Tweet tweet.  A bunch of us here at Etsy (including me) have become obsessed with Twitter, a micro-blogging site that allows us to tweet about what we’re doing all day.   We saw a few posts in the forums and realized that it could be a very powerful tool for our sellers.   It is very simple to use: sign up at Twitter.com, invite some friends to follow you and start tweeting!   

We talked to two Etsy sellers who are using Twitter:  Carprichos and strangelittlebird and here’s what they had to say about it:

1. Why did you start using Twitter?
Caprichos:  I started using Twitter because my podcaster friend at geekischic.org told me it was great advertising for her, more fun than regular blogging, and a great way to spread the word about your work. I decided to try it, and I love it.

Strangelittlebird: About a year and a half ago my husband sent me a link to Twitter and convinced me to join so I could keep track of him and meet his awesomely geeky friends.  At first I didn't get it, but then it became addictive.

2. How many of your followers are buyers of your jewelry on Etsy?
Caprichos:  As with many advertising options, it's hard to tell exactly how many sales come directly from Twitter. I do notice, however, that views and hearts increase when I tweet about an item.

Strangelittlebird: So far about 10%.

3. Are most of your posts related to Etsy items?
Caprichos:  Sometimes I tweet about work or the weather, but I try to relate back to treasuries, new items and blog posts, Storque articles and purchases I have made, all to increase traffic to my shop.

Strangelittlebird: Not even close! I use Twitterfeed (which is great, btw) to automatically post my new items to Twitter, and sometimes my Etsy friends and I discuss projects and ideas, but mostly I use Twitter just to hang out and meet people.  The more people you know from all over, the more of a potential customer base you have, plus, meeting people is fun!

4. Are you selling items as a result of twittering?
Caprichos:  In the last two months I have changed my shop significantly and started to do a lot more outside promotion, including Twitter, and have definitely noticed results.

Strangelittlebird:  I think so!  My sales have increased since I started twittering.  I think as sellers we're all looking for ways to get our great items just a few more seconds of publicity, an Twitter certainly offers that opportunity.

5. Do you blog more or twitter more?
Caprichos:  I twitter a lot more than I blog. Twitter is a lot less time consuming than keeping up a regular blog. Plus, I get to quickly read through what my friends and contacts are doing, and get reminders of new items, blog posts, and other news from people I follow.

Strangelittlebird: I twitter more than I blog.  While I enjoy blogging, I simply don't have time to post regularly.  With Twitter I can keep up without investing a lot of time that I don't have.

6. What do you like/not like about Twitter?
Caprichos: I love how user-friendly it is! I think its so easy to communicate through Twitter, and it is so much fun. I do wish that more Etsy friends would be on it, or maybe even that Etsy had a profile to spread the word about storque articles or news [editorial note: Pssssst! We do! twitter.com/storque].

Strangelittlebird:  I like the spontaneous nature of Twitter.  I do wish we could add images, however.  That would be my first suggestion to the Twitter folks.

A huge thanks to Carprichos and strangelittlebird for sharing their thoughts with us.  Please sign up to follow the Storque — we tweet about what we’re working on and everything we post onto the site.