Anybody making it work without the forums?

[Former_Member]

Not that we should rely on the forums to promote-I did get noticed there more, though.
Anybody making it work without the forums period? I miss the forums. Miss having a place I can go and ask any question under the sun and get twelve answers in two seconds! lol

But in all reality-the forums were addicting and time wasting. Husband said I spent too much time on the computer and not enough time making stuff. He probably is right.

Rhonda

[Former_Member]

I have maybe posted there like twice ever since i started my shop 1,5 years ago. I have never really spent any time there and have not yet found a reason to do so.

[TinyTiptoesBoutique]

Yes, between my two shops, things have been so crazy with orders that I haven't had time to be here on the forums. I think this is my first time in well over a week. :) And I have a stack of 6 or 7 orders calling my name that I need to work on. :)

[Former_Member]

I have been perma-muted for more than four years.....I don't miss the whining, the self-promo's or the dis respect towards one another.

I rather like my teams, encouraging others and building business relationships.

I have three etsy shops.

[SpangGangDesigns]

I've been on the forum maybe once or twice EVER and I do just fine with out them. I get lots of wonderful support and advice right here from Etsy Success.

[ScarlettsCozyCottage]

Like all things, the forums are good in moderation! Be careful, team boards can be time wasters too!

[GabriellasTreasures]

I check the forums now and then to see if I am missing some important info or changes. Being on forums totally has no relation to my sales. It can become addictive and take time away from working your shop.

[kidsstore]

You can make it work without them, but I have learned a lot from this team and the Community Questions team/forum. I don't spend time on the promotion type questions, games, or most of the ones asking for people to critique their shops. I occasionally scan the thread titles and look at some that may have important business info. Right now I am thinking about starting a website or blog, and have been checking this team and the community forum one for tips on how to do it. Also, I have gained a lot of info on issues regarding shipping, payments, refunds, and new things going on with Etsy admin. I also read some of the ones where other sellers ask for help with business/customer issues and, if I think I have any knowledge in that area, sometimes try to help. I know I've received help from other sellers, and really needed and appreciated it.

[KiltedWoman]

Over 900 sales and I've never looked at forums. Sounds like a place I don't want to go. I like this team!

[Former_Member]

I have never looked at the forums either.

[Former_Member]

I'll take a look at the forums but I get much more out of being in teams where there is at least some form of camaraderie and friendship building.

With over 9,000 sales I can safely say that less than 25 of them came directly from my being active in the Etsy forums.

[Former_Member]

I've never posted in a forum. I only read them when there is a change going on, etc. I also tend to avoid promo only teams and I'm going fairly well.

[Former_Member]

Perma-muted from Forums...there are MANY of us! Actually a blessing as they are addictive, overly emotional time wasters.

It probably INCREASES sale to stay away from the Forums, and spend your time creatively.

[Former_Member]

The forums aren't the place to try and drum up sales. . .

[heartsabustin]

The forum isn't my target market, anyway, but I've been disallowed that "privilege" *snort* for nearly three years now. I don't miss a thing about it. If I need to ask a question, I go to the Do's and Don'ts, or else I tweet @EtsyHelp to get the answers I need. It works for me.

I do NOT miss the snarky pettiness at all.

[WilliamsGiftshop]

I'm perma muted too, like hundreds (or more?) of others.
Nowadays the forums are for the ignorant advicing the ignorant and only cheerleading, highschool gossip, personal info exchange (totally unrelated to your shop) and buyer call-outs (don't ask me why...) are allowed.
But they are not and never have been for promoting your shop.
So yes, of course you can make it work without the forums.

[PaperPlanePrints]

I go to the forums to ask or to answer questions. I tend to get better responses for questions lately when I ask in teams though. With the latest format for the forums there is so much ridiculousness that it's hard for serious seller topics to get much light.

To answer your question though, no you do not need forums to be successful at all. It's not a bad idea to pop your head in and browse to see if anything is new with Etsy. But for actual sales, it's better to spend your time creating, listing, and promoting to your target market.

[Former_Member]

i find reading others questions helpful, just because i'm still learning. I guess if you've been on etsy for a while, and you know your SEO, then by not participating, you won't miss much

[EAGERforWORD]

Check everyday. I particularly look out for the Etsy column on the right. It's like listening to the news - any new wars broken out, tax hike!

[AFieldOfSunflowers]

I actually just started using the forums and I really like them. I pin most of my items on my pinterest and seem to get quite a few pins.

[PiecesOfMePaperCraft]

I got caught up in the forums this year out of pure boredom. Less than a week ago I got temporarily suspended (7 days) for stupid stuff. I look at it as blessing. The forums are a waste of time and energy. There's way too much drama, calling out and complaining over there and I'm sorry I got caught up in some of it. Etsy doesn't like it when you call out a troll. :p

[Former_Member]

I liked them when I first started as they were really useful and I learnt a lot, got tips etc (blanking out the drama). Now I don't find much of interest there. I don't think that participating in the forums has any bearing on your shop success!

[Former_Member]

I used to get on them all the time and I found myself on there more than I was actually making stuff. I don't get on there as much now and I have even cut down the number of teams that I participate it. I can honestly say that I am more productive that way.

[FriskyFish]

I'm new to Etsy, so was relying on forums for answers and ideas and even encouragement. This past week, I've read things that weren't so encouraging so I think I'm getting over them.

[Former_Member]

Thanks to all who has replied. It's encouraging to find that others have found success without them. I really like this team here too. I got muted from the forums permanently and it's been a good thing because the more you talk the more chance you have of saying the wrong thing and nothing good has come from it. And I would easily find myself spending two or more hours there easily then not get much done. So it has been a blessing in disguise.