- Rubeena Ianigro is an intuitive business coach for creatives and the founder of The Gray Muse, an enamel pin shop for artists and makers.
- Her business brings in thousands in revenue each month, and she only really promotes her work on Instagram and in her newsletter.
- She started out with just 40 Instagram followers when she launched her shop, and now has over 14,000.
- Her secrets to success, she said, were being consistent in what she posted and when and prioritizing engaging with customers and asking for feedback.
- She also said to not be afraid to give customers a look behind the scenes of your work and get outside help on aspects of your business you're not as strong at handling.
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The number of followers you have on Instagram doesn't necessarily correlate with profit. I see so many people holding back on starting a business or selling products or services because they think they need a lot of followers to make any money.
If there's one thing I've learned from starting a business, it's that you can make thousands of dollars with a small audience. The real question is whether your followers need what you're offering.
I launched my enamel pin shop, The Gray Muse, on March 9, 2019. With all my traffic coming only from Instagram, I made almost $5,000 in sales within 12 hours of launching. Within two days, four out of five of my designs sold out. After a quick restock, the revenue for that month resulted in over $10,000.
I continued to be profitable by driving over 95% of traffic to my site from Instagram. When I first started posting on Instagram, I had 40 followers. Two weeks later, I had just under 500 followers through word-of-mouth and hashtag strategy. Now, I have over 14,000 followers.
In fact, a number of people told me recently that they were never pin collectors until they came across my pins. That makes me proud that I'm reaching so many people with my message.
There are four things I focused on to grow my brand on Instagram:
1. Be consistent
In order to build trust with your audience, you need to be consistent. Provide meaningful content on a regular basis and create a space for engagement. This helps you to stay top of mind as well.
I post almost every day on my profile and in stories. I send newsletters two to four times a month. And I write the way I talk — my most loyal customers know my "voice." They know it's not a template and that I write from my heart.
2. Prioritize engagement
Reply to comments and direct messages and encourage discussion. Take the time to nurture relationships and ask for feedback in order to improve product offers. It's hard to create products if you don't understand your customers' needs.
If you want followers who can't wait to buy from you, get to know them. Learn from the process and the conversations. You'll never get it right the first time. Their feedback, even if it's negative, is still feedback. It's an opportunity to refine your message, your product, or your approach.
For example, many of my designs started off simple because that's what I liked, but because of the feedback I got over time I realized that a lot of my customers wanted more colorful designs, so I've since pivoted to incorporate more colors into my pins.
3. Give customers a look inside your shop
Share behind the scenes, a glimpse into your real life, and why you created the brand. People want to know people, not brands, so incorporate storytelling to keep them hooked.
I share my story regularly about how I got started as a crafter by taking a chance at starting a shop while raising a toddler and leaving my social work job. My pins are also a reflection of my personal growth, so I continue to share my story with them. One of my bestselling designs, for example, includes the quote that encouraged me to start my own business.
4. Know your superpowers and your weaknesses
Running a business was the fastest way to learn about myself. I hired coaches to help me get unstuck and focus on my strengths. I was overwhelmed by all the things I thought I "should" do, like adding new product lines, working with influencers, using Pinterest, and learning Facebook ads — and it resulted in me not moving forward in some ways. I had to focus on what was working, which was using Instagram and encouraging followers to sign up for my newsletter list.
I also started outsourcing tasks I didn't enjoy. For example, I hired a graphic designer to finalize my designs and a photographer to take photos monthly, saving me time to focus on other areas. Many business owners have a hard time outsourcing and managing all the different aspects of business — I was able to embrace my limitations and that's how I grew.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant delays in production, which initially slowed sales for about two months.
However, I wasn't discouraged. I released a new product in April, the Color Wheel Enamel Pin, which sold out within 30 minutes — customers not only asked for preorders, but requested a new color option. I received so many requests that for the first time, I allowed preorders, with the pin selling out three times in less than two months. My shop has never been busier, generating over $42,000 in sales since then.
When I started my business, I didn't want it to be perfect. I had no business training and I wanted to move past my perfectionism. I believe that's the No. 1 reason most people don't start anything — they're waiting for it to be perfectly planned out.
Planning is great, but make sure fear isn't keeping you stuck for too long — because there are people waiting for exactly what you want to offer.
Rubeena Ianigro is an intuitive business coach for creatives and the founder of The Gray Muse, an enamel pin shop for artists and makers. Her dream is to inspire creatives to step into their power and make a meaningful difference through self-expression, one pin at a time. Click here to learn more about growing your brand on Instagram.
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