Videos are the most popular content on every social media platform and of course YouTube is a massively popular platform for crochet too. But for introverts like us and those with a real fear of showing themselves, appearing in a video is a genuinely terrifying idea. But you still want to grow your crochet business as quickly as possible and everyone is saying that video is key. So is it possible to grow your crochet business without being on camera?
Let’s start with the kinds of videos that get made. When you think of making a video, you’ve probably got the influencer style videos in mind. The person is on camera, front and centre and the whole video is about them talking and showing you something. That’s just one type of video and they’re just the most well known because influencer style channels are all about the person.
Instead you need your channel to be all about the crochet.
Have a search for crochet videos. Yes you’ll find a lot of influencer style videos, but you’ll also see a lot of other types of video.
- Stitch making where you only see hands
- Unboxing videos where you only see hands
- Yarn tours where you see no part of the person at all
- Slide show videos where no one is on show anywhere
Let’s look into each type of video and how you can use them to grow your crochet business without ever having to appear on camera or at the very least only have your hands on show.
Demonstration Videos
Demonstration type videos are huge on YouTube and you see plenty of them made as reels and TikToks too.
These are simply there to show crochet being made. It could be a stitch tutorial, a pattern video or showing hacks and techniques. There are a huge volume of videos you can make in this category and it’s what my own YouTube channel is based on. I have over 700 videos on my own channel and I can probably count the number where I show my face on my fingers.
Crochet pattern videos and stitch guides get hundreds of thousands of views per video on some channels so there is no doubt that the demand is there. I have never seen a stitch guide that shows the creators face outside of a picture on the channel intro and even that is rare to see.
You create the video by having the camera positioned over your hands and only recording your hands at work. If you’re using subtitles then even your voice is optional.
Entire YouTube channels are made this way and snippets of these videos make intriguing reels and shorts too.
Unboxing Videos
Another type of video that works for crochet businesses is unboxing videos. These are also hugely popular simply because people are curious and want to know what’s in the package. Whole channels have been created for let’s open my package videos and have done extremely well.
For this type of video it’s more common to see the person on camera but it’s by no means universal. As long as it’s clear that people are about to see a box being unpacked, they will watch regardless if you appear and you don’t need to voice this one either.
You can show your latest yarn delivery being unpacked, new crochet hooks, stitch markers, yarn winders – anything at all that arrives to be used in your crochet business. You can make it more personal by letting people know what you’re going to be using the stuff for either in a voice over or as text on screen.
Just make sure that when each item is pulled out, you pause for a moment so your audience can get a good look at what you’ve got.
Slideshow Videos
Slideshow videos are the quickest and easiest videos to put together because you don’t need to film anything at all. You’re just putting together a collection of photos which can either be done in Canva or using an app on your phone like YouTube Creator.
You can make slide show videos to show:
- What you sold this week (because people are nosy and want to know)
- What you crocheted this week
- Progress photos of one item that you’ve made
- Your latest product line
- What you have in stock
- What you make to order
- What you made with only pink yarn
The list goes on. You can choose to voice over the video to make it more personal or just have some text. But these videos are quick and easy to create and just need you to exploit your camera roll.
Supplies Videos
Supplies videos are where you show your audience around your existing inventory. These are different from unboxing videos because they are showing what you already have and can be a glimpse of behind the scenes. Again these videos work because people are curious and your audience want to get a glimpse of how you put everything together.
I have a video on my own channel where I gave people a tour of my yarn stash. I was in the process of organising and moving it, so I took the chance to whip out my camera and show everything off. You never see my face, just my hands picking up the yarn and opening drawers and my voice narrating what they see.
But the voice over isn’t essential, you can just show off labels or use text on screen.
That stash tour video got watched and people watched a lot of the video despite it being nothing but different balls of yarn and me rambling on about it.
You can make these videos about your hooks, your stitch markers, the stock you hold, works in progress – anything and everything. You might not think these videos will be interesting, but your audience will.
Why This Matters
So why do making videos like these matter? Because they grow your audience and grow your sales. When you don’t show your face you need another way to connect to your audience. In this age of AI people need to feel reassured that they’re dealing with a real person and it’s difficult to do that with just text posts and pictures that feel like they could come from anywhere.
Video is a lot more personal and even when you don’t appear in them, they take time to create and they show a glimpse behind the scenes and show something about you and your brand.
People are much more likely to take notice of a video than other types of content. They not only help to sell your crochet, they help to create the connection with you and attract a new audience.
It’s amazing how hard a video can work and move your crochet business forward.
The other thing about video is that it’s evergreen content. Not so much on social media, but if you post them on YouTube or Pinterest, your videos can work for you for years to come. To build that trust with people over time, to show your crochet to the world and introduce you to new people and build your credibility over time.
That ability to keep working for you long after you’ve posted it, is what makes video a content form that is worth your time to create.
If there’s one piece of advice I would give anyone to grow their crochet business, it’s to invest in evergreen content that can lead to recurring income.
Why is that important?
Because recurring income is what is going to make running your crochet business easier and more profitable in the long run.
If you’d like to discover more about recurring income and how that can work for your crochet business, download my free Map Your Path Workbook here to see what that could look like for you.
For more business building tips daily, you can subscribe to my free Substack here or check out my bite sized weekly podcast here.
I’m Kelly Thomas, crochet business owner, pattern writer, blogger and coach. I started my crochet business selling what I make and made all the mistakes along the way. Let me show you what I learned so you don’t make the same errors.
