So you know like you know like you KNOW that your pattern is great but it just doesn't reach the right people! It's been a while since anyone has downloaded it and it has just a few pattern pages. What to do? You feel your mood, inspiration and motivation going down the drain and you start to question your designer choices. But wait! Before you throw your needles in the ring, try these 12 tricks! They've certainly helped me!
Re-Knit
Or pay (or bribe) someone to do it! Why is this helpful?
Well, several reasons!
Knit in a popular yarn
This allows you to use the yarn company’s IG handle and hashtags! Many companies re-post projects knitted in their yarn, especially new yarn!
Some companies even allow you to promote your designs (if knitted in their yarn) on their FB and Ravelry groups!
New Photos
This gives you tons of alternatives!
Get a new model or two! Or just use a different style of makeup and accessories if you do selfies.
Go to different venues to get different moods in the photos! The more different stories your photos can tell, the more people will see them, relate to them and buy them!
Talk about the design naturally
Re-knitting gives you the opportunity to start talking about the design without being selly and pushy! This way you can also post about what you are knitting in FB groups and it isn’t counted as selfish promotion!
Have a KAL
This is a big thing to pull off, but if you can do it, it will pay off!
Offer discount for Knit-a-longers, have a long enough time frame, start talking about it in time. You can also use all the KAL groups on Ravelry to promote!
KAL Hashtag
Have people use your hashtags for the KAL and to tag their yarn companies! More exposure there!
Try to get a sponsor for your event!
Many indie dyers and designers like the idea of exposure in exchange for their skein of yarn or pattern download. I’ve managed to land yarn and even design program sponsors with only 800 IG followers and one post asking for donors. I didn’t even have to ask anyone personally! Just a post on IG! I’m really really greatfull and I’ve always given the donors the exposure I’ve promised!
New Romance Story
Close your eyes and think of the person wearing your design.
Who are they? Where are they going or coming from? How do they feel when they wear your design? What were they feeling before they had it? How did it make their life better?
Think this for every person that came into your mind and write their story! Do the different persons meet each other? Where? How? When?
Use the story differently in different places!
You can talk about the same design to goth girls and sporties and grandmothers, the story might just is different for all of them. It’s the same design, just worn differently by different people.
Paint their picture of them self with your words!
Think, how is their world getting better once they’ve knitted your design?
You know this! How many times have you bought something of the internet or catalog just by one great picture that sold you the feeling and mood of the model in the picture? Do that!
Polish the Pattern
New Layout, Better Language, Update
When you upload an update to the Ravelry database you get to send a message with the update to everyone that bought your pattern. Use this to lure the ones that haven’t knitted it yet to do so and make a pattern page!
Updating the pattern also gets eyes on the pattern and possibly visitors to the pattern page and that gives you visibility and it ranks you up the Hot Right Now on Ravelry search!htag
Hashtag your design
At the bottom of the pattern I include a hashtag specific to the design and ask people to use it (and tag me) in their posts of progress photos. I love to see my designs knitted and follow the progress and this way I get noticed every time someone does it. I usually also like, comment and share the posts to all my followers to see.
Have it Tech Edited
If it is a paid for pattern, this adds value to your pattern! Some tech editors even promote the patterns they are editing on their IG. Take advantage of that!
Prizing
If you are adding value to the pattern you should adjust the prize accordingly. This way you are able to have a pre-sale of sort:
“prize will go up on re-release day, buy it now and get the updated version for free”
Have it Test Knitted
This is good for a million reasons! Use Yarnpond for your test, they promote the tests in their IG feed!
Have testers share their progress and use the hashtag. You can ask for permission to use testers photos and share them in your newsletter to inspire your customers when the pattern is re-released.
Utilize Pinterest
When you have new photos and stories, it’s time to use Pinterest! Check out this post that goes deeper into the magical world of Pinterest!
Canva
Canva is the easiest way I’ve found for graphics. They have hundreds of templates for pinterest. You can choose fonts and colors depending on the mood you want your pin to radiate.
Tailwind
Best pinterest automation ever! My monthly reach has exploded when I started using it! You need to get into Tribes and they will share your pins too!
You upload your new pins to Tailwind, add them to tribes as well and
Tailwind gave me a free month of Tailwind Plus to give to my readers! Go to this link and grab your free month!
Is it Worth It?
Absolutely!
Totally worth it in terms of sales and exposure! If you’re in slow season this will help you reach new potential customers and to stay active on social media, hence ranking great in the algorithms. (I can say this with 99% certainty, the algorithm might change every now and then, but I doubt they will ever start dissing the busy ones! That would just be bad business. Unless you’re spammy. Don’t be spammy.)
And No.
Don’t do this unless you’re in a slope or no-mojo. If you have ideas go with them, don’t do this! You can still use what you’ve learned here to promote your new design!
