Case Study: How one crafter is enhancing her business through Instagram
We stumbled upon Peak & Pine Handmade on Instagram. We were instantly impressed with her handmade goodies and Instafeed. Her posts are jam-packed with inspiration. Follow her! @peakandpinehandmade. We’re always inspired by how businesses and people strategically (or not so) use social media to enhance their business. Here’s what we learned from Anna Bam the owner behind Peak & Pine Handmade.
How do you use Instagram to tell the story of your business?
I love being able to share the process. When I'm out foraging for dead branches I can instantly show my followers exactly where the products they buy come from. In the process of folding a fat stack of paper for journals, I can bring people into the making process making them a part of the end product while showing them what it takes to make them. I love seeing and sharing the process.
How social media benefits your business?
How does it not?! No one, ok very few, would know about my business were it not for social media. I live in a SUPER rural town...well not even in town, the nearest home to ours is 5 miles away, and I'd be a sucky door to door salesman, so I'm grateful social media can go door to door for me. Plus I get roughly half of my sales directly from Instagram!
Tell us about what you do/your business?
I make journals by hand. I fold (100% recycled) paper in half, poke some holes, sew it up, press it, then cut up some cover pieces and some fabric, throw it all together and it becomes a journal. It really is like magic seeing them come together. I also forage for the dead, but clean, lower branches of pine trees to turn them into pens and pencils. As I mentioned before we live rurally, we are the only year-round dwellers in our canyon of the Uinta mountains, there are about a gazillion pine trees and I've found a way to use them to my advantage. Plus I'm totally decreasing fire hazards by removing the dead branches... right?
What do you love about Instagram?
Aside from what I've mentioned already, I love being able to connect with so many other mom-preneurs. I'm still pretty new to the game, but everyone has been so nice and welcoming!
Do you use other social media outlets?
I recently started a Facebook page, but have yet to really update it, although I like the ideas of reaching more potential customers. I just need to dedicate a little more time to FB. Phones are easy.
What’s your greatest social story?
I do make journals, and regularly write in my own, buuuuuut for the times I can't handwrite my life story, social media is there. I'm so glad this journey I'm on (personally and with my business) is being digitally documented...and with no additional work. My greatest social story (as it pertains to Peak&Pine Handmade) is simply that my business got off the ground at all. Especially where we live, so happy to be alive in a time when this is possible.
You can see Anna uses Instagram to connect with customers, tell the story behind her products and enhance her brand. With over half her sales coming directly from Instagram we’d say social is working for her. To get a taste of her homemade goodness follow both of us on Instagram and comment on one of our Giveaway photos and tell us what you love about her products and we’ll enter you to win 2 beautiful hand painted Pine Pencils with beautiful gold or black detail. We will announce the winner on Instagram on December 1st.
Love her already? She’s offering a special 10% off ALL PRODUCTS until the end of November. Get your gift on! Visit her Etsy and enter discount code...PandPSocial10
