While doing some yard work together this past weekend, my little boy and I discovered a praying mantis resting on a green vine (seen above). We studied the insect closely for a few minutes, and it occurred to me that many Etsy sellers are like this praying mantis.
The praying mantis "waits unmoving and is almost invisible on a leaf or stem, ready to catch any insect that passes by."
This tactic may be a great idea for a praying mantis, but not so much for an Etsy seller.
Etsy sellers should never "wait unmoving."
Some Etsy sellers list their items and then wait.
And wait.
And wait -- hoping that some customer will saunter by, ready to make a purchase.
This "waiting unmoving" rarely produces many sales. Think of ways that you can promote your shop. Be proactive.
Lisa of Maui Dive Girl Designs is one Etsy seller that has impressed me lately with her proactive marketing efforts. She is having great sales in her shop this month, but instead of expecting customers to stumble upon her sales, she sent an email to me (and other bloggers, I'm sure), letting me know about the sales and asking me to promote them on my blog.
I was glad to promote her sale on my blog, and I even devoted an entire post to the promotion. Now, I don't promote every single sale that my readers have, but I chose to promote Lisa's because she has been a regular reader of OTDC for months, she comments on some of my posts, and she has corresponded back and forth via email with me. All of these made an impression on me as a blogger, and I was glad to mention her promotion.
A few suggestions to avoid "waiting unmoving":
1. Read blogs that feature Etsy products.
2. Comment on those blogs.
3. Make a connection with the authors. You never know when this connection might turn into a nice shop mention on those blogs.
4. Start a blog if you don't already have one.
5. Mention your handmade items and any sales you're having.
6. Discuss your creative process, share photos, etc.
7. Wear/display your handmade goods (if applicable).
8. When people ask you where you purchased the item, tell them about your shop.
9. Pass out business cards if the subject of your shop comes up.
Be proactive. You might be pleasantly surprised with the results.
How about you? What creative ways do you market your shop?
Part 2 of this post.
