The Secrets of Marketing a Woodworking Business on Instagram
As a woodworker there are plenty of opportunities for gaining more knowledge. Tasks like sanding, or finishing lend themselves pretty well to learning at the same time. So when someone is willing to share their secrets with you, it's advisable to hear them out.
MADE FOR PROFIT
From personal experience, here are a few things I can recommend. One: get yourself some headphones/earphones that you can use while working. Noise isolating/cancelling are best. Two: download some podcasts where you can learn from the experience of others. Three: make sure that Made For Profit with John Malecki & Brad Rodriguez is among the podcasts you download. Made For Profit is a podcast about the business side of woodworking and making. It has some really good insights and topics. John & Brad are both in a position to share experiences that worked for them while growing their large Instagram following.
I'd start off by listening to the first three episodes of the podcast. They all centre on using Instagram as a marketing tool for your business. Other good episodes of note on Instagram are; Episode 33—Exploding on Instagram With Black Forest and Episode 30—Grinding it out With Jeff Mack
SECRETS
So what are the secrets behind marketing a woodworking business on Instagram? You'll take a lot from the podcasts, and I'd advise signing up to download the Instagram Playbook. But in general, my main takeaways from Brad & John's experiences are;
- Post on Instagram at least once a day. Consistency is key.
- Visit hashtags relevant to you and like and comment on plenty of posts. Aim to like at least 100 posts a day.
- Use lots of hashtags relevant to your post when posting. Thirty is the maximum. It's a good idea to put the hashtags in your first comment as opposed to your original post as this keeps your feed nice and clean.
- Don't mix personal and business. If your Instagram account is for promoting your business, don't post pictures of your pets, no matter how cute.
- Use your account as a portfolio. Don't go for the hard sell on Instagram.
- Tell your behind the scenes story. Post work-in-progress shots as well as finished pics.
- Be yourself, be nice, and have fun.
CONCLUSION
There are so many more points to consider than the points above. Made For Profit is great podcast, well worth subscribing to. But remember, Instagram isn't the be-all-and-end-all. It is just a part of your overall marketing effort.
I would also stress that any time someone shares their secrets of success, that these secrets will not necessarily work for you. They may work, but they may not. There is a phenomenon called "Survivorship Bias". This is a form of selection bias. It is the logical error of concentrating on the people or things that were successful, and overlooking those that were not, typically because of their lack of visibility.
So I would highly recommend, listening, taking on board some of the points, and then experimenting with some of your new-found knowledge. You may find some success.
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