We all know that a majority of the traffic at Etsy is generated by women, and most of the items are targeted to women buyers as well. However, we also know that around key holidays (hello, Father's Day!), men's items featured on the front page sell very quickly. To us, that looks like an opportunity for savvy sellers to branch out and create some men's items to take advantage of all of that gift buying.  With Father's Day upon us, it's also a good time to plan for the holiday shopping season around the corner.  Here are a few simple thoughts on how to go about it:

Design
I hate to say it, but think plain.  Which is not to say boring, but rather classic, minimalist. There’s a reason that The Gap sells a zillion pairs of men’s khaki pants each year.  That’s not to say that you should hide your creativity, or that there aren't some exceptions to the rule. But think about it like the classic jewelry adage:  put on your jewelry, look in the mirror and take one piece off.  I love things with subtle design elements that stand out to me, but don’t call attention. 

Marketing
Take a few simple steps to determine if your current customers would be interested in buying men’s items from you.  If you’ve received permission to email past or potential customers, send them an email and inquire as to whether you could ask them a few questions regarding men’s items.  If they’re willing to answer the questions, keep it short and see what types of items they might be interested in and try to get them to be as specific as possible — also ask for permission to contact them once you’ve listed some men’s items.   Blog about your new items and perhaps switch up your avatar.  It's also a great idea to add a new section to your shop, clearly labeled Men's Line.  Once you’ve made some items, it’s critical to categorize and tag them correctly, which brings us to our next topic.

Tagging
Here are a few suggestions for ways to tag men’s items (of course always follow HeyMichelle’s awesome tagging tips).  Tag everything with men and man.  Tag with the theme and motif of your item and use the holiday that you're targeting as well as the ulimtate consumer of the item: Father's Day, son, brother, etc. 

Categories:
The important thing here is to do your research on Etsy and see what subcategoires are being used for the types of items you make.  While it may seem like this would increase your competition, being included with similar items will actually help your item be discovered.  

Alchemy:
Last but not least, enable shoppers to request a custom item in your shop if you haven't done so already.  Everyone loves something made specifically for them. You may want to note in your Alchemy announcement that you can make custom gifts for men.

Hey sellers, let us know in the comments if you have any tips for marketing your handmade items for men. Hey shoppers, what do you look for and how can sellers make the shopping experience easier for you?