How to become more visible?

[Former_Member]

Since I redid my shop, and am still working on the overall look (I'm having a banner created on a rush basis as my old one really wasn't working for me at all) my views have really shot up, something like 1,000 in one week. Which is great, although there still are hardly any sales, even that is picking up slightly.

So my next move is how to become more visible. I've looked into some blog ads, one is a place that my buttons might go over well on, and a couple of others.

Part of the issue is, with no sales, my sales budget is seriously limited right now, so I've been doing a lot of "put an ad on my blog, and I'll put one on yours" kind of thing, which no one has bit on just yet.

I do have a FB business page, but since Timeline, the 200 or so people I have on it, maybe 40 people see the posts. Which is awful.

I have done things like apply to fab (although I think it's semi too soon for them to approve me) and I've tried to get people to pintrest my stuff, but what else can I do?

Who can I submit my shop to that might take an interest in my stuff? Or what other ways that don't cost right now until my advertising budget gets bigger?

[Former_Member]

What a great set of questions? I would love to know what others reply with. Who are you using for banner? I have been looking around Etsy and have seen several options but a referral is always great!

I am right there with you on budget and the FB things is totally frustrating.

Good luck and can't wait to see the replies.

[Former_Member]

My friend Bunny who runs http://www.etsy.com/shop/FaerieGardenFancies is doing my banner. I enjoy her work, she's used to my temper, and she doesn't charge a fortune to do a banner.

And thanks, yes, I'm really looking forward to seeing what others do.

[Former_Member]

I set up shop in Jan of 2011...and saw very little activity for the first year. This is my second year- and after much TEAM participation (any team) I have finally been getting regular sales. I do team giveaways whenever possible...pinterest has recently boosted my views too. I can only recommend to be active here on the etsy team community...the more posts you reply to- the more people see your stuff- then favorites and views pick up and eventually sales! It is tough to wait it out...but it did pick up for me, so hopefully it will pick up for you as well!
:) Casey

[Former_Member]

Thanks Casey, yes I'm slowly learning the value of the teams. Its not just great info, it getting yourself known around Etsy as well, the more people who see you, the more your stuff is seen, the more favorites on your items (and those HAVE picked up a lot as well for me) then etc. It just keeps going.

I am doing a giveaway on my FB page oddly enough, but really, I have to admit, I haven't had much luck with giveaways. Either the info is never shared, or its just totally ignored.

[AllieBlankets]

You don't have to spend money to become more visible.

-Promote your facebook page using other facebook pages for promotion
-do a giveaway on your facebook page using a third party app where people have to like your page to enter the giveaway (small item or coupon)
-tweet items with tags that your target market would search for every few hours
-make sure your SEO and tags/titles are perfect so that people looking to buy your product find your search. Search for your item yourself using searches that come up in your stats and see where you are in the search.
-promote new items in teams here
promote items on EtsyLush and itsbetterhandmade for free

[Former_Member]

I'm doing the FB page promote, and using others pages to promote myself, I've got the FB page actually running pretty well.

I do have the giveaway thing going on, but I'm not totally sure what you mean by a third party app.

I already have a solid Twitter going on, with a respectable number of followers and more following daily.

I just had my banner girl (who is also my photographer and web guru) add me to Google Analytics so that I could use craftopolis, she's also said this will change everything in general once I learn how to use it to my advantage.

I do belong to several teams and post at least once a day to each groups "new listing" or promotion threads.

I'll be looking into EtsyLush and itsbetterhandmade right now, I have looked into Handmadeology but they don't seem to be taking promotions right now.

[Former_Member]

Alisa - What TPA do you suggest for the giveaway on FB? I have done drawings with my fans but so far I haven't had either one claim the prize. Feeling a little defeated.

Jacqueline - I also have signed up for a couple of auctions on FB and I have adjusted tags a lot on my Etsy page but still have work to do.

[Former_Member]

Wow. I just looked into EtsyLush. I don't think I qualify in any way, shape or form. My stuff is very simplistic according to their jewelry guidelines. I think they're looking for far higher end stuff than I do.

[Former_Member]

Twirly, I was doing some of that, but honestly, it wasn't doing anything so I left most of those groups. I've had giveaways and no one has even pretended to want their item later. I got to where I loathed doing giveaways.

[Former_Member]

I agree it is so frustrating. I post questions and fun comments and I really get no response other than a few likes for the same handful of people. I have grown leaps and bounds on FB over the last month and expanded my "circles" here but my sales aren't reflecting the view increase. And...sales are what really matter.

[Former_Member]

Arg - i WISH I could get 1000 views per week.

[Former_Member]

Honestly Sara? I'm not 100% sure what I can thank for the new views. When I saw what had gone on I was stunned. I thought maybe I'd been featured, but nope, that wasn't it. And people still aren't really going in and seeing items, its more they're checking the front page and one or two items. But all the last two weeks, someone is adding an item daily to their list.

I did change my pictures. I think that has a lot to do with it. My old pictures were not well done, and these new ones are so fantastic I can't kiss my photographer enough. The only thing I could do to reward her was make her a team member on my "about page" if it wasn't for her, not only the pictures, but her setting me up with Google and giving advice on little things.

I raised my prices. And it ticked me off. I'm still kind of annoyed to be honest. But when I raised my prices, I started getting more hits. A lot more.

I also have my sig line as my Etsy shop and my blog. I belong to a few Yahoo groups so people see my sig line a lot. You're sitting there, bored, and read an email, and click my links, and yay, you're at my shop. Or you read my blog (and I've slowly been getting followers up there) and suddenly you ant to see my shop, so I get views from that.

[Former_Member]

You also have many more items than me - Im sure that helps too - more chances to get views.

I really need to get more items listed!
Thanks for the kick in the butt :)

[Former_Member]

Most of those have been in the last two weeks O.o when I realized I'd hit 152, I nearly fainted, I didn't realize how much work I'd stacked up in my done pile, poor Bunny was photographing for days and she currently has 20 hats to get done now. Luckily I'm in no rush for those.

[Former_Member]

Teams. Smaller teams - while this one is good, its HUGE. Its hard to really cultivate networks or relationships with other people here, as it is so big. I encourage you join some smaller teams, maybe local to your area or specific to your niche market. You can get great tips from people like that...

Treasuries. A great way to get people to scratch your back, is if you scratch theirs. Treasuries and featuring people's shops in yours is a wonderful way to try and cultivate some good will with other eager treasury makers. Who knows, you could end up on the front page!

Social Media. Facebook isn't the only place to be. If you don't already have one, I encourage you to set up shop at Twitter, Tumblr, Wanelo, StumbleUpon, Pinterest, etc. Posting your products here is another great way to get more traffic to your Etsy shop. They are free, all it costs is your time and effort.

Hope you find this helpful!

[Former_Member]

I'm on several teams, and honestly? I joined this one not for promotion, but because of the exact opposite. I wanted to learn more than promote in this case, I do heavily promote in my other groups.

I do treasuries, but I forget, and I know that 2-3 a day is really best, but I just run out of ideas!!

I'm on Pintrest, Twitter, FB and a couple of others, I feel very over saturated with social media in fact. Luckily I do items that pretty much are done fast in large quantities (I get 15-18 rings per sheet and shrink them all at once) so I can spend more time "socializing".

[Former_Member]

Well, I registered for a few more sites in the last hour, and submitted some of my items, we'll see if that helps too. Thanks for the great ideas so far.

[Former_Member]

I am on Pinterest and FB but haven't gotten on Twitter. Lately it has been hard to squeeze in sewing time much less 'blogging" or "socializing" sadly but I have to make it a priority for sure.

How do you feature another shop in your shop? I don't really get the treasury thing completely.

[Former_Member]

I have Twitter and my FB business page connected to Etsy. When I list on Etsy, it gives me the option to announce it on those two places and I often use the feature. I then share the actual link on my personal page.

I also have my personal FB attached to Twitter. So when I make a status update, it automatically posts to Twitter. I have people ho follow me for entirely different reasons than my Etsy shop but who get the Etsy tweets and often follows them to see what I'm pimping.

The only time I "feature" another shop is in a couple ways, first, my "about page" where my "team member" Bunny, here I let people know the link to her shop.

Or, when I have an item like my fairies, where I don't paint them, I link to her shop to contact her about painting them,.

Treasuries just make you more visible. If you "feature" someone's item, they'll often share it, then people look at your stuff, and maybe even return the favor, creating a treasury featuring one of your items.

[AllieBlankets]

Twirly, I use the giveaway app (the free one) for my giveaways. They handle everything, even notifying the winner. A lot of people use their app to find giveaways, so both giveaways I have done through them have gotten me 100+ fans. I have done a giveaway through another Facebook page at one point, and that page had 1500 fans, yet I only got a handful more fans from that giveaway.

As for engaging your fans, I always have a tough time with that too. I've seen even pages with thousands of fans have trouble. The most interaction I get is when I post something that has nothing to do with my product, like an inspirational quote. For that reason I make sure my posts aren't all advertisements..I awake sure when they look at my page they see me though it too, not just the items I sell. It seems to help a lot in the long run. I have also learned that not everyone on Facebook goes to your Etsy page....most of my fans didn't even know I had ready to ship items until I put up an album of pictures on the page. I was shocked, because I have links to my Etsy shop all over my Facebook page.

Don't lose hope! Just keep working hard day by day and absorb all the information from here in the teams. It will all pay off in the end. :)

[Former_Member]

Can we have the name of the app tho? I mean, if you don't want to post it here, that's fine, but I think we'd all like to use that app to make life that much easier on the giveaways!

I do the thing where on my business page its not all about my stuff. I post pictures, other sellers items, and just in general fun stuff that I feel relates to my company image.

[Squintphotography]

i'm sure someone's already said it, but I think growing your circle is a good move, creating treasuries, commenting on them and lots of faves - all help broaden your fan base and hopefully potential sales!

[Former_Member]

Thanks this feed has been really helpful. I do the same thing about posting other shops, links, fun pics and all kinds of stuff on FB and throw a little of my stuff in there too. :)

Yeah the app link would be great!

[Former_Member]

With circles, if someone adds me, I add them back, I do sometimes add others, but really, its more them adding me. But I'm getting there on the circle thing.