Gimmicks In Handmade Products

What Are Gimmicks?

At first glance, the term ‘gimmick’ can bring up negative feelings of a lack in quality, or short-lived trends that are here today and gone tomorrow.

But they are not necessarily bad. A lot of times, gimmick helps you stand out and draw attention because it’s intentionally different.

In the context of handmade products, a gimmick can be an unusual material, an innovative design, or even an interactive feature that's different than competition:

• Unusual materials: Imagine jewelry made out of recycled plastic or a leather made from pineapple or cactus.
• Innovative design: A perfect example is a ceramic cup with a handle that not only aids in holding the cup but also doubles as a spoon rest.
• Interactive features: A candle jar that, as it burns, reveals hidden jewelry at the bottom. This brand is an example of that.
  

The Right Way To Implement A Gimmick

While gimmicks can draw attention, the most successful (and long-lasting) gimmicks are those that add value or enhance the user's experience. In other words, gimmicks shouldn’t take away the quality, functionality of the product itself.  

For instance, consider socks with customised faces from this shop. The novelty of wearing your friend’s face on your feet is gimmicky, but the gimmick (wear your friend’s face on your feet) shouldn’t take away from the quality of the product (comfort and durability of the socks):

Developing Seasonal or Special Edition Products

Developing products that are limited can help you leverage the customer psychology of ‘scarcity’, which can be very persuasive in selling if done correctly.

Here are some examples of how you can come up with a seasonal or limited-edition product:

• New Design: For a winter collection, a handmade bag could have snowflake embroidery.
• New Material: Using a material that's only available during a specific season can enhance exclusivity.
• New Colour: Introduce shades that resonate with festivities or seasons. Think of autumnal hues for fall or bright sunny colours for summer.
• Special Bundle: Combine a couple of products to create a limited edition package, like a Christmas-themed soap and towel bundle.

It's essential to communicate the scarcity effectively. Let your customer know how exclusive the product is, either through email marketing, social media, or even product labels. A message like “People are loving this special design and only 3 are left. It’s not going to come back anytime soon!" can create a sense of urgency, making the product more desirable.

Developing Trendy Products

It’s hard to pinpoint how to create trending products as there are so many variables. They're the products or styles that suddenly increase in popularity, and at the same time, can just as quickly fall out of style. Recent examples include pandemic related products like face masks, home office supplies, and virtual call backgrounds.

How to Navigate Trends for Handmade Products:

• Research: Use tools like Exploding Topics and Google Trends to keep track of what's popular.
• Adapt: If a trend aligns with your brand, think of ways to incorporate it. For instance, if eco-friendly products are trending, consider sourcing sustainable materials or incorporating green practices in your production process.
  

Overall, I’d recommend focusing on evergreen product ideas that can generate income for you for a long time, but if you are able to quickly act and create products, then leveraging trends could be profitable. For example, one of my students created a zoom background shop in 2020:

What's Next

Throughout this course, you've learned the ins and outs of product development for Etsy. You've understood the power of developing a strong Unique Selling Proposition (USP) that sets you apart.

Having an outstanding product is just the start. With your unique and refined product in hand, it's time to make sure it reaches the right eyes and tempts them to click that "buy" button. To continue improving your Etsy business, your next steps should involve improving your product listing, branding, pricing, and packaging. These elements ensure that your product not only stands out but also presents itself in the best light, offering value to your customers and giving them reasons to choose you over others.

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