Alright guys, buckle up because today I’m spilling the beans on leather ad struggles – something I banged my head against for months! Felt like shouting into a void, ya know?
My Starting Point: Pure Frustration
Picture this: I poured my soul into making gorgeous leather wallets and belts. Felt super proud! Slapped some product pics on my socials, wrote “Look at my cool leather things!”… and crickets. Maybe my mom liked one post. So I threw some cash at ads. Felt scary, like burning money. Got views alright, but clicks? Nah. Nobody cared. Felt defeated. Like, seriously, what am I doing wrong here?
Flipping the Script (My Trial & Error Phase)
Stumbled onto this advice somewhere: “Show the journey, not just the shiny thing.” Huh. Interesting. Grabbed my phone, walked over to my messy workshop bench. Started filming. Not fancy stuff, real stuff. Rolled the camera while cutting thick cowhide – that satisfying thunk sound. Showed my hands all stained, sanding edges smooth. Just raw clips, nothing polished. Didn’t even show the finished wallet for that first video! Posted it as a “sneak peek.” Weirdly… people actually commented! “Whoa, didn’t realize it took that!” they said. Lightbulb moment for me.
So I planned the next few posts differently. No sales pitch yet. Just stories:
- Made a short video explaining why I picked that particular buckle for a belt (“tough like the leather!”).
- Posted a comparison pic: cheap peeling leather vs. my veg-tanned stuff aging beautifully over time. Got mad angry emojis at the cheap stuff!
- Shared a blooper reel – me messing up a stitch and having to restart a whole piece. People laughed with me.
Started seeing folks tagging friends in comments: “This is what I meant about real craftsmanship!” That organic sharing felt like gold. Way better than paid views.
Putting the “Sell” in After Showing Up
Okay, groundwork done. People kinda knew me now. Time to actually gasp talk about my products… differently. Instead of “BUY MY WALLET,” I wrote captions like: “Spent 3 months hammering out the design on this beast. Think it finally holds ALL my loyalty cards AND my sanity!” Made it human. Attached a simple link below that sentence, no flashing arrows.
Tracked which stories got buzz – that buckle explanation? Huge hit. So ran a tiny, targeted ad campaign pushing that specific belt, linking back to the story post where I explained the buckle. Kept it super short: “Need a belt buckle that won’t quit? We’ve been through some things…”
Here’s the Juice – What Actually Clicked
After flailing around, here’s what made my ads actually work:
- Got Real Before Selling: Stopped posing. Showed sweat, mistakes, and real passion.
- Talked “Why” Not Just “What”: Explained choices (buckles, leather types) like I would to a friend.
- Let the Product Work Later: Built some interest first. Then, mentioning it felt natural.
- Targeted Based on Story: Ran small ads to reach people interested in that specific story or item, not just “leather stuff.”
- Kept Links Simple & Last: Didn’t shove buying down their throat. Link was there if they wanted it, after the connection.
Suddenly… sales trickled in. Then more. That belt? Sold my entire stock in 2 weeks, full price. People messaged saying “loved seeing how it was made!” Felt less like selling, more like sharing something people valued. Game changer, friends. Hope this messy journey helps!
