Social Media: Choosing a Platform

Friends Rock Greeting Card from SomeOddGirl

As Etsians we are constantly hearing that we should be participating in social media. Not only should we be on Facebook and Twitter, but Tumblr, StumbleUpon, Flickr, Kaboodle, Pinterest, Ning, and YouTube. Maybe that's an exaggeration, but you don't have to do it all. You don't have to do any of it if you don't want. Social media is only one aspect of marketing and it's up to you to decide if it fits into the overall scheme for you and your shop. If you decide to move forward, start small. Find one platform to use and once you're comfortable there, maybe add another.

When you're just starting up it's easiest to go with one of the larger, more well-known sites like Facebook or Twitter. Essentially these sites work the same sharing information like pictures, listings, upcoming shows, and random tid bits. How you interact in these communities is very different, however, so do your research before making a decision.

If you're looking to grow your social media presence, it's time to branch out into sites which will allow you to reach a more specific market. If you take great photos, sharing them on Flickr is a great idea. Here you can add your images to specific groups for interested users to see. Ravelry is a site dedicated to knitters and crocheters. DeviantArt is for artists to share their work in various media like photography, digital art, and traditional art forms. Kaboodle is a social shopping site. There are hundreds more, so with a little searching you can find one for you.

For your homework, first, decide if social media is right for you. Decide if you have the time and want to make the effort to participate in these communities. Secondly, if you decide to dive in or take on more, do some research to pick out the platform that best fits you. Let us know what you choose! 

Little Bit of Sunshine

1. Party Pack of Simple Flower Rings by JustJaynes

2. Paper Dolls Bean Bags Set by ABShoppe

3. Handmade Necklace with Stoneware Robin Pendant by AliceHuntStudio

4. Delicate Drops 14k gold filled earrings by CatherineMarissa

Click here to see the complete treasury by MariaSoleil

Hello Spring

1. Sleeveless Wrap Cardigan Baby Blue by MiloCreativeStudios

2. Simply Beauty Butterfly Tags by MariaSoleil

3. Pandora Style Lampwork Glass Bead by giapet

4. Birdcage Walk Recycled Designer Wallpaper by VidaDesigns

Click here to see the complete treasury by CatherineMarissa

Simple SEO: In-bound Links

Sterling Silver Keep Calm Carry On Charm Necklace by JustJaynes

Oh no! It's that ever confusing, overwhelming acronym - SEO! Don't worry. Keep calm. We're going to work through this together. While SEO is a complex topic there are some simple ways to help improve your Etsy shop's search-ability.

Let's back up one second. What is SEO? Search Engine Optimization. In the broadest sense it is a tactic for how we can fine tune our shops to help customers find us via search engines like Google and Bing. 

One aspect of SEO is in-bound links. These are links found all over the web that lead to your shop. You want to have these - lots of these. When a search engine sees that there are links going into your shop, it builds your shop's credibility. It shows that people find your shop interesting and relevant and can bump your shop up in search results.

Here's what we do here on the blog to help your in-bound links. Every member shop with 5+ items has an EtsyMini under our Members List tab. 1 link. Every time we feature a team treasury you've made there is a link to your shop. 1 more link. Each time you have an item in one of those mini treasuries there are 2 links - one to the item and one to your shop.

Now, here is what you can do this week. Insert links to your shop within your shop. Yes - these count! There are a lot of ways to do this, but one of the easiest is to end each of your item listings with a simple statement like "continue shopping here" with a link to your shop home page. If you want to go above and beyond try incorporating links into your profile, shop policies, and even shop announcement. Remember, these links can connect to anywhere in your shop and still benefit SEO. That includes to your profile, policies, listings, and shop sections.

Off to do your homework and be sure to report back! Look for a new task every Monday.

What to do when sales are slow

A question was posed in our weekly chat thread. “What do you do when sale are slow?” So I started the next thread with that topic and many teammates contributed! Here are the responses.

LaShelle of MyButterflyHeaven says to work on new ideas, retake less than quality pictures, organize your work space, etc.

Maria of MomNMiaQuilts
The most important thing you can do is keep at it. If you have a lag, take advantage of the time to build up your inventory, improve your pictures, advertise outside of Etsy. If you don't have new items to list, then renew a few things each day. I know a lot of people don't like to do that, but I can tell you that it definitely works for me.

Carla of CarlasInspirations says
Find new avenues to promote outside of Etsy to bring people in.




Cathy of JustJaynes list includes:
Brainstorm blog ideas

Brainstorm newsletter ideas
Build my newsletter list
Converse and promote on Twitter
Check tags and description
Redesign or markdown items that haven't sold

Laura of ShowerTreatSoap
My tip would be to sell on more than one venue if you can. Craft shows, online, in a store, fundraisers, maybe even wholesale.



Julie of CelebrateToday says
My biggest tip lately is to look for new ideas that get you excited again.




Nicole of LEFTright:
I'm new at all this, so when I have slow times I'm reading advise from other sucessful shops as well as working on new products. SEO, product descriptions, photography... so much to learn! I think if you have a blog it is a good time to post tutorials or contests to drive traffic to your shop.

CatherineMarissa:
when sales are slow - - I get off the computer. :) I pull out some of my old materials and try to think of new ways to use them. I might take some new photos or consider items I could remove from the shop to streamline it.

Peg of Abacusbeadcreations:
For me it's retaking pictures. That's a never ending struggle. And also, I'd say it's a good time to catch up on all the boring bookkeeping and inventory work that always gets put at the bottom of the list. It's always horrible to tackle months of that stuff at a time, so I try to work on it a couple times a month.

RECTurnings expanded into creating supplies for other sellers.





Janice of 2CraftyChix says:
I have no true downtime. I am making inventory for the up coming shows. I have taken the time to take pics and add listings. I did not do that as much last year and I do have better sales this year from it.


Debbie of NewBagsByAnOldBag says
In my downtime I usually work on stocking up products for the craft shows coming up.



Melissa of Rainwaterstudios says
I blog, twitter, facebook and offer giveaways when my sales are slow. Don't make the giveaways so complicated that no one wants to participate though, 3 steps is good, like ~ become a fan or like me on facebook, twitter, leave a comment on my blog, add yourself to my circle on etsy, things like that help.

Kristie of Beadenchanting says
I haven't had a sale since the beginning of January, but i have been keeping busy with other aspects of my "hobby" (jewelry making, that is): making more jewelry, learning as much as possible about facebooking, etsy, reading about marketing, promoting,....

SallyManke gave us this great tip!
I also carry one of my bags then capture anyone who makes a comment, do a 30 commercial and pop a business card in their hands. Hubby keeps my business cards in his wallet as well.


We hope some of these suggestions inspire you to try a new form of promoting your shop and selling more of your awesome handmade goods!