Starting a crochet business is a great way to bring in some money as well as giving yourself the opportunity to set your own hours, and work when and where you choose. But when getting started you may find yourself asking the question “will anyone want to buy my crochet?”
The answer to this question is why choosing a niche, a type of product to make and sell, is important and the key to your success.
People do buy crochet, but not because its crochet
No one goes searching for something to purchase thinking that they want to buy crochet. They are not specifically looking for anything that is crochet. They just happen to choose something that is crochet.
Instead they are looking for a warm woolly hat, or a special baby blanket, or a unique storage basket that doubles up as decor. Crochet is not mentioned in these ideas, because the fact that the item is crocheted is not important. It’s the function and the way it looks thats important.
That’s right, no one cares that it is crochet. They care that it is the type of product they need, and that they like the look of it. That’s it. So if your marketing has been focused around the fact that you crochet, you’re not likely to make as many sales as you would if you instead focused on the problem your products solve.
All products solve a problem, and you need to advertise your products around that problem it will solve. Such as a hat that will keep you warm, a set of unique coasters that add that statement look to your decor, that unique sweater that will have your friends asking who your personal shopper is.
OK, your potential customers may know that they like the look of crochet but they may also like the look of knitted and fabric items too. It’s unlikely that customers will start their shopping search by focusing on crochet products only. They will look at all their options and then narrow down their search from there.
Yes people will buy your crochet, but only if you focus your selling strategy on the product type, not the method it was made.
This is why choosing a niche is important. If someone is searching for a winter hat, they are more likely to go browse through shops that sell winter clothing and accessories rather than a shop that has a bit of everything and might have one or two winter hats. Customers go where they have a choice in a single place, they don’t like having to go to several different places in order to see a good selection.
This applies whether you are selling in person or online. No one likes hoping about between places when they can just go to one or two places and find everything they need.
Choose A Niche
So you need to niche. You need to create and sell a selection of products that are related to each other so that your audience knows what kind of things they will expect when they come to your shop.
Remember, they may not be ready to buy right now so they need to know how to remember you. That lady that sells all pink 70’s fashion. That person who sells the cute pastel coloured nursery decor. That guy who sells all the cosy looking hat and scarf sets. Notice that I didn’t mention crochet again?
You need to stick in people’s minds for something so that when they are ready to buy, they know who to go to.
How do customers know what you do? You tell them. On your social media channel there is a space for you to say what you’re about. So put it there in a couple of sentences
Hi, I’m Kelly and I create Lace Shawls for your special occasion so you can add that elegant finishing touch to your stunning outfit
See what I did there. I’ve described what I make (Lace shawls), who it’s for (those with a special event to attend) and what kind of shawl it is (elegant lace). You can fit a lot of information about what you make and who its for into a couple of sentences. And yet again, I haven’t used the word crochet.
Forget the fact that you crochet. To your customers it doesn’t matter. What matters is that they love the look and purpose of what you sell. Make sure that you tell them what your niche is, so that they know what tpe of product to remember you for. That way, when they are ready to buy that type of product, they will remember to come looking for you.
So sell the problem your products solve for your customers and then yes, people will want to buy your crochet, but not because it’s crochet.
For more tips on how to start and grow your crochet business, check out my Free Resources here. Grab whatever takes your interest to create your ideal crochet business. You can also follow my free Substack here for more crochet building tips.
