A self-professed DIY lover, Amy Baker launched her paper goods and crafts shop, Paper Crane Wishes, on Etsy in 2010. Baker initially started her shop as a fun side hobby while working full-time as a library technician at a community college.
By 2014, the business started to take off; currently, Paper Crane Wishes has more than 4,000 sales (and counting!). After a few years of finding success with Etsy and the DIY/crafting market, Baker toyed with the idea of creating a subscription box, but had no idea where to start.
Fast forward to 2016, when she finally decided to launch her handcrafted and paper goods themed subscription box, Handcrate, on Cratejoy’s Marketplace.
Handcrate’s Launch
Though Baker confesses that launching Handcrate was a “let’s go for it!” moment, a few factors prompted her to take the plunge. Intrigued after seeing that Cratejoy accepted Stripe as a payment processor, Baker realized she could do everything through Cratejoy’s platform, including building a website.
“One of the things that drew me to Cratejoy was its user interface. It’s so helpful having one place to do it all, and Cratejoy provides that,” Baker said. “I had everything set up and launched within just a day.”
The Next Challenge: Marketing Handcrate
Once Baker set up her store, marketing her box presented the next challenge.
“You can have a great product and put it out there, but people still won’t buy it [without the right marketing].”
Baker’s own marketing efforts included running her blog, which helped build momentum at the start of her launch. She also cross-advertised Handcrate on both Paper Crane Wishes’ Instagram and Handcrate’s Instagram. However, Baker says she couldn’t be where she is today without Cratejoy’s Marketplace and Marketing team.
“I get a ton of traffic through Marketplace … it’s where I get the majority of my leads, and I love that,” Baker said. “A box gets a lot more visibility on Cratejoy than on Etsy. There are so many listings on Etsy, it gets tough to compete for attention.”
The Benefits of Marketplace and Cratejoy’s Marketing Efforts
In regards to her sales, Baker cites that “being listed on Cratejoy’s Marketplace is hands down the most effective strategy for my subscriber count and sales. I’ve had enough experience to have an idea of how to get found online, and I have basic SEO knowledge. I was doing DarbySmart for a while, but in comparison, Cratejoy’s traffic is much higher. I was blown away by how many monthly visits Cratejoy gets. I thought, “Okay, this is something that’s really going to be worth my time.’”
Baker was accustomed to marketing and promoting everything herself for Etsy, so when Cratejoy stepped in and provided her with additional marketing via email blasts, a review that got published on the Box Insider blog, and even a video of Handcrate, Cratejoy simply blew Baker away. “The marketing [Cratejoy] provided me was phenomenal. [They] went above and beyond. I put it on all my social media and even sent it to my parents!”
Baker especially appreciated the blog review and Facebook posts, as they were the easiest to share: “[The blog and Facebook posts] were so exciting,” Baker said. “I could link the posts everywhere, and that way, people have an idea of what’s inside the box and what it’s about.”
In addition, Baker wanted to invest in a professional camera, but after Cratejoy took high quality photos of Handcrate’s contents, Baker utilized the product photography across all of her platforms (“It made my life so much easier!”).
Cratejoy’s Role in seller Success
Yes, Cratejoy offers marketing to its sellers – but that’s not all: when asked about what unique tools Cratejoy provided, Baker was most impressed with the educational resources and subscription school Facebook community.
“Cratejoy’s free subscription school video seminars with Jesse answered so many questions I had, and it was such a great resource for somebody starting out like me,” Baker said.
“Another thing is that it’s so difficult to get phone call with Etsy, so I appreciate the feedback and the ability to chat with somebody instantly online. Cratejoy also helped me figure out how to put the ad pop-up for email capture on my website, and that kind of support was amazing.”
The Results?
The technical support, marketing, and publicity that Cratejoy provided soon began to translate into an influx of sales, most of which were coming from Cratejoy’s Marketplace.
Handcrate saw a 56% increase in subscribers the month of Cratejoy’s marketing efforts. “I really feel like I’ve gotten my value with Cratejoy!,” she said. Baker is also an active member of the Subscription School Facebook group, and confessed that she constantly recommends Cratejoy to others because “Cratejoy has everything someone needs to be successful.” Baker now runs Paper Crane Wishes and Handcrate full-time, and could not be more satisfied.
“[Handcrate] is so much fun to run, and a lot less work than my Etsy shop. I love supporting other small craft business and asking, “Can I order 40 of these?” They get so excited!”
Inspired by Handcrate’s success? Launch your own box with Cratejoy today!
Cratejoy is an all in one subscription commerce platform that includes everything you need to start your own subscription commerce business online. Try it free for 14 days.
