When I started with Etsy I didn't know anything about the teams and didn't start joining any for several months so you are ahead of the game there:)
I started creating treasuries - click onto the Buy icon at top of page, then on the right side it will say Treasury, click on that and at the top right will say Create a List - click on that and then you type into the search box what you are looking for, ie: Valentines, Easter, blue clothing....when you find an item you want to put in the Treasury, you need to copy the item # to type into the Treasury box and viola, the picture appears, you create tags, title and THEN message those that you have chosen and comment on their product which in turn usually sends them to your shop to see what you sell.
That was how I started and while my shop is still very small I have many Etsians that still follow me because of treasuries I have created.
It is really fun to do and it is a good way to see how your products match up to others as far as pricing and photos, etc.
