s look at example number two – “behind the scenes”. This is a way to really show off what’s going on in your studio (or on your kitchen table, depending on where you work from) and how the products are being made. That’s what interests people who buy handmade!

Nilla’s video is so good because again, she talks about herself and her process, but she does that in a way that actually highlights things that potential customers are interested in knowing. That means that she can not only convince people to purchase from her more easily but also that she can justify a higher price:

• People have heard how long it can take from an idea to the actual final piece and for this idea to blossom into a final design.
• They understand all the different techniques that she’s using.
• They understand the inspiration behind each piece.
• They understand that she has a 24/7 wear test and that she also gives those pieces to heavy wearers so that she’s really sure that the product that you’re buying is of really high quality and it’s comfortable – she’s tested that for you.
• She also talks about how durable it is without even saying that word, by saying that it’s something that you could pass on to your daughter.

Nilla did a great job of talking about herself and a process and what she does behind the scenes, but putting the focus on the product so that the value of a product and of a brand, in general, goes up.

MISSION

The last example is all about your mission or your brand and shop values. I know that as maker sometimes you can feel it’s a little bit hard to figure out and explain because you’re like, “I’m not saving anyone, I’m not changing the world. I’m just making *blank*”. I think this video is going to change your mind because again Nilla has done that really well. She explains why what she’s making actually matters and the type of impact that it can have on someone else’s life.

Yes, it’s true. You’re just making something that’s pretty and beautiful and that’s not going to save the world, but don’t get hung up on that and look beyond that. For someone that loves jewelry or that needs that message in the morning to feel empowered through the day those products are perfect. For someone like me who really, really enjoys drinking coffee in a beautiful cup in the morning, handmade mugs that are pretty are so much more valuable to me than a mug I would buy at Target. Someone that loves to write letters is always going to value beautiful stationery sets. Whatever it is that your ideal customers love, connect with that. You don’t need to save the world. What you are making is already having an impact on the people who are purchasing those products and finding joy in using them. I’m not trying to be cheesy here, that’s real. That is why people buy handmade and that is why people buy beautiful products and pay more for them. Really ask yourself how your product is going to be used, who is going to use them and when and how is that going to make them feel? Boom, that’s your mission.

A few last tips

I have a few last tips to help you with video marketing:

• Don’t let yourself be overwhelmed by the fact that you have never done that before, that you don’t have a fancy camera and that you are not good on video because these are just excuses.
• You don’t need a fancy camera. You can use your iPhone or your Google phone or whatever smartphone you’re using.
• Don’t be afraid to actually ask around for help. Nilla asked her nephew and he’s the one behind the camera.
• You don’t need to look at the camera if that is something that’s quite scary to you. As you can see, it looks very natural when Nilla is speaking and she’s not even looking directly at the camera – not once.
• It will not get easier tomorrow or the day after that. Pushing it back because you’re thinking, “I’m not good enough for it. I don’t know how to do it” doesn’t make sense because you’re not going to know how to do it tomorrow either. You just need to get started and improve over time. On the first video I’ve done I had sweaty palms and I’m pretty sure I couldn’t even speak because I’m French and I was doing this video in English. It was overwhelming and scary but I’ve done it and without it, I wouldn’t be here doing videos for you every single week. You have to start somewhere and today or tomorrow or this weekend is as good as it gets.

I hope this blog post inspired you and gave you some great ideas to get started with video. I would love to know if you’re going to take action and actually get one done – please let me know below!