176 | Stop Relying on Social Media to Pitch Your Products with Mei Pak, Creative Hive Co

Hey friends! I am super excited for you to listen in on today’s conversation with Mei Pak, founder of Creative Hive Co. and Tiny Hands. She’s been running her creative, handmade business since 2006 and coaching makers since 2014. She even taught her husband how to start selling personalized art and now makes over $55,000 per month in sales! Mei is all about creating a consistent income without relying too much on social media. In this episode, you’ll hear the 4 steps for pitching your products to media outlets and the difference of proactive versus reactive marketing. She talks about leveraging Facebook ads to generate sales and why she recommends learning, testing and DIYing over hiring an agency. We also touched on why you HAVE to know your numbers and ensure that your products are priced correctly before jumping into paid advertising.  This episode is jam-packed with SO much tactical, strategic advice and concrete examples - so grab a notebook and let’s dive in!   ON TODAY’S EPISODE: The biggest mistake product based business owners making as they try to grow and scale How Mei leverages press outreach  The 4 steps she takes to get mentioned in the media Why you have to follow-up after a pitch When is the best time to pitch products for inclusion in gift guides How Facebook Ads are an underutilized tool for artists and makers The importance of knowing your numbers  A less intimidating way to get your feet wet with paid advertising Why she’s starting a sister brand for her business What she’s doing in her business to make the experience richer for students Her vision with having a membership program RESOURCES:Creative Live   MEET MEI: I teach makers, artists and designers how to start a handmade business from scratch and grow it into a full time living (and more) with consistent traffic and sales to your website. I've been running my own creative, handmade small business since 2006, started coaching in 2014 and in 2019, taught my husband how to start his own online store selling personalized art for the family, which now makes $55,000/month in sales. My goal is to help you make a consistent income from selling your handmade products online, without using Etsy or relying too much on social media!    CONNECT WITH MEI:   Website: http://www.creativehiveco.com Website: https://tinyhandsonline.com/ Instagram: @creativehiveco Facebook: @creativehiveco YouTube: @creativehiveco Email: [email protected]   SLOW STEADY GROWTH ARE HOW STRONG BUSINESSES ARE BUILT Building a business is a long game, won with patience, fortitude, intentional decisions and passion.​ Inside Proof to Product LABS, you’ll receive the support, education and accountability to move your business towards your goals.   ​Join Proof to Product Labs, our 12-month group coaching program built specifically for product based business owners. SUBSCRIBE To subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to Proof to Product. On Android, you can listen using your favorite podcast app.  WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other product based business owners find Proof to Product as they are working to up level, scale, and build profitable and sustainable companies. FOLLOW PROOF TO PRODUCT Follow Proof to Product on Instagram for the latest updates. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST If you'd like to receive more information about our upcoming episodes of Proof to Product including show notes and information about our guests, head over to www.prooftoproduct.com and sign up for our email list.   SHARE Be sure to share Proof to Product with all of the product based business owners that you know!  ABOUT PROOF TO PRODUCT: Proof to Product is hosted by Katie Hunt. Since 2011, Proof to Product has worked with thousands of product based businesses to help them up level, scale, and build profitable sustainable companies. You can find our show notes and additional resources at ProofToProduct.com. If you like what you heard today, please head over to Apple Podcast to leave a five star review and subscribe. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next week with a new episode!