This photo has nothing to do with anything, I just thought you should know that it really IS this snowy.
In our CraftyBiz Kitchen chat this week, someone asked a gorgeous question:
How do I get involved in my community if they're not online?
This is brilliant, because most everything that I talk about in the Right People class, assumes you're reaching a community online.
But you might not be.
If you're selling online, then the community you build will be online.
(Of course you can have an in-person community to, but it's much easier to just link to your shop online than in the middle of a conversation)
If that community is NOT already online, then you should probably pursue different methods of distribution: wholesaling or consigning to shops or craft shows or something else.
The method of your distribution (how the people get your thing) will determine the community you join and build.
If you open a yarn shop, hold knitting nights, classes and attend the knitting groups that already exist.
If you sell to retail locations, become a part of their community: attend wholesale shows, take them out to lunch, talk to them.
If you sell locally, meet your customers where they are: classes, community centers, book clubs, golf courses.
The one caveat: if you sell crafty things, you will NOT find your Right People at a crafting group. If they make the craft, they probably won't buy the craft, right?
In other words?
Go where your people are.
And then talk to them.
Be uniquely, crazily, obsessively you….
And that's it.
Everything I've ever said about Right People will be applicable to any community of people, if you first get really clear on who they are and where they are.
And when you start thinking about building the community (not just getting involved in what that already exists), read this great post by Tara (uh, not me!) on the 3 pillars of community building.
Where's your community of Right People?