Convenience. Living in a fast-paced world with technology = people cannot pay attention as much as we used to, so it’s important for you to make it easier for people to buy your products - this means that you should give your customers all the information they need as fast as you can. The more steps your customer has to take before they can get their hands on what you are selling, the more time you’re giving them to hesitate/think about whether they want to spend their money on your products.
In the most ideal scenario, you’d want to have sales/orders before the event even begins. In order to do that, people need to know:
when and where you’d be boothing (including your booth number)
what you’ll be selling (merch previews, product photos, catalogues etc.)
how much your products would be (helps customers to plan their budget)
how they can purchase from you (include alternatives for those who can’t attend the event such as allowing pre-orders, personal shopper service, orders via DMs etc.)
Announcing your booth/event
You need to talk about your business to have a business. Some of you might update your profile when you have an upcoming event (which is a good thing), but that on its own is not enough - the only people who would visit your profile are those that already plan on getting your products and are looking for information on how they can make a purchase (which is also good), but it doesn't help you reach out to all other customer segments, like people who don't know about you yet, or your other followers who may not know you have an upcoming event.
Ideally, here’s what you should do before each event:
post a booth announcement (can be an overview of upcoming events)
update your profile description with event date/time, venue, booth number etc.
add the event & booth number into your Instagram display name (eg. AFA B-13, recommended for big conventions/events as it helps Instagram to find you when people search the event/booth number - note this can’t be changed for 2 weeks so you should plan ahead if you have multiple big events in a row)
include the event details in your posts leading up to the event (especially if you’re posting merch previews)
sharing your posts on social media (Instagram, X/Twitter and TikTok are the main ones that people pay attention to, but may also depend on the demographics of your target market - some may prefer email newsletters/Facebook etc.)
Remember to tag the event organizers and/or location in your post so that it shows up on their profile under tagged posts, that’s also one way to get more reach on your catalogue. Once you’ve done all that, you’ve successfully put yourself out there for maximum eyeballs before the event even starts. You can also DM me on Instagram so I can take note of your upcoming event and help to share nearer to the date!
Preparing a catalogue
Now that you’ve told people about your upcoming event, the next thing people want to know is what you’d be selling. While posting merch previews and product features do help you to garner more reach and exposure, having a catalogue is best as it provides an overview of all the information your customer may need in one post for them to quickly determine if they are able to afford your products.
Here’s what a good catalogue has:
details at the top/bottom of each slide (event name, venue, date/time, booth number)
visual representations of your available products/designs (by type or fandom)
prices of your products labelled clearly on your catalogue (save yourself from people spamming you asking about prices when you’re rushing booth prep)
available payment methods (are you cash-only? PayLah/PayNow/PayPal etc.)
whether you accept reservations (and if so, the process and closing dates)
alternative ways to purchase (more on this at the next section)
all of the above in one post (or multiple catalogues being posted at the same time so people don’t end up losing interest while waiting for you to share the next part)
While an aesthetically-pleasing cover might look nice on your feed, I personally feel that it’s a “nice-to-have” but not in the priority list - in fact, most of the time, people just skip through it and it’s somewhat of a waste of space when you could use that first slide to showcase your products (again, it’s about making it convenient for people to get as much information they need in the least steps).
I also know sometimes it can be hard to create catalogues, but my advice is to start building a basic template little by little when you have more spare time - 5 minutes a day working on something small (eg. today you can create the top/bottom border for event details, tomorrow you can add 5 product images etc.) is better than trying to rush everything out when you’re preparing for your booth. You can then reuse this same template for your events - most of the time, you’d likely not need to change much unless you’re doing a brand overhaul or something.
If catalogues are really hard to do, you can lay all your merch together on a plain background by product type and take pictures (eg. all the die cut stickers in one photo) - then just edit on their prices and post that. May not be as “pretty” as a catalogue, but from a customer/personal shopper’s perspective, people just want to know what you have for sale and how much the items are. If you don’t post anything, people would put you in their “maybe” list (at best) because they wouldn't know what you have for sale, or whether they have the budget to afford your items (while they start reserving/planning their budget on other artists) - or worse, they might not even know that you’re boothing at the event if they can’t find your catalogue/announcements floating around social media.
Keep catalogues in your feed even after the event ends! While some makers choose to archive or remove their catalogues after the event, I personally feel it's better to leave it on - it allows your customers to see what you have based on previous events and estimate how much the prices would be, while reducing your stress to upload a catalogue before the next event if you really have no time. Even if you increased your prices, or have item that are sold out, your customers just want to know what you're selling - and those can be easily updated with a quick Instagram story even if you really can't edit your template and upload an event catalogue.
Alternative ways to purchase
Wherever and whenever your booth might be, there’s bound to be customers who may not be able to make it down physically to your booth to support you - which is when alternative ways to purchase come in handy! Here are some of the common ways that you can do so, as well as some words of caution if you do decide to use them:
Allowing reservations for customers who are coming down (at a later timing)
Pro(s): Guaranteed sales before the event even starts
Con(s): Might lose some organic customers at the event if there’s not enough stock
Note: Only for items that you have more than enough quantity for, would not recommend you to do this for items with limited quantity/event-exclusive products
Allowing people to submit orders via DMs (and then mailing out after event ends)
Pro(s): Getting sales if the crowd isn’t responding well/people can’t visit the event
Con(s): It might feel unfair for customers who took the time to visit if you do so too early
Note: Best to do this on the last day of the event when most of the other customers already came to visit and got what they wanted, especially if it’s a paid-entry event
Working with someone to do group orders/reservations (during the event)
Pro(s): Guaranteed sales before event, less admin/logistics than doing it yourself
Con(s): Bulk orders might be confusing if not done properly, finding someone trustworthy
Note: You can open this in advance to gauge how much of each item you should bring, but doing so too early can be a problem as people may not be paying attention to the event just yet/think they still have time = you might end up closing your reservations too early before people even see your catalogue or know that your reservations are open.
Doing pre-orders for merch that has been sold out/high demand (after the event)
Pro(s): Get sales even after the event has ended/stock is sold out
Con(s): Lots of admin work to settle, pre-orders might be delayed/not up to expectations
Note: Would recommend having a generic Google form for pre-orders ready before all your events, and have a signage printed with QR code so people can preorder any merch that might have been sold out at the event = you don’t lose out on sales. You might also want to collect payment first so people can’t back out after, but that also means you need to manage your cash flow well to ensure you don't spend the money meant for restocking.
Updating your online shop/posting leftovers on your stories (after the event ends)
Pro(s): People who can’t visit you at the event can still buy your merch
Con(s): You might lose your customers’ interest if you take too long to update your shop, people might not want to buy from online stores due to the extra costs/increased prices
Note: If you sell accessories, crochet or anything handcrafted with limited quantity, having an Instagram story sales might be better than shop updates - it’s also easier to just take videos/photos of what you have left during the last few hours at the booth to open them up for online claims so you don’t have to pack them up and unpack again to take photos later at home.
Setting up your booth
Now that you’ve gotten the pre-event exposure done, let’s talk about how we can optimize your booth set-up so that your customers are more inclined to purchase! Here’s what I’d highly recommend you to do:
prepare a display item/prop that helps you to stands out from afar
Have you ever caught a glimpse of something from the side of your eye and went over to check out what it is out of curiosity? Or maybe you’ve seen something that made you chuckle and went closer to see what’s going on there? Basically, what you’d want to do is have something that captures people’s attention from afar - not only does it help you to get more people to visit your booth, but it also helps make your booth more recognizable to your customers who are trying to find you among rows of booths at big conventions.
This is especially important at a big event that does not have any booth number/map layout because you’d want your customers to be able to find you at the shortest amount of time possible (aka when their wallets are still full) - one useful tip for such events would be getting a helium balloon to tie to the top of your booth so that people can immediately recognize where you are at a glance even from the entrance. You might also like to consider getting a unique table cloth/banner/some sort of booth display that people usually don’t use (or in a different colour at least?) and use it for all subsequent events so it helps to build on your branding as well.
label prices right beside your products
This is something that most people already do, but clear labelling of prices (and merch type, if it may not be obvious what it is at first glance) really helps those who may have difficulties/ just don't like interacting much with people. While having a price list with an overview of the prices helps too, it’s easier for someone to look right beside the item they are interested in for their price than to search for a price list and then try to read it while you awkwardly stare at them… This small label also allows you to add small snippets of details you might want to highlight about the product, such as promotions or special material/uses (eg. a shaker charm that doubles as a photocard holder, holographic details etc.).
Having said that, price lists are not entirely useless either - but I personally feel they might be more suitable for online use, such as when people DM you to ask about merch prices (sometimes, even before your catalogue is up), or to be printed and put up behind the booth so you have a quick reference to the prices without having to remember off the top of your head or struggle to check the prices at the front.
prepare payment QR codes that are big and visible enough
You’ll want your QR code to be big enough to be scanned from about an arm’s length away (aka when people are crowding at your booth and a customer just wants to pay while struggling at the back), but not so big that it takes up too much space/makes you keep it away because you don’t have enough table/booth space to display it. The QR code itself should be somewhere around your palm size, I’d also recommend that you have only payment QR codes at your booth (social links can be displayed in other ways such as your name cards or a link to your bio being printed on your table banner etc.) so that people don’t get confused - it’s now almost second nature for us to scan whatever QR codes we see, and at a booth, most people would think that the QR code goes straight to payment.
Another small tip I want to share is preparing small magnetic clipboards with your payment QR codes, especially if you’re using metal grid displays so you can attach them anywhere at the side/behind your booth for easy access to customers along the sides of the booth as well - it’d also come in handy when you have multiple people behind the booth and/or your booth has no space for you to stand behind it or move around easily. The magnets also make them detachable so you can pull it right off for a customer to scan and then just snap it back onto the grid again, no more lost QR codes or payment struggles!
set up different experiences for different customers
This is something that’s under the “good-to-have” section, but definitely something I’d like to see more of - especially when you have helpers and/or may not always have the energy/capacity to handle customers! There are usually two main types of customers - those who are there because they want to buy your merch (Type A) - and there's also Type B, who are there because they want to see you (and maybe also buy something along the way).
Type A customers are the ones who want a swift and fuss-free shopping experience - they see it, they like it, they get it. This group of people don’t really bother/value small talk (as much) and just want everything to be as easily accessible as possible so they can complete the purchase and move on.
Type B customers are usually your regular customers or long-term fans of your work - they are the ones who will check in on you, ask about your life, whether you’ve had your meal, and spend all day at your booth (if they could). This group of people value the time spent interacting with you as much as/even more than getting their hands on your merch.
You’d ideally want to have someone who’s good at sales and knows their way around your prices and inventory to help you manage Type A customers so that they won’t be turned off while you spend time interacting with Type B - and so that a Type B customer won’t feel like they’re left out/having to “cut short” their time with you when a Type A customer comes by in the mile of your conversation.
If you don’t have anyone who can help you on the event day, one way you can achieve a similar effect is to display a few pieces of each product/design so that people can grab them off the display, scan your QR code to pay, and show you the screenshot even if you’re interacting with someone else! However, you would need to keep track of how many you’ve sold and be cautious of theft - I’d say that 3-4 pieces of each item is generally a good number as people would be unsure if they can do so if you only put 1 of each item out, whereas having one last piece left among others with multiple quantities may actually help you to get more sales (if people are under the impression that it’s the last piece available, they are more likely to buy it on impulse).
make your own “wall of cheat sheets”
Once your set-up is ready, you probably have an "empty wall" at the back of the booth that you’re going to face for the next 2-3 days… Turn that empty space into a “cheat sheet”, especially if you have multiple makers sharing the booth, and/or helpers at a big event because things can get really hectic. Use it any way you want - write notes on sold-out items, put up a price list, make quick notes of what’s displayed at that section in front of the booth etc.
post on social media before the event starts
The final thing you need to do after you finish your set-up is to share on social media (and save them into a new highlight for the event, trust me you’d thank yourself later)!
Post a photo of what your booth set-up looks like on your stories, and include the following information:- event name and location
- event date and time
- booth number/general directions to your booth (eg. "We're in the middle section on the left side at the hall, look out for a (insert eye-catching design here) helium balloon!")
- tag the organizers/event location on your stories, they might reshare it!
Tip: If you’re someone who always struggles to post before the event starts, draft the information out on your phone's note app first! So when you’re done with setup, you can snap a picture of the booth, you can just copy and paste the information without having to type them all out on the spot and tag the organizer.
Pro-tip: If you have some spare time, take one minute (literally) to do a video scan of your booth and share that on your stories as well - this video should be slow enough for people to see what you have AND the prices clearly and be able to screenshot from the video if they are interested in something. For this video, just put the event name (and booth number, if applicable) at the side so the focus is on your products - this would mainly cater to people who are on their way to your event to have a preview of your available products, or for those who can’t attend to screenshot and send their friends/personal shopper (like me) the items that they’d like them to help buy - sometimes, customers might also DM you to ask if it’s possible for them to get the merch via mailing and… there you have it, your one-minute video has led to even more sales!
Making the best out of an event
All your preparations are done and the booth is set up, but you still have one last hurdle - the event itself. To ensure that you are in your best condition possible, here are some things that you should take note of!
Getting enough rest
Last-minute booth prep? I see you. You probably wanted to get as many merch out as possible before the event to offer more variety to your customers, but remember that there’s always a next time - and there are other ways for you to still capture those sales even if the merch isn’t prepared. What’s more important is making sure you get enough rest before the day of the event because you’d need to be physically AND mentally present in your best condition possible.
Eating well before the event
Before the event starts, make sure you’ve had something to eat that could last you at least half the day - while it’s also tempting to treat yourself for a long day ahead, eat something that is more nutritional/light on your stomach so you don’t end up spending your day in the washroom…
Bringing food/snacks for the event
You probably already know this, but you'll likely not have much time to eat during an event (especially if it’s a big convention). Food options may also be limited, and delivery might be delayed, so it’s best to buy/bring along some snacks or food before the event starts so you have food readily available if you need a quick energy boost. Do also be mindful of food safety and not get food that might turn bad before you consume them, leave those foods until after the event to treat yourself!
Hydrate yourself
Water is so important, especially when the weather can get weird and you might not have access to refillable/drinkable water - save yourself from spending on expensive drinks by bringing your own 1.5L bottle for the event :) It’d probably last you for at least a day during the event and you don’t have to worry about being thirsty - though be mindful not to drink too much, especially if you’d be looking after the booth alone (because nature would call and the washroom might be far/crowded).
Get some help (if you can)
Booth helpers are a godsend. Get someone to help you if you can, especially if you struggle with interacting with people, or are boothing at a big event - they can help you talk to your customers, get food/drinks, look after your booth and so much more. If you’re an introvert, grab one of your extrovert friends to help you out - better customer interaction/ engagement = more potential sales!
Booth with your friends
This is a tip for your next event - but if you have social anxiety or struggle in some way over having to be at a booth, rope a maker/artist friend in as a booth buddy or book side-by-side booths together! You’d be more comfortable with a person you already know beside you and can learn from each other while keeping each other company.
Just be mindful that the person you’re sharing the booth with should ideally have a similar theme/concept/fandom that you sell to help each other pull crowds, but still some difference in the art style so people can still tell it’s two different people!
Work hard, play hard
A short note for people who share booths with your friends/have someone come in to help you, it’s okay to have fun at an event and joke around etc. - after all, you’re there to have a good time too! However, when there are customers at your booth, especially if it’s starting to crowd, please get into “work mode” and tend to your customers first - and at least acknowledge their presence.
Also, if your booth partner is running late, DO NOT put their signages up for them if their merch is not available for sale yet. It makes it very confusing and frustrating for customers who are looking for that artist to see the signs and queue to buy them, only to be told later that the artist isn't here yet.
Focus on the experience, not the numbers
Lastly, I just want to say that while making enough sales to at least cover your costs might be the goal, don’t make that the only thing you’re focused on. Go with no expectations other than to experience the event - don’t be too hard on yourself if the sales aren't good, there’s always something you can learn from every event that will help you improve on your next one, and that’s more valuable in the long run too!
Key Takeaways
Make everything as convenient and fuss-free as possible, for you and your customers.
You need to talk about your business to have a business.
People just want to know what you are selling, and how much they would be.
Provide alternative ways to purchase (if the onsite sales aren't good).
Make full use of the booth space given to you, including the back!
Get some help whenever you can, you don’t have to do this alone.
Your experience as a boother is as important as your customers’ experience.
Every booth experience is unique, there’s always something to learn and improve on.
Thank you for reading
If you found this article helpful, consider sending me a tip so I can continue making more content like this! All content was made free to be accessible to those who really need it, your support will be greatly appreciated :)
Comentarios