£250k Pottery Brand Needs Real Ad Help!
Aaron Rudman-Hawkins
Aaron Rudman-Hawkins is a dynamic digital marketing expert and a driving force behind The Evergreen Agency's success. With a passion for technology and a deep understanding of the ever-evolving digital landscape, Aaron has become a trusted name in the industry.
Read Aaron's bio hereWe 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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