jmspgh Posted September 24, 2020 Share Posted September 24, 2020 I would like to learn more about different areas of marketing candle/bath/body/home products and how to be successful with it. I am in my 30s but not very tech/social media savvy. As of now I don't have my own facebook account and am clueless when it comes to instagram. I have no idea how to get people to visit my (not yet setup) website. I know this will have to change and was wondering if there were any good resources (other than this blog) to learn about them...podcasts? books? etc? I am not close to selling anything yet but would like to be prepared for the selling/business aspect when the products are ready. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted September 24, 2020 Share Posted September 24, 2020 The very first thing to decide is who your target market is. Once you know that, the next steps are much simpler. for example: what age group are you hoping to appeal to? what income level / social groups are you aiming for? men or women? will you be selling In-person? Who in your social circle can you reach out to who already has a reach into your target market? For instance, a home decor pro may help with product placement of your candles, etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusyBee Posted September 25, 2020 Share Posted September 25, 2020 Who are the actual buyers of candles? This sounds so obvious. But in order to come up with your targeted market, you will need to find out who are the actual current candle buyers & prospect candle buyers first. If you can find the answer to this question, then you should be able to find ways to cover your weakness in tech/social media. Not that many people are tech/social media savvy including myself and probably many in this forum. If you do research on this matter right, then you will be surprised to find who are the actual big candle buyers. Your brand & logo, candle design, marketing strategy, & pricing will depend on this research. You might not want to get into tech/social media market at all if you can make candle business work in other field. Well, bath & body is totally different category where everyone has to buy. You will need to have totally different approach on that one. Good luck! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura C Posted September 25, 2020 Share Posted September 25, 2020 (edited) 7 hours ago, TallTayl said: Who in your social circle can you reach out to who already has a reach into your target market? For instance, a home decor pro may help with product placement of your candles, etc. Thanks, that's a great idea about product placements. 👍 Edited September 25, 2020 by Laura C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura C Posted September 25, 2020 Share Posted September 25, 2020 Hi @jmspgh. For the business side of things which also includes social media info/how-to, lookup your local chamber of commerce and the Small Business Administration (SBA). They have lots of info and usually offer free webinars, etc. https://www.sba.gov/learning-center https://www.sba.gov/course/understanding-your-customer/ https://www.sba.gov/course/social-media-marketing/ https://www.sba.gov/course/sales-guide-small-business-owner/ 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmspgh Posted September 25, 2020 Author Share Posted September 25, 2020 15 hours ago, Laura C said: Hi @jmspgh. For the business side of things which also includes social media info/how-to, lookup your local chamber of commerce and the Small Business Administration (SBA). They have lots of info and usually offer free webinars, etc. https://www.sba.gov/learning-center https://www.sba.gov/course/understanding-your-customer/ https://www.sba.gov/course/social-media-marketing/ https://www.sba.gov/course/sales-guide-small-business-owner/ Thanks so much @Laura C I will definitely look into those. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmspgh Posted September 25, 2020 Author Share Posted September 25, 2020 @TallTayl and @BusyBee ....great points! I need to sit down and come up with a business plan to really target my audience. I think that will tell me a lot and give me more direction on how to proceed with my branding and marketing strategies. I just recently started thinking about logos and I'm sure if I decide to have it professionally done these are all questions that they will be asking me as well. It never ends...and I am loving it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura C Posted September 26, 2020 Share Posted September 26, 2020 20 hours ago, jmspgh said: I just recently started thinking about logos and I'm sure if I decide to have it professionally done these are all questions that they will be asking me as well. Etsy.com and fiverr.com have some talented graphic artists at reasonable prices. Graphic arts college students may want to do work on the side to get experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura C Posted September 26, 2020 Share Posted September 26, 2020 (edited) And @jmspgh, I speak from experience a very bad experience, do not do business with a logo company called Looka (formerly Logo Joy). They are terrible and lie and rip you off. They were great at first and lured me in and then wham, it all went down hill. It appears that after so many bad reviews and complaints they changed their name, not surprising. It amazes me that they are still in business. Once they got my money they would hardly give me the time of day and they never did give me what was promised and what I paid for. I did not get high quality files, they were low resolution and grainy. Edited September 26, 2020 by Laura C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmspgh Posted September 26, 2020 Author Share Posted September 26, 2020 Thanks @Laura C. I started looking on etsy and have fiverr bookmarked but then thought I should develop my business model more before doing a logo. I have and general ideas about what I want but want to be more certain. I did read on here about your previous experience with logo joy... I'll be sure to avoid them! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanfordP Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 On 9/25/2020 at 3:13 PM, jmspgh said: @TallTayl and @BusyBee ....great points! I need to sit down and come up with a business plan to really target my audience. I think that will tell me a lot and give me more direction on how to proceed with my branding and marketing strategies. I just recently started thinking about logos and I'm sure if I decide to have it professionally done these are all questions that they will be asking me as well. It never ends...and I am loving it! Long post alert: Remember that business plans change over time. The main takeaway from a business plan is to make you think about all the different variables that go into it. When I first started, my business plan was changing every quarter, and it stressed me out. Then I realized that ITS MY BUSINESS. I can change it however many times I want, as long as I have a reason to. Here are a few other tips: You'll want to develop a minimal viable product (MVP). This is the bare-bones version of your product. It doesn't have to be perfect; it doesn't need a fancy logo or fancy packaging. This product will demonstrate that your base formulae are where they need to be. And, you either give this product away, or sell it at cost, then follow-up with your new customers to gauge their experience. From there, you tweak. And you repeat the process until you've got it good enough to launch. Save your money and don't invest in a logo until you have a following. I see lots of start-up sink money into fancy graphics and trademarks that have ZERO customers. It's a smarter idea to take that cash and invest in either product development or marketing development (which is more so targeting and SEO). Then once you have a following, that's when you slowly and methodically upgrade your branding to match your new (and real) target market. Don't underestimate the power of news marketing, too. Contact your local papers to get news placement. It's free, and if there's an interesting story behind your brand, they'll be begging you for a story. Ultimately, sitting down and drafting all these plans is meant for you to know what kind of business you want to start. Once you start selling, that'll likely shift depending on what type of customer you actually attract. If you're using a hosted e-commerce site (like Shopify) they collect all kinds of data on your customers, and can provide you with very valuable insight. That's when you'll truly know how to market your goods. I've been in business for 3 years, and only this year did I hire a graphic designer. The good ones aren't cheap. And, you don't want to waste money on anything less than a good one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmspgh Posted October 8, 2020 Author Share Posted October 8, 2020 @StanfordP...some great points for me to think about. I am currently following that process and working on my minimal viable product. Hoping to have it ready to give to family/friends by the end of the year to test out for me and get different opinions. It won't have any fancy labels; quite honestly I don't want to spend the money on that right now. When I first started making candles it seemed like such a long shot that it would work out but I am really loving the process and looking forward to all the other details that come along once I have a base product that I am proud of. Great idea about contacting local papers and advertise that way. Thanks so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura C Posted September 4, 2021 Share Posted September 4, 2021 Hello to everyone looking for some new business marketing ideas. This looks like the best place to put this information. You could possibly generate extra income and drive more people to your website. Make money by posting your nice product photos online. Read this ClickASnap article to find out how. - It's exciting News, it's certainly worth the read! https://lauracaptain.com/articles-news-announcements Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilosCandles Posted December 1, 2021 Share Posted December 1, 2021 So during lockdown and quarantine in 2020 I did something a little different which worked out amazingly for me. Any of the not so perfect candles I had made I sent to youtubers. I looked for anyone that opened "Fan Mail" in recent videos and I could find thier address. I probably sent out over 100 over the year and saw about 75% of then get opened and then commented about by the person (almost like a testimonial). I included a company postcard with a VERY generic message on the back. Every time a video was posted online, I made a few sales on my website. Paid off tenfold. And I sent my not so perfect candles to them which I wouldn't of sent a paying customer. The biggest issue some of the people too months to open it and show it. Not something you can time. Watching some of the the youtubers previous unboxing sometimes you can learn what they like and customize it some. 2 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura C Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 Good idea @MilosCandles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightLight Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 I would not send less than 100 per cent perfect candles out or products to anyone who reviews. Show present your best work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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