A relatively new Team, eSMArts, caught our eye this week.  This Team is a global collaborative of mixed media artisans using social networking, online marketing and online promotions to increase sales. We're big fans of learning how to promote your Etsy shop online (see last week's article about this here) and by working together, this Team is rocking online marketing!  Help us congratulate them on their great start! 

Can you tell us a bit about your Etsy Team (what's the glue that holds your team together — location, craft, etc.)?

eSMArts (etsy Social Marketing Artisans) is a global multimedia collaborative that employs social marketing techniques. We cross promote one another in order to drive traffic to our Etsy, and other sales, sites. Our main goal is increased sales, but our global family of artists enjoys socialization, inspiration and caring support within the embrace of our fun Team!

What does your Team do to help each other?

We blog about each other and promote connectedness via social networking and social linking. We also help each other to develop a credible virtual footprint and an online presence as professional artists by critiquing each other's profiles, photos, item descriptions, products and pricing. Marketing and promotion strategies are discussed in our non-judgmental and consultative online forum structure, where all questions are welcomed and all members are encouraged to answer queries or lead the discussion as necessary.

How does your team connect with each other?

We have a mandatory Yahoo forum where all info is shared, a Team blog , an AIM chat for our weekly leadership team confidential meetings, scheduled weekly Etsy chat sessions and regular Etsy chat room party nights.  Because we have members in the UK, Malaysia, Australia, Korea etc. we chat daily almost 24/7 via our Yahoo forum. Our Team leaders also stay connected daily via email and Twitter and notes through Flickr, LinkedIn, Squidoo, YouTube, HubPages, Facebook, BlogCatalog, etc.

Do you have any suggestions for new teams or sellers who might be interested in creating their own team?

If you believe you have the leadership and intellect to help others realize their Etsy dreams, then what are you waiting for? Get cracking!  Dive right in with your plan and begin recruiting like-minded souls.

Does your team have an exciting promotion, event or announcement to share?

We’re only 3 months old, but our first Team design challenge has just come to a close. We had dozens of creative entries in our Show & Tell of individual marketing tools with an emphasis on low cost (preferably handmade) freebies and give-away items such as brochures, business cards, ATCs, samples and Gift With Purchase items for our Etsy shops!

What's your favorite part of the Team program?

As a leader I most enjoy the Teams workshops hosted by Danielle and Sara for their informative content on upcoming events.  At those labs, the discussion from other Team leaders is usually inspiring and thought provoking and I always come away with notes and discussion topics to share with my leadership committee. On a personal level, the camaraderie, support and caring within our Etsy family keeps me motivated.

Want more from this Team? Check out eSMArt's blog and shop from their stores by searching 'eSMArtsTeam'.  Special thanks to GaHooleTree for collecting these answers for us!  Also, check out our past Featured Etsy Teams for more great stories!