How to sell 110 small pieces of plastic for $90

You thought this was going to be another post about LEGO, didn’t you. Not this time. Today, I am talking about keycaps! Keycaps, if you can’t tell from the name, are the plastic keys on your keyboard that you press down on to activate the key mechanism, which sends a signal to the board, which then sends a signal to your computer telling it you just pressed a key.

In case you’re not confused yet, here’s a diagram:

Over the past year I have become something of a keyboard enthusiast (who even knew that was a thing, right?) and lately my attention has been directed at high-end keycaps built for high-end key mechanisms. Those look more like the diagram to the right.

Anyway, I fear that I may be spilling my candy in the lobby, and answering unasked questions. The point I am coming to is based in Pink’s notion that the Internet, instead of making sales obsolete, has transformed more people into sellers. (p. 427).

Companies like Signature Plastics, who manufacture absurdly high-quality keycaps in a variety of different plastic types, textures, shapes, and colors, dominate a very niche market. There is very little chance that they could survive for long in a retail environment like a shopping mall. However, there is also very little demand for their services in the B2B market, since most keyboard manufacturers manufacture their own keycaps as cheaply as possible to save money.

Consequently, lots of people who use keyboards don’t even know that the keycaps come off, much less that they can be replaced with new ones that feel and look nicer.

How do keycap manufacturers reach their audience without the budget for a brick and mortar store, much marketing, or call centers? Internet Guerilla Marketing! These companies use the keyboard enthusiast communities of reddit.com/r/mechanicalkeyboards, MassDrop, and others to spread awareness of their products and promotions. Members of these communities voluntarily, and without compensation, keep religiously up to date on the latest technologies and products in the keyboard and keycap industries, and are usually more than happy to share their wealth of knowledge with anyone who will listen (take me, for example).

The actual sale takes place when a company like Signature Plastics holds an interest check for a group buy (where a group of people pledge to buy something together, almost like a kickstarter). All they have to do is sell the new product to a small handful of enthusiasts, who will then sell it to the masses and rile up enough support to initiate the group buy.

This is  a really interesting form of sales, in my opinion. Also, if you’re interested in breaking into the world of keyboards, shoot me an email! I’d love to help you find a product that fits your needs 😉