Soap Makers Guide to Marketing

You may make the greatest soap on the market, but if your packaging is plain and un-inviting, you may be missing out on a lot of sales! People may like the look of homemade items, but "homemade" doesn't mean your products have to look un-professional. Consider jazzing up your packaging. Creating "eye candy" for your retail market will, without a doubt, draw customers your way. There are many ways to package your soap to make it more attractive to the buyer.

Let's start with individual packaging:

Do you simply wrap your soap in plastic wrap, pop a label on it and call it quits? If you are making your soap from scratch, packaging this way is a no-no. Your soap needs to breathe, and the plastic wrap blocks the airflow. If your soap is made from a "melt and pour" base, a quick and easy step up from plastic wrap is to place your soap into a crystal clear cellophane bag and tie it with a pretty ribbon. Place your label sticker on the back or make a nice hangtag to attach to the ribbon. Be sure to name your soap and include contact information on the label.

If you still prefer the simple, clean look of plastic wrap, try using shrink-wrap instead. It gives very professional looking results, and there is less chance of your soap becoming un-wrapped. Shrink-wrap is available in pouches and rolls. To use the pouches, place your soap in the pouch and fold the open end under your soap. Trim if necessary. Secure the open end with clear packing tape. If you are using a roll, cut off the amount needed and wrap completely around the soap securing the open ends at the bottom. Using a hair dryer or a heat gun, slowly swipe hot air across the soap with side-to-side movements. Too much direct heat can melt your soap. You should visibly see the shrink-wrap shrink before your eyes and tighten around your soap. If you plan to shrink wrap large quantities of soap, you may want to invest in a heat sealer to secure the ends of your shrink-wrap.

If your soap is geared more toward the natural crowd, a simple, yet elegant sleeve of corrugated paper tied with ribbon or raffia would work nicely. Your soap bar is then exposed to the air (an important factor when working with soap made from scratch - oils and sodium hydroxide), and customers can easily view the color and texture.

An alternative to a soap sleeve is a natural paper wrapping. Natural paper can be bought from craft stores in large rolls similar to those used for wrapping paper. Cut it to size and wrap your bar soap as you would a package. Hot glue works better than tape to secure the ends.

Tulle, most often used for wedding favors, is a mesh fabric perfect for displaying your creations. It is available in a wide variety of colors and comes in circles or rolls. Wrap your soap in it and tie with a ribbon. Or, instead of wrapping a large bar soap, consider wrapping three smaller "guest-sized" soaps in it. It's a great addition to a guest "welcome" package. They would also make lovely wedding favors!

Group Packaging:

Items grouped together in a package look great, and people like it as a fast and easy gift. Fill a basket halfway with unprinted newspaper or tissue paper and cover with tissue shreds or other gift basket "filler" (available at party stores and craft stores). Place items in the basket with taller items in the back and smaller items in front. Try to keep an odd number of items in the basket. Five items grouped together look better than six. Tuck a couple of small color coordinated silk flowers in between items to bring everything together. Place the entire basket on a large sheet of cellophane wrap and bring the ends together at the top. Tie with a large ribbon or shrink-wrap the entire basket.

Use your imagination when it comes to your packaging. Check out items for sale in the stores. Look at other crafters' wares online or at craft shows. Experiment with containers and wraps. There are literally hundreds of different items available for creating a beautiful product! Soap making suppliers online usually sell packaging items as well. Try http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com or http://www.brambleberry.com for soap specific packaging products. Or, for gift baskets, tulle, raffia, shrink-wrap, and a whole host of other goodies, try http://www.nashvillewraps.com.

Remember, if someone has never tried your soap, your presentation is everything! Once a customer buys your product they can marvel over its great quality. Hit them from all sides and make them remember you. They'll come back for more. The possibilities are endless!