“Social media marketing is so important,” says Amanda Jean Hornberger, co-owner of Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based vintage jewelry shop Majean Vintage. “We get some of our top traffic from free advertising sources like Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.” With a combined audience of nearly 30,000 followers, Amanda Jean and her sister Laura Mae Hornberger have worked hard to build their following. “We started with hardly any followers, just like everyone else,” says Laura Mae. “It took consistency with posting and interacting to grow to the audience we have today.”
If you’re new to social media marketing, creating a following from scratch might seem daunting, but there are plenty of ways to get your shop noticed on Instagram, Facebook and other channels. Read on to learn more about the best use of each social media platform, along with ideas for attracting new followers and creating content that leads to clicks — and more sales. If you’re not sure where to start, use whichever social media channel you are most familiar with. It's important to pick a platform that you'll actually want to use!
Pro tip: Adobe Express makes designing beautiful marketing materials and editing your photos and videos super simple. Plus, you can choose from thousands of professionally designed templates, so making social media content or branded graphics for your shop is quick and easy. Want to try it out? Etsy shop owners can get a three-month Adobe Express Premium plan trial.*
You may be familiar with Facebook from personal use, but developing a strong business page requires more strategic thinking. Many content marketers plan their social media content using the rule of thirds: a third of your content promotes your products and shop announcements, a third highlights stories and ideas from complementary shops or brands, and a third of content shared provides some value to your followers (like DIYs, recipes, guides, etc.). Sharing behind-the-scenes posts about your workspace or process can help keep your shop top of mind with established customers. And creating shareable content with broad appeal, such as DIYs, can help you attract a larger network of followers and potential new customers.
Read How to Market Your Etsy Shop on Facebook for more ideas.
Whether you’re promoting a sale, soliciting product feedback or providing product styling inspiration, the Instagram photo-sharing app offers a highly visual alternative to more copy-heavy marketing channels. “Experiment with a bunch of different types of posts at the beginning,” suggests Martha Porter of the Brooklyn-based accessory shop Buried Diamond, who has more than 52,000 followers on Instagram. “Take time to analyze what received the most likes and why: Was it your image quality? The colors? Your funny caption? Did you tag the image effectively? Was it the time of day you posted?” (Make sure to sign up for a business profile, so you can track more metrics.)
Instagram is ideal for sharing lifestyle photos and behind-the-scenes photos. Looking for more ideas about what to post? Martha suggests exploring the accounts of other brands you respect and admire. "Find like-minded people, follow their accounts and interact with them,” she says. For more suggestions, read Tips for Growing Your Following on Instagram.
“Twitter allows for instant conversation,” explains Michelle Reaney of Toronto-based shop Thunderpeep Designs, who uses her handle, @thunderpeep, to share short updates with her followers in 140 characters or less.
One of the most useful Twitter features for a business owner looking to make connections and promote her shop is the hashtag, a word or phrase marked with the # symbol, such as #handmade or #EtsySeller. “On Twitter, hashtags are used to categorize posts by topic or keyword,” explains Jessica Ulrich, a social media manager at Etsy, “clicking a hashtag will display every tweet that includes that tag.”
To get started developing content, jot down a list of the types of posts you would like to share over the next month, suggests Jessica. This can include general categories, like inspiration or behind-the-scenes, or more specific items like the launch of a new product or holiday promotions. Once your list of ideas is complete, plot your posts on a calendar.
Check out 5 Ways to Market Your Shop on Twitter to learn more.
Millions of people use the visual collage board Pinterest every day to explore their interests, find products to buy and connect with people who share similar passions. “Many pinners are already interested in the things you make and sell, so the more people pin, discover and repin your products, the more likely new customers will be to discover your Etsy shop,” explains Kevin Knight, a former marketing manager at Pinterest.
“Create a range of boards that showcase your shop’s personality and taste,” Kevin recommends, “and try to pin at least once a day so your followers get fresh content in their home feeds.” He also suggests adding groups of pins simultaneously in order to tell a more complete story around your products and brand, capturing the imagination — and attention — of other pinners. Read How to Promote Your Etsy Shop With Pinterest for more tips.
Additional Tips:
- Spread the word about your social media accounts. Remember to add links to them in your Etsy About section and Shop Home to help new customers connect easily. (And add a link to your shop in your bio on social media, to help convert followers into buyers.) You can also add your social media accounts to your business cards or other printed materials you include with shipped orders, so happy customers can find and follow you easily.
- Use social media for promotions. Social media is a great place to market your coupon codes. Make a unique coupon code for each site so you can see in your stats which performs best — and where your time is best spent. Be sure to include a call to action, like "Click and save 10% now with coupon code FACEBOOK10," to provoke an immediate response.
- Take advantage of Shop Updates. Shop Updates is a feature of the Sell on Etsy app for iOS and Android that allows you to upload and share photos of your products and process. Buyers will see these updates in the Etsy app (if they’ve Favorited, followed or purchased an item from your shop) and can find your listing by clicking on the photo. You can also share the image on your social channels, including Facebook and Twitter, directly from the Etsy app. The photos you share can be used to show your creative process, highlight new items in your shop or to show buyers different ways that an item in your shop might be used, worn or displayed. Learn more about sharing your story with Shop Updates.
*Offer ends February 28, 2024. Adobe Express subscription required. While supplies last. See redemption page for Adobe Terms
Words by Katy Svehaug
Katy Svehaug is a Senior Content Strategist at Etsy.
