Effective advertising strategies?

[blackhawk]

I'm looking for suggestions on advertising strategies to market my kiln dried slabs and lumber.  I haven't been able to sell anything in the past 6 weeks, rarely anybody is even looking.  I've mainly been using Facebook marketplace and also paying to boost my page posts on Facebook.  I also make posts on the only 2 local FB woodworking groups.  I do have a website, a google listing and Instagram account.  I've wondered about using radio or even a billboard.  There are about 150,000 people within a 30 minute radius of me, 100,000 of those are within 15 minutes.  I don't have a huge market to work with.

I figured things would be slow near Christmas, but thought November would be decent with woodworkers wanting lumber to make gifts.  Locally, I see a lot of people selling slabs on FB, but very rarely are any kiln dried, vast majority are green right off their mill. 

[beenthere]

woodworkers wanting lumber

I think January would be better to fit the desire for lumber. Gear up for that and hope for the best.

What are your marketing pics like? Care to post some for our critique? Also, try the FF "for sale" here with pics. A few rules to follow.

[CHill8903]

I'm taking it you're just starting out? Like anything else it's tough to build a customer base. Keep putting it in front of people and you'll slowly start building contacts.

The most important thing is to give a good product and great service at a fair price. Word of mouth is more powerful than advertising. 

I built my business when Craigslist was king and there was no marketplace. It worked well for me at the time and I really built a lot of great customers from it but eventually stopped advertising because word of mouth was carrying me.

From what I've seen lately Craigslist seems dead at least around here, and I've played around trying to sell lumber on marketplace with pretty much nothing but frustration. It seems to be filled with tire kickers and no shows.

The key is to put yourself in front of your audience, keep at the ads/Facebook posts/groups/local events, and play the long game. It's amazing how many people have said to me over the years, "I saw your ad/name/etc. and saved the number".  When you get a customer do everything you can for them. woodworkers and contractors tend to run in the same circles and they talk.

[blackhawk]

I've had a CNC/woodworking business going on for about 12 years now.  I've sold lumber here and there for all that time when I had excess, but never really pushed lumber until recently.  I bought my sawmill about 18 months ago and finished my kiln about a year ago.  I've been pushing lumber and slabs pretty hard in the past 12 months.  Yea, I agree that Craigslist is dead.  I had good success selling lumber on Craigslist before FB marketplace took over.  I just got a no show from a FB customer, so FB does have the tire kickers.

I've thought about setting up at the local Farmer's Market or craft show just to get exposure.

[Southside]

There are about 150,000 people within a 30 minute radius of me, 100,000 of those are within 15 minutes.  I don't have a huge market to work with.

There are about 250 people within 15 minutes of me.  Produce a good product and they will come. My typical customer drives an hour.

[Brad_bb]

I'm curious what your place looks like?  If a place looks like an unkept mess, that will be a turn off for many.  If wood is not stored or displayed properly, that can be a turnoff.  Like to see some pics of what customers see.  I know when I work with good people with good product, I'm a repeat customer.  Actually the two people I buy wood from I helped a little when they got started, just advising them they were undercharging for this product or that. Telling them what needs to be done to make it more appealing.  I sent one a link to a FF post about slab storage/display.  They then build it for themselves.

[blackhawk]

I appreciate the replies.  My question is really geared to advertising to get new customers for my lumber and slabs.  I've been doing my CNC router business for over 12 years, so I understand what it takes to retain customers and have been successful at that.  I'm looking for advertising strategies to pull new people in that buy lumber. 

I've been woodworking and buying lumber for over 30 years.  I definitely understand what a good lumber product is.  I definitely do not keep a messy shop or storage area, quite heavily the opposite.

[doc henderson]

any woodworker's guild or wood turner clubs?  any commercial hardwood shops. 

[Old Greenhorn]

Well regardless of the population in your area, what you are selling is of interest to a very small population of people and you need to think about finding THOSE people. Try a little bit of everything, all the stuff you have already tried, plus some flea markets, craft shows, and any other dang thing that occurs to you. The idea is not necessarily to make your money during these events but to make your contacts and find 'your people'.
We have another thread over in the general section called 'Watcha sellin' and how are you selling it?' where we share these things around. Doing shows is not a lot of fun (for me) it's a few hours or half a day to prep your stuff and load the truck, a full workday lost for the show, and more hours the day after unloading for usually very little in the pocket. BUT I make a lot of contacts and that is where the work is. Have brochures available that tell clearly what you have available and what you can do for clients. Don't sit in the back of your booth and watch folks walk by. Get out front and engage them in ANY conversation which can lead to something useful. Have lots of business cards and make them easy to grab, right out front. I see lots of folks taking my brochures for various subjects with detailed info, and I do get follow up calls on these. Many times folks get a printed piece to pass on to somebody else that will have an interest. In short, when you do a show, it is work, all day long, engaging folks in a friendly way to encourage discussion which may lead to something. If you sit in the booth and look at your phone you are wasting your day away as well as all that work.
My point is you have to try it all and make notes on what helps and what doesn't. You can never tell with these things and the weird markets we are all persueing. I did a couple of radio interview shows on a very local mountain radio station over a year ago and am still getting occasional calls from that. Funny thing was, I didn't go on there to plug my business, I was just sharing knowledge on what I had learned in doing what I do. Of course, we talked about the 'jobs' I have done, but nothing was direct. Of course, I have those interviews available on my web page that I can refer people to.
Try everything is my advice. Media these days is cheap and mostly free. Do a web page with lots of photos and clear simple explanations and maybe some educational stuff (like a video on how to finish a slab and make legs for it). Folks who find my webpage sometimes tell me that it is a rabbit hole that takes them away for a whole evening of reading. I don't know if that's good or bad, but they call me and tell me that so..... Many tell me the info I put up there helps them make the plunge and get started, so that tells me something.
Yup, just try everything, especially if it's cheap or free, It only costs you time.

[Stephen1]

The Old Greenhorn guy is correct. A website is only as good as how many people see it. How is it for proper wording for the "SEO" search engine optimize . Jeff here does good websites.  Spend money at google for  promoting your good website. I spent money the 1st year I put up my website on Google and I am now on the 1st page of search. 10 years later

[K-Guy]

Go to your local home show and approach the builders, to tell them you may have what they are looking for. Have a bunch of cards with you, a steady sale to a builder is better than the one time joe blow sale.

[YellowHammer]

Good advice here.  I also agree that the first impression can also be the last time they look your way if what they see isn't in alignment with your product line.  Imagine a mechanic who advertises he is the best in the business but cant keep an organized shop and he wants to work on my vehicle?  Nope.

I get a lot of work from bounce off old local FB adds.  I'm not sure what they are thinking when they place these adds, bit some show wood that is an immediate turn off and I tell people it's great advertisement for me, I couldn't make a board look that bad.  Yeah, buy nasty stuff form them, or premium from me.  It's a hard truth, but if your advertising doesn't look professional, then people will assume the same of your product.

You have to be sure to listen top the customers who do come in and try a little bit of everything.  It's also a true statement that you have to sell what they want to buy, not what you want to make. 

[Stevenjohn21]

I found it tough to start also but keep throwing up posts and they will trickle in.
I found it better to post 1 or 2 slabs a day  rather than all your slabs in 1 day.


I also reached out to people selling finished products like tables, desks, cutting boards etc and offered them slabs next to nothing so they couldn't say no. Once I had them looking at my setup and slabs and could talk to them face to face it was an easy sell. You won't get them all but the majority are regular customers now who pay the full asking price.

[tmbrcruiser]

I've found the wood workers are a lot of fun to sell to but only buy small quantities. I don't over look them but, my large customers are homeowners and builders. A shop that offers flooring, paneling, false beams, mantels, matching moulding and S4S lumber keeps me busy. I have one customer that has used more than 15,000 bf of lumber in his pole barn and home. The great thing about builders is they are my sales team, bringing homeowners to the shop to pick out lumber. Builders are great customers and time is the most important thing to them, do everything you can to meet their time line. I'm not a large operation but offer quality homeowners are willing to pay a little more to get.

[blackhawk]

Well, this past week was decent after going 6 weeks of selling nothing.  I had 3 sales off a FB marketplace post that had been out there for over 2 months.  I've been making more posts on my FB page lately and I have seen some interest based on that.

A few of you have mentioned good business from builders.  The one thing that I've noticed in my area is that no one is using hardwood trim in new homes.  Everyone is doing paint grade trim and built-ins here.  I know a guy that is a project manager for one of the largest builders in my area.  He said that he hasn't seen any hardwood lumber (excluding flooring) used in a new home with his company for over a year.  It is still worth trying that angle, hopefully people's tastes will change around here.

[Southside]

At building costs over $300 / SF folks are cutting corners any place they can.  Says a lot about what they are buying, come back in 10 years and take a look at how things age.

[Larry]

A little success story about my good friend, Jake, who runs Ol Loggin Sawmill here in NW Arkansas.

I have been running a sawmill since 1994 mostly hobby and sometimes for profit.  In 2017 I was running craigslist adds offering custom sawing.  Jake saw my add and asked if I would be interested in sawing for him as he was behind on orders.  I was only slightly interested as I don't like sawing away from home.  I went to his place and we agreed I would saw for a week or so.  Jake had just started his business and had quit a very good Walmart job to pursue his dream.  At this time all he had was a open air shed about 30' X 40' and a old Timberking.  I sawed for him about a week and a few more times in the next year or so.

Jake and I hit it off great, and we are still good friends.  A few days into my first gig at his place he told me he was going to build his business through social media.  As a old fart I thought he was nuts.  Every time I looked around he was on his phone, probably made one video of me sawing everyday and I don't know how many pictures he took.

Today he has 25K Instagram followers, 20K on Facebook, and a bunch on Utube.  From his first open air shed in the beginning he now has two huge climate controlled shops, with a I-Dry in one.  He sells live edge slabs nation wide and has his own brand of epoxy on the shelves in Walmart.  I think three or four employees.

Browse his website and now ya know how he got started.

[low_48]

From what I see on reddit with new woodworkers, they only know that the box store sells wood and no where else. So they use 2x4s and skids. It could also have to do with lack of spendable cash. I'd suggest you have an open house at your place and put an ad on Marketplace for that event. Have a little discount for that day, and maybe show your price list on Marketplace too. Are you only selling rough sawn? Lots of beginners can't afford the machinery to mill the rough sawn. Advertise milling the stock and make money on that labor. Flattening slabs has become a business of its own. If your CNC is big enough, advertise that too.

[Stephen1]

I had 2 ladies come pick up some small charcuterie stock from me. the 1 lady is in marketing for a large corporation. They were in awe  at what I had in my shop. They told me to start showing off my shop and it contents as they thought thy were going to someones back yard or front porch for a pick up.
that's part of plan going forward. A larger presences on social media and even as simple as market place.

[Oth]

Visit all your local cabinet shops. Make a line of hats with your logo/business name and give them away to folks who will evangelize your business.