Your Ultimate Marketing Checklist for Craft Shows

Whether you’re a seasoned craft show veteran or preparing for your very first event, one thing is clear: effective marketing is the key to success. To ensure you make the most of this opportunity, I’ve got the ultimate marketing checklist to follow.

Craft shows present an incredible opportunity to showcase your unique creations to a broad audience and boost sales. But if you’re depending on the show’s managers to bring traffic, you will probably be disappointed. 

While big shows do a great job marketing the whole show, your booth can get lost in the crowd. Small shows usually only do a little in terms of marketing. Either way, having a clear marketing checklist and plan will help bring the customers in.

Let’s get started!

Disclosure: some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Before the Craft Show: Building Anticipation

Getting caught up in making products for your show can be easy, but remember your marketing plans.

Create a calendar for your before-show marketing, and fill in what you will be sharing.

Start your marketing about 4 weeks before the event. You can use a scheduling app like Later to get your posts set up in advance.

Email Marketing

An email to your list is the perfect way to introduce the show to your biggest fans.

Give them information on when and where the show will be and your booth location. Remember to share what products will be available for sale! 

If you can segment your email list by location, send a separate email to the people on your list in the same area as the show. Send them a VIP email that gives them something special if they come by to see you (a free gift, small discount, etc).

About 2 weeks before the show, share how your production process is going and how excited you are. 

1 week before the show, email the date and location again and any other information you can give your customers.

Finally, send an email the day before, sharing your excitement and special promotion for your subscribers.

Social Media

You can also start sharing information about the show about 4 weeks before the date. 

Share behind-the-scenes photos of your production process and tease new products you’ll launch.

Consider running a giveaway or contest to involve your followers. Please encourage them to share the post to expand your reach.

Remember to post videos! Give followers an “inside peek” into what you’ll make for the show. If you’ve been to this show before, you can share memories of the past and what you’re looking forward to this year.

Plan on posting at least once a week about the show before the date and then a post with all the essential information the day before.

During the Craft Show: Captivating Your Audience

Remember to keep the excitement alive during the event by posting live updates on social media. Share pictures and videos of your booth, happy customers, and updates on available products (or ones that sold out!).

Have a signup sheet or Google form for visitors to join your email list.

Chat with everyone who stops by your booth. You can learn a lot about what people like about your products, even if they don’t buy them. 

Encourage visitors to take pictures of your products and share them on their social media with a specific hashtag. Repost this user-generated content on your channels to build authenticity and trust.

Post Show Marketing Checklist: Building on the Momentum

Your marketing checklist is complete with post-show follow-up! What you do after the show may significantly impact your sales, traffic, and customer base.

Remember that email list signup sheet? Now is the time to use it.

• Send personalized thank-you emails to everyone who visited your booth and gave you their email. Express gratitude and include links to your online shop and social media pages. Offer them a special discount for their next purchase.

• Analyze the performance of your content marketing efforts. Identify what worked well and what could be improved for future events. Learning from each experience will help you refine your strategies.

• Make notes for next year on what worked (and what didn’t). Which products sold well? 

• Remember any comments from visitors that stood out to you and write those down as well.

Your Ultimate Marketing Checklist for Craft Shows

Handmade sellers have a unique opportunity to meet and learn from their customers. You can fine-tune your marketing efforts through craft shows, meet new people, and improve your business.

Use this marketing checklist for your craft shows coming up, and I hope you’ll see your sales improve, both in person and online!

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If you’d like more help with craft shows, download my Market Must-Haves for Makers! It’s a free guide with everything you need to have a successful show.