What is the best way to market a home scrapbook business?

Question

My husband and I started a small side venture business called ExpressScrapbooks.com (http://www.expressscrapbooks.com/).

The idea is that people can log on to the site, chose their scrapbook "theme" (birthday, wedding, pet, etc.) and download their photos directly onto the site. We print the photos out ourselves, put together the scrapbook and then mail it to the customer. We've tried a few things, but are having a hard time marketing this... does anyone have any good ideas?

Answer 1

So, from your site, I gather that you make traditional scrapbooks for others.  I'll admit, I was a little confused about the process.  It almost looked like you were selling photo books.  It took me a few minutes to figure out that you are a scrapper for hire.  I wonder how many others are confused also.  Your streamlined process is innovative, though.  You're trying to make it easy from the front end - that's a good thing!

Marketing will be your biggest challenge.  It's hard to find customers, BUT, use your current customers for word-of-mouth marketing.  Give them an incentive to bring you new business (discounts or other perks).  Satisfied customers are your secret marketing weapon.  

I would also suggest you look at joining my group - ScrapBiz.  We have over 200 business owners - many of whom  are also custom scrappers.  Also, you can read about scrapping for others at my blog - www.KimGuymon.com

Answer 2

You might try attending scrapbooking conventions (esp. in ATL: there's a lot several times a year) and setting up a booth that showcases your work. Contact their chamber of commerce for dates and info. While there, do a few small pages for free or minimal cost for folks to take with them. I've checked out your site and since you are located in Texas try one of the major cities there.

Use lots of different web tags so that no matter what search term people use they will link your site.

Go to local festivals/fairs and set up a booth.

Touch base with scrapbook stores and see if they will let you do demonstrations on their scrapbook nights/weekends.

Answer 3

You could try marketing locally as well as online.  There are a lot of places that will allow you to put up free flyers.  Grocery store, etc...  Also, make sure you have your business card.  You can hand business cards out to people.  Make sure your email signature has your business address and maybe one sentence that conveys what your business is about, or makes people want to visit your site.  There are also small websites that you can find and they won't charge you to much to advertise on them.  For example, locally we have a for sale board.  It gets thousand of hits a day, and it only costs $40.00 a month to have a banner on it!  Custom Scrapping is a very hard thing to market though!  A lot of people don't know about it, and so you not only have to get explain what it is as well.  Word of mouth is great too.  You might try teaching a local scrapbook class.  Those people might not buy your services but you can hand out your card and maybe they would remember you enough to pass your information on to someone that does not like to scrapbook.  Also, you have to target your market.  How much do you charge and who is willing to pay that much for someone to do it rather then do themself?  There are people that are willing to pay A LOT of money for what you do- you just have to find them.

Answer 4

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