£250k pottery brand needs real ad help!

We help a pottery brand with no ads! where should they start?

Aaron spoke with Charlotte Manser, founder of Charlotte Manser Ceramics, about growing her pottery business. With current revenue around £250,000 annually, we dive into what she should be doing to take it to the next level!

The business overview

Charlotte has achieved impressive growth since launching in 2019:

• Revenue approaching £250,000 annually
• Team of four staff members
• 3,000 sq ft studio space
• Multiple revenue streams including retail, wholesale, and workshops
• Sales across 20 different countries

The business operates through multiple channels:

• Etsy (approximately £100,000 annual revenue)
• Wholesale (about £70,000-£80,000)
• Own website (roughly £40,000-£50,000)
• Direct sales from studio events

Current marketing gaps and opportunities

Despite this success, several key marketing opportunities remain untapped:

Email marketing

The business has:

• 2,300 existing customers
• 500 email subscribers
• No regular email marketing activity

This represents a significant missed opportunity. Regular email communication could help:

• Fill workshop spaces more consistently
• Keep the brand top of mind
• Drive repeat purchases
• Build stronger customer relationships

Paid advertising

The business hasn’t yet ventured into paid advertising. For their stage of growth, two specific approaches could be valuable:

Localised Google ads

• Target within one hour radius of the studio
• Focus on workshop and course-related searches
• Start with small daily budgets (£10-15)
• Include location extensions to highlight the physical studio

Meta retargeting

• Target existing customers and website visitors
• Focus on upcoming workshops and courses
• Keep budgets modest (approximately £300 monthly)
• Use creative showcasing workshop experiences

Implementation priorities

For immediate growth, the following steps are recommended:

Launch email marketing

• Set up MailChimp or similar platform
• Create a branded newsletter (e.g., “The Potter’s Post”)
• Develop welcome sequence for new subscribers
• Schedule regular communications about workshops and products

Optimise Google business profile

• Ensure all business information is up to date
• Encourage customer reviews
• Add photos of workshops and products
• Keep opening hours current

Set up Google search console

• Monitor search performance
• Understand how customers find the business
• Identify keyword opportunities
• Track website visibility

Implement data capture

• Create in-store email signup process
• Offer incentive for joining mailing list
• Capture workshop attendee details
• Build customer database systematically

Common mindset blocks to overcome

• Fear of unsubscribes Remember: Not everyone needs to be your customer. Focus on engaging those who want to hear from you rather than worrying about those who don’t.
• Analysis paralysis Start small but start somewhere. Perfect execution isn’t necessary for initial implementation.
• Budget concerns Begin with modest budgets and scale based on results. Initial marketing investments can be as low as £500-600 monthly combined across channels.

Looking ahead

The business aims to grow to £300,000-£350,000 in the next year. This goal appears achievable through:

• Increased workshop capacity
• Better utilisation of existing customer data
• Strategic use of paid advertising
• Consistent email marketing
• Improved local visibility

Key takeaways

For craft businesses looking to grow:

• Focus on building and nurturing your email list
• Start small with targeted paid advertising
• Optimise for local visibility
• Capture customer data at every opportunity
• Use retargeting to stay top of mind

Remember, sustainable growth often comes from better utilisation of existing assets (like customer lists and website visitors) rather than constantly seeking new customers.

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