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Scott McClellan | Episode 496
Scott McClellan is a wood fire potter from northern Utah. Scott received his BFA from Utah State University. He then worked as a Studio Technician at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, and a Resident Artist at Taos Clay. Scott then received an MFA from the University of Missouri. Scott is currently the Wood Fire Resident at The Clay Studio of Missoula.
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What made you start to do more marketing for yourself?
I had a storage unit full of pots. I moved them from Columbia to Missoula and I was just thinking, I’m making these pots and they are an expense just to keep them around. It was a little bit painful, you know, you make a mug, the life of that mug is for it to go out and let somebody drink out of it. These pots aren’t fulfilling their purpose and I just really wanted them to live the life that they were intended to live. I just really wanted to get them out there. You do pottery because you sincerely believe it’s going to affect somebody so I wanted them to get out there and do what they were intended to do.
What made you choose Instagram as your main marketing tool?
Just the immediacy of the image. It’s all visual. You have something you are working on, you snap a picture, upload it. Take a picture of a pot, upload it, the image of your work is there and the description is a little more brief than it would normally be on Facebook or other things. So it is more about the image than text.
When you started marketing yourself more did you see a rise in followers?
Yes, I think people can find you if you are putting hashtags out there. If you are posting more there is probably some algorithm that you are appearing more in the search feed and things like that. If other people are seeing you more they are more likely to talk about you and share.
Was there a direct correlation to how many followers you had to how many sales you made? As your followers grew did your sales grow?
I don’t think there was a direct correlation. I think I had most of my followers before my sales kind of picked up. But just making sure my followers were aware of my sales when they are happening. I could put a bunch of pots in my shop and not ever talk about it and nobody is going to make it to my website to find it.
Was there consistency that you saw a result from?
Yes, for sure. It was me being more consistent with posting. Another thing is when I would have a sale before this last one, I would post about it the first day of the sale, a bunch of pots would fly out and then nothing moves for another month. So there is a direct correlation to how many people missed your post or just needed a reminder. They had the intention to pick something up but then, life happens. So seeing it 2 or 3 times they get on your website and buy something.
Do you think the 4 to 5 rule comes into play? That people need to see something 4 to 5 times before they purchase?
Yes, that seems to be pretty accurate from what I can see.
Do you have a way to capture email addresses?
When somebody buys something I get their email through my website. This was the first time I sent out an email to everybody that was on my list. I think that helped.
How do you have money collection set up?
My website runs through eCommerce and the eCommerce is linked to Paypal. If somebody does a sale that is not through my website I will just have them send the money through Paypal.
When you say sale do you mean a discount or when you have uploaded things to your shop?
When I just upload stuff. I usually offer something every time I do a new update, like free shipping the first day or a percentage off. When I say sale I just mean having pots available that are new and that I am pushing again.
When you package your product do you put any extra things in the package?
I don’t and I have been thinking that I should. This last sale I was thinking I need to be buying 100 cards and putting a card in each box or something like that. It is just a nice extra touch.
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Contact:
Instagram: @mcclellanpottery