Saturday, July 27, 2013

Marketing Mittens

When Marion asked me to start selling her mittens, I immediately thought of Etsy.  It's a huge marketplace to buy and sell handmade items.

But how do you get the word out and find customers for a brand new product?

Etsy Search Ads
I started with Etsy search ads.  For a few cents a day, you can pay to have keyword traffic for your Etsy site.  This helped people find Marion's Mittens.

eBay
eBay can be another good way to help people find your product.  I sold a pair of mittens on eBay at a discount.  The buyer loved them so much that she ordered another seven pairs from the Etsy shop at full price!

Facebook Marketing
People who purchased mittens tended to like to tell their friends.  The Facebook page is a great way to share information.  I like to share coupon codes for discounts with Facebook fans.

Word of Mouth
Several friends saw that I was selling mittens and though they'd make great Christmas gifts.  Several of my largest orders came from people I already knew!

Professionalism and Promotional Items
When the Marion's Mittens Etsy shop first launched I didn't have much in the way of branding or marketing items.  I didn't want to invest a lot until I knew how the business would grow.  Here's what I've eventually come up with, and it works great for Marion's Mittens!

custom stamp on a tag

  • Packaging - Marion's Mittens are wrapped in tissue paper and mailed out in poly bags.  This type of mailer keeps the mittens clean and dry.  Address labels complete the look on each package.
  • Tags - New this year are 3x4 manila product tags.  On one side is a stamp with the company name, email, and website.  On the other side I hand write the product details.
  • Receipts - Etsy has a great receipt that is easy to print and mail.  It adds a professional touch to the package, and I hand write a personal thank you note on each receipt.
  • Communication - I let customers know when their items have shipped.  It's also a great idea to communicate anything out of the ordinary, like if an item might ship out a day or two later than promised.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Multi-Color Mittens

Marion gets a lot of requests for variations.  One of the most common requests is for striped mittens.

Why doesn't Marion make striped mittens?  She doesn't want someone to be stuck with an item with knots in it.  The two different colored yarns must be fastened together where they meet.  This could leave a knot or a bump.

She's happy to make mittens with thumbs that are a different color.  Because the thumbs are knit separately, no knot is required.

Another alternative for those who love a multi-color look is mittens made from variegated yarn.  Variegated yarn is sort of like the popular "ombre" style, only when it's knit, it's a pretty jumble of color.  Variegated yarns range from subtle differences in the same shade to wild groupings of color.

a pair of mittens knit from variegated yarn

Soon there will be striped scarves in the shop for all of you stripe lovers.  Why striped scarves but not mittens?  Tiny knots in mittens will rub against your hand.  Since the scarf rests on your clothing, you won't feel the knots!

Saturday, July 13, 2013

An Introduction to Marion's Mittens

Marion has made a lot of mittens.  In addition to making them for her big family, she also makes them for her daughter's second grade classroom each year.  She's been knitting for over 60 years.

Materials
Marion prefers Simply Soft yarn by Caron.  It's a very soft 100% acrylic yarn that holds up to gentle washing and drying.  The mittens turn out to be fairly stretchy so they can accommodate a variety of hand sizes.  Check out some of the colors that Marion has used over on Etsy.

some of the colors of Marion's Mittens

Technique
These mittens are knitted in the round, meaning that four needles are used to create each mitten.  The thumb is created later and knit right into the hand.  There are no bulky seams to cause discomfort.  The wrists are ribbed to keep cold air out and stretch to a variety of sizes.

ribbed wrist of a purple sparkle mitten

Sizes
Marion makes mittens for adults in one size.  These are usually 11 inches long but can be customized into other sizes!

Kids' mittens come in a few different sizes based on age:

  • Ages 5-6 are 8.5 inches long
  • Ages 7-8 are 9 inches long
  • Ages 9+ are 11 inches long

Marion also makes thumbless mittens for babies and little kids.  They are 6.75 inches long and a little less than 3 inches wide.

Easter egg baby mittens
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