I recently had a very enlightening conversation with a fellow Etsy seller, Kimberly, of Bee Inspired Living. She sat down to chat with me about her online business and products. Our chat will be featured later this summer, on my newest podcast, Inspired Entrepreneur’s Guide. Because of our conversation, my own Etsy shop and experience has been at the forefront of my mind. That’s when the hard truth hit me; I had never officially announced that I have an Etsy shop! I do. Talk about a major marketing faux pas! One that can be classified as a major “don’t”, in fact. Granted, I do know exactly what is needed to market an online business, but my daily focus is on my clients. This means my own marketing sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. That's a good "don't" for you to tuck away and remember for later - Don't forget to take some time each day to market your own business!
Here are a few other Do’s and Don’ts for your own Etsy shop setup:
1- DO open a shop! Don’t let fear, time or excuses stop you from starting one. Creating a shop is super easy! If you need help or aren’t tech-savvy, ask me.
2- DON’T open a shop and expect people to know it’s there unless you market it. Get on social media, go to some local craft marketing events, etc. Get your name and your shop out there! Get business cards made too. Vistaprint is one option, there are several other affordable options out there too. I’ll be dedicating a future post that lists creative marketing ideas for your Etsy shop.
3- DO get to know your Etsy dashboard tools and use them! Especially the tools for optimization, ads and keywords. Not sure where to start? No problem! Start with reading Etsy’s help article about Shop Improvement and SEO.
My list can be much longer, I am sure. However, keeping in mind the three guidelines above will be a great place to start! I’ll be blogging about my Etsy shop and Etsy, in general, over the coming months. So check back often.
Don’t want to miss any tips or news? Sign up for my monthly e-newsletter. I will send you tips, tricks and news related to Etsy and other digital management/marketing goodies.
Now, without further adieu....<drumroll>...Introducing my Etsy shop - D. Harmony Designs: pendants for runners, gift seekers and pet lovers. Check it out:
