Chapter 5
Four-Step Game Plan for More Views
So your brand new listing is up in your shop. You worked hard to make your awesome product, and spent time photographing, pricing, and listing your item on Etsy. Now it's time to get some views, and get your product in front of some potential buyers.
Etsy Forum is a vibrant part of the Etsy community. It is packed full of information on selling and running your business. You can also promote your items in the forum. There are two sections that I recommend using for the promotion of your items. The first section is the Critiques section.
In the critiques section of the Etsy Forum, there are many threads where other sellers will critique other shops and items. Try starting your own thread about your newest item. Remember, this is a critique thread, not a promotion thread, so make sure you are asking for advice about your item. Ask the community if your pictures are up to par or even if your price is right. This will bring some views to your item and shop, and it can also help you get a better idea of how you are doing with your listings.
The next section is the Promotion section of the Etsy Forum. The promo section is a fast moving thread with lots of activity.
There are many opportunities to drop a link to your shop and new items. For the best results, you will want to post in a few of these threads and start one of your own. Start a thread that is titled like this: “Post your newest items.” In the body of the thread, ask sellers to post their newest items and be sure to leave a link to your newest item (see following screen shot).
Blogging about your new item is a great way to gain some exposure for your new item. I like to post three pictures from my listing and tell a little about the item. Make sure you link back to the item in your shop.
Twitter is a great place to post links about your new items. Once you have your blog post written, you will have two links you can promote. When you are promoting your items on Twitter, it is good to try to start conversations. Ask your followers what they think about your new item. The last thing you want to do is start posting tons of links to your Etsy items.
Be sure when you are posting links to your Etsy listings, you are using the full URL address from Etsy. When you do this, there will be pictures of your items embedded directly into Twitter. This is a great way for people to see your items and even give you feedback.
Facebook is the last step in the game plan. There are many places you can promote your new items on Facebook. For starters, you can post links to your item on your personal profile. Your personal profile is where your friends and family most likely interact with you. Don't be pushy; just get their opinion. Don't feel bad about posting links to your Etsy items here; your Etsy business is a part of you, and your friends and family should be happy to support you. The second place you can promote your item is on your Facebook fan page. A fan page on Facebook should be the home of your Etsy business on Facebook, so feel free to post away.
Once again, don't go overboard. Make sure you are engaging your fans in conversation. From your fan page, you can send updates about new items, new product lines, and even sales you are running. You can post pictures, hold events, and even upload videos and pictures. The third place on Facebook you can promote your item is on other fan pages and groups. There are thousands upon thousands of fan pages and groups on Facebook. Find the ones that go with the items you are selling. If you sell jewelry, find some fashion fan pages and groups to join. You can often post links on these pages’ walls. As always, don't just post links; rather, engage people in conversation.