If you’re looking for unique, handmade gifts, Etsy is one of the best places to go. You can find everything: jewelry, toys, notebooks, posters, and more. There are seemingly countless artists on the site, so how do they make themselves stand out? Here are tips for people trying to build a successful business on Etsy:
Know your buyers
Who is your target? Who is buying your stuff? Knowing who will want to buy from you is crucial when it comes to marketing, so you can save time, energy, and money directing any ads and social media posts right to them. Ask yourself questions like what’s the age range for my product? Is is for men or women? How much money do they make?
Know your pricing
Speaking of money, pricing your items correctly is also essential. It isn’t enough to just “get a feel” for what you think your painting or ring is worth. You need to think about how much money it cost making it, how much time it took, and how much it will cost to ship. The worst thing you can do is end up losing money on a sale. You also want to be careful about pricing items too high, though. With Etsy as big as it is, a customer may just look for something similar that’s cheaper. Make sure you make a profit from your stuff, but be fair, too.
Know how SEO works
Ah, SEO. That confusing acronym that basically means “keywords.” Don’t underestimate their power. There are entire businesses based on helping companies master keywords, so their products are front-and-center whenever someone types in a certain word. Etsy sellers don’t need to hire somebody else to handle the SEO, however, unless that’s something they can do. It isn’t too difficult to learn more by getting books, reading blogs, and getting software that will track what words are getting the most attention.
Quality, not quantity
Art is very personal to its creator. Never lose sight of what made you want to create your items. You might be tempted to adapt based on trends, but what makes you unique is what can make you stand out. You should also focus on the quality of your items instead of the quantity. This is especially important if you start getting more attention and orders start coming in fast. Instead of rushing through the creation process to meet demand, slow down and accept that you can only handle so much. The quality of your art shouldn’t get worse for the sake of sales.
Take great photos
Since your stuff is online, customers can’t see it in person. That makes the photos essential to giving people an idea of what your product is like. Multiple angles and great lighting can all make your artwork really pop. If it’s jewelry, show someone wearing it. If it’s a painting, show what it looks like hanging on a wall. Show customers what your item looks like in the real world, so they can imagine what it will look like in their life.
Become a social media master
Once you’ve opened your Etsy store, customers aren’t going to come flooding in. You need to market the business. Social media is one of the best ways to do this, because it can be mostly done for free or very little. Just like you did earlier, you should identify who you want to target, crucial info about them, and so on. Find your marketing “voice,” so you can be consistent, and pick a budget. You will want to nurture your presence, respond quickly to customers, and give them content they’re interested in, not just sales pitches.
———-
If you frequent Etsy’s painting tag, you’ve probably seen a lot of abstract, wavy, acrylic pieces. This style is known as acrylic-pouring, and it’s becoming very popular.