Addie_Marie
03-02-2009, 08:55 PM
New items? A hot new sale? Free shipping or other special offers? List your advertisments here! Self-promoting welcomed!
Please post no more than ONE TIME a week.
TBG members, please post no more than THREE TIMES a week.
Posts older than 1 week will be deleted to keep the thread tidy & easy to search through.
Thank you!
ADVERTISING: A GUIDE
(Note: This article is written with an Etsy bias, as TBG is, for the most part, an Etsy-based Team. Have any advertising tips for Artfire/Ebay/other online shops? PM me and I'll add them!)
Advertising and marketing your online shop is a key part of being a successful seller. Etsy's Storque has a legion of articles written by people far more adept at marketing than I, so this is mostly made up of the advice from those seasoned sellers.
Before you get started, make sure you shop is ready for marketing. Check out THIS (http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/shop-makeover-series-i-heart-marketing-my-etsy-shop-and-you--11/) guide.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/101/280370624_ea06c44a83.jpg?v=0
How To Get Ahead In Advertising by C. Ray Dancer (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craydanceruk/280370624/)
Advertising On Etsy
"List a new item each day. If you don’t have a new item to list, relist an old item. When you list an item, it has a chance of cycling through on the homepage and in the "Time Machine." New items also show up closer to the top of chronologically ordered search results." (-tinaseamonster. Read more of the article here (http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/i-heart-marketing-my-etsy-shop-and-you-will-too-part-2-18/).)
"Check out the Etsy community. There are forums and a chat room and The Storque. If you feel comfortable, participate. Remember that other sellers often make up a large percentage of buyers as well. A few forum posts a day will get your avatar and shop out there into the community." (-tinaseamonster. Read more of the article here (http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/i-heart-marketing-my-etsy-shop-and-you-will-too-part-2-18/).)
I can't stress how important these two things are. Listing/renewing only costs 20 cents per item. That's hardly anything, given the benefits of making your item easier to find. These days when you search for something on Etsy, items listed or renewed today often clog up the first two pages. Items from just last week won't be dug up unless the potential buyer is doing an extremely in-depth search. And items from three months ago? Far, far away.
As far as posting in the forums goes, it can be hit-or-miss. It's unlikely that you'll get any sales from the Promotions forum, as it tends to be mostly sellers posting there. I speak from personal experience: I once posted every day for nearly three weeks in the promotions forum because I was told that's what I "should do". It brought me no business, less exposure than I expected, and it was impersonal & far too fast paced. Feel free, if you have the time, to post there--just don't expect your sales to instantly soar.
People tend to notice more in the forums if you're helpful, giving lovely tips in the Critiques area, or helping someone new find their way around the site. (For more information on posting in Promotions, check out this (http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/promotions-forum-how-to-get-the-most-from-your-post-823/)article.
Make A Treasury
Yes, they're hard to get. Try, try again. Set a timer for when the next one opens up. (FYI, Etsy has two treasurys- the regular Treasury (http://www.etsy.com/treasury.php) everyone sees, and Treasury West (http://www.etsy.com/treasury_west.php). Treasury West is in beta, I believe, and they say it could disappear at any time.) Once you get one, refer to this guide (http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/how-to-make-a-treasury-the-nuts-and-bolts-688/) on how to properly build it.
After making the treasury, I've found it helpful to convo the sellers in my treasury, sending them a link & letting them know. Otherwise, they may not find it! When they do find it, they'll probably have a look at your shop. It's bad etiquette to put your own items in a treasury, but I've had people put me in their own treasuries after I put them in mine, as a way of saying thanks. & treasuries are the collections you see on the front page! So the more you make treasuries & the more you're in them, the better chance you have of being in that coveted FP spot.
Advertising Around The Web
(This comes to us from Daniellexo, and is a collection of tips for Holiday marketing, but the tips are just as applicable now as they are in the pre-Christmas season.)
Newsletters
"Newsletters are a great way to keep in touch with your customers this holiday season. The first thing you need to do is build your mailing list and choose how you are going to send your newsletters. You can create a Google Group or Yahoo Group for free and by inviting your customers to join these groups (a great place to do this is in your Message To Seller field in Your Etsy), you can build an easy mailing list that is simple to use. (Here's an article I found that can show you how to do this. (http://onward.justia.com/useful-tools-web-sites-25-mailing-list-management-with-google-groups-free-online-marketing-for-law-firms-tool-3.html))
"This does take a bit of work to set up, but once you have your mailing list established, you can easily contact your best customers and let them know of your new items for the holidays or a sale! Another great way to use this is to send out a newsletter a week before the last day they can order from your shop in order to get their package before Christmas to let them know the deadline is fast approaching!
Tip: Remember to ask your customers to opt-in to your mailing list! Emailing about a promo without permission is considered spamming.
Blogging
"If you don't have a blog yet, now is the time to set one up! Like newsletters, blogging can keep you in touch with your customer base and let them know about your holiday specials, new designs, deadlines for holiday ordering and more. In addition, you can get your customers thinking about the holidays early by pointing out what you are doing to plan for winter. Blog about gifts you might be giving to friends and family, decorating how-tos, your favorite holiday recipes, etc.
Tip: Create a weekday series (for example: "Tuesday's Tips for Holiday Decorating"). This will keep you — and your readers — coming back to your blog!" (-Daniellexo. Read the rest of the article here (http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/holiday-how-tos-online-marketing-tips-2495/).)
Twitter
An ever-growing micro-blogging site, Twitter can be useful in what is referred to as "Viral Marketing." As in, it spreads like a virus. Here are helpful tips for advertising your shop on Twitter: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5877230
Buying Advertisement Space Online
"Don't know where to get started? Check out your Blog Roll. Many of your favorite blogs offer adspace, and if they don't they might start with you, just ask! Another great resources is a site called ProjectWonderful (http://www.projectwonderful.com/), where you can bid on adspace for as little as $0.25!" (-Daniellexo. Read the rest of the article here (http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/holiday-how-tos-online-marketing-tips-2495/).)
"With so many options for advertising your business online, it's sometimes difficult to know which ones will most effectively meet your needs. There are several factors to consider when evaluating an ad purchase decision. First and foremost you want to ask yourself: Will this advertising opportunity expose my brand to people who are likely to make purchases with me?
A well-targeted ad campaign is going to bring you the best results. When comparing an ad that costs $20 with one that costs $100, try to look beyond those dollar figures and consider which ad is likely to expose your brand to real potential customers. An inexpensive ad is a waste of money if it isn't going to bring you customers, and you won't get much bang for the buck." (-exboyfriend. Read the rest of the article here (http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/a-diy-friendly-guide-to-advertising-online-part-two-424/).)
Finally, from Etsian exboyfriend, we have this:
"The bottom line is a marketing campaign is about building relationships with customers, not only about producing sales immediately. Going into a marketing campaign with sales as your singular goal is both unrealistic and short-sighted. When you consistently expose your brand to potential customers and offer them incentives to take an interest in your brand, you are establishing interest and familiarity with your brand, and that is what will ultimately lead to brand loyalty and consistent sales." ( Read the rest of the article here (http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/a-diy-friendly-guide-to-advertising-online-part-two-424/).)
For more tips on how to be a successful seller, ALWAYS refer to the Etsy Seller Handbook (http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/the-etsy-seller-handbook-all-our-how-tos-about-selling-2383/).
That's it! Now, feel free to post your advertisements below.
♥♥♥
Addie
Please post no more than ONE TIME a week.
TBG members, please post no more than THREE TIMES a week.
Posts older than 1 week will be deleted to keep the thread tidy & easy to search through.
Thank you!
ADVERTISING: A GUIDE
(Note: This article is written with an Etsy bias, as TBG is, for the most part, an Etsy-based Team. Have any advertising tips for Artfire/Ebay/other online shops? PM me and I'll add them!)
Advertising and marketing your online shop is a key part of being a successful seller. Etsy's Storque has a legion of articles written by people far more adept at marketing than I, so this is mostly made up of the advice from those seasoned sellers.
Before you get started, make sure you shop is ready for marketing. Check out THIS (http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/shop-makeover-series-i-heart-marketing-my-etsy-shop-and-you--11/) guide.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/101/280370624_ea06c44a83.jpg?v=0
How To Get Ahead In Advertising by C. Ray Dancer (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craydanceruk/280370624/)
Advertising On Etsy
"List a new item each day. If you don’t have a new item to list, relist an old item. When you list an item, it has a chance of cycling through on the homepage and in the "Time Machine." New items also show up closer to the top of chronologically ordered search results." (-tinaseamonster. Read more of the article here (http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/i-heart-marketing-my-etsy-shop-and-you-will-too-part-2-18/).)
"Check out the Etsy community. There are forums and a chat room and The Storque. If you feel comfortable, participate. Remember that other sellers often make up a large percentage of buyers as well. A few forum posts a day will get your avatar and shop out there into the community." (-tinaseamonster. Read more of the article here (http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/i-heart-marketing-my-etsy-shop-and-you-will-too-part-2-18/).)
I can't stress how important these two things are. Listing/renewing only costs 20 cents per item. That's hardly anything, given the benefits of making your item easier to find. These days when you search for something on Etsy, items listed or renewed today often clog up the first two pages. Items from just last week won't be dug up unless the potential buyer is doing an extremely in-depth search. And items from three months ago? Far, far away.
As far as posting in the forums goes, it can be hit-or-miss. It's unlikely that you'll get any sales from the Promotions forum, as it tends to be mostly sellers posting there. I speak from personal experience: I once posted every day for nearly three weeks in the promotions forum because I was told that's what I "should do". It brought me no business, less exposure than I expected, and it was impersonal & far too fast paced. Feel free, if you have the time, to post there--just don't expect your sales to instantly soar.
People tend to notice more in the forums if you're helpful, giving lovely tips in the Critiques area, or helping someone new find their way around the site. (For more information on posting in Promotions, check out this (http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/promotions-forum-how-to-get-the-most-from-your-post-823/)article.
Make A Treasury
Yes, they're hard to get. Try, try again. Set a timer for when the next one opens up. (FYI, Etsy has two treasurys- the regular Treasury (http://www.etsy.com/treasury.php) everyone sees, and Treasury West (http://www.etsy.com/treasury_west.php). Treasury West is in beta, I believe, and they say it could disappear at any time.) Once you get one, refer to this guide (http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/how-to-make-a-treasury-the-nuts-and-bolts-688/) on how to properly build it.
After making the treasury, I've found it helpful to convo the sellers in my treasury, sending them a link & letting them know. Otherwise, they may not find it! When they do find it, they'll probably have a look at your shop. It's bad etiquette to put your own items in a treasury, but I've had people put me in their own treasuries after I put them in mine, as a way of saying thanks. & treasuries are the collections you see on the front page! So the more you make treasuries & the more you're in them, the better chance you have of being in that coveted FP spot.
Advertising Around The Web
(This comes to us from Daniellexo, and is a collection of tips for Holiday marketing, but the tips are just as applicable now as they are in the pre-Christmas season.)
Newsletters
"Newsletters are a great way to keep in touch with your customers this holiday season. The first thing you need to do is build your mailing list and choose how you are going to send your newsletters. You can create a Google Group or Yahoo Group for free and by inviting your customers to join these groups (a great place to do this is in your Message To Seller field in Your Etsy), you can build an easy mailing list that is simple to use. (Here's an article I found that can show you how to do this. (http://onward.justia.com/useful-tools-web-sites-25-mailing-list-management-with-google-groups-free-online-marketing-for-law-firms-tool-3.html))
"This does take a bit of work to set up, but once you have your mailing list established, you can easily contact your best customers and let them know of your new items for the holidays or a sale! Another great way to use this is to send out a newsletter a week before the last day they can order from your shop in order to get their package before Christmas to let them know the deadline is fast approaching!
Tip: Remember to ask your customers to opt-in to your mailing list! Emailing about a promo without permission is considered spamming.
Blogging
"If you don't have a blog yet, now is the time to set one up! Like newsletters, blogging can keep you in touch with your customer base and let them know about your holiday specials, new designs, deadlines for holiday ordering and more. In addition, you can get your customers thinking about the holidays early by pointing out what you are doing to plan for winter. Blog about gifts you might be giving to friends and family, decorating how-tos, your favorite holiday recipes, etc.
Tip: Create a weekday series (for example: "Tuesday's Tips for Holiday Decorating"). This will keep you — and your readers — coming back to your blog!" (-Daniellexo. Read the rest of the article here (http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/holiday-how-tos-online-marketing-tips-2495/).)
An ever-growing micro-blogging site, Twitter can be useful in what is referred to as "Viral Marketing." As in, it spreads like a virus. Here are helpful tips for advertising your shop on Twitter: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5877230
Buying Advertisement Space Online
"Don't know where to get started? Check out your Blog Roll. Many of your favorite blogs offer adspace, and if they don't they might start with you, just ask! Another great resources is a site called ProjectWonderful (http://www.projectwonderful.com/), where you can bid on adspace for as little as $0.25!" (-Daniellexo. Read the rest of the article here (http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/holiday-how-tos-online-marketing-tips-2495/).)
"With so many options for advertising your business online, it's sometimes difficult to know which ones will most effectively meet your needs. There are several factors to consider when evaluating an ad purchase decision. First and foremost you want to ask yourself: Will this advertising opportunity expose my brand to people who are likely to make purchases with me?
A well-targeted ad campaign is going to bring you the best results. When comparing an ad that costs $20 with one that costs $100, try to look beyond those dollar figures and consider which ad is likely to expose your brand to real potential customers. An inexpensive ad is a waste of money if it isn't going to bring you customers, and you won't get much bang for the buck." (-exboyfriend. Read the rest of the article here (http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/a-diy-friendly-guide-to-advertising-online-part-two-424/).)
Finally, from Etsian exboyfriend, we have this:
"The bottom line is a marketing campaign is about building relationships with customers, not only about producing sales immediately. Going into a marketing campaign with sales as your singular goal is both unrealistic and short-sighted. When you consistently expose your brand to potential customers and offer them incentives to take an interest in your brand, you are establishing interest and familiarity with your brand, and that is what will ultimately lead to brand loyalty and consistent sales." ( Read the rest of the article here (http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/a-diy-friendly-guide-to-advertising-online-part-two-424/).)
For more tips on how to be a successful seller, ALWAYS refer to the Etsy Seller Handbook (http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/the-etsy-seller-handbook-all-our-how-tos-about-selling-2383/).
That's it! Now, feel free to post your advertisements below.
♥♥♥
Addie