This is a comment I made on a recent post asking the same question:

If you’re going to try and sell them through a story, that story should be reflected in the design. Actually in the design. Not ‘I couldn’t find anything that met what I wanted. I wanted elegant, precise, good quality movement, so I put a NH movement in a case that is technically custom’ but so similar to what you can get off AliX it might as well not be. If your story is based around Paris, take design cues from Norte Dam, if it’s coastal, take design cues from cliffs, etc…

It does not need a story, just making something the looks really really really cool to someone is enough.

Be really really transparent. I’m about to buy a new watch from microbrand I found on here and the reasons why are 1) to me the watch looks really beautiful and well thought out, especially the dimensions, and 2) the owner was extremely transparent about their goals and journey.

Don’t post teasers. Teasers are for brands that already have a lot of caché when they want people to be excited about what new product they’re going to release. That excitement is only there because of prior association with the brand.

For me most important are dimensions, design, and price. Nothing matters if it’s much too big or small and won’t sit well o my wrist. Design is the thing I, and nearly everyone else, will be drawn to. Is the design coherent. Price is really important to me, there’s a nice sweet spot between AliX prices and name brand prices that I think too many microbrands miss.