Stones of Autumn
Setting up shop online, on ETSY, can be a lot of hard work and especially at the beginning. I have been a successful jewelry artist with my customers that I see at jewelry parties, or talk with on the phone, and the online world for me was a little scary and overwhelming. I was so used to the word by mouth and referral customers that I didn’t know where to start when it came to selling on ETSY, and I am still learning day by day. I hope the information I provide is this blog can help steer you the right way.
1. Have Business Cards With Your Etsy Shop On Them. Some of the most business you will get will be from who you know, and who knows you. A great step to getting your name and your ETSY shop out in the open is to hand out business cards that have all your company’s information on them. I have had a few people call me that I met while out on Karokee night, who said they absolutely love my stuff, and will be purchasing in the near future. You may not have immediate sales (also since it is summer, slower shopping season) but when they are in the market for a nice gift they’ll think of you and that card you gave them.
2. Start a Blog. Starting a blog is a great way for people to get to know who you are and helps potential customers find you. People love content, and they love knowing the artist behind the shop. Plus, it is a great way to educate people on what you know. Advice can go a long way in gathering new customers, so share what you know and you would be surprised how many people will just love you for it! I enjoy writing in my blog, it makes me feel more connected with people interested in jewelry.
3. Market Yourself Through Social Networks. Social Networking Sites are a great way to market yourself online and also a great way to make a close niche of friends who have the same interests as you. It is also a great tool for marketing. There are intems on ETSY, such as ETSY Mini, you can add to your blog on MYSPACE or send out as a bullentin to all your friends. You can submit pictures on your site of some of your newest creations as well as blogs on your current projects in the pipeline.
4.Get Involved on ETSY! I think one of the best ways to get yourself known on ETSY is to be involved and make friends through Virtual Labs, Chat, and the Forums. Offer advice, and ask questions. These places are here to help you, as well as get to know you. Just remember sellers are also buyers, and the more they see your AVATAR in the forums the more likely they are going to see whats in your shop. There are also great places to go and promote yourself on the forums! They are one of my favorite places to visit on ETSY.
5. Showcase and Treasure Yourself. It is a great way for people to find you, especially if you are in the jewelry business and find your listings getting lost among the other talented artists.
Some other useful sites that I like to use:
Have fun, promote, and get yourself out there. Having ETSY shop is suppose to be fun, but also remember to market yourself so people can find you.
Diane said,
August 14, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Great ideas! Here is another :
http://www.socialmarker.com
This is an excellent way to use one site to submit your info to 47 different social sites
Propeller.com, Slashdot.org, Digg.com, Technorati.com
Del.icio.us, Stumbleupon.com, Twitter.com, Reddit.com
Tagza.com, Fark.com, Newsvine.com, Furl.net, swik.net
Connotea.org, Links Marker, Sphinn.com, Blinklist.com
Faves.com, Mister-wong.com, Spurl.net, Netvouz.com
Diigo.com, Backflip.com, Rawsugar.com, Bibsonomy.org
Folkd.com, Linkagogo.com, Indianpad.com, Plugim.com
Myjeeves.ask.com, Buddy Marks, Connected, MyLinkVault
Google Bookmarks, Jumptags.com, Fetch, OYAX, A1 Webmarks
Bookmark Tracker, myVmarks, Mixx.com, Wirefan.com
Danogo.com, Symbaloo, Ximmy, Health Ranker,
Ka-Boom-It.com
Good luck with your social marketing!
Best,
D
http://mygemstonebox.blogspot.com
Simple yet elegant jewerly that is art you wear!
Rachael said,
August 15, 2008 at 12:31 am
Thanks for the advice! I have just started selling on Etsy and it’s quite overwhelming!
Cathy said,
August 16, 2008 at 2:42 am
Thanks for all the information, and thanks to Diane also. All help is appriciated.
Promote me said,
August 16, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Good web 2.0 standards and ideals in there, presented well. Good job! Also check out the Promote Me directory.
Nora Anne said,
August 25, 2008 at 3:29 am
Great advice, I am new to Etsy and this info will be very helpful!
Candi said,
December 8, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Thanks for the tips. I am an Etsy newbie looking for ways to get my store out there. This is some great information!
Amy said,
December 11, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Thank you for the advice. I’m trying to figure out how socialmarker works.
Pam said,
March 6, 2009 at 6:04 pm
I just tried social marker for the first time after reading these posts. It is not as quick as it claims it is, but it is worth the time. While there are many social networking sites, after a limited amount of time, I found that technorati, reddit and digg are the best. As soon as I used them and submitted my content, the info was on google when I searched my business name.
pumpki3 said,
March 17, 2009 at 5:39 am
Thanks for all the great info, I’m going to try to figure out how to use socialmarker!
flawlessart said,
July 7, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Thank you ,great start
Wild Magnolia Studio said,
August 5, 2009 at 5:58 pm
Thanks for the tips!
I use SocialMarker for articles I write (unrelated to my Etsy shop, for now). The first several times you use it, it take a while, because it requires and it you to sign up for these social marker sites if you don’t already have accounts. But once you start using it regularly and it has your account info in its system, it really is helpful and much quicker
. Great if you have a blog! I’ll have to start submitting my shop with it!