This Black Friday, while the world races for bargains, we at Folksy are celebrating The Real Deal – real craft, real makers, real stories. It’s not about slashing prices; it’s about shining a light on the true value of handmade.
Black Friday can be a stressful weekend for small makers, so we wanted to do something a little different. We’re here to champion small businesses, celebrate craft, and help you share your story with shoppers who truly appreciate it.
We don’t just want to talk the talk about supporting small and handmade… so this year, we’re giving all our Folksy Plus sellers free commission over the Black Friday weekend. Yup – that’s 0% commission from Friday 28th to Sunday 30th November. So if there ever was a time to get involved and promote your shop – now is the time to do it!
Whether you’re just starting out or have been selling for years, there’s a place for you to join in. And don’t worry – we’ve created a full Real Deal Toolkit to make it super easy for you to shout from the rooftops that you’re the real deal too.
Tag Yourself In
Want to be part of our Real Deal showcase? It’s easy: tag your products with ‘the real deal’ on Folksy. You don’t have to tag them all, feel free to handpick a selection of your favourites.
This will create a curated collection of handmade products that celebrates the very best of our makers. You can tag as many products as you like – but to make sure each shop shines equally, only a limited number of products per seller will appear at a time. When that item sells, another of your tagged products will automatically take its place.
This is your chance to show the world what makes your craft special, connect with buyers who love handmade, and celebrate your story alongside other amazing makers.
The Folksy team will be using this collection to populate a ‘Real Deal’ curated showcase, highlighting the products that represent the incredible skill and craftsmanship of Folksy sellers.
The Real Deal Toolkit
To make taking part even easier, we’ve put together a free toolkit packed with everything you need:
- Canva Templates
- Printable signs / mini posters
- Find the template here
- Perfect for in-person events or studio displays, we have include a space to upload your own QR code directing traffic back to your shop. To create your QR code visit the Adobe Express Free QR code generator.
- Email Newsletter Inspiration
- Here is a template header image
- Consider including:
- A short introduction to the campaign such as: “This Black Friday, while the world races for bargains, I am joining Folksy to slow things down and celebrate The Real Deal – real craft, real makers, real stories. It’s not about slashing prices; it’s about shining a light on the true value of handmade.”
- A selection of your products
- A link to your social media so your subscribers can see behind the scenes and sneak previews of new product launches in the future
- A link to the Folksy ‘The Real Deal’ landing page so they can find out more about supporting the real deal over Folksy weekend
If you’d like more support with what to share on social media over the weekend, head to our ‘The Real Deal Social Media Hub’ for dozens of ideas and inspiration to kickstart your creativity when it comes to creating content for socials over The Real Deal weekend.
Tip: You don’t need to use everything – pick the elements that feel right for your shop and style.
Scheduling Guide
Here’s a rough suggested guide for posting on social media during The Real Deal weekend:
Friday
- Midnight–7am: Static post announcing participation (you can also use our ‘Real Deal’ Folksy Friday template)
- 2pm: Stories
- 7-11pm: Reel/Carousel
Saturday
- Late morning: Reel/Carousel + Stories
Sunday
- Late morning: Stories
- 7-11pm: Reel/Carousel
Monday
- 6–9am: Round-up post thanking customers for supporting The Real Deal
Don’t worry if you can’t post exactly on time – this is just a helpful suggestion to get the most out of the weekend.
Tip: You can make your posts in advance and schedule them using a tool like Facebook Business Suite, Canva, Planoly, Buffer, Hootsuite, Loomly, Sprout Social or Preview App to make it easier.
Share Your Content With Us
We’d love to feature your videos and photos! Share your content via WeTransfer (send to clara@folksy.co.uk, and include your shop name and social media handle in the message) ahead of the weekend, and we’ll be resharing our favourites across the weekend.
Let’s Celebrate The Real Deal
Black Friday doesn’t have to be all chaos and discounts. Let’s slow things down and make it about what truly matters – real craft, real stories, and real makers, and let’s help our customers realise that too! We can’t wait to see your products, your process, and your stories!
#TheFolksyRealDeal
