Grow Your Handmade Business by Leveraging Shopify Collabs
As handmade sellers, we all know the hustle of getting our products in front of the right audience. It’s a challenge we constantly face—how to find new customers, how to get noticed, and most importantly, how to build partnerships that can fuel our business growth. Enter Shopify Collabs, a game-changing feature that helps sellers like you and me connect with influencers, creators, and partners to help expand our reach. Today, I'm sharing how I've personally used Shopify Collabs for big success and how you can make the most of it too!
What Is Shopify Collabs?
Shopify Collabs is a platform integrated within Shopify that allows sellers to partner with influencers and content creators. By doing so, handmade sellers can expand their brand’s visibility and grow their customer base with authentic marketing. This tool is designed to make influencer marketing easier, connecting sellers with influencers who are passionate about promoting products to their followers.
Instead of manually finding and vetting influencers or creators, Shopify Collabs simplifies the process by providing a network of influencers who are already ready to collaborate. With the right match, these collaborations can lead to massive exposure, new customers, and increased sales.
In a nutshell, Shopify Collabs gives you access to:
A network of influencers and creators ready to promote products
Tools to manage collaborations, track performance, and pay commissions easily
The ability to create affiliate programs to incentivize partners
For handmade sellers, this is particularly powerful because it helps you tap into influencers who already have loyal followers who value creativity, craftsmanship, and unique products—an ideal match for small-batch, artisan brands.
My Experience with Shopify Collabs
I’ve been using Shopify Collabs for over a year now, and let me tell you, it’s been a game-changer for my handmade business. Before, I used to manually reach out to influencers, negotiate deals, and then cross my fingers that they’d post about my products. It was time-consuming and didn’t always yield great results.
With Shopify Collabs, I was able to connect with influencers who already aligned with my brand, and the platform made it incredibly easy to track their impact on my sales. I no longer had to guess if a partnership was working or not—the data was right there.
Real-World Example: One of my most successful campaigns through Shopify Collabs was when I teamed up with a lifestyle influencer who was known for promoting eco-friendly and handmade products. After a few conversations through the Shopify Collabs platform, we agreed to a partnership. I sent her a few of my handmade soaps and candles, and within a week, she posted an Instagram Reel featuring my products in her cozy home decor setting.
The response was incredible. Within the first few hours, my website traffic spiked 10x, and by the end of the month, I had tripled the sales of that specific product line. The best part? These were not just one-time customers—they returned to buy other products later.
We get hundreds of requests every month for one of my brands. I'll go over how to vet applicants and best practices in a future blog post. If you have any specific questions, let me know so I can make sure to address your concerns.
Through Shopify Collabs, I’ve been able to replicate this process with other influencers and creators, leading to a consistent flow of new customers and organic growth.
How Shopify Collabs Can Benefit Handmade Sellers
Amplified Reach Without Huge Ad Budgets As handmade sellers, we don’t always have the massive marketing budgets that big companies do. Shopify Collabs allows you to tap into influencers who already have a built-in audience. You get the benefit of their reach without spending thousands on ads.
Build Authentic Partnerships The key to influencer marketing is authenticity. Your potential customers want to buy from brands they trust, and influencers help create that bridge. With Shopify Collabs, you can partner with influencers whose values align with your brand, ensuring their followers are genuinely interested in your handmade products.
Increase in Sales Influencers know how to showcase products in a way that resonates with their followers. When they present your handmade products in their authentic, day-to-day life, it naturally boosts curiosity and drives sales. Through my own use of Shopify Collabs, I’ve seen an increase in repeat customers who were introduced to my brand through influencer partnerships.
Simple, Automated Management One of the best parts of Shopify Collabs is how easy it is to manage. You can track every sale made through an influencer’s efforts, handle payouts, and adjust your strategy based on real-time data. Gone are the days of blindly guessing if your collaborations are paying off.
How to Get Started with Shopify Collabs
Here’s a quick step-by-step on how to begin leveraging Shopify Collabs for your handmade business:
Sign Up for Shopify Collabs If you already have a Shopify store, head over to the Shopify Collabs app to sign up. This will give you access to the platform’s features and allow you to connect with influencers and creators.
Create Your Campaign Decide what kind of campaign you want to run. Are you offering free products in exchange for social media shoutouts, or are you setting up an affiliate program with commission-based payouts? Shopify Collabs allows for both, so choose what works best for your business.
Find Influencers Use Shopify Collabs’ tools to browse through influencers and creators who align with your niche. Reach out to them, pitch your products, and set up the terms of the collaboration.
Track Performance Once the campaign is live, you can track metrics like clicks, sales, and engagement to see how well the collaboration is performing. This data allows you to tweak and refine your approach for future campaigns.
The Downsides of Shopify Collabs
While I love Shopify Collabs, it’s important to be aware of some of the challenges. One downside is that it can be expensive for retailers who list a lot of products or are just starting out. However, I’ve found that this also weeds out retailers who aren’t serious about selling, leaving you with partners who are more likely to drive actual sales.
The platform is also still growing, so while there are a lot of creators and influencers to choose from, some niches may have fewer options than others. However, I expect this to improve as more people join the platform.
Explosive Growth with Shopify Collabs: How Strategic Partnerships Boosted My Brand
My experience with Shopify Collabs has been nothing short of amazing (look at the screenshot below)! The platform has helped me connect with the right influencers and brands, driving significant visibility and boosting sales. With easy tools to manage partnerships and track performance, Shopify Collabs has been a game-changer in expanding my reach and accelerating growth.
Even though our last promotion was over 90 days ago, the collab is still generating sales today—it's the gift that keeps on giving! Through Shopify Collabs, I’ve been able to build partnerships that continue to drive visibility, engage new customers, and deliver lasting growth long after the initial campaign ended.
Conclusion: Is Shopify Collabs Worth It for Handmade Sellers?
In my experience, Shopify Collabs is an excellent tool for handmade sellers looking to scale their businesses. The ability to connect with influencers and create meaningful partnerships has been key to growing my customer base and increasing sales. While it might not be for everyone, if you’re serious about building authentic relationships with influencers and boosting your sales, Shopify Collabs is worth the investment.
Ready to give Shopify Collabs a try? Sign up and start building those connections that can take your handmade business to the next level!
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