Search results (tags) for: "marketing how-to"

Seller How-To: Get Involved With Black Friday and Cyber Monday Promotions

2009-11-20T17:30:00-05:00

Black Friday through Cyber Monday is a recognized shopping weekend that has quickly gained a reputation as the best time of year to find promotional sales on gifts for the holidays. For businesses, it is recognized as one of the most profitable weekends of the year that officially kicks off the busy holiday rush. We want to get the word out about shopping on Etsy for unique handmade and vintage gifts — instead of waiting in lines at the mall! The buzz about special Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales is ramping up on Etsy, and we hope to connect sellers with otherwise stressed out holiday deal-hunters in a fun and "Etsy" way.

We've seen interest from many sellers looking to promote sales on Etsy throughout this holiday weekend. Etsy will be providing promotional opportunities for sellers who are already planning or wish to host promotions and sales Friday, November 27, 2009 through Monday, November 30, 2009. The opportunities outlined below are open to all sellers wishing to participate and are completely optional. Find out how to get involved!

Site-Wide Tags
Etsy will be hosting and promoting two site-wide tags that link to search results for holiday promotions. To make sure your items show up in these searches, please tag each of your designated items with one or both of the following tags, if they meet the criteria for your promotion. There is no limit for the number of items you may tag.

Free Shipping: Sellers offering any type of free shipping promotion should tag the items offered with the term "EtsyFreeShipping." Remember to set the shipping to zero on the tagged items during this date or spell out in your description how the free shipping may be obtained. (The shipping amount does not need to be changed until the dates mentioned above.) Be sure to begin tagging your items and including promotional details in your item listings now, as Etsy staff will be gathering items to feature far in advance. Etsy will not be actively promoting the shopping promotion until the aforementioned dates.
Etsy Holiday Sale: Sellers offering ANY type of promotion throughout these dates should tag relevant items with the term "EtsyHolidaySale." Make sure to spell out the details of your promotion clearly in your tagged listings' descriptions, your shop announcement, and titles (if you have room).

Social Networking

Do you have a Twitter account? Promote your sales on Twitter with the #EtsyFreeShipping and #EtsyHolidaySale hash tags. We'll be following these tags closely throughout the entire weekend, linking to the Etsy search terms, and we will encourage our Twitter followers to search Tweets containing these two hash tags.
Keep in mind that your banner is a great promotional tool for calling attention to your sale. Need a sale banner in a jiffy? Grab one from our Resource page or use Etsy's bannerator.
We'll be feeding items with the promotional tags into Kaboodle throughout the weekend. Submit your favorite items throughout the weekend to gain exposure for your shop.

Emails, Gift Guides, and Home Page Collections
Throughout the weekend we'll be highlighting items with promotional offers in Etsy Finds emails, Gift Guides, and home page collections. We'll be selecting items from nominations in this Forum thread as well as items tagged with "EtsyFreeShipping" and "EtsyHolidaySale." Be sure to start tagging your items and listing your details in the item listings now as Etsy staff will be gathering items to feature in advance. The emails, Gift Guides, and home page collections will include information instructing shoppers how to use the site-wide search tags.

Home Page Banners
Throughout the weekend Etsy will rotate banners with promotional messaging in order to direct shoppers specifically looking for sales this weekend to those areas of the site. The wording on these banners will be clear that this weekend's promotions are from a selection of sellers, not the entire selling membership on Etsy.

Thanks in advance for your participation!

View More Merchandising Posts | Gift Guides

Seller How-To: Plug in the My Etsy Facebook Application

2009-11-19T15:15:00-05:00

The new My Etsy Facebook app is here and ready to help you share your shop with a new audience! This app not only provides a great way to share your Etsy shop and Favorites with your Facebook friends, but also lets you include a feed from your own blog and will alert you and your friends when your item is featured on Etsy's home page or in a Gift Guide.

I'm here to share helpful links and tips for using this as a social networking and promotional tool for your business, without being too spammy. I'll be hosting a follow-up chat in the Virtual Labs on Wednesday December 2, 2-3 p.m. ET, where we'll add the app together (for those of you who need a little extra help), share ideas and best practices.

First thing's first, sign yourself up for Facebook (if you haven't already). Don't have a Facebook fan page? This simple how-to can get you started. Many sellers prefer to use a fan page, rather than their personal profile pages, for their businesses.

Now you can add the My Etsy app to your Facebook profile, fan page, or both. Go here to get the app. For technical questions and a handy FAQ, please visit our Help section.

Here's an example of what the My Etsy will look like on a seller's fan page:

You've added this app to your profile or your fan page... Now what?

The My Etsy app will only automatically post to your Facebook News Feed when one of your items is featured on Etsy's home page or in our Gift Guides. If you want to let your Facebook friends know about a new item you've listed, you can go to your My Etsy app and share an item (see image above) or use Facebook Connect. You may be asking yourself, "Should I do this every time I list? Is this too spammy?" It depends on how often you list, of course, but as a general rule, be mindful of annoying your Facebook friends! When you do post about a new listing, try sharing an inside peek into why you created the item, which Facebook friend inspired this new piece or a detail about your creative process. That will be more interesting for your Facebook friends than simply saying, "New item for sale! Go buy it!"

Did you know that a business that blogs has 55% more visitors? (via Hubspot) If you blog, your My Etsy app allows you to share links to your blog posts. This is a great way to use Facebook to connect your presence in the blogosphere with your Etsy shop. You'll notice that only the title of your blog posts shows up on your My Etsy app, so make sure you use strong titles to get that Facebook fan clickin'! More reading: Etsy's Guide to Blogging.
Under your avatar, there are links to your shop profile and policies. That means you'll probably get more traffic to those pages, so make sure you've spent time updating those areas of your Etsy shop. Here's a great article on crafting your profile and another on developing shop policies that work for you.
Your Etsy shop banner has prime real estate on the My Etsy app — so make good use of it! Launching a new product line or having a sale? Use your banner to promote these announcements.
Don't just talk about yourself — share the love! Make sure to add lots of Favorites so that your Facebook friends can get hooked on your Etsy friends. We're in this together, sellers!

Now don't get overwhelmed. We've heard from beta-testers that the process of adding the app is pretty easy. For technical questions and a handy FAQ, please see our Help section. Have fun and join us in the Virtual Labs on Wednesday, December 2, 2-3 p.m. ET!

More Social Networking How-To's for Sellers

Handmade Code: Sellit.com

2009-10-23T15:00:00-05:00

As part of our Handmade Code series, we're bringing you news and how-to's about the innovations emerging from the Etsy Developer Community. Located at developer.etsy.com, the Etsy Developer Community serves as a hub for third-party software developers who are making neat and helpful programs for Etsy shoppers and sellers. In this edition, Katie (pictured below at a toga party!) tells us all about their application available at Sellit.com.

What's the basic idea of the application? What need does it fill?
We created Sellit to provide sellers with an easier way to display and discuss their handmade, vintage, or supplies in places they’re already hanging out and having conversations like Facebook, blogs and even Twitter. Also, we thought it was important to not reinvent the ecommerce wheel by asking you to upload more product images or designs in yet another shop. Sellit works with what you already have.

Sellit is already helping thousands of other online merchants gain the extra visibility and buzz, and now we have made the application available to Etsy sellers. The basic premise behind Sellit was to complement or add to what you’re already doing to create awareness for your shop‘s items.

Where do we go to find it? What's the URL, etc?
To get started, just visit www.Sellit.com and be ready with your personal Etsy shop address (http://www.username.etsy.com). You simply copy and paste that into the open text box at the top of the page and click Get Started. You can just plug in your existing Etsy shop and let us handle the setup for you.

After you register, you’re ready to go. It’s exactly the same as your original Etsy shop but now ready for additional activities like sharing to Facebook, easily tying product links to Twitter posts, blogs, advertising, etc.

How do you use it?
So let’s talk about this “Share” thing. In the bottom left corner of each Sellit Mini-Shop there is a Share button. If you click this, you’ll see all the places you can instantly share or discuss your shop’s products. Our motto: Why have one shop location when you can have hundreds? And we’re not kidding! Friends, supporters or customers who love your products can easily add your Etsy Mini-Shop to their social network pages or blogs too.

There are three ways to begin using your account to loop in friends, customers or like-minded folks:
1. Click-n-Post: As long as you are logged into your Facebook or MySpace account, Sellit will post your Mini-Shop directly into your profile where all your friends can see it, and yes, you get to choose what section or page you would like it to appear on. You can also copy and paste or grab the html code to embed it onto your blog or personal website.

2. Shout It! (When logged in): Using today’s most popular micro-blogging sites like Twitter and Plurk and places you can update your status like Facebook and Friendfeed, Sellit allows you to type a short sentence at the top of your admin screen where is says “What’s new with your shop?” After typing your sentence, you then click Shout It to update your selected destination with relevant posts about your products. We even include a short url linking to your items as not to take up the precious limited characters in Twitter, etc. Your buyers and customers can also "Shout” about your products from any Mini-Shop location wherever it’s been shared. You can even bookmark your new Etsy Mini-Shop to sites like Del.icio.us, Diigo and Reddit to help with SEO. Sellit allows you to administer all your social media outlets from one location. It’s all about simplicity and saving you time. For more info on this, check the Shout FAQ.

3. Copy & Paste: Just in case you want to point people to your Mini-Shop or link to it in a blog post or email blast, we make it easy for you to find.

So that’s the skinny on sharing. If you would like more info, check out the Selling Online 101 FAQ.

Are there any costs or further opportunities/ways to get involved?
For those of you wanting maybe a little more, Sellit now has some additional features for you to check out:

AdPAK: Imagine being able to turn your Etsy Mini-Shop into an instant advertisement without all of the normal advertising headaches. With no advertisement design needed, the Sellit AdPAK advertises your products or items on the best sites possible so you don’t have to lift a finger. Check out the AdPAK FAQ.

Sellit PRO: Everyone can use Sellit Basic for free, but if you desire even more visibility and marketing for your shop, Sellit Pro is for you. You’ll have access to automated Twitter and Facebook marketing, advertising and statistics and at least 3000 additional placements of your Sellit products. Check out the Sellit Pro FAQ.

Premium Shout: Just like Sellit Basic, everyone gets to use the manual Shout for free, but with Premium Shout everything is automated and you have access to advanced options for posting sales, new products or upcoming events.

What should one do if there's a bug or a problem? Who should one contact?
In case you have any additional questions, concerns or just need a little help, we are here for you 24/7 (by way of UserVoice) to get you the answers you need. Plus we really like talking to our users. Just look on the very left hand side of any Sellit page for the Feedback button. You can also follow us on Twitter, subscribe to our blog (we feature Etsy sellers!) and become a fan of our Facebook page.

What's one surprising/fun/amazing story you've heard about someone using your app? Or what is your favorite part about the app?
We love hearing from sellers who use it. Here's what a couple of them had to say:

“LOVE your Sellit network! I've been able to quickly post to Twitter, Facebook and my blog using your product AND I love how you guys promote all over the place! Less time promoting and more time sewing and selling — I'm all for that!! It's so easy to use! Love the layout! I'm just there!”
- Charlotte Blackwell, Bizzie*Lizzie*Creations

"Sellit is easy to set up and use. Within minutes I had a free personalized Mini-Shop that seamlessly integrated with my shop. Sellit easily supports the admin side of my business; from my workbench I can simply send one shout (message) across multiple networks. Less time on the computer gives me more time to work on my craft."
- Marcella Austenfeld, Good To Go Jewelry

Anything else you'd like to add?
On average, 40% of the people who interact with your Etsy Mini-Shop should convert to additional sales leads. In the Related Items below, find some Etsy shops who are already using Sellit.

Have you used Sellit? Post in the comments below!

Finding Your Niche with DiffractionFiber

2009-07-24T14:05:00-05:00

DiffractionFiber here! A few weeks ago I hosted a live workshop in Etsy's Virtual Labs on Finding Your Etsy Niche. Thank you to everyone who joined me. For those who couldn't make it, watch the short videos below for a recap! On the left you'll see the live chat during the workshop and on the right you'll see the avatars of the community members who attended.

To start off, I want to talk a little about the Psychology of Shopping. How we make spending decisions and how we choose between products can help you in marketing and creating.

How do buyers choose what to buy? You want people to lust for what you are making. Part 2 covers lust and loyalty.

Remember, advertising to those 10 people is a lot cheaper than to 1,000 people!

Let’s talk about the actual process of making a purchase.
Four steps are required for a purchase to be made:

Customer has a problem, a need or simply a want. Maybe it's to look hip, to give a gift, to organize, to get clean. Whatever it is, there is a need you are filling.
They need to know about you.
They need to like you and your products.
They need to trust you.

I want to wrap this up with talking a bit about instilling loyalty.
For me, there are two important components in instilling loyalty, both with customers and with bloggers who might return and write about you again:

Exceed their expectations.
Give them a reason to return.

For more tips on running a shop that has a unique stamp of individuality, check out this article by TortillaGirl.

The Seller Handbook | Visit the Virtual Labs | Virtual Labs FAQ

Seller How-To: Top 10 Graphic Designs to Give Your Shop the Edge

2009-07-23T10:17:00-05:00

There is a proverb which says that experience is a formidable teacher — it hands the test first and the lesson afterward. Graphic design, the studiously crafted personality profile of an individual, is one of most formidable teachers of all. A graphic designer has to tread on speculation and potentiality, and there is a certain degree of risk involved in the creation of art that looks not inwardly to oneself, but to the customer.

However, good design does not simply "exist." It also "does," and it is most effective when communicating objectives close to our hearts. In my little sphere as a graphic artist, good design teaches that we are not here simply to make a living, but to bring back locality and handmade value in a world of increasing abstraction.

This is a list of 10 different (and progressively expansive) ways in which graphic design can give your shop the edge by building a professional, consistent image, while letting the world know you mean (handmade) business!

Custom Etsy Banner By jackandmolly, $30.

1. The banner. The first step of graphic design, and one's immediate identification for sellers and buyers alike, banners can be made using a wide range of graphic programs — from the free (but very good) GIMP to the more challenging Adobe Photoshop.

Custom LOGO DESIGN and BUSINESS CARD by ARTbyNIKA, $120.

2. The logo. More expansive than the banner (which can be changed as often as desired), the logo is a symbol of constancy and becomes one's business ID to the world. Consistent use of the logo is the key to clear communication and maximum visual impact. It acquaints others with your shop.

Custom Character by McPrincessMaree, $50.

3. The custom-character. Similar to the logo in creating an identity, but far more detailed is the custom character. Its style can range from humorous and simple to high-fashion, and is an endearing, memorable component of branding. This is becoming more popular with online, socially-networked sites and may be used as an avatar.

preFAB Business Cards by nbcreative, $15.

4. The business card. This is by far the most efficient method of making oneself known to the world, and is therefore extremely important. Many people collect striking designs; to quote a fellow Etsian upon seeing some formidable business cards, "These will end up being retained by the recipients as art!"

Custom graphic design Twin Stylish Marketing Brochures by CraftyChefGraphics, $150.

5. The postcard or brochure. For those who wish to give product details and photographs that cannot fit within the storage-space of a single business card, the brochure is a very useful (and personal!) way of communicating with one's audience.

Darby Website Template - Complete 4 Page Site by byMasselyn, $100.

6. The website. When it comes to websites, as elsewhere, less is more: simple, easy-to-navigate and stylish designs inspire. If you have many photographs that you wish to showcase, a personal website is the ideal place to do so. Look for a web-designer who knows how to install a Coppermine photo system for easy uploading, clear layouts divided by category, and minimum maintenance work.

Dark Spark Hang Tags - Build Your Own - 2 Sided by lolaness, $30.

7. The product thingamabobs. This is a wide-ranging section which can include anything from product labels and stickers to ornamental gift tags. A stylish and eye-catching label exudes confidence, consistency and professionalism, encouraging the buyer that they have made an excellent selection.

Custom Rubber Stamp - Girl on Bike Bookplate by babyjewels, $21.

8. The vector. Vector graphics are two-dimensional, flat images — beautiful for their austere simplicity and limited number of colors. They are perfect for letterpress work, for the creation of stamps, and can be easily transferred onto the less conventional wood or acrylic gift-tags.

PREMADE graphic design personal chef or catering logo, business card, postcard, and letterhead for fliers by CookingClipArt, $75.

9. The letterhead. These are slightly sneaky (yet very professional!) ways of influencing others to visit your shop without having to ask. A good letterhead design is thus a powerful marketing tool with many benefits.

Etsy Business Package by Thompsondesigns, $50.

10. ...and finally, the horn of plenty! To maintain consistency, it is important to use the same graphic designer throughout. For that reason, many graphic artists offer a cornucopia of selections in a single package.

Do you have any graphic design tips for sellers? Post in the comments below!

Seller Handbook | Shop Makeover Series

How-Tuesday: Mee Goreng Recipe from L.A.'s Farmers Market

2009-07-21T14:43:00-05:00

Visiting farmers' markets in summertime always serves as a much-needed reminder that food shopping can be enjoyable. From Brooklyn to Palo Alto, Martha's Vineyard to New Orleans, I've found these open air venues to be a never-ending source of inspiration for cooking. I love the soil still clinging to garlic bulbs, the young members of the family business counting my change, and the vendors' encouragement to try the Tatsoi, because that's what's local, fresh, and delicious.

Farmers' markets support that handmade legacy to which we all aspire: connecting the consumer to the maker, and by doing so, connecting the consumer to the product. Through my farmers' market experiences, I have developed the utmost respect for not just the growers, but the food itself. That's why it made such inherent sense to me when I picked up JoAnn Cianciulli's L.A.'s Original Farmers Market Cookbook. With recipes inspired by the stalls at this national landmark, she honors the history and community that contribute to every one of our meals. In this excerpt from JoAnn's book, learn about the story behind the Farmers Market at Third and Fairfax in Los Angeles, as well as a salivation-inducing recipe for Mee Goreng, a fried noodle dish, from Stall 122. How-Tuesday never tasted so good!

These days, all around the country, there are "farmers' markets"—and then there is L.A.'s oldest outdoor market, the Original Farmers Market at Third and Fairfax. From its quaint beginnings in 1934, with local farmers selling produce from the backs of their trucks, to its current spot in the pantheon of Los Angeles's official Historical and Cultural Landmarks, Farmers Market has proven that, indeed, some things really do get better with age. Millions of visitors each year agree.

In its early stages, Farmers Market was a cluster of farm stalls tenanted by small growers who sold directly to the consumer. The main appeal was the extra freshness of vegetables still damp from the morning soil, of fruits ripened on the tree rather than picked hard and green so that they would ship better. The farmers' wives brought in their homemade jams and jellies, and alongside the newly laid eggs and plump fresh chickens were goodies like fresh-baked cookies, homemade breads, and rich chocolate layer cakes, all straight from farm kitchens. It wasn't long before the butcher and grocer sought a place to do business alongside these farmers, who were drawing the patronage of people who knew a good thing when they nibbled it. In time, there appeared import shops and specialty-food stands of nearly every variety. And finally, as a result of an irresistible natural trend, Farmers Market became a cornucopia of restaurants.

Archival photo included in L.A.'s Original Farmers Market Cookbook

Today Farmers Market is a combination of family-owned and operated stalls featuring cuisine, groceries, produce, meats, and seafood from around the world. In a city full of wannabes, where a restaurant is considered a classic if it manages to hang around for more than a decade, the seventy-five-year-old Farmers Market is a miracle of longevity.

Archival photos included in L.A.'s Original Farmers Market Cookbook

Farmers Market is a thriving, ongoing festival of sights and sounds, flavors and smells in the center of our nation's second-largest city. Overlooking one of the busiest corners of Los Angeles, Farmers Market occupies the intersection of Third Street and Fairfax Avenue, supremely anchored in the heart of the city's shopping and dining district.

The original recipes in this cookbook reflect the personality of the Market and represent contributions from every kitchen. Far more than just a collection of weights and measures, this food lover's storybook serves as an enduring companion piece that brings to life the experience that is a trip to Farmers Market. The multigenerational shop owners offer a one-on-one experience that has largely been lost in the service industry today. You can expect to do business with a human being, with a name and a face, who has both stories to tell and your personal satisfaction at heart. In short, the merchants are the Market, the faces behind the place. This all-encompassing memoir not only pays homage to their food, but also honors their varied and intense connections to the spirit of this unique place. No matter where you're from, Farmers Market offers a taste of home, as the aromas of several hundred ingredients mingle with the sounds of chatter from several dozen nations.

Archival photo included in L.A.'s Original Farmers Market Cookbook

The sense of being welcome and comfortable is evident in the eyes and the smiles of all who visit, be they old or young, veteran or first-timer. This is why the location is so special. It's the reason people gather here. It's why the phrase, "Meet Me at Third and Fairfax" has become an indelible part of the city's lexicon. This is not only a book to cook from, to learn from, to relish; it's one that will re-create the very soul of being at Farmers Market.

Photograph of author JoAnn Cianciulli, by Karl Petzke

Mee Goreng Recipe:

The stall of Singapore's Banana Leaf might be small, but the flavor of the food is big and not to be missed. The cuisine of Singapore is a delicious blend of Chinese, Indian, Thai, and Malay cuisines. Family trio Diana and Isaac Gazal and their son, Michael, opened this popular eatery in 2001 after realizing the Market atmosphere was pleasantly similar to an actual Singapore hawker (outdoor food stall). The hybrid wonders of the cuisine were obscure to the owners of Farmers Market, and in true Hollywood style, the Gazals had to audition their specialties for them. They were blown away by the taste of Diana's various delicacies and impressed by her signature approach of showcasing every dish on a banana leaf. And so this cozy gem of a hideaway, with its ceiling fans overhead and its wicker chairs and printed tablecloths, began.

Soon Asians, Malaysians, Indian, and Muslim clientele were flocking to the Market for the real deal of Singaporean-style curries and noodles. Diana came to the United States when she was seventeen years old, with twenty-five dollars, a suitcase, and the ability to cook. She's been in the kitchen all her life and her commitment to the restaurant and its quality is exceptional. In her mind, the true seal of honorary approval came when the president of Singapore visited and loved the authenticity of her dishes. And it is well-deserved kudos for this mini-powerhouse of a woman who stands all of 4 feet 10 inches tall but is a ball of fire who lets nothing get in the way of her dream or her cooking. The menu's recipes were all developed by her, and the vibrant tastes can be attributed to the curry leaves grown fresh in their home garden, a must-have ingredient in many of the dishes. With Diana on the food front, Isaac in charge of the books, and charming Michael handling public relations, Singapores' Banana Leaf continues to be a happy family affair and best of all, as a team, they put the delicious cuisne of SIngapore on the map at the Market.

Mee Goreng, one of the better known dishes of Singapore, is a standard hawker-stall favorite. Goreng means "fried" and mee means "noodle"—in this case thin yellow egg noodles. Vermicelli makes a fine substitute if you can't find the real deal. At Singapore's Banana Leaf, the spicy noodles are topped with your choice of tofu, chicken, or the most requested—Indo style—a fried egg.

Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil, uncovered. Simmer until there is no resistance when a fork is inserted into the potatoes, about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander. While they are still hot, carefully peel off the skins with a paring knife; use a kitchen towel to hold them. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the noodles until just tender but still firm to the bite (al dente), about 7 minutes. Take care not to overcook. Rinse under running cool water and drain well. Set aside.

Place a wok or large skillet over medium heat and coat with the oil. When the oil gets hazy, add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook and stir until the vegetables are tender but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and continue to cook and stir for 2 minutes to combine and heat through.

Push the vegetables to the sides of the pan and pour the eggs into the center. Scramble the eggs lightly until set, breaking them up into pieces with a spatula. Incorporate the vegetables into the eggs; season with the tumeric, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste.

Add the drained noodles to the wok, stirring and tossing quickly to separate the strands. Pour in the soy sauce, tossing well to coat the noodles and keep them from sticking (drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water, if necessary). Add the bean sprouts and green onions; cook and stir until softened slightly, about 5 minutes. Photograph by hhhillaryyy

Divide the noodles among 4 plates, top with a fried egg, if using, and garnish with sliced green onion and fried shallots. Serve with lime wedges.

Dying to learn more recipes from L.A.'s Farmers Market? Chronicle Books is offering a special discount to Etsy readers! Just use the code "ETSY" at checkout on their site, and you save 20% off the price as well as free shipping. That's just perfectly delectable!

More How-Tuesday Posts | Slow Food Gift Guide | Plants and Edibles Category

Ya Gotta Yart

2009-06-10T10:30:00-05:00

UPDATE: Hello sellers! We Etsy Admin are really excited about the Yart Sale, a seller organized promotion becoming a yearly tradition. We want to tell you what we will be doing on our end to feature it.

Free Shipping Collaboration — To take part in a free shipping promotion, tag your items with "yartfreeship" so that we can find you. Here's how we'll feature these items.
- Free Shipping universal Yart Sale tag for Etsy: yartfreeship
- Free Shipping Gift Guide located under the "Limited Time Promotions Guide" heading
- Home Page banner linking to this Free Shipping Guide

Home pages — Lists made from "Yart" search term once per day throughout sale
Etsy Emails: Integrating relevant "Yart" related content into the Weekend Deals Etsy Finds articles/emails. Please post in this forum thread.
Twitter Collaboration — Etsy tweets with the Yart organizers' universal hash tag: #Yart

[The following was originally published by theartistscloset on June 2, 2009.]

Sellers, it has been almost a year since the first unofficial “Yart Sale” on Etsy. Yart sale? What exactly is a “Yart Sale,” you may ask? The term Yart is an artistic spin on the traditional yard sale:

Art + Yard Sale = Yart!

There are many art museums, artists, and groups that have yart sales annually to raise cash. Although not an official Etsy event, the Etsy Yart sale is a great way to bond with your fellow Etsy sellers. What began last year as a casual conversation on the Etsy Supply Street Team (ESST) thread about destashing and raising funds, blossomed into a discussion on our private boards about creating an Etsy-wide yart sale. This year's sale will be the “2nd Annual Yart Sale on Etsy sponsored by Team ESST.” It will take place June 10 through June 14, 2009. Everyone with a shop on Etsy is invited to participate!

This article will address frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the Yart Sale. During the Yart Sale, feel free to refer people to this Storque article, link it on your blog, or tweet it on Twitter. As the date draws near, please refer to the Team ESST blog for updates, and as well as the Promotional section of the Etsy Forums for the Official Yart Sale sponsored by Team ESST thread that will be posted with the Team ESST Avatar. If you have further questions, please convo EtsySupplyStreetTeam.etsy.com.

FAQs
When will the Yart Sale be?
Our Second Annual Yart Sale will be from Wednesday, June 10 through Sunday, June 14, 2009. Participate in one, two, or all five days of the sale.

Which shops on Etsy can participate?
All shops on Etsy are invited to participate. Choose to participate with your handmade, supply or vintage shop. If you have more than one shop, you can participate with each.

How does a seller participate in the Yart Sale?
To join the sale, simply post the following Yart Sale announcement in the Shop Announcement section of your Etsy shop:

“I am participating in the Yart Sale on Etsy sponsored by Team ESST."

You should also include a short description of how you will be participating in the sale.

Here are a few extra suggestions for how to effectively utilize the Yart Sale as a promotional tool:

Maintain a Yart Sale Section where merchandise is already marked down.

Tag and/or title items in your shop “Yart,” so customers can search your Etsy and your shop to find your “Yart” items.

Special discount pricing for length of the sale. (You would need to credit back their account for the set amount on PayPal. Example: 10% off.)

Free shipping. Remember to clarify terms. Example: Only on orders over $25.00, etc. State your terms clearly. (If you offer free shipping, you would need to again credit back their account for the shipping on PayPal.)

If you feel the price points in your shop do not allow you to have a sale, perhaps you can offer a free promotional gift or a slight discount toward future orders.

These are merely suggestions, and I am sure you can come up with many others. Remember, your Shop Announcement is an important piece in being involved in this sale, as it is where you describe the terms of your Yart sale and the dates that your shop will participate.

We invite you to post, chat, and shop in the Official Yart Sale thread in the Promotions section of the Etsy Forums. A new thread will be posted daily at 7:00 a.m. ET beginning on June 10 by the Etsy Supply Street Team with the forum title “SECOND ANNUAL YART SALE sponsored by Team ESST" with the day's date. For example, the first day's heading will be:

"SECOND ANNUAL YART SALE sponsored by Team ESST - June 10, 2009"

Participating in the daily forum thread is a way that shoppers can find your shop. Simply post what you are offering. You could also encourage visitors to search "Yart" in handmade, supplies, or vintage. Even if you are simply offering a discount, it would be to your advantage to place "Yart" somewhere in your titles or tags to draw shoppers searching for sale items to your shop.

Where do I find a “Yart” Avatar?
Many people used special “Yart” avatars last year. These were put together by many helpful people on Etsy. Some were selling them, others were simply sharing. This year fellow Team ESST member misosoup has created two that everyone can share, which are available for your use here on the Etsy blog and on the Team ESST blog.

We look forward to your participation in the Yart Sale. It is a fun event with much enthusiasm, energy, and creativity! So get your shops ready and we'll see you there!

All the hundreds of comments on this post are so awesome, but unfortunately they're slowing down the load time for this page. So we're closing comments. Please check the Promotions Section of the Forums for the daily Yart Sale thread. Today, June 10, for example, is here, and tomorrow's will be linked from the end of that one, etc.

Etsy Seller How-To: Creating a Facebook Fan Page

2009-06-05T10:29:00-05:00

Many of us are connecting with old friends, classmates and peers through Facebook. Did you know Facebook is also a great way to share your Etsy Shop news? Not only can you create an Etsy Shop Badge for your Facebook profile, but you can create a Facebook Fan Page for your buyers and devotees. ArtBySusmitha says her Facebook Fan Page has lead to many connections with new customers and she has created a simple tutorial to get you started!

You'll first need to already have a Facebook account to have a Fan Page. (A page is different from your personal Facebook profile.)

1. You start by adding an application called Pages. The easiest way to find a link to this application is by going to an existing Fan Page and finding the Create a page for my business link. Here's a screen shot of my Art by Susmitha Page. You can see that the link you're looking for at the bottom of the left hand column (click picture below to see a larger version).

2. Add the application and you will be taken to the Create New Facebook Page link where you enter the first bit of information.

3. Now your new, empty Fan Page has been created. Begin by clicking on the Edit Information link.

4. Enter the basic and detailed information. Hit Save Changes at the bottom and then Done Editing on top.

5. Now you'll be taken back to your main page where you can add your website info and URL and also a profile picture of your logo or product. When you hover over the top right corner of the profile picture space, the edit icon will appear.

6. After you've got your photo and URL info added, go on to edit the page by clicking Edit Page.

7. This will take you to the Settings and Applications page. Make any adjustments you'd like here.

8. Then scroll to the bottom of the Settings and Applications page. Click on the edit icon at the corner of "More Applications" and browse for more apps.

9. To add your Etsy Mini to your page do a search for My Stuff and click on the Gigya My Stuff application and add it.

10. Go back to your page, click on the + sign next to the Wall, Info, Photos... tabs. Add the My Stuff application to your tabs.

11. Follow the instructions and paste the flash version (larger code) of the code into the box (the java version cannot be added). Now you have your Etsy Mini tab all set.

12. Finally, click on the Photos tab and add loads of images of your products.

Your basic Fan Page is now ready. Hit Publish This Page link (in red) on top to tell all your Facebook friends about it.

Don't forget to check out the Seller Handbook - all our how-tos about running your Etsy business!

Seller How-To: Get Noticed by the Blogosphere

2009-02-24T12:09:00-05:00

Today I opened up my email inbox, and guess what! I found a letter to you from Liz and Kegan, designers and bloggers from Design Glut. Liz and Kegan are going to be answering questions live from their studio via the technically magical Virtual Labs and they want to give you a few tips beforehand. Dig into this advice, and come on by with questions on getting noticed by the blogosphere, this Wednesday, February 25th at 4pm EST in the Virtual Labs.

Dear Etsy Sellers,

If you really want to get the word out about your shop and your creations, you need to become familiar with the blogosphere. We are forever indebted to friendly bloggers for helping us to get our product line noticed.

Why are blogs so important to an indie business?

1. Blogs drive traffic.
The more people see your products, and visit your web store, the more orders you'll take.

2. Magazine editors read blogs.
It's really, really hard to approach a magazine and get them to cover your work. But if you get your work posted on a blog, there's a good chance someone from a magazine will see it there and want to cover it.

3. Store and gallery owners read blogs.
Again, if these people see your work on a blog, there's a better chance they'll approach you.

4. It's a great way to get feedback on your work.
When you start getting your work in front of more and more people, you can really see what people respond to the most, and push your future work in that direction.

So how do you break into the blogosphere?

1. Feel the trickle-down effect.
If you get posted on one big blog that gets a lot of traffic (Design*Sponge, NOTCOT, Coolhunting, Josh Spear, MoCoLoco, Core77...), it will probably get picked up and spread around on a lot of smaller blogs as well, who saw it there first.

2. Don't blast every blog at once.
Everyone wants an exclusive story first! Pick your favorite blog, tell them they're your favorite, and that you're giving it to them first. But again, keep your message short and sweet. They don't have time to read paragraphs.

3. Follow instructions.
If a blog asks for submissions in a certain way, do it that way. Bloggers receive tons of emails and they set those guidelines for a reason. If you make their lives easier, you're more likely to get posted.

4. NOTCOT.org is a good place to start.
Their user-submission model makes it easy for you to get the content in front of the editors. And when they post something, it drives tons of traffic.

What do you need to prepare?

1. Take great photos.
We just interviewed the blogger Josh Spear, and he told us: "The internet is one big picture book." People are looking for eye candy. Give it to them.

2. Write the copy.
Bloggers are busy, busy bees. If you write something they can just copy and paste, it makes their lives easier. Don't be too wordy, though. Keep it short and sweet. The pictures should sell your product.

3. Get ready to be persistent.
If you've submitted one of your creations to the bloggers and not gotten any response, try taking new pictures and resending it. Or try submitting something else you've done. (But don't send the same thing over and over again. That just gets annoying. Make sure you have something new to show if you're emailing the same person again.)

See you on Wednesday!

Liz & Kegan

Connect with us on Facebook!

2009-02-05T12:44:00-05:00

We have updated the "Etsy Shop" application for Facebook, a social networking site many Etsians use. The "Etsy Shop" application is like the Etsy mini but specifically for Facebook. We’re finding more and more Etsians — buyers and sellers — are using Facebook to spread the word about Etsy items and events, and this tool lets sellers show up to 6 of their items from their Etsy shops.

Here's a quick How-To to help you add an "Etsy Shop" to your Facebook profile.

Log in to (or create) your Facebook account and click here to go to the "Etsy Shop" application page. You'll see a screen like you see below — enter your Etsy username, the number of items you want to show on your Facebook Profile, select where you want the items to feed in from and how you want them sorted. Click "Add." Now that you have that set up, click "Home" right above where you see "Etsy Shop." Here you'll see the option to add this application to your profile.

Like many social networking sites, Facebook allows users to create groups, and there are lots you should check out…And you gotta register to be able to see those, so join us! Click here!

If you have any problems with the application, we can't give tech support here on this post! Please leave a comment on the app's page on Facebook.

Find out more about social networking sites and tools.

Check out Social Bookmark & Share on Etsy.com.

NOTE: We first posted about this on the Etsy Garden blog way back when. Kelly, aka kfarrell, a true geek at heart, originally whipped up this app back in the day.

Shop Makeover Series: Photogenic Collaborations

2009-01-19T11:33:00-05:00

As part of our Shop Makeover Series, rubypearl will be hosting a follow up talk in the Virtual Labs at 4pm today, Monday January 19, 2009!

“I can’t sell my dresses online.” This was the answer I would give over and over again when asked if I had a website. My dresses sold like crazy at local boutiques and craft fairs, but when I thought about selling them on the web, my mind drew a blank. How would it work if my customers couldn’t try them on or feel the fabric? No, I thought, I’d love to, but it just won’t work.

Then I found Etsy. Everything changed, but not all at once.

I began by taking dim pictures in my backyard. Now, this may work for you if you are a good photographer. Sadly, I am not. Even our family photos look like my two year old snapped them.

One of Rubypearl's original attempts, at right, was a bit blurry.

I began to make friends with photographers and stylists who helped me out. As my photographs improved, my store took off like a rocket.

Photos below by talented Austin-based photographer Holly Brunkow.

Here are some things that I've learned.

Even very well known photographers need designers who will loan clothes for their clients to model, and they are very often willing to burn a disc of pictures for you for free or trade.

Attend local photography shows at galleries and coffee shops.

Find mid-level singers and songwriters and send them photos of your work. Target musicians who are well known enough to give your clothes some cachet and whose style fits what you’re doing. Clearly, you will probably never get a call back from Beyonce no matter how much free stuff you send her, unless you know her stylist or her best friend. If so, why are you reading this? You should be emailing me; I have some dresses that would look great on her!

Carol Young, in a rubypearl dress, with Rosanne Cash.

Carol Young in rubypearl designs.

Offer musicians clothes for free or at a discount to wear on stage. Ask who their favorite photographers are; musicians often have other clients who could give your work celebrity exposure.

Post flyers at the local colleges. A beginning photographer may have a brilliant eye but also need to build their portfolio.

Connecting with your local community of photographers is great marketing. Portrait photographers make their living by networking with people. They shoot weddings, children, musicians and professional models — all of whom could be your potential customers. By enlisting their help with your Etsy photography you are exposing your work to everyone who walks into their studios.

Start small and attend every event with a positive attitude. You never know who you’ll meet or where little events will lead you. A few months after I started my company I set a booth up at an art fair hosted by a tiny coffee shop. It was raining. No more than ten people passed through that day. One of them was Patty Griffin’s photographer. She loved what I was doings and set up a meeting with me. I ended up designing a dress for her album cover. If I hadn’t been at that coffee shop, I never would have met her.

Musician Patti Griffin, at right, in a rubypearl dress. Photo by Tracy Goudie.

Musicians always need unique clothing to wear on stage, and there is no better advertisement than someone singing in front of hundreds of people in your creation. Make sure you snap some photos of them in your designs before they leave your studio. Give them special treatment and they will keep coming back to you.

When I met Erykah Badu she was sitting Indian style on the floor of my booth, digging through a box of squirrel-themed skirts to find her size. She had just finished her set at the Austin City Limits festival and wandered into my booth to do some shopping. Glowing and five months pregnant, she laughed at me when I suggested that I could find it for her.

“I can do it! I gotta find me a squirrel skirt. I love squirrels! Whenever I sing a song at home and it has the word girl I always substitute squirrel.”

She assembled a large heap of my best dresses and paid with cash. I was so dazzled I didn’t get her stylist's email or any pictures other than one with her standing next to me.

Learn from my mistakes — even if you have to give celebrities samples of your clothing for free — and make sure to snap that picture. Do whatever it takes. Then send it out with your press kit when you alert the local media about your amazing new design business. Celebrities will understand — they had to be marketing geniuses to get where they are now.

By working with photographers you can expand your client base, entice celebrities to model your creations and present beautiful photos to your Etsy customers. Since your customers are unable to try your clothing on, you must capture their imaginations through photography. If you are camera-challenged like me, find someone brilliant to help you.

Your pictures will tell a story that inspires them to envision wearing your creation. It won’t matter that they can’t feel the fabric: they will feel beautiful imagining themselves in what you’ve made.

Join rubpearl for her follow up talk in the Virtual Labs at 4pm today, Monday January 19, 2009!

Post in the comments below if you've had any luck collaborating with photographers or celebrities. Link us to your photos! We want to see! Check out the Etsy Shop Makeover Flickr pool here.

Seller Handbook | Shop Makeover Series

Shop Makeover Series: Broaden Your Target Audience with Tiered Product Lines

2009-01-15T16:30:00-05:00

Hey there shop owners!

A popular strategy for maximizing traffic and sales in your shop includes broadening your target audience. Think about your niche — if your items have a distinctive brand or style, you can extend what you make in order to start inviting new types of purchases. Consider the items you offer in terms of their "giftability" and the different price points or "lines" you are offering.

Items as Gifts: Picture the types of people for whom your customer would buy gifts. Everyone has their loved ones, family members, best friends, casual friends, office-mates, etc. While you might want to offer a pricier, more involved item for the people closer to your customers' lives, you can also have the smaller, more affordable gifts, perfect for casual friends. Some sellers find that once a shopper buys a smaller item, she may support your store again — as a happy returning customer, perhaps spending more money because she trusts your craftsmanship and has enjoyed her interaction with you.
Ongoing Celebrations: There are so many events throughout the year that are great for gift giving, including anniversaries, birthdays, baby showers, weddings, housewarmings and hostess gifts. Think about these types of celebrations and the types of items you may be able to make and market for the type of person who may be receiving the gift. Get creative!
Seasonal Lines: Don't forget the bigger year round gifting holidays such as Valentine's Day and Winter Holidays; having a small seasonal product line that would fit well with these holidays will also help you get a leg up on maximizing your traffic. You don't have to add hearts and snowmen to your items if they have nothing to do with those holidays, but you can consider marketing your items as seasonal gifts. Changing of the vignettes and colors of your listings' photography could add that special connection point for shoppers.
Item Lines: Introducing a new line or series of lines to your shop with different price points can open up a new audience to your shop. Please have a look at our articles with our best tips, strategies, and the benefits of introducing tiered pricing and trying out a new line in your shop.

Sellers, have you noticed any tiered product lines like this working for your shop? Share in the comments below to let us know what did or didn't work through your experiences.

And if you're participating in the Shop Makeover Series, post a link to your before and after shots! Check out the Etsy Shop Makeover Flickr pool here.

Seller Handbook | Shop Makeover Series

Shop Makeover Series: Pimp Your Shop for 2009

2008-11-21T14:34:00-05:00

This installment of the Etsy Shop Makeover Series brings you to an important step: now that your shop is fit for public consumption, you gotta spread the word! Daniellexo gives you some tips on social networking and grassroots marketing. (Note: This post was originally published on January 28, 2008, but we've updated and revamped it for the coming year!)

I started on Etsy with blurry pictures and no idea how to run a successful shop. It took a year to make it to the now extinct Top Sellers list, but I did it. I spent roughly 10 hours a day learning about photography, d.i.y. marketing, the right time to list and renew and the other ins and outs of a successful Etsy shop. My first boost of sales came when I was mentioned in a rather popular blog. How did this happen? Not by accident. It took a lot of work. Read on to hear my formula for pimping your shop and getting sales.

Social Networking

Above: NeaWear tastefully "pimps" her shop on Facebook

Sure, you can spend a $1,000 on a tiny, tiny magazine ad. But, unfortunately, you can't click a magazine ad. I'm not saying they aren't good for building a brand, but it takes a lot of work to get a shopper from a magazine to their computer and then to your Etsy shop. I would work on your online presence instead if you are just starting out.

Where to start? First make sure your shop is focused. You need a target market; if you have a shop that's all over the map it will much harder to find your customers. Stick to a demographic, ie. teenage girls, new mothers or hipsters. Of course you can welcome all buyers, but it's easier to market with someone specific in mind.

Now what? Surf around and get familiar with the sites I link to in the rest of this article. Which ones look like the most fun to you? Sign up for those and test them out! When signing up, I suggest using your Etsy username and keeping all your accounts cohesive. You'll be easier to find that way. Now have a look at how much time you have per week. If you have a few extra hours a week, then focus on one or two social networking websites like Facebook, Twitter and Myspace.

Now don't get overwhelmed. Check out these sites and see which ones look the best for your market. It's better to have a few accounts on these sites and stake your own little area of the site instead of spreading yourself too thin. You want to build up your online presence with these tools. Make your accounts attractive to people browsing. The trick is to keep it fun, for you and your followers! Don't just post photos of your products that people can already find in your Etsy shop. Make sure you show them a bit about the maker behind the curtain; describe your process, your studio, your favorites, etc. Talk up your Etsy buddies too — share the love!

Social Networking Sites:
Facebook
Myspace
Virb
Twitter

Social Shopping & Bookmarking

Above: TomokoTahara socially shops on ThisNext, mixing her items with other great finds!

Sharing your picks with others through accounts on social shopping and bookmarking sites can be a great way to promote buying handmade. Make sure you mix promoting your own work with other great finds! Link to your accounts on your blog and in your shop profile.

Social Shopping Sites:

ThisNext
Stylehive
Stylefeeder
Kaboodle
Wishpot
Zebo

Social Bookmarking Sites:
Digg
Squidoo
StumbleUpon
Wists
Magnolia
del.icio.us

Photo Sharing

Above: mLee uses Flickr like a photo journal. I love how her Flickr account is organized into sets.

Flickr is a great site for telling your story through photos. Buyers can start to connect with the maker this way. Showing your family life, process, studios, pets, and more can remind your buyers and friends that there is a real artist behind the work in your Etsy shop! This gives your work an intrinsic value and authenticity you just can't get with a mass produced item!

Blogging

Above: the {NewNew} Team all works together to maintain their well read blog. If you don't have time to regularly update your own blog, sharing the workload by creating a Team blog is a great idea!

A blog is an online journal that your readers can subscribe to in order to learn more about your work, process and life. I would recommend Blogger.com to get started. It's pretty easy to set up. Just like the social networking sites, you want to make your blog interesting and fun. Show your readers a bit about your life, your process, things you've purchased, places you've been, etc. Join the Etsy blog ring once you get going! I started a shopping blog, Gold School. I still have about 50 readers a day. I show them items I like that are reasonably priced (90% Etsy items by the way). I also have a link in my blog to my Etsy shop. That way, my faithful readers might think, "Wow. I like this gal's taste! I wonder what she makes?"

Above: PearsonMaron's Twitter always makes me smile!

Don't have time for blogging? How about micro-blogging? Twitter.com asks one question: 'What are you doing?' Answers must be under 140 characters in length and can be sent via mobile texting, instant message, or the web. You can follow your contacts and gather followers. It's fun and addicting! Make sure you aren't just blogging about your work though — like usual, keep it interesting and fun! (Like PearsonMaron's tweets above!)

More sites to check out:

Niche Networking:
Ravelry (knit & crochet)
Designs To Love
DeviantArt (fine art)
Craftster.org (crafting)
DIYscene (D.I.Y. & alternative crafting)
BurdaStyle (sewing)

Skill Sharing:
Instructibles
Thingiverse

Video:
YouTube
Vimeo
Blip

Now get down a little routine.
Perhaps when you wake up you take a few pictures and upload them to Flickr. Then you blog about your strange dreams. Then you add a new item to Etsy and send it to all your social shopping sites. (Tip: Send your favorites to these social shopping and bookmarking sites too! If it's obvious you are just trying to pimp yourself people won't come back to see what else you've added.) Before bed work on your Myspace, perhaps.

From here you'll start collecting like minded social shoppers and perhaps you've bumped into a few blogs you like. Good! Bookmark those. You're going to need them. Find a day to yourself. Lock yourself up with some coffee and get motivated. Today you're going to get into a blog! It's cold-calling time.

I'm not going to list any blogs here for fear of 1,000 Etsy sellers contacting the same ones over and over. The trick is to find the blogs your potential shoppers read. Keep your target market in mind. Start with the smaller ones to build up your confidence. Find the bloggers email and really inspect it. What do they value most in the items they feature? How can you pitch your items in a way that would interest them and their readers? Make each email personal and specific to the blog you are writing to. Bloggers can smell a mass email a mile away. And it's not a nice smell. Oh, one more thing: don't just send them a link to your shop. Find the BEST item in your shop (and make sure its a nice clear photograph). Include a little something interesting about this item, how you made it, or about yourself. Make it easy for the blogger if they did choose to blog about your work. Send out as many of these are you can. If you don't get a response or only get one or two do not take it personally. Shopping bloggers get tons of unsolicited items sent to them. Start collecting another set of blogs to write to and have another stab at it.

Here's a sample letter:

Dear Gold School Creator,

I've been reading your blog for a few weeks now and I really love your finds (especially the weiner dog special last week!). They are all really fresh (and cheap)!

I'm writing because I think my work would interest your readers. Here's a link to my most popular item. I started making these when I broke my leg last summer and was immobile. I was so bored watching soaps all day so I decided to start embroidering these Soap Star Hankies.

Thanks for your blog and for supporting independant artist like me!

Happy Holidays,

Sally the Soap Star Hanky Maker

Keep these emails short, sweet, personalized and fun.

Getting Seen on Etsy

Above: ThePeachTree makes some gorgeous Front Page worthy Treasuries. And when these happen to land on the Front Page of Etsy, a link to her shop (just above the items) also gets a little bit of Front Page action!

Here are a few ways to pimp your shop on Etsy:

Make a treasury. I know it's not always easy getting a treasury, but try anyway. Set a timer for the next time a batch of them are about to expire and POUNCE! Keep your favorite items bookmarked and try to create a visually pleasing mix of goods. If you make a great treasury people will be interested in what you are doing in your own shop!
Renew. If you have the budget to renew once or twice a day (or more if you have lots of items in your shop) then I would really suggest it. It keeps you fresh in your category and puts it above other items that were listed before it on Etsy. Try different time of the day as well — I used to wake up in the middle of the night to renew!
(edit 1/30/09- Please note that relisting or renewing will place it above previously listed items on the site, but does not guarantee that it will show up on the front page ticker or in Time Machine 1 or Time Machine 2)
Use your shop name as a tag in your item listings. That way if someone comes to the site and searches for you but mistakenly doesn't change the search drop-down menu to "seller" — your work will still pop up. Also use your shop name in your listings. The more the name of your shop is used on the internet, the more likely it is to come up in a web search.
Forums. Be helpful on the forums. Sure you can also post in the promotions section but you are more likely to be seen in Site Help giving some advice to a newbie. And make sure your avatar is interesting and clear so people will want to check out your shop!
Pitch an article to the Storque here. What are you the most passionate about? Can you write about your process? About your local craft scene? A review on a great sewing machine you just purchased? Let the Storque editors know why this would be a great article, who would be interested in it and why you should be the one to write it.
Comment on Storque articles that you really like. I'm not suggesting to comment on every article. Just those that really call to you. Leave a thoughtful comment and others will see your avatar and might just have a peek at your shop!
Attend Virtual Labs events. They are fun and informative (ok maybe I am a little biased). But they are a great place to connect with the Etsy community and get seen as an active member.
Join an Etsy Team. Of course, don't just join a Team to promote yourself. Join one to bond with other Etsy members and to help each other promote your work and Etsy together!

Troubleshooting

So you've done all this and aren't getting the kind of response you would like? Here are a few things you can do now:

Hire a photographer. This could even be someone who is technically savvy in your family that has a nice camera. Get them to take some pictures for you and give you some tips on working with your own digital camera.
Attend the Etsy Labs critiques and workshops. (Usually every Wednesday and Friday — see the Storque's Online Workshops featured column for times.) You can really pick up some great tips at the critiques and workshops.
Ask a seasoned shopper for advice. Don't be too shy or sensitive! Ask them for their most honest opinion.
Try something new! Keep your shop fresh and dip into another category. Perhaps you'll find a technique or craft you may like even more. Think about a niche or need that may not be met yet on Etsy.

Whew. I hope that helps you and your shop in 2009. If you have any further suggestions for marketing your shop, let everyone know by commenting below! For further questions about selling, check out The Etsy Seller Handbook and the Shop Makeover Series.

[October 5, 2009 UPDATE: We have to close comments here because there are so many, it's slowing down the load of the page!]

Team Tip: Taking Craft Shows to the Next Level

2008-11-17T11:01:00-05:00

Holiday craft show season is upon us again and we're happy to hear of so many Etsy Teams and sellers taking part in holiday craft shows all over the world! Everyone loves a good craft show — chances to meet your favorite area artists in person, see and feel amazing handmade goodies as you buy them and opportunities to soak in the wonderful handmade community, but they're also really great opportunities to market your Etsy shop. For tips from our wonderful community on Craft Show basics, check out "Rocking Holiday Craft Shows".

If you've already got your booth set-up all figured out and you came up with a comprehensive checklist of things you don't want to forget ages ago, here are some tips for taking shows to the next level. Below are just a sampling of way to use shows as a tool for developing a loyal customer base:

Reconsider your business cards. What makes your business cards stand apart from the giant stack of cards shoppers are picking up at the show? Check out the Don't order another 1,000 business cards! article for ideas on creative promotional items. Or consider including an offer that shoppers will find valuable on the card, such as free shipping if they include the name of the craft show in their order or a small discount on multiple items ordered within a period of time. Also, be sure to include product images on your cards to make it super easy for people to remember what booth was yours. You can use the Etsy-Moo deal to get your listing photos right on the cards (more details here).
Collect email addresses! We've written Team Tips about this before, because permissions based marketing (which is when someone gives you their email address or other information, along with permission to contact them with special offers) is the best way to contact people you know are interested in what you are selling. It's information sent directly to your target market, so it's efficient and a good use of your limited marketing time. Be sure to follow up, sending out an email blast with links and beautiful images not too long after the event to jog people's memory about the good stuff you have to offer.

A screenshot from Baltimore Etsy Team member JenMenkhaus's Etsy shop, showing a detailed item description for a felt flower head band.

Have information on hand! Print out nice copies of your most popular items' Etsy listings and descriptions, or use screenshot images from your shop to have a small booklet printed up (try a service like Blurb.com, for example, for great professional results with little effort). This will give people something to browse at your booth, and give them great details that people often don't think to ask at a show, such as washing instructions, tips on care, material content, etc. It's also a great way to familiarize them with Etsy and your shop, making it more likely they'll go visit it again when they're online.
Talk it up! When you have a customer who is interested in your work, don't be afraid to mention that if they go to your Etsy shop, they can find a wider range of colors, options, they can check out previously sold custom orders. Let them know that if they have an Etsy account, they can mark your shop (and others) as a favorite, so it'll be easy to find again when shopping for gifts, etc. Mention that you accept many forms of payment in your Etsy shop, and they can make purchases at their convenience online.
Don't forget your Etsy Team! You might let buyers know that they can find more great work from your Teammates for simple, easy one-stop shopping. For example, if you're on a Team that makes pet items, when someone buys a collar for Fido, be sure to mention that your Teammate sells dog cookies that are perfect for obedience training. Bring Team business cards or promo items, and be sure to point out ways the buyer can find items from your Team online.

Most importantly, enjoy yourself at the show! Craft shows are a good way of getting feedback on your work, and nothing's more fun than watching someone fall in love with your work right before your eyes. Be sure to introduce yourself to your crafty neighbors at the show, and do a little shopping and appreciating of the indie arts yourself!

For more Team Tips, please check the Teams Resource page. Also, we discuss the Team Tips, news and ideas in the Etsy Teams email list! Keep up the great work, Etsy Teams!

Seller How-to: Guiding Buyers with Shop Sections

2008-11-12T12:00:00-05:00

So sellers: you've stocked your shop with holiday goodies, you've taken great photos, you've cleared your calendar, and you are ready for the holiday stampede. Your shop looks fly, and you need your customers to look at more than just your cute featured items. Enter shop sections. Help your customers hone in on what they need, and make it easy for them to cross off each item on their holiday shopping lists. This is the time of year when we shoppers are super organized.

Organize by Shipping
Recent featured seller topsyturvydesign has a great way to get her customers looking at crafts that will ship to suit their holiday needs. This is especially excellent for the nearing Thanksgiving holiday, since she has made it easy for customers to look at the hats that will get to them on time.

Organize by Size
Another great use of the Shop Sections is to organize by size. As a shopper, I am so grateful when I can go right to the clothes, rings or shoes that fit me. This is great even for totes and bags, as it can be difficult to gauge size from a photo unless there is a scale reference. Small, medium and large is an economical way to use your shop sections, as you can create up to ten.

Organize by Price
Bath and body sellers, or other sellers that make use of gift baskets or groupings, can get a lot of mileage from using their shop sections to organize by basket and price. During the holidays, many shoppers have a budget that they have in mind for each one of their special people. For example, if I know that I'd like a luxurious bath basket for my mom, I am chuffed when I can use a shop section to go directly to: Gift Basket 70-100 dollars. And for my cousin? Gift Basket 30-50 dollars. Perfect. Check out this how-to on bundling items. For more info on pricing, see the Art of Pricing series.

You might also find this how-to, about introducing a new line, useful.

Don't forget to check out the Seller Handbook - all our how-tos about running your Etsy business!

Comment below if you've used these techniques and seen the effects! Shoppers, do you like to shop with sections?

Team Tip: Merchandising!

2008-11-10T13:36:00-05:00

There are many benefits of joining an Etsy Team, including cross promotion among Team members. With the holidays quickly approaching, joint merchandising and promotional efforts are a really great way members can help each other and boost overall sales — and help shoppers find those perfect holiday gifts.

For example, take Leandogpottery's Labyrinth Soap Dish. She might include a link in the product description to fellow Team member savor's Tart - Olive Oil Soap, and mention what a lovely pair the two items would make for a gift!

Savor would do the same, including a link to Leandogpottery's soap dish in her item listing. Now, with a little teamwork from sellers, shoppers can easily find a great gift set within a modest gift budget.

Savor's Tart - Olive Oil Soap, $4.50 & Leandogpottery's Labyrinth Soap Dish, $13.00

Below are some other ideas for bundling, coupling, grouping, branding and merchandising items from your Team:

You can also pair items from your shop with other items in your shop - suggest coordinating items in listings.
Or you can include a link to a search for your Team's tag in your item listings to help shoppers find items they might like from shops of other Team members.
Use the Etsy mini to highlight great items from your Team on your blogs, social networking sites and other places on the web.
If you're primarily a buyer on Etsy, you can show support for your favorite Teams by including links to their Team tags in your Etsy profile.
To mix things up a bit, try occasionally Twittering or blogging about a Teammate's shop from your account - it's more fun and you'll get more attention that just talking about your own work all the time.
Many Teams find it useful to include a Team image as the last item image in an item listing - the image might have your Team's logo and a Team search tag, so shoppers can recognize items by a particular Team more easily.
Organize a ring of links to your Teammates shops in your announcement.
Follow the steps in this previous Team tip to promote your Team everywhere.

Teams are a wonderful way to work with your fellow sellers to accomplish more marketing than you could by yourself. By getting creative and doing some smart merchandising, you and your Team can work together to drive more traffic and increase sales for each other.

For more Team Tips, please check the Teams Resource page. Also, we discuss the Team Tips, news and ideas in the Etsy Teams email list! Keep up the great work, Etsy Teams!

Team Tip: How To Twitter!

2008-11-03T11:57:00-05:00

There's a lot of buzz lately about Twitter.com as an interactive marketing tool. (In fact, you can find Etsy at http://www.twitter.com/etsy!) I've been giving a good deal of thought to how Etsy Teams can use Twitter.com to their advantage to effectively engage their audience and bring new buyers to members' Etsy shops. Below are some simple steps on how you might develop Twitter as a useful tool for your Team.

What is Twitter.com? Twitter describes itself as "a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: "What are you doing?" After creating an account, people can choose to follow other people's Twitter posts, viewing posts online or via a mobile phone. Twitter is about quick glimpses into you or your brand, as you have 140 characters to type or include interesting links for your Twitter followers to read and respond to.

To get started, discuss with your Team what your goals might be for a Team Twitter account. Goals can range from, but are not limited to, sharing knowledge (posting links to useful tutorials or tips online), to giving the Team a personality (having a friendly, anecdotal voice in posts), or driving traffic to content around the web from your Team. Most likely, successful Team Twitter accounts will aim at all three of these goals.
Decide as a group who will be responsible for posting content - Many brands and businesses find it's most interesting when several people post, but some feel there's value to a consistent voice. Consider your goals as well as the natural talents and time availability of members when deciding who should have access to posting.
Register a username for your Team.
Tweet away! Don't forget to interact with other members by responding to posts - engaging the people who are following you is a great way to really make the most of this medium. By starting a post with @(username), it's easy for a user to find replies intended for them, even if they're not currently following you.
Find more people through Twitter - You can try the search tool to search for terms related to your Team, and then you can network with people talking about similar topics to what you're posting about. If you have a little time to do some tweaking, you can try one of many third party tools for finding other members and organizing Twitter feeds, such as Tweetdeck.
Stand out from the crowd - If you're looking to spruce up your Team's Twitter account page, you might consider adding photos of some recently listed products as a background, under Design in your Account Settings.
Enjoy! Don't think of Twitter as a chore, a task or a major thing to do on a giant to-do list. Rather, when you find something interesting, or perhaps whenever you find something worthy of bookmarking, simply post it to your Twitter account. When you have spare moment after checking email or starting a new task online, simply take a minute to check your Twitterstream to reply back to your network! Incorporating Twitter into your daily habits is the best way to have success with this tool.
Do remember how useful Twitter can be for communicating in real time - Twitter is a great way to promote events, like Team Virtual Labs trunk shows or local events!

For more information, you can check RedPanda's informative post in the Etsy forums, this interview that WineNutNYC did with some Etsy sellers on successfully using Twitter to market, or this great article on 50 Ideas on Using Twitter for Business.

Find us at http://www.twitter.com/etsy and post in the comments with the link to your Twitter feed!

For more Team Tips, please check the Teams Resource page. Also, we discuss the Team Tips, news and ideas in the Etsy Teams email list! Keep up the great work, Etsy Teams!

Seller How-to: Craft Fair Tips

2008-09-29T13:00:00-05:00

You have spent many frenzied hours preparing your art and craft items for the craft fair, but does that mean you are really ready to make as much money as you can at the event? Probably not. As creatives, we tend to focus on our art and forget about everything else. (My house could fall down around me while I'm in the zone and I wouldn't notice.) You went through all that time and trouble to participate in a craft show, and I want to make sure you get as much out of the experience as you can while you are there. It's not just about what you sell at the show, it's about the contacts you make and how you use them.

Craft shows are great place to network and market. Here are some easy tips to make your next craft fair/show pay-off for months after everyone goes home.

Display is important. Dedicate some creative energy to your display. You want to stand out in the crowd. This is especially important if your artwork is currently a popular trend and you have lots of competition. If you sell jewelry right now, you know what I mean. At the majority of the shows I have attended, I see the jewelry laid out flat-sometimes on black velvet or in white bins at almost every table. What if you bought cool, retro mannequin heads and used them to display your jewelry? I know I would make a beeline to a table full of faux heads to check out what's going on.

Have a free drawing. Ask people to drop their business cards into a hat and raffle off a prize. Instant list!

GET MARKETING MATERIALS! I can't tell you how many artists don't have any information about themselves out on their tables. What if I don't want to buy today, but really like your stuff? How will I ever find you again? You absolutely must put out business cards. Business cards don't have to be expensive. You can even print them out from your home computer; just make sure you give people the opportunity to find you again.

Make flyers about trunk shows or any other venue (such as Etsy) where people can buy from you in the future. If you have catalogs bring them. Create a portfolio of your work and have it out for people to look at. You might get some special orders. I download digital pictures onto my laptop of past work and have a slide show of the work running on it during the show.

More on marketing materials…Every product should have a tag on it with all your contact information. I just use my business card, hole-punched with a ribbon. This gives both the buyer and, if the item is being purchased as a gift, the recipient your contact information. The recipient may want to collect your work, but won't be able to if there isn't a tag.

Use "gift with purchase" promotions. Everyone loves to get gifts. For the holiday boutique I am participating in this year, I created special, creative gift tags. Each customer gets a free set with the purchase of any item. Of course, the back of the gift card has all my contact information.

Set-up future sales. Once you have attracted clients to you with a great display, you need to capture their information. Have a guest book out and invite people to sign it and tell you what they think about your art. Make sure you ask them to check a box saying they would like to receive mailings from you. The book will give you an idea of what people like about your art and you will have their contact information. Create a snail mail list and make sure that you send out cool invites every time you are going to be at a show. Include a discount coupon on the postcard; that way you can track how effective your mailing was. For an even nicer touch, make sure you send out a thank you note, right after the show, telling them how glad you are that they stopped by to look at your work.

Network with the other artists and crafters. Make friends. Even your "competitors" are potential clients. Gather the business cards of everyone who is participating at the show and send a friendly email to each one within a week of the show. Tell them how much you enjoyed seeing their work. If you remember something specific about them or their work, mention it. Tell them a bit about yourself and tell them to contact you if they ever need anything. This is also just plain nice!

If you follow these few simple steps, you should have a nice list of clients, potential clients, friends and business partners in your possession. Now you must use this list to make it pay. Set up a schedule to touch base with each person on a regular basis. Send them invitations to all your shows, send them your monthly newsletter or just drop them a line or a note telling them you are thinking about them. Have fun and be prosperous!

Further Resources
Katy offers The Craft Show Worksheet through her shop, and if you want more information about networking and marketing your arts & crafts business, sign-up for katydid designs free monthly ezine, The Well-Fed Artist, at www.katydid-designs.com.

See other posts by the katydiddy. And click here for some other how-tos about craft fairs. For the motherload see the Seller Handbook!

Seller How-to: Promoting a Site Wide Sale on Etsy

2008-09-16T10:39:00-05:00

With sellers planning ahead with their promotions and marketing for the holiday season, we thought it would be neat to check in with theartistscloset. She was one of the masterminds behind a simple idea that went viral on Etsy — many of you remember the "Yart Sale" of summer 2008!

Working within a group is the only way I would be involved in any mass marketing approach on Etsy. The combining of resources and effort makes for a lighter load and the sharing of ideas makes for a more creative sale event — and one less likely to have shortcomings.

I strongly recommend joining an Etsy Street Team appropriate for your shop. Presently, there are over 250 Etsy Teams. I participate in three Teams: Etsy Supply Street Team, Cottage Style Street Team and Etsy Maine Team. The Etsy Supply Street Team, under the direction of Team leaders CarDonCreativeDesign and Faro, was instrumental in helping me organize the recent Yart Sale from June 11-20. What began as a casual conversation on our weekly thread about destashing and raising funds for a summer vacation blossomed into a whole discussion on our private boards about creating an Etsy Wide Yart Sale. The title Yart was suggested by fellow teammate BlackStarBeads (Yard + Art = YART). Faro created special Yart Sale Avatars.

Keys to planning and preparation - Become part of a larger group, as mentioned above. If possible, create a private area for planning, such as a private discussion board (such as Yahoo Groups). This is where you share ideas, decide on promotions, discuss concerns and resolve issues that might come up during the event.
Come up with a unique promotional idea or title for the event - Try to capitalize on what might be on people's minds; seasons, holidays or current events, and be sensitive to time and cultural differences. Remember that Etsy is a global community. With this first sale, we made the mistake of initially describing the Yart Sale as a 10 day countdown to the first day of summer, not realizing that summer in the U.S. is winter down under. Next year we intend to be more inclusive.
Utilize your support group to advertise - Word of mouth is a powerful promotional tool. Promote the sale among family, friends and colleagues through the use of fliers, email, etc. and utilize the Internet community by posting on blogs, groups and networking sites.
Get Sellers involved site-wide - Promote in the Forums, introducing the sale in advance in Business Topics so people have time to prepare and get involved. Be inclusive and also have minimum requirements for participation. Make it easy for anyone to participate — we simply asked people to use the tag "Yart Sale" for the sale. Clearly spell out the time and dates of the sale with initial forum threads in the Promotions forum, allowing flexibility for participation. The Yart sale lasted for 10 days, but it was up to the individual shops as to how long they chose to participate.

(Yart sign courtesy of dmriceart)
Create a FAQ sheet of information about the sale - Posting a FAQs thread under the Business Topics forum will help to address user questions and minimize confusion. (Here's ours, for example.)
Get the participants involved - Encourage sellers to post a statement of participation in their shop announcements; offer a ready-made announcement to cut and paste for their shops. This is helpful, user friendly and gets people quickly involved creating anticipation and excitement for the sale. Point people to the Forums for the daily Promotional Sale thread, encouraging them to post and participate in promoting their shops during the sale. However, remember to make it clear it is not a requirement for participation; some people are forum shy.
TIP - Use the daily sale threads to educate users about how to search for the sale items on Etsy, for example: "Just a few suggestions to all you shoppers! Type 'Yart' in the Search bar and choose the appropriate category from Etsy's Drop Down Menu - Choose Handmade, Supplies, Vintage or All items to view the specific items you are looking for. Viola - you will have so many choices from all the wonderful shops that have chosen to participate in this sale."
Remember to make the whole approach user-friendly and easy to follow - I found it was essential that my Team members and I monitor the Forum regularly to maintain a POSITIVE presence in the forums, and encourage participation by highlighting each other's sale items. It is important to maintain a presence during the course of a sale and be consistent in posting. Link threads so people don't get lost. Keep up on new threads that will pop up directing users to informational threads already established to answer their questions.

The Etsy Forums can be used as a positive force, encouraging an attitude of camaraderie and creating new opportunities for new friends and networking connections!

Click to see more seller how-tos about promoting.

Holiday How-Tos: Online Marketing Tips

2008-09-03T11:40:00-05:00

Dear Sellers,

Now is the time to organize your Holiday marketing plan! Get out your calendars and start plotting your plan of attack. There's lots you prep work you can do right now so that you'll be organized and ready to go for the holidays. The following ideas should help you start thinking about your plan, but really these tips are just the tip of the wintery iceberg. Do you have some tips for your fellow sellers? Please post them in the comments below or join us this Thursday (September 4th, 2008) at 4:00 pm EDT in the Treehouse of the Virtual Labs for a discussion on this topic!

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.) If you don't mind paying for a more versatile service try ConstantContact or VerticalResponse (or one of the many other newsletter programs). These will allow you to create HTML newsletters, get stats and creatively manage your contacts.

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!

Social Networking

In a previous article, Pimp My Shop, I wrote about the importance of social networking. Here are a couple of ideas for utilizing social networking sites over the holidays:

Offer an exclusive special or free gift with purchase to all your contacts on one social networking site. This will reward your contacts for following you and make them feel special!
Spend some time wishing your contacts a happy holiday season. Here's my suggestion: No flashy graphics! Just leave a personalized comment to those of your contacts who you are familiar with (ie. past customers, Etsy friends, bloggers). For example, "Dear DeeDee, Thank you for supporting me this year! I wish you all the best and hope it doesn't get too cold in Colorado this winter! Happy Holidays!"

Tip: Now is the time to add one or two more social networking or social shopping sites to your daily routine. Try Indiepublic or StyleFeeder (if you haven't already).

Advertising

Freshen up your advertising and start early! Put together a frosty photo-shoot and get some great crisp shots to use in your online advertising. Think snow, icicles and glitter! Get those holiday ads out right after Halloween, which means you should be lining up your favorite place to run online ads now. 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, where you can bid on adspace for as little as $0.25!

The holidays can be an exciting and fruitful time of year for sellers. Make sure you've done what you can to bring in new customers and connect with your previous customers. These tips should help you start to form your plan.

Need more inspiration for your holiday marketing plan? Remember to join us this Thursday (September 4th) at 4:00 pm EDT in the Treehouse of the Virtual Labs! This will be the first in a weekly discussion on organizing your shop for the holidays. Hope to see you there! And make sure to check back for more Holiday How-Tos!

Team Tip: Press Releases!

2008-08-18T11:27:00-05:00

In previous Team Tips, we've discussed places and creative ways to promote your Etsy Team and events. Press releases are a tried and true method of getting the word out about what you're doing. A press release is a statement prepared for distribution to the media and a great (and inexpensive!) means of promoting an event. It is basically a mini news story that demonstrates to editors and journalists the newsworthiness of an event or group. There are a few really important things to remember when creating a press release; we outlined some critical points below.

Getting Started

Choose your Targets. Who are the people you want reading this story? Brainstorm all the places that people in your target demographic might visit to find news. If you're a location-based Team, this probably means both on and offline publications. Narrow the list down to the six or eight that you think get the broadest visibility for your Team's event.
Identify your Contacts. Many newspapers, magazines, blogs or news websites will have information somewhere about who to send your press release to. If your press release is for a crafting event, you may want to find the lead arts and entertainment journalist for the publication. Sending your press release to the right person at an organization can make a big difference. Do not spam a contact—have one person from your Team send the press release once for each event. No one likes an inbox crammed full of duplicate information.

Write the Press Release:

Closely follow the standard formatting of a press release. Look at this sample press release for formatting. Since journalists receive so many press releases each day, they have set standards and expectations that you must conform to just to have your release read, let alone published.
Write in the third person. Emulate the language/headlines you see in the publication you'd like to be published in.
Think and write like a reporter! Your goal is to do this so well that the journalist will want to publish your story "as is." The reporter is looking for a story that will satisfy an editor and the readers. They're not interested in promoting you, only in crafting a story that will make readers think "Wow, that's interesting." What makes your story different and special?
The lead paragraph should include the who, what, when, where and whys of the article. If you're promoting a specific event, make sure to include dates and location on your materials. State whether there's an entry fee or RSVP.
Once the details are established, include a quote or statistic if possible to ground your piece, and pertinent links whenever applicable. Link your story to the "big picture." Why is this story news, as opposed to simply being an advertisement for your event?
Include great images. While the press release itself should adhere to formatting rules, additional promotional materials can really help the story shine. Find out what the newspaper/magazine/blog's requirements are for image size and resolution, and stick to those guidelines. Use beautiful photos. Don't overwhelm the reporter, just include a few strong images.
Proofread! Show your press release to people you know who are good writers and harsh critics. Make sure it passes muster before you send it out into the world.

Follow Up
If you have the opportunity, try to ask attendees how they heard about your Team and the event. If it's an online event, follow up via email with buyers to inquire about how they found your shop or items. Share this information among your Team members next time you meet, to determine what the most effective means of promoting was. You might also send strong, clear photographs of the event with a wrap-up report to blogs, papers or other places the press release was published, summarizing the success of the project, and giving dates of future similar events you may be planning.

Team Tips are a weekly series of tips and ideas from the Etsy Teams. You can find more Resources at team.etsy.com. Etsy Teams are growing really quickly, and we love that so many sellers want to join in to promote their shops, Teams and Etsy. For more information on Etsy Teams, check out the Teams pages and this page of Frequently Asked Questions. Don't forget to read our interview with this week's Featured Etsy Team. Keep up the great work, Etsy Teams!

Team Tip: Improved Etsy Teams Blog Ring

2008-07-28T13:00:00-05:00

Ever wish there was a way to browse through all of the Etsy Teams blogs and catch up on all the wonderful, amazing things Teams are up to? Look no further, faithful Etsy Team Blog reader, as we introduce a new Etsy Teams Blog Ring. All Blogs run by Etsy Teams (this Blog Ring is not personal blogs, sorry!) are welcome to join in, and can find instructions on how to do so here.

What is a Blog Ring and why should you check this out? A Blog Ring is links that have been placed in the sidebar of a series of blogs, that enables you to click through and read related blogs. With the Teams Blog Ring, you can now easily flip through to learn what the most active Etsy Teams are up to, find specials, information on events, and learn a lot more about many Etsy Teams. We're really excited about this tool for catching up with fantastic Teams!

There are probably some of you scratching your heads and thinking, "But I thought there was already a Teams blog ring?" And you're right, there was. The previous Teams Blog Ring had some technical issues, so this Teams Blog Ring is the real deal from here on out!

For more Team Tips, please check the Teams Resource page. Also, we discuss the Team Tips, news and ideas in the Etsy Teams email list! Keep up the great work, Etsy Teams!

MOO Now Offering Full-Sized Business Cards

2008-07-24T16:30:00-05:00

Dear Sellers,

I love the small MOO minicards, and they certainly have their place, but there are some times when only a standard-sized business card will do. That is why I am so pleased to say that our pals at MOO have now added this option for you.

In case you didn't know, MOO is a printing company. They print beautiful products using images you upload directly to their site, and, thanks to an ingenious combination of magic and science, Etsy sellers can have minicards, stickers, postcards, and now full-sized business cards printed DIRECTLY from the product images in their shops.

Here's how it works:

1. Go to http://moo.com/etsy

2. Select the MOO product you would like to make with your Etsy images (in the following example, we’ll select MOO minicards).

2. You will be prompted to log into your Etsy account.

3. Once logged in, drag the images you wish to make into cards from the scrollable picture bar into the large white box underneath. You have the option to add all photos, add 10 random photos, or clear all of the photos from the screen by clicking the blue text above the white box. You can drag images to the left sidebar if you wish to remove them from being designed (we all make mistakes).

4. The next screen allows you to control the part of the image displayed on the card. You can crop, zoom, change positions, preview, reset, and even remove a photo if you don’t like the way it looks. When you have the desired look for your images, click next step.

5. The next screen allows you to design the back of your Moo cards. You can leave them blank, add a logo, or write up to 6 lines of text with the option to bold or color. For creative ways to use text on your cards, check out the article we wrote specifically for uses of MOO products!

6. The next screen adds your designed product to your cart and allows you to make more products if you like.

7. Click “go to payment,” review the items in your cart, edit them if you like, and check out with either Paypal or your credit card!

Click here to get started making fresh products for your Etsy shop now!

Remember, it's not the size of your MOO cards, it's how you use them.

Check out the Labs' how-to with a plethora of ideas for using MOO products for your Etsy shop.

Team Tip: Using Email to Promote Your Team

2008-07-14T10:46:00-05:00

Collecting email addresses for your Etsy Team at events is a really great way to develop a community of contacts who are interested in knowing what your Team is planning. All Teams — Local and Virtual alike — should have email address sign up sheets at every event booth any Team members have. In addition to collecting contacts in person, you can also collect them on your Team's blog. To insert a place for people to submit their email addresses on your Team's website, you can get code from a site like Response-O-Matic.com. This code will give you little information fields to put on your site, and send addresses that are submitted to the email address you choose. From there you can use a free or inexpensive email list-serv, or even a service like Google Groups, to manage these contacts and create informative emails for your potential customers.

Here are some email list tips:

Do not be spammy! Don't include email addresses from people who have not willingly given you their information. Emails to people who have chosen to be on your list are more effective, anyway.
Limit how often you send emails to your list. You don't want to clog inboxes! No more than once a week, but ideally only when you have news or an upcoming event is a good rule of thumb.
Have at least one other person proofread the emails before you send them.
Be sure to include ways for people to get more information or contact you. The brilliant thing about an email is that it reminds your customer about your Team and makes it easy for them to follow up by visiting your shop or blog. This is especially great after an in-person show.
Always send emails to a list in a manner which makes all email addresses not visible. Respect information privacy.
Don't forget to include a way for people to unsubcribe to your Team's emails.

For more Team Tips, please check the Teams Resource page. Also, we discuss the Team Tips, news and ideas in the Etsy Teams email list! Keep up the great work, Etsy Teams!

Tagging Tips for Sellers: Kids, Baby, and Maternity

2008-07-09T10:58:00-05:00

Hello sellers of children's, baby, and maternity items! The Handmade Kids series prompted us to start a conversation about tagging your items.

Finding the right tags is an easy way to increase the number of buyers who are seeing your items. Here are a few suggestions for tags to use to improve your exposure and get your items in the right places in the Category Browser and in search.

Tip #1: Choosing Categories
Are there multiple top-level categories that your items could fit into? For example, if you make toys for children, you might try listing some of them in Children, and some in Toys. Overall, the Children category is the best place to list Children's items, but listing in other appropriate categories can increase your exposure. After you list, check the views and hearts of your items to see which category is best for your items.

Tip #2: Research in the Category Browser
Look under the category where you've listed your item. Add the names of any subcategories that are accurate to your tags. Look under these subcategories, and add any sub-subs that are accurate as well.

Tip #3: Synonyms
Are there any words that buyers might search for that mean the same thing as the normal word you might use? These make great tags. Some examples:

Children: kids, girls, boys, toddlers, tots

Baby: Infant, Newborn (generally under 3 months old)

Tip #4: Activities and Uses
Think about the uses and activities that apply to your item. Here are some examples:

- Breastfeeding, nursing, feeding

- Play, dress-up

- Educational, learning

Tip #5: Sizes
Add the size as a tag for clothing.

In your description for children's clothing, try putting the approximate age of the child that this would fit. This helps relatives and friends who are shopping for a gift — but don't have kids themselves — find the correct size.

So, there you go! Hopefully, these tips will give you a good start for tagging your items. Please suggest any sub-categories or tags below. We want to hear from you.

As well, check out this tagging tips article for more suggestions for effective tags. Happy selling!

Vegan Tagging: A How-To for Sellers

2008-07-08T15:45:00-05:00

Samantha Sauvé aka bookworms helps clear things up in the ongoing debate over what should or should not be tagged as "vegan" on Etsy. A vegan is defined by Vegan.org as "someone who, for various reasons, chooses to avoid using or consuming animal products. While vegetarians choose not to use flesh foods, vegans also avoid dairy and eggs, as well as fur, leather, wool, down, and cosmetics or chemical products tested on animals." Samantha kindly elaborates...

Dear Sellers:

Lately, there's been a lot of discussion in the Forums about tagging items as "vegan." A lot of sellers are confused about what does and does not constitute a vegan item — some don't use the tag at all, for fear of being mistaken.

I'm here to say, "Fear not!" Utilizing the "vegan" tag (when appropriate!) can open up your store to a new audience, and may very well direct more business your way — and more sales are never a bad thing! However, abusing the tag can really turn off some customers who care passionately about the types of products they buy.

The nuts-and-bolts idea of veganism is a life free from consumption of animal products. Vegans aim to not use anything that comes from an animal or is tested on an animal.

[Vegan Yarn by hobbledehoy]

The aim of this article is to provide a basic list of materials that are not vegan. Proper tagging helps both the buyer (for ease of finding truly vegan products) and the seller (adds a popular search term to your items, helping to direct more traffic your way).

The following are NOT considered vegan, and should not be tagged as such. Bear in mind that even if these products are organic, they are still not vegan!

Animal fibers:
Alpaca, angora, cashmere, merino, mohair, qiviut, silk, wool, yak, wool felt, velvet made from silk
Bee products:
Beeswax, bee pollen, honey, royal jelly
Foodstuffs:
Butter, casein, cheese, eggs, cow's milk, goat's milk, animal rennet, whey, white sugar*
Other products:
Bone, coral, feathers, animal gelatin, animal glycerin, ivory, lard, leather, shell, pearl, lanolin

*Many brands of white sugar are produced with bone char, which is not vegan. Check out the link at the bottom of this article for more information.

(Fragrance oils are almost always vegan, so if you're selling an "Oatmeal, Honey, & Milk Soap" that is made from vegetable glycerin and uses an oatmeal, honey, and milk fragrance (and no actual milk or honey), you could accurately tag it vegan. You might want to explain that to your customers in the listing's description.)

[Faux Leather Clutch by CrystalynKae]

Etsy is home to several vegan-friendly Teams. Check out Cruelty Free Etsy (tag is CFE Team), EtsyVeg, and VeganEtsy.

Trying to decide if something is vegan can be confusing. Please keep in mind that this list is rudimentary — hopefully, enough to clear up common concerns. If you have any specific questions, please don't hesitate to comment here or contact me — I'm happy to help!

Further Resources:
Vegan Resource Library (Especially helpful for bath and beauty products)
Is it Vegan?
The Vegan Wolf (Food-oriented list)
Veg Family Mmore about white sugar)

Cruelty Free Etsy | EtsyVeg | EFA Etsy for Animals | Handmade4Hounds | VeganEtsy

Looking for more vegan friendly info? Check out our past articles on the subject. Stay tuned for an upcoming article from the VeganEtsy Team.

Team Tip: Make a Plan!

2008-06-30T13:03:00-05:00

For most people, the holiday shopping season seems lightyears away. The weather is drastically different than it will be at the end of the year, and everyone is thinking about free time, lazy days and travelling. But as purveyors of goods and wise marketers, we know that this is the time to begin mapping out your holiday plan, if you haven't already started.

Meet with your Team — either in person, in a chat room or Virtual Lab, or through a Team forum. Discuss what your Team's holiday selling goals are, and your plan to achieve them. There are many things to consider and to start working on. Here's a checklist of ideas to think over:

Do you have a list-serv with email addresses within your demographic? Whenever a Team member has a table at an in-person show in the next few months, have a sign-up sheet for the Team Mailing listso you can collect email addresses from interested buyers. It's never too early to start collecting information!
Is your Team interested in cross-promoting one another's shops? With live links between Etsy shops now active, you can link to related or complementary items in the shops of your Teammates!
Would your Team be interested in cross-promoting or collaborating with another Team so everyone reaches a wider audience? With over 300 Etsy Teams, surely there's another Team that would be a perfect pairing for yours. Leaders can contact one another, brainstorm and begin working out details.
Is your Team's blog living up to its potential? Include Etsy Minis from Team members, a field for readers to give their email addresses to join your list, and update, update, update!
What types of promotional items might be useful, memorable and interesting for your Team to distribute around your local areas?
What other ways can you reach shoppers to get them into your Etsy shops?

Check Team Tips from previous weeks and Team Guides to spark some ideas if you need inspiration. Join Etsy Teams admin in the weekly Team workshops at noon on Thursdays to learn more! By working far enough in advance, you'll also give your Team enough time to apply for a Team Grant, if that fits into your marketing plan. Don't forget the old adage that "failing to plan is planning to fail" — thinking ahead and working together is key!

For more Team Tips, please check the Teams Resource page. Also, we discuss the Team Tips, news and ideas in the Etsy Teams email list! Keep up the great work, Etsy Teams!

Handmade Cults: An Interview with Douglas Atkin

2008-06-27T14:12:00-05:00

Douglas Atkin, from Meetup.com, answers Etsy's questions about networks, branding, and gender in our continuing series, A Dude's Perspective.

Please introduce yourself and talk a bit about what you do at Meetup.
My title at Meetup is 'Chief Community Officer.' We’re a company that’s all about creating local community offline, around common passions, causes and needs. A large part of my job is to create a sense of community amongst the organizers of Meetup Groups. What they do can be hard work (leading a community group, ensuring each Meeutup is successful, managing the membership), so I’m trying to help them learn from, and be inspired by, each other.

Before this job, I used to work in marketing and advertising for about 25 years. I worked in everything from small creative advertising ‘hot shops’ in the UK to large multinationals in both London and New York.

A few years ago I published a book called, The Culting of Brands: How to Turn Customers into True Believers. It looked at how and why people became committed to cult-like organizations, and examined everything from real cults and religions to fan clubs, corporate cults and cult-like brands. The idea was to get to the heart of why people believe and belong.

I'll often hear people say that women are more "social." Do you see that translating to Meetup?
Yes. There is a tendency for more women to form and join Meetup Groups than men. This is a reflection of a tendency in society at large for women to have more and larger social networks than men. Interestingly, there are many studies currently being published that show longevity, health and happiness are related to how social a person is: how many relationships and how close they are. It’s potentially a reason for women’s longer life-span.

Etsy is 95% women. Any thoughts on why that came to pass?
Not specifically. I guess that there has always been a tradition of women making things within the household, both in our culture and others. It’s probably something that has become an unconscious expectation and inclination for women to do more than men, but that’s conjecture, not based on any study.

Are there things that subcultures and brand cultures do differently that appeal to men vs. women vs. mixed-gender groups?
The strongest communities (virtual or actual) have some key ingredients that are universal; they apply irrespective of gender, race, geography or language.

Every strong subculture or community has a clear ideology or worldview. The ‘Handmade Movement’ is a great example of this. Within the larger Etsy community, it appears that there’s a world view that values the connection of producers directly with consumers, with all the attendant implications for globalization, big box stores, oil-based society and so on.

A strong and differentiating value system is something that can be ‘bought-into’ by either men or women. You just have to ask yourself whether the one you have chosen specifically alienates men.

Inevitably, a strong and differentiated worldview will bring the community into conflict with others. In Etsy’s case, it is the prevailing cultural belief that low priced consumption and globalization are good at whatever cost. Conflict with an opposing ideology can be a benefit within a community. It can help create solidarity in the face of a perceived threat.

The other key ingredient of community is interaction between its members. In fact, a community is about as strong as the degree to which its members interact with each other. Whether virtual or face-to-face (face-to-face is always better, as a species we’ve been wired to communicate in many non-verbal and non-written ways), a community should strive to do everything it can to be social.

So perhaps it’s here that a community should strive to reach out to and involve its potential and existing male members, given this gender’s tendency not to be social. But there are examples of many male dominated subcultures that are thriving (fans of sports teams for example).

Are there ways in which subcultures or virtual communities can be more inviting?
Many. And it’s critical to be welcoming. The way cults and many successful religions work, for example, is for members in the organization to form direct relationships with those outside of it. This happens before any major effort is made to convince the potential recruit of the ideology (which may repel them early in the relationship). We’re social animals, belonging is a fundamental part of the human condition, and forming a relationship eases the person into the organization. The monologue that’s going on in the recruit’s mind is: “Well, I like this person and we share many of the same values. Their religion/organization/brand can't be that bad. I’ll give it a try.”

This applies to buying brands, too. A personal recommendation from a person with whom you already have a relationship (family member, friend, colleague or other trusted source) is the strongest incentive to buy something, bar none.

What could individual sellers do to attract male shoppers or to brand their stores or a line of products? Any specific ideas?
The very first thing to do is understand your potential male purchaser. Get insight about what his needs are, his lifestyle, what he's like. Basic consumer research goes a long way in both being able to design a product that meets his specific needs, and in how you pitch it to him. The tendency of many producers, whether it be a producer of handmade goods, or even a major corporation, is to have an idea, make it, and expect customers to beat a path to their door. A critical step is to find out whether people want it, or their motivation might be to buy something like it.

It’s hard to give specific examples because each product and the need it’s satisfying will be different (or should be). But get out there and learn. Then craft your product and pitch accordingly.

Do you have any anecdotes to share about communities that were once gendered in some way transforming into a more mixed group?
Somewhat related might be what Saturn Cars did when they launched. They realized that, contrary to popular belief, and contrary to how every other American car maker sold, more cars are bought by women than men.

Through many radical changes to how cars had been sold for decades, Saturn did things that appealed to both men and women. They did away with haggling over the price, and made a set price for each car. They made the dealerships appear more like your living room than some messy office where the dealer was about to screw you. They ran classes for people to learn basic repairs. They had ‘community events’ that centered on the local dealership, such as owner car rallies, barbecues, trips out to the local theme park.

The buying and owning experience felt like more of a community experience, and less traditionally male dominated than any other car brand could offer. And they grew to become the best selling small car within two years.

Do you think that the crafting scene is not jibing with males who make stuff (not necessarily crafty stuff)?
It’s hard to generalize, but ‘crafting’ might need a makeover to get away from the ‘hobbyist’/cutesy/amateur image that it may have. Personally, ‘crafting’ connotes all those things I just mentioned. ‘Handmade’ means something different. And ‘Handmade,’ when associated with the kind of movement Etsy is trying to start, means something else again. To me, it’s the latest iteration of the anti-industrial, depersonalized means of production that William Morris and Gustav Stickley pioneered in nineteenth century England and America as a reaction to the dehumanizing effects of industrialization. Buying something handmade now starts to feel like it’s both a purchase of quality and a statement.

Many, many successful brands have championed causes and had clear values. And people have bought them as much because they personally identify with those values, as the quality of the features. Apple is a great example: it stands for creativity and non-conformity. Committed Apple users would define themselves, and the brand, as standing for those things.

Creating that emotional, values-based bond leads to incredible commitment. I see a huge opportunity in Etsy sellers aligning themselves with the values of Handmade that Etsy is championing. Badge it in someway. Buyers are likely to proudly show off their items not just for the inherent worth of the product, but because it stands for a value they actively support, whether they are male or female.

Looking for more info on branding and marketing? Check out our recent interview with branding guru Seth Godin.

Team Tip: Creative Marketing for your Team

2008-06-16T12:07:00-05:00

In marketing, just getting your name out there is great. But what's better than simply advertising yourself? Doing so in a really creative, memorable way. The best marketing tactics are the kind that people want to tell their friends about and really stick out in people's minds.

A few weeks ago in a weekly Teams Workshop in the Virtual Labs, a member of the fairly new Etsy Team EtsyPHAT (the Etsy Plants and Horticulture Arts Team) mentioned a promotional item their Team had designed — seed packets intended to be used for "guerrilla gardening" (read more about it in this Storque article!) — a slightly anarchist approach to greening abandoned open spaces. This very idea was intriguing to me from its first mention, since I live in South Philadelphia, an urban area in need of any greening we can get. And, lo and behold, a little package full of seed packets from EtsyPHAT appeared at the Etsy Labs recently. The handmade packets clearly promote EtsyPHAT, with the address of the Team's blog and instructions to search for their team tag on Etsy on the front, with directions on how to make use of the seed packet on the back. So brilliant!

Take a little time, schedule a brainstorming session with your Team, and consider how your Team can think outside the typical marketing box to creatively market itself — who is your Team's audience, and how can you engage them?

For more Team Tips, please check the Teams Resource page. Also, we discuss the Team Tips, news and ideas in the Etsy Teams email list! Keep up the great work, Etsy Teams!

EGCG | Trashion | EcoEtsy | Environmentally Friendly Gift Guides | Earth Tones Series

Seller How-to: Bridal Shows

2008-06-13T12:37:00-05:00

Well Sellers, I just finished my first bridal show and it was well worth it, I think! Other than hearing two of the worst reception singers sing, loudly, and often, it was a lot of fun. Things sold, I have custom orders to work on, and I'll certainly do it again next year.

I thought I would write this post for those jewelry designers who have thought about the bridal venue but haven't yet exhibited at a show. They're just my own observations and thoughts, but I hope this will helpful.

One of the main things that holds jewelry designers back from participating in bridal shows is the cost. Shows in my area (Maryland) run from $400 and up for a four-hour show. That can make you swallow hard. To get past that initial dollar figure "yikes," you have to look at the show as a marketing venture more than an immediate selling venture.

Most shows give each vendor a list of the brides who attended. While you don't want to spam the heck out of anyone, you CAN craft a good "thank you" letter, and consider an incentive — a discount, a free pair of earrings with purchase, something that makes the letter or postcard WORK. If the list included emails, be very careful — I personally would only use that email one time, and then never again without their permission. So use that email to SAY something, and ask if they'd like to get your email newsletters (include a link they can click to subscribe) or would prefer snail mail.

If you don't have a web site, set one up to get the most of your booth fee. Unlike craft shows, bridal shows aren't really a buy-now venue; I did have people buy things, but for the most part, brides are in the looking phase. Many haven't even chosen their dresses or colors yet. If they don't have a web site to go back to, you've lost even the thought of a sale. And think about it — if you make jewelry other than bridal jewelry, you want to gain a repeat customer — someone who will visit your web site over and over.

You really don't need an elaborate booth set up for a bridal show — a big pro. If you want my long-drawn-out booth design email, just click here and let me know what your interests are and I can give you technical stuff. Give your work some levels — put busts on wrapped boxes or get creative with pedestals (a pretty plate on top of a glass vase, etc.) and let the jewelry speak for itself.

So, you pay your $400-500-whateverhundred bucks, you have a pretty table, gorgeous jewelry — now what?

Well, don't be surprised if no one buys. Do NOT take that as a negative (see above about not buying right now). Have lots of cards or promos — preferably ones with photos of your work on them, to help jog their memory — and let them know what you can do. If you're big on customization, tell them. If you specialize in a genre of wedding (beach, renaissance, etc.), play that up. Flexibility is really important in the bridal business, I believe, because every bride wants it to be Her Day.

OK, the day is done, what's next? What can you do to get your name out there even more?

If you’re good at networking (and I am rather not, I get nervous), doing a bridal show can give you some great connections. I was approached by a dress boutique owner about displaying some things in her store, and if I’d been braver, I would have approached other boutiques (I do much better via email, I get way shy in person — I think it’s the whole fear of rejection thing — easier to take via email). Instead of asking stores about taking your work on consignment to just sit in their showcase, suggest they use your services as a “dresser” — when they change their window displays, see if they’ll let you dress the mannequins with your jewelry. (That would work for a regular boutique, too.)

If you have a website with a bridal section, consider having a Bridal Links page, and exchange links with local businesses — florists, DJs, etc. The key is to make sure they put YOUR link on THEIR site as well.

Network with wedding coordinators — they refer brides to all sorts of services. Cultivating a relationship with one is a great way to get business.

Wedding Gift Guide | Wedding Category | Wedding Showcase | Handmade Wedding Series

Big thanks to limamike for sharing her how-to with the Storque. You can see her original post on her blog.