Branding expert Angi Egan answers your questions

HotHive Textiles has teamed up with Angi Egan, one of the leading authors from our sister company HotHive Books, to help our readers solve all their branding and marketing issues. Having previously worked as a consultant with brands such as the Body Shop, IKEA, Marks and Spencer, Gap and Harvey Nichols, Angi is well-placed to offer advice on all areas of marketing, attracting new customers, communicating with your customers and branding issues. Last month we asked you to send us your questions for Angi and below are her answers to the problems you told us about:

Despite winning several prestigious competitions I still find it incredibly difficult to market my work and to obtain enough orders. I am in the process of adding an online shop to my website and also considering trying Etsy, but I really need my work to be seen in more high-end shops and galleries. I really would appreciate some advice on how to market/brand my work as I know that I have a good product and that people really like my work, which makes it even more frustrating. 
Jan Knibbs, Bath
Hi Jan, an increasingly common frustration and one which has no easy answer. First question would be how much PR did you get for winning the competitions? Warm congratulations by the way! My experience is that local media love feel-good stories with a little bit of a twist. Sadly, they’re reluctant to cover the fact that you won something but are more likely to cover it if it has an against-the-odds element, is inspired by the local area, or if you run a bit of a competition with the editorial. As for “high-end shops and galleries” it is largely about direct contacts in, so get networking where they go, write articles in stuff they read, be where they are. Then professionally stalk them! Finally, persevere. “No” is not “No” as far as I can see, its just “No, not now”.

Hi Angi, I regularly take stands at trade fairs and exhibitions but just don’t seem to get as many people as the stands around me. How could I be displaying my work better to attract more visitors, and therefore buyers?
Tracey Backster, Berkshire
Tracey – pick a theme and then sing it loud and clear. My guess is the stands around you have a clear message about their product so passing visitors are clear about what they’re going to get. The fact that you do several other things can be apparent once you have that much coveted connection. If you’re not already doing it come out from behind the stand – smile, engage, offer samples, give sweeties retro always good, Spangles, Love Hearts, etc. – something a little cute above all else engage and have fun. Doing something which creates curiosity also helps – juggle, bubbles, demos, stand on your head – just be animated, it works!

I am considering rebranding my company as it seems a little tired. Would you recommend going for something fresh and modern that will need updating again in a few years or something traditional that people will recognise in years to come?
Victoria Caswell, Devon
Great question Victoria! I would strongly recommend starting by identifying something which has a powerful connection to you and the products you offer. You, because this is where it all starts people always associate me with clean, fresh, contemporary designs and colours for example and then your products – what do people expect them to be? A great brand will then simply need slight tweaks to keep it relevant and fresh. I certainly don’t see any point in introducing something which requires radical updates – it simply confuses your customers and could mean you have to start again to gain trust and confidence.

Can you give me some tips on how to get more orders through my website? The level of traffic is reasonably good, but people don’t seem to be purchasing products.
Jane Redman, Manchester
I need to state from the beginning I’m not an expert on web sales, or anything remotely connected to IT…however, if the level of traffic is good then it’s the conversion that’s the issue. Do they have a powerful reason to buy from your website? This doesn’t have to be discounted price – it could be loyalty rewards, added value products that maybe cost you little or you sourced from suppliers, a tips sheet, exclusive offers, limited editions – all create a sense of urgency and desirability. The MIMO effect miss it miss out is powerful and is used by many niche brands to get higher conversion. Finally, get a recommendation for a good SEO person – they’re worth their weight if getting more traffic to your site. Alternatively speak to the local university and ask if any of their graduates would be interested in taking your site as a case study for their degree. The cost is only a few pints in my experience!

Hi Angi, I have recently launched my first website promoting some of the products I make and linking to my Etsy shop. Can you give me some advice to help market it? I have tried setting up blogs but am struggling to get people to read it and don’t have much budget for advertising. Any advice would be gratefully received!
Becky Fletcher, Edinburgh
Hi Becky, congratulations on the launch of your first website – exciting stuff! See the first part of my answer to Jane’s question and then just keep blogging! If you can then also Tweet your blog see Tweet Deck for how to shorten the URL then you’ll soon start to build followers. Also find online communities who want what you blog about and then join them! Ensure your content is information and advice based as this is the trend for consumers before they’re prepared to be loyal, paying customers – they want to leave your site/blog smarter than when they arrive, so inspire them with your expertise. Looking out for relevant media stories also helps to get you free editorial so listen out for stuff which could relate to what you do. Think laterally – it may be how crafting helps to overcome mental illness or alleviate feelings of isolation, or how what you do helps delinquent teenagers restore their self-esteem.

Angi Egan is author of the Romancing the Customer™ series of business guides, which offer a refreshingly different approach to creating brand fidelity. The first in the series, Initial Lust, focuses on the simple steps you can take to ensure your business stands out from the competition in a saturated market place. It also contains the key principles to visual communication and brand marketing.

 

Espresso Yourself is the second in the series and involves the taste, or perception, of your brand. It discusses the need to ‘interrupt the pattern’ of your customers by surprising and delighting them during every encounter.

 

The third book in the series, The Barry White Effect: yeh baby!, focuses on the auditory aspect of your business – anything from voicemail to inner dialogue, from natural conversations with customers to inspiring communication with the people who work with you. Its aim is to share some of the ways you can create powerful connections, or where you may be ‘destroying the moment’ purely through the words you use.

 

Angi has very kindly offered HotHive Textiles readers 10% off any of the titles in her series. To take advantage of the offer simply click here to visit the bookstore and then enter the offer code ‘hothivetextiles’ when prompted at the checkout.