Silver Valley Fishing Sup. Posted November 14, 2022 Report Share Posted November 14, 2022 I am dumping all Meta owned accounts. Facebook is complete garbage anymore. I finally started an actual account here. I have browsed around here for a few years. I prefer the layout and structure of this forum more so than social media. I mostly do soft baits, but I do jigs, weights, air brush lures, build wood cranks/swims, build rods, tie, 3D print molds/cranks and make stencils and clam packaging. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CNC Molds N Stuff Posted November 14, 2022 Report Share Posted November 14, 2022 Social media can be used as a network to generate sales if you use it for that. This forum is an awesome resource for learning new things about tackle making, but generally it's not a place for tackle sales. I started tackle making in my uncle's basement and then later on my own, but this forum opened the floodgates for me. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Valley Fishing Sup. Posted November 14, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2022 @CNC Molds N Stuff I don't use it for sales. I prefer to stay local. I understand as a mold maker like yourself, a local customer base to support your business is a necessity. There is not enough bait makers around just Yuma to support your business. I hate dealing with shipping. Plus the market is so oversaturated with bait makers. Unless you are a main brand company, advertising on Facebook probably won't benefit most bait makers. As a bait maker, any local region should have an adequate amount of anglers to support their small bait business. If one can't handle supporting their own local fishermen, they definitely aren't ready for online sales. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basskat Posted November 14, 2022 Report Share Posted November 14, 2022 Welcome aboard. I'm pretty much the same. Sometimes my local sales are more than I want! I do have a few guys that I ship to but keep that limited. Hate dealing with shipping myself. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Valley Fishing Sup. Posted November 14, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2022 @basskat it's a pain, and local customers are easier to work with. Guys online want discounts or they want to rush orders. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CNC Molds N Stuff Posted November 15, 2022 Report Share Posted November 15, 2022 (edited) I can't share a lot for obvious reasons, but I have a hand full of customers that have grown to regional sales and have had to learn about greater production and cost savings to maintain their growth. A couple have outgrown my ability to provide for them in some fields. (I still don't have a machine big enough and fast enough for the big 20 x 30 plates. I have come up with a modular solution, but most people won't listen long enough for me to tell them that. Anyway, as to using social media for sales. I don't necessarily mean go on the tackle sales groups and solicit sales. I rarely do that, and it usually only has a result if I am offering a discount. Even those sales are usually to people who were already going to buy that product anyway. Of course molds are different than baits. I show off my work on my business pages, and because so many people follow my personal page I post stuff there. I post show off and brag pictures on linkedin and twitter as well. Its just general product exposure. Name recognition. Sometimes I'll post real fishing reports and fishing adventures. I'll name baits that came from molds I made, but I don't ruin it by hacking "oh by the way the mold is for sale" into every other sentence. People will ask me "what is that" or "where can I buy that." I do post sales solicitations in general sales groups, local exchanges, craiglist, and others. I also sometimes post trade machining for ________. All of those things actually do result in some sales. Its all lots of small gains as opposed to a few gains. I'm not saying to make social media your life. Just take what it gives and move on. Or don't. Everybody is different. Edited November 15, 2022 by CNC Molds N Stuff 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CNC Molds N Stuff Posted November 16, 2022 Report Share Posted November 16, 2022 (edited) 9 hours ago, CNC Molds N Stuff said: Its all lots of small gains as opposed to a few gains Meant to say it's all lots small gains as opposed to a few big gains Edited November 16, 2022 by CNC Molds N Stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...