Category: Selling on Etsy (Page 4 of 4)

Read my detailed, informative and innovative blogs posts about selling on Etsy and how to sell on Etsy from e-commerce and marketing blogger, Attention Getting Marketing. From getting publicity for your Etsy shop to unlocking the mysteries of Etsy SEO to not making the same mistakes other Etsy shops have made, Attention Getting covers every possible topic to help your optimize your Etsy shop and make it a success. I have been a seller on Etsy myself since 2012, so I have been through all the changes and know how the marketplace works. I have also consulted and continue to consult for some of the top selling Etsy shops for years now. I write about Etsy SEO quite a bit, as the search engine changes quite a bit. My Etsy SEO guide has been a top seller on my blog and on Etsy for several years. I update it every few months to keep up with the changes. I also write about my little known but proven tips and tricks, and my guide, the 30-Day Etsy Success Guide has been a top seller on my blog and on Etsy for years. Whether you are a brand new Etsy shop or have been on Etsy for a long time, my advice will help you look at your Etsy shop in a new light and hopefully take it to the next level. My blog is a must-read for anyone selling on Etsy as well as selling on ecommerce in general to learn the best success tips.

Latest Opportunities to Get Publicity for Your Etsy Shop

March 13, 2017 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

by Gail Oliver, Online Marketing Consultant

I have spoken many times in my Ebooks and Marketing Plans how there are many publications that will frequently write about Etsy “Finds”. Sometimes the writers find you on their own, but sometimes you can pitch them the right story idea and they might just go for it.

Here are some recent Etsy “Finds” articles that I found:

Bon Appetit: The Best Shops on Etsy for Vintage Kitchenware

Vogue: 12 Brilliant Indie Beauty Brands That Started on Etsy

Footwear News: A Guide to the Coolest High-Top Sneakers on Etsy

Essence: 11 Etsy Accessories That’ll Remind Them Not To Touch Your Hair…Or Lipstick

Insider: 15 Awesome Stationery Shops You Can Find on Etsy

Now, my first advice would be to follow these writers on their social media profiles in hopes that they take notice of your Etsy shop and might consider your products for a future post (if what you sell is relevant to their audience).

Then think about a timely story idea, make sure it has a grabby headline and email the writer the idea, along with a link to one of your listings that would fit nicely as part of the story. And remember, keep the pitch short!

If you are still not sure you can do this, check out my Publicity Pitch Service or one of my Marketing Ebooks that walks you through how to write a great publicity pitch. Good luck!

WANT TO KNOW WHAT I THINK OF YOUR SHOP?

It really helps to get a professional marketing opinion and find out once and for all what is stopping your shop from being successful. Get more details about my Online Shop Critique.

Latest Customer Review

“Amazing…as usual! I am never disappointed and will continue to trust Gail’s work. I have always seen instant and positive results. Highly recommend!!! You will not be disappointed. Thanks again for your help!” Isis, Mamis Little Muse on Etsy.

5 Etsy Shop Marketing Tips for December

November 30, 2016 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

You may be busy filling Christmas orders, but don’t forget you always need to be marketing and promoting your Etsy shop, especially to avoid the upcoming January lull. So today, I am giving 5 hot tips.

5 Etsy Shop Marketing Tips for December

Everyone will be on Instagram on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day posting photos so it’s a good time to run an Instagram ad for your shop, advertising gifts people may have wanted to get but didn’t get for Christmas. In Canada and the UK, it’s called a Boxing Day sale.
If you sell wedding products, you need to run a Google, Facebook, Instagram and/or Pinterest ad for your shop starting Christmas Day and running for the next 10 days as 70% of all engagements happen on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
At mid to end of December, you will want to start sending product submissions to blogs that your target market reads for inclusion in their Valentine’s gift guides.
Pantone is announcing their Color of the Year later the first week of December so make sure to capitalize on the social media buzz it generates posting any products you have in the color or products from other non-competitive shops (in hopes they return the favor). Also, pitch to the Etsy editors any products you have in the color as they will likely be writing about it as well.
Create an after-Christmas product bundle to get rid of any overstock, out-of-date, poor selling or seasonal items.

Get more tips to drive traffic to your Etsy shop with my best selling 30-Day Etsy Success Plan.

4 Etsy Shops with Gorgeous Product Photography

September 9, 2015 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

by Gail Oliver, Online Marketing Consultant

The marketplace Etsy has grown in its 10 years, now with over 1.5 million active sellers. With that many sellers, it would seem that it would be difficult for a shop to really stand out among the crowd. The first impression your shop makes is what will keep customers from clicking onto the next shop, and that is why product photography is so important.

Here are 4 Etsy shops that truly excel in this area:

Peg and Awl

What I love about Peg and Awl’s photography is how the backgrounds are similar giving their shop some consistency and branding, but different enough to create interest. They get in close on the smaller items so you can see the detail and they use natural light to really give the photos magazine quality.

Milk and Honey Luxuries

Shooting your products on a white background is always important for editorial purposes, but it can make your shop seem a little sterile if it is not done right. However, Milk and Honey Luxuries does it right, simply by adding some small touches of color here and there as well as a little whimsy to their product shots.

Refuge

If you are going to sell vintage this is how to do it. I love how Refuge uses other vintage items in their product shots to add to the rustic appeal. Even having the item off center in the shot or taking the photo from overhead just makes it a much more interesting image. The grey-white backdrop also makes the items pop.

Whimsy and Spice

Selling food online is not an easy feat, yet Whimsy and Spice seems to know how to shoot their baked goods so that the customer can see the quality. These photographs are dreamy to say the least, set up in scenarios that help you to visualize their products on your table. It probably doesn’t hurt that the owner of this bakery is also a photographer.

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Gail

What is Etsy’s New Guidelines and What They Could Do Instead

October 21, 2013 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Etsy's new guidelines Curious about Etsy’s new guidelines? Last week Etsy announced that they would be changing their business model to allow mass produced products to be sold on its marketplace. Needless to say, many sellers on Etsy are upset about this because they feel it means Etsy is no longer an exclusively handmade community, and they are not incorrect.

But Etsy is first and foremost a company, and it has to make decisions to ensure its continued growth.

Does this particular decision affect their brand? Yes. As a marketer, I never agree with changing one’s brand (unless it is no longer successful) because it causes customer confusion and you can lose all the marketing efforts you have invested in to-date. As a result you risk losing customers, not gaining them.

Etsy’s New Guidelines: Artisan vs Entrepreneur

There is a difference between an artisan and an entrepreneur. Some of the top sellers on Etsy are more of the entrepreneurial nature – they came up with a good idea for a product, found a way to produce it quickly, priced it competitively and sales took off. They want to keep expanding even if it means they become more hands-off. There’s nothing wrong with that, everyone has a different vision for their business, and the economy needs growing companies more than anything right now.

These shops also bring in big numbers for Etsy. If you think of the 80-20 rule, 80% of Etsy’s sales are probably coming from 20% of its shops. So, obviously Etsy cannot afford to have these shops move off the marketplace.

Therein lies the problem for Etsy. Expanding without changing the brand that made you successful in the first place.

My Solution – Divide the Marketplace, Don’t Try to Blend It

Etsy is not going to please all parties here, but maybe a better solution to consider would be dividing their marketplace (which has become quite large) into four independently searchable segments, such as Handmade, Vintage, Supplies and General Marketplace, the latter being for those who wish to mass produce.

So people would still land on the same Etsy marketplace page, but they could choose a page tab that indicates one of these sections. From within these sections, you can then choose categories such as Clothing, Jewelry, Kids, etc. This would also drastically reduce the number of listings in the Handmade category, making it easier for those sellers to be found. It will also make it easier for shoppers to find what they really want (a mistake is to lump all buyers together; not everyone wants inexpensive goods, many want unique handcrafted items and are willing to pay for it).

It would have to be policed, and sellers not conforming to the original handmade guidelines would have to move their shop go over to the General Marketplace.

About Me

Do you need your Brand Story written or an SEO-Optimized Blog Post or a Personalized Business Consultation? As a 20+ year marketing professional and small business consultant, all of my services are super affordable.

I have consulted for thousands of small businesses since 2012, and my advice has been featured in the NY Times, Success Magazine, Yahoo Business, American Express, Big Commerce, Business2Community to name a few – so this is professional advice you can trust!

My Publicity Pitch service has also gotten my clients featured in Real Simple Magazine, Apartment Therapy, House Beautiful, Vanity Fair, Houzz, Martha Stewart, Glamour Magazine, LONNY, DesignMilk, Emmaline Bride,– just to name a few.

Selling Art on Etsy

August 7, 2013 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Selling art on Etsy is not an easy feat, due to the fact that there is so much competition. However, my, 12-Month Marketing Plan for Art Shops will give you some very helpful tips to make your Etsy art shop a standout, get more traffic and make more sales.

Below are just a few of the hundreds of tactics in the 12-Month Plan:

Selling Art Idea #1

Take advantage of National #InspireYourHeartwithArt Day on January 31st that trends big on social media. It is a great PR opportunity to get attention from both home decor blogs and even your local media.

Selling Art Idea #2

If you have already set up a free profile on Houzz.com, use it to follow interior decorators and designers that may want your art for their clients. You can mention your Etsy shop in your profile. Never focus just on selling to end users. Selling to decorators means repeat customers and typically larger orders.

Selling Art Idea #3

Also on Houzz, comment regularly on articles that have to do with art, as well as answer questions in the forums about art, as these are opportunities for other readers to see your Etsy shop name.

Selling Art Idea #4

Don’t just pin your art to Pinterest, pin a collage that looks like a gallery art wall of your art, to help upsell more pieces. Also pin ways to display art.

Selling Art Idea #5

Businesses also need art (not just home owners) so run ads on Facebook that target dentist offices, doctors offices, restaurant owners and the like, with a link to your Etsy shop.

Selling Art Idea #6

Wear your art on a tshirt (that also has your Etsy shop name and url on it) and give the shirts to family and friends to wear at every major public event like concerts, charity walks, and festivals.

Selling Art Idea #7

Ask a local builder if you can hang some pieces in their model home in exchange for leaving business cards for your shop below the piece. i.e. Art courtesy of XYZ Shop on Etsy.

Need MORE IDEAS on selling art on Etsy?

All of the above ideas are from my 12-Month Marketing Plan for Art Shops. Download at my Etsy shop.

Are you an Etsy Seller? I do Etsy shop critiques as well. Please visit my Etsy store here.

Category: Selling on Etsy (Page 4 of 4)