Do you wish you could spend more time developing your artistic side? Do you love buying vintage, but worry your house is starting to look a bit too much like an antique market? #ProjectNewYear is here to help. Etsy & Savvymom are offering to start your Etsy shop for free and give you all the advice you need.
Authors: Amelie Nello and Laetitia Lazerges: We first met via Twitter a long time before even working for Etsy. We both have the same interests; we are fascinated by craft and DIY, and have personal blogs (Morning by Foley and Vert Cerise) on those thematics. In addition to working for Etsy, we launched a business last year to promote DIY in France with another blogger friend, Cococerise, called Do It Yvette. Without social media, our paths would never have crossed.
This story speaks to the power of social medias connections. Connections made via social media can produce extremely positive relationships, which can help you develop your business. As long-time social media users for our own blogs, shops and businesses, we’ve learned how to use platforms like
Facebook and Twitter to build our brands. We would like to share with you little tips to develop your own online community and promote your shop on Etsy.
Be Yourself, Be Unique, Be Different
People buy on Etsy because they want a personal interaction. This is part of the Etsy experience and a way for your buyer to connect with you. Luckily, people often follow you on social media for the same reason—don’t let this intimidate you!
You don’t need to share all the private details of your family life if you don’t wish to, get creative with other ways to engage your followers. Tweet about your favorite television shows, your role models and your hobbies. Imagine you’re at a dinner party, engaging in small talk, and go from there.
Don’t be afraid of being different. It will make you stand out from other people. Don’t fall into the trap of trying to be everything to everyone.
Be Confident
You’re a talented person and you’re building a business. Confirm your credibility as an expert maker. Being confident doesn’t mean you’re saying you don’t need help sometimes, it means you stay positive no matter the challenge. Avoid negative terms in your vocabulary, and try to verbalize what you learn from mistakes. Try, learn and try again.
Don’t be shy about presenting your work proudly to your followers. You may be surprised how impactful being confident with yourself and your work can make your marketing messages. Share your social media links wherever you can: on your blog, on your business cards, on your shop’s About Page, within your email signature, etc.
Here are a few examples of the positive language choices we’re talking about.
Don’t: lose your temper at the post office because it’s complicated to send an order to Brazil.
Do: proudly voice out the fact that you sent a package to Brazil!
Don’t say, ‘I’m not good enough, I will be never able to achieve anything.’
Do say, ‘Does anyone in my community have tips on how to achieve my goal?’
Don’t Spam
Instead of always sharing the same kind of content, think about what makes you and your business unique. What’s your story? What do you value most? What makes you dream? Share your passion, your motivation, your inspiration, your value, your lifestyle, what makes you smile today—especially if they are cohesive with your shop branding.
Don’t: only share your new Etsy listings and renewals.
Do: share photos of your workshop, your raw materials and your work in progress products, small details of your home decor, a link about the latest movie you liked for inspirational costumes or decor, your eco-friendly lifestyle, etc.
Interact With Your Followers
Social media and blogs are places where you have to put a human face on your brand. Follow people, discuss with your audience, answer them on your social media channels, ask for feedback, make your customers participate in some of your business decisions: engaging your community is the best way to keep the conversation going. It helps to foster repeat business with your followers and grow your audience.
Always be nice and polite, and ask permission if you want to share a customer’s photo wearing your product. Ask questions, involve your followers in your creative process (for example, ask for their favorite colors and trends).
Choose Your Favourite Social Media Platform
From our experiences, it’s better to publish different content on your different channels.
- Facebook is the largest platform. You can easily connect with your friends (and friends of your friends) to reach a wider customer audience.
- On Twitter, it’s easier to get in touch with social influencers and bloggers by following and discussing relevant themes with them.
- Both Pinterest and Instagram are primarily visual. On Pinterest, you will be able to share inspirational photos including your products, so they have potential to become viral. More spontaneous personal shots are great for Instagram.
- Tumblr can be an easy and viral alternative to a blog.
We know social media can be time consuming; you don’t have to be present on all platforms. Pick two or three where you feel more comfortable and build a strong audience there.
To manage easily your different social media channels, you can use a tool like Hootsuite to schedule your content.
Check out a few more time-saving tips.
- Use an editorial calendar to help you vary the content of your posts and easily locate post ideas.
- Use images, since they are often more impactful, especially on Facebook.
- Spread the love by sharing, retweeting or repinning your favorite blog posts or listings, and don’t forget to mention the author or owner in your post to build a connection.
- Think about celebrating your achievements with your followers. For example, why not offer them a coupon code when you reach 500 fans on Facebook?
Consider social media marketing as a way to create a connection between you, your business and your buyer, and don’t forget to have fun!
Would you like feedback on your social media?
Interested in feedback from like-minded folks on your social media strategy? Head over to our Etsy team Mother’s Finest to meet moms and dads with entrepreneurial ideas just like you as a part of #ProjectNewYear. Check out social media thread within the team, and share your links to Facebook, Instagram, and more. Don’t be afraid to ask people to follow you if they like your content.
If you’re ready to open your shop right now, Etsy and Savvymom are offering a promotion to give first time sellers a helping hand. Click on the link below to receive your first 20 shop listings free. You can open a shop on Etsy.com—the online marketplace for handmade and vintage product—and sell what you make or collect to millions of people around the world.
Get 20 free listings when you open your first Etsy shop. After that, it costs only $.20 to list an item for four months.
Tagged under: social media,how to use social media,using social media
Category: style-beauty
