If you have a creative small business, you probably have an Etsy shop. Etsy is a fabulous marketplace to sell online without having to be totally tech savvy. Not only is it easy to use, it’s extremely popular amongst online shoppers. In fact, data shows that between 2021 and 2022, Etsy had about 94 to 96 million active buyers.
Simply put, if you aren’t using Etsy to sell your products, you should be. Keep in mind that anyone can sign up for an Etsy shop, but you’ll need to have a stellar marketing strategy to make it on the platform. So, let’s go over some tips to get you started!
Before you do anything else, research, research, research! You need to know the in’s and out’s of what you’re getting into before using up all your time and energy. Focus on your niche and figure out what others in your industry are doing. It’ll help you size up the competition, along with your own game plan.
According to the article links above, there are over 7 million active sellers on Etsy, so it’s important to know who you’re up against in order to stand out. Taking the time to scope out competitors will help you see what’s trending in your niche, as well.
As a consumer in the modern age, you’ve likely purchased something online. In fact, it may have been on Etsy. So, another thing you can do for your Etsy marketing strategy is put yourself in the shoes of a potential buyer.
Write down what your ideal customer would be, and think about what that buyer would like. Think about what YOU would like to see from a seller. This is going to help you hammer our the details of your strategy immensely.
After you’ve done research and figured out a rough game plan, make sure your brand is solid. Etsy shoppers want to see consistency throughout your products and your marketing. Your products could be incredible, but may get overlooked if your branding is drab or nonexistent.
Remember, your brand is what’s going to define your Etsy shop. It’s going to need to be consistent across Etsy, your website and any social media you use. If you have inconsistencies it will look unprofessional and potential buyers may move on to another similar brand for their purchase.
Since you’re spending so much time creating your product, it can be easy to forget that you need to develop a brand, too. You’ll need a logo, message and everything else that goes into a traditional marketing strategy to successfully sell on Etsy.
Once you’ve cemented your brand and set up your Etsy shop, it’s time to hit social media. A study shows that shopping on social media will have triple the growth compared to traditional retail and is expected to reach $1.2T (that's trillion!) by 2025, so, it’s essential to your marketing strategy if you want to reach as large of an audience as possible.
The good news is there are several social media channels to use to expand your reach. For physical products such as what you’re selling on Etsy, Instagram and Pinterest make great options. They focus on the visual, so if you have top quality photos and videos you can post them to build your social media presence.
Platforms such as Facebook have business page options that you can use to share your brand. You can link your Etsy page to it, and schedule posts for your followers. You can also pay for Facebook ads, as well.
Tik Tok is an excellent platform for posting videos of how your product works, reviews and promotions. Potential customers can easily share your content with others and post it on their own accounts.
Another thing to consider when you’re in the beginning stages of your marketing strategy on Etsy is to reach out to influencers for paid advertising. Research shows that 3-in-10 adults purchase something after seeing influencers post about it on social media. You send them your product, and they post about it on their account. It’s great exposure.
The bottom line is that to sell on Etsy, you’re going to need a good marketing strategy. Following these steps should get you in good shape to open your shop and reach a decent amount of customers. The great thing about online shops is that you can continue to expand at little to no extra cost. Happy selling!