In the first part of the Secret to Etsy Sales series, we looked at 6 core areas of your business. Small gains in each area can lead to a significant increase in sales.
Let’s dive a little deeper in the first of the 6 areas: Lead generation. Getting more eyes on your stuff. More visitors to your website. More views in your online shop.
Lead generation is all about getting more folks to know who you are and what you do. The good news is there are hundreds of ways to get the word out. The not as good news is that it may take you some time and trial and error to figure out what works best for you.
The thing to keep in mind with lead generation is that you aren’t only trying to reach buyers– you are also trying to reach people that may spread the word about you, or may tell you about an opportunity. You’re looking for leads. Leads to opportunities.
Some ways to get the word out:
1. Add your website or shop link to your email signature. Maybe your cousin knows you make those lovely handbags, but she hasn’t yet seen your etsy shop.
2. Blog about your items and creative process. Blogging is really critical for building relationships and a solid fan base, but blogs are also great for getting the attention of search engines. Search engines, like google, love blogs. People who google for items like yours may find your blog.
3. Add photos to flickr. Be careful here– flickr does not allow blatant promotion or sales language. But flickr is an excellent way to reach bloggers and people interested in your craft/art. Set your flickr preferences to allow people to use your photos in their blogs (the photos in their blogs will link to your flickr photo stream).
4. Get a free trunkt portfolio or upgrade to a paid portfolio.
5. Submit to craftgawker.
6. Create a facebook fanpage for your creative business. Facebook isn’t my personal favorite thing, but some people love it and swear facebook brings them sales.
7. Use twitter. Again, you may like twitter as promotional tool. Or not.
8. Share the love. Create a gift gallery at Scoutie Girl Gifts and include one of your pieces that complements the other items.
9. Submit your work to Cloth, Paper, Scissors and the Somerset Studio magazines.
10. Contact bloggers and ask them to write about you.
11. Buy advertising on blogs.
12. Include freebies (that include your shop name and website address) with your items that buyers may share with their friends. I send a few postcards of my photography with purchases of my prints. And give a big stack of those postcards to your mom.
13. Get hits from google. Optimize your etsy shop titles and descriptions for search engines. Be sure your item titles include words that describe what the item is. If it’s a necklace, put the work “necklace” in the title. If it’s a photograph of a red truck, put the words “red truck” in the title. The first couple of lines of the item description is most important to google; put information on shipping or policies further down in the description.
I recommend you pick a few venues that you think won’t drive you crazy and work them regularly.
Some of these venues could be updated with each new item you create. For example, at one time I was disciplined and would post new photographs on etsy, trunkt, flickr, 1000 markets and my blog. New work always got posted to five places. I’ve fallen out of that habit and I think it would be a good habit for me to get back into.
Other methods for lead generation are better suited to occasional review. Blog ads. Keyword strategies for your etsy shop. Creating postcards or other promotional items.
What other sites do you recommend for getting the word out about your shop? Where do you post your new items?
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
This is a great blog, full of very good info. Thank you!
This is a great article! I can’t wait to put all of this into practice. :)
.-= Nem´s last blog ..Nanao’s Orchid =-.
Wow! Several great resources I have not come across yet. I love this article. I set up an account on Trunkt, and I sent my sister the link for Somerset Studios. She designs these magical copper hair forks which are works of art. I have been trying to figure out where she should try to publish at. Somerset seems a good fit. Thanks so much for the post. -Dawn
.-= MairzyDozy´s last blog ..Dresden Blue Teapot Ornament, ready to ship =-.
This is wonderful! 2010 is my year for promotion and this is an incredible list of where to start. Thank you!
I just went over to crafthawker, they no longer list etsy sites, but you can link to your blog or website………. thanks for all these great tips!
Jane LaFazio´s last [type] ..You just gotta see this exhibition San Diego till Dec 31
Great information, Tricia. Thank you for posting and explaining all this.
I always feel, like I really could use some extra advice on marketing my work- and seems like I just found it here!
:)
Joanna Kapica´s last [type] ..Lucky Strike- fine art photograph- 85×11
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