How do you promote your items?

[TheOrangeApp]

Do you use social media, coupons, giveaways, sales or any other means to promote your items?

Do share what worked and what didn't!

Sahiba

[TheOrangeApp]

Pls share ideas, don't just post links. Links are fine as an illustration / example of what you do.

Thanks!

[HanoverMerryMakers]

I use pinterest which I enjoy, I don't think I've had any sales from here but am building followers, I have a FB business and personal page and I tweet, which I really don't understand. My sales have really picked up from keeping these media pages up to date.

[Former_Member]

Hi Denise :-)

Twitter is quite different from other social media channels, and it takes a little more effort to engage fans. I took a look at your Twitter profile. You can also:

- Favorite tweets (related to Etsy), and retweet others a little more often.
- Interact with other sellers (mention them in tweets, reply to their tweets, etc.).
- Put your shop name in your Twitter profile description.
- Use hashtags at the end of your tweets to get found by others (like: #etsy), but do this sparingly.
- Find past & potential customers and follow/interact with them (also do this with caution, don't go overboard).

Hope that helps :-)

How's Facebook working for you? I agree, Pinterest is fun! Do people like/repin/comment on pins of your products?

[PamsFabPhotos]

I have a question before I go any further here. I noticed a "like" sign on my Orange Twig/FB Page.
Does a person have to go to the Orange Twig//FB Page and 'like' it in addition to going to my business page on FB?
And, I promote in all kinds of ways; on Twitter, Pinterest (even though I don't have a clue how THAT works); on Facebook (which continues to baffle me) and through an email list I maintain on one of the free sites.
I have actually started an Ad Campaign on FB so I could get more likes. And, here is another question: NOW I can't seem to find a way to stop the campaign. I'm very uncomfortable with my situation there as they will be hitting my debit card at the end of the month with fees I didn't intend to have to pay.
Any help about any of this will be greatly appreciated.
My best to all,
Pam

[HanoverMerryMakers]

Thanks for the reply Isabelle, will try all that with Twitter, I think if you know what to do, it's worth doing. In the New Year after all this rush will work on all the areas you have recommended to do.

[TheOrangeApp]

Hi Pam,

The 'Like' button on your OT store is the same one as your Facebook page. If someone has 'liked' your FB page, the button on your OT store will also show up as 'liked' (and vice-versa).

Isabelle is going to explain Pinterest & Twitter in a bit (thanks for offering, Isabelle)


Regarding Facebook, it can be very confusing at first, but once you are clear on a couple of basic concepts, it can be a great source of free traffic.

1. Edgerank - this is the algorithm used by Facebook to determine how many of your fans are shown your posts in their newsfeed. By far the most important component of this is 'USER ENGAGEMENT'. This is important for 2 reasons:

a) If a fan interacts with your posts regularly, that fan is much more likely to see your future posts in her newsfeed.

b) If a large number of people interact with a particular post, Facebook will start showing that post to more and more fans.

Conclusion: Think about who your fans are and try to post content that they will find interesting. Also, try to post once daily if possible.


2. Quality of 'Likes' trumps quantity. We often try to collect 'likes' through 'like-for-like' exchanges etc. Most such fans are just interested in promoting their page, not in being engaged with yours. If these fans do not engage with your posts, they will actually hurt, not help, your page.

This is because FB will see that a very small percentage of fans are interacting with your page. They will then conclude that your content is not interesting and will stop showing your content to other genuine fans.

You can understand this better here: http://orangetwig.com/blog/what-do-likes-mean-for-your-facebook-business-page?ref=s

Conclusion: It's much more important to have engaged fans than a large number of fans.


Basically, it's all about encouraging engagement!

Here are some tips on how to make your posts more engaging: http://orangetwig.com/blog/what-to-post-on-your-facebook-business-page?ref=s



AD CAMPAIGNS: here is how to stop your ad campaign:

1. Go to your ads manager (https://www.facebook.com/ads/manage/campaigns/)
2. Click on the campaign of the ad you want to pause or delete.
3. Click on the ad within the campaign that you'd like to pause or delete.
4. Click on the current status listed under Status. You'll see this option at the top of the page directly to the right of the Campaign Name.
5. Select your desired status from the drop-down menu that appears and click Save.

- Keep in mind that "Deleted" ads can never be restarted, while "paused" ads can, so make sure to pause your ads if you may want to run them again in the future.

(source: https://www.facebook.com/help/172764286113080)


Hope this helps!
Sahiba

[Former_Member]

Hi Pam

It's great that you've given FB, Pinterest, & Twitter a try :-) With a little time, these channels can increase your traffic and even bring you sales.

Sahiba has already provided helpful info and links about Facebook, so I'll try my best to help with Twitter & Pinterest.

Twitter:

- The main thing is to engage: ask questions, tweet helpful or interesting information, retweet, favorite, mention people, MORE than you promote your shop, blog, or anything else.
- Try to tweet every day and more than once, but limit tweeting your listing to once a day.
- Find, follow, and engage with customers and Etsy shops/online sellers.
- I've found that hashtags really help with tweet visibility (since Twitter has a constant and real-time stream, tweets get buried easily). Use hashtags (not many) in your posts - like #etsy - that will help others find your content.

Pinterest:

Pinterest is really great for Etsy sellers, and I've read in forums that many people get a lot of traffic from there. Think of it like a virtual & visual bulletin board - it's platform to display your products.

- You can have many boards with different themes.
- For each of your boards you can fill in board descriptions that will help you get found on Pinterest (on your 'Cool stuff to buy' board, you can put your shop name in the title or description).
- For each pin, you can add hashtags that will also help you get found.
- Even though engagement on Pinterest is not as obvious as on Facebook, repinning and liking other pins will encourage people to do the same to you pins.
- Also find and follow other Etsy sellers.

Take a look at our profile or Etsy's for board ideas:
www.pinterest.com/otstores
www.pinterest.com/etsy

Here are examples of other Etsy sellers' accounts:
www.pinterest.com/spruceland
www.pinterest.com/kathydvitcak
www.pinterest.com/babiesartroom10

Hope you found that helpful Pam. Feel free to ask if you have anymore questions :-)

By the way, I took a look at your Facebook business page, and noticed that you advertised your coupon code. I just wanted to let you know that the OrangeTwig app enables you to easily create a coupon for your existing coupon code, and post it to your FB page timeline. If you want a step-by-step guide, please read: http://orangetwig.com/blog/create-your-orangetwig-branded-coupon?ref=s

P.S. Quick question - which site do you use for your email list?

Isabelle

[PamsFabPhotos]

Oh my gosh, Sahiba and Isabelle!
You have given me so much help and I am so very thankful!

Isabelle: To begin with, I post all of my Photo Greeting Card images in a site on Picasa. And, Google (Bless Its Heart) put a Blog icon on that page so I am 'set' to start blogging; which I have tried to do but have found it to be a bit confusing so I have set it aside (for another day). I plan to start blogging in January, 2014. And, I think I can do a decent job of Blogging; I have many things I am passionate about in addition to my Photo Greeting Cards and my Etsy Shop. I feel more comfortable 'blogging' on a separate site than trying to communicate with people through my FB page - perhaps that will change.

My Photo Greeting Card email list is maintained through an account I have with Gmail. (If you want me to provide these links, just let me know; I'll be glad to do it.) MOST of the people on my email list are folks I know personally and some purchase from me after I post an announcement there. I honor the same 'deal' on my Gmail list as I offer through Etsy.

I have not had ONE sale through Etsy this Holiday season...well...at least not to a 'stranger'. One of my friends requested a custom order through Etsy but it was as a result of my announcement through my Gmail account.

It looks like I have a lot of work cut out for me going forward. I can't thank you both enough for your encouragement and support. I can't tackle all of this at once; I know you understand.

Question: I wonder - Is there a way for me to keep all of this information somewhere so I can access it as I go along without having to return to this thread in our Team?

My best,
Pam

[PamsFabPhotos]

Sahiba, I've 'paused' the current campaign but I *don't* see a place to 'save' it.

At least, Thank Heaven, my current bill has stopped running.

Pam

[Former_Member]

There is some great and useful information so far on this thread! I'm really glad I ran across it.

I use Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest for my social media promotion. For Twitter, I started a free trial with Etsy Fu (http://www.etsy-fu.com/) which automatically tweets your listings every so often (you choose the frequency). I've noticed an increase in traffic, but not sure if I will start paying for it after the free trial quite yet. For Twitter, besides the Etsy Fu postings, I definitely do more retweeting, 'favoriting' and commenting on other people's tweets than posting my own stuff.

Pinterest has been a good source of traffic but I just recently revamped my profile and boards. This is the newest social media platform I am trying out. I am thinking of trying coupon codes on Pinterest after the first of the year.

I use Facebook quite a bit; I have a posting schedule where I have a mixture of posting things about myself, reposting other's work, helpful tips, etc. I post at different times of the day throughout the week instead of the same time every week. I have found this helps. I like using Facebook the best, but now that they've changed how many people will see your post, I am putting a little bit more time and energy into Twitter and Pinterest.

Finally, I also try to be as active as possible in Etsy Teams and creating Treasuries. I would like to be more active in Etsy forums, but haven't had the chance to really explore that.

[PamsFabPhotos]

O.K. - I tried to create a coupon in my Orange Twig store. I must be dense. When I am in my Business Page, of course I can pull up my Orange Twig store. But, when I have to make the switch to my personal page, my Orange Twig store disappears and and I get a blank screen.
Is there something I've missed doing I wonder?
Thanks!
Pam

[TheOrangeApp]

Pam, you can 'mark' this thread (by clicking the button on the right). Marked threads are visible under the 'your threads' link in the left column of this page. I usually 'mark' threads I find interesting or useful for future reference.

Alternatively, just copy paste the information you want into a work document which you can save in your computer.

Sahiba

[Former_Member]

@Pam: You're welcome :-) Like Sahiba said, I'd copy and paste the info into a document that you save and can access any time. Thank you for the info on the email lists - yes if you would like to provide links that would be great!

For blogging, you can also use Tumblr, which is quite simple and easy to customize (it's like a photo blog). By the way, Sahiba will get back to you about the OT coupon very soon!

@Laura, I'm glad you're finding the info helpful :-) Thanks for sharing your feedback on the SM channels.

About FB, I don't know if you've read these two posts yet, but they might help:

- http://orangetwig.com/blog/business-page-posts-are-now-more-visible-on-facebook?ref=s

- http://orangetwig.com/blog/what-to-post-on-your-facebook-business-page?ref=s

I think Pinterest is great and definitely worth putting effort into. I've also found forums extremely helpful - and entertaining :-) give them a try!

[TheOrangeApp]

@Pam - the paused campaign is 'saved' till you decide to resume it.

Regarding the coupons, the problem you are facing is not your fault. There is a Facebook bug that displays a blank page when you try to switch users. We (and others) have reported this to Facebook.

Here's how to get around it:

1. Make sure you are using Facebook with your personal profile. Here's how:
- Go to your Facebook business page.
- Click on the tine 'gear' icon on the top right corner of the page.
- From the drop-down menu, select 'Pamela Ponsart'.

2. Go to your OrangeTwig store and create your coupon.

(learn how to create your coupon here: http://orangetwig.com/blog/create-your-orangetwig-branded-coupon?ref=s)

You should have no trouble creating the coupon now.

Sahiba

[TheOrangeApp]

@Laura - I really like your FB page. Great mix of content - all relevant and interesting for your target audience!

[PamsFabPhotos]

Isabelle - Here is the link to my Photo Greeting Card site on Picasa
https://picasaweb.google.com/PPonsart/PhotoGreetingCards
And, as I said, when Google saw what I was doing, they created a 'blog' icon for me (it's just on this particular page with them on my behalf) Folks on my email list can choose the images they desire by referring to the # below the photo. That way, they can create their own 'sets' if they desire.

Sahiba - I will have another 'go' at the OT coupon; thank you for your help.
Regarding 'Pamela Ponsart' in a drop down menu; I don't think it's connected to Reno Pamela. The reason for this is because I deliberately created another FB account after someone hacked into the Pamela Ponsart account and FB made everything so difficult that I had made up my mind to never use FB again.
I think FB has made some changes to the way they are 'allowing' things to be posted. My original FB page made me feel like I had walked into a VERY noisy bar because of all the visual 'noise' that appeared on my page. I avoided it like 'the plague'.

We'll see what can be done going forward here. As always, Sahiba and Isabelle, I thank you for your gracious help.
Pam

[RogueStitchery]

Until Christmas, I have been doing search ads here in Etsy. I also have a Pinterest page and FB page. I don't post to FB that often, and set up Twitter and have posted twice (I think).

I don't have a lot of items, so I am going to go full speed ahead later on with the social media. For now, I am trying to develop my designs to offer more products. We offer downloadable cross stitch patterns. There are several shops with Etsy that offer hundreds of such patterns, but most of them have not been stitched. I stitch mine first so I know how the finished product will look. Unfortunately, it takes a lot longer to build up my available patterns.

[ThePillowBook]

Boost or Promote whole page? which is better? I really need more engaged fans! :(

[TheOrangeApp]

@Karyn - While stitching each pattern is time consuming, I really do think you're doing the right thing!

Having said that, though, the more listings you have, the more likely your shop is to be found by buyers. I think spending your time on building up your product inventory is the right focus for now.

Perhaps you could also include the fact that you stitch all your pattern in your description. And add 1-2 photos of the pattern as you create it - maybe 1 as you are stitching it and one of the finished product. It may help set you apart from other shops. Using all your available photos is a good practice in general.

Regarding social media, when you do decide to start promoting, you could consider starting with 1 channel at a time and getting really comfortable with it before moving onto the next.

Each social media channel is different and has a different set of best practices. It also requires time to do social media right. By trying to do them all together, you might not get good results which would be disappointing. Once you understand each channel in depth, you can see which work best for your shop / products and focus on these.

In addition, when you have a promotion or sale, you could promote this on all your social media channels (even the ones you are not normally active on) to offer a cohesive experience for a fan.

Sahiba

[TheOrangeApp]

Hi Kate,

The answer to this depends on your goal.

If you need more fans, it may be better to promote your page as a whole.

If you want a higher percentage of existing fans to see a particular post, you could try boosting that post.

In general, if you choose to boost a post, make sure it has wide appeal for your target audience and has some sort of a 'hook' to encourage them to engage with the post / visit your page or shop. For instance, a promotion or sale would be a good post to promote.

You can see examples of engaging posts here: http://orangetwig.com/blog/what-to-post-on-your-facebook-business-page?ref=OT

Unfortunately in social media, there's no 'one-size-fits-all' solution. You may need to experiment a little before you find the best mix for you.

Sahiba

Here are a couple of good resources:

Promoting posts: http://wearesocialmedia.gr/sponsored-stories-vs-page-post-ads-vs-boost-posts/

Promoting your page: https://www.facebook.com/help/www/294671953976994?rdrhc

[PamsFabPhotos]

Hi, Everyone!
I've been struggling with a nasty cold and am happy to say I am feeling somewhat better this morning and am feeling ready to 'tackle' some promotional issues.
One of the things that's on my mind is: I'd like to gain interest in my shop via my Orange Twig FB page AND I'm thinking it would be fun to do this by way of a 'give-away'. Would it then be a 'contest' ? I am thinking to give away a 4-pc. set of Photo Greeting Cards to include free shipping. BUT, I can't think HOW to do this.
Thank you for your help!
Pam

[TheOrangeApp]

Hi Pam,

Giveaways can be a great way to generate engagement / interest.

The one potential downside that you should be aware of, though, is that you may attract the 'wrong' kind of fans i.e. people who will 'like' your page to participate in the giveaway and later 'unlike' your page / hide your page posts. This can actually hurt your page instead of helping it
(understand this better: http://orangetwig.com/blog/what-do-likes-mean-for-your-facebook-business-page?ref=OT)

Earlier Facebook had very strict rules about hosting a giveaway. They have recently relaxed these rules, but do take a look at this before you start your giveaway: https://www.facebook.com/business/news/page-promotions-terms

Alternatively, you could use an app like Rafflecopter to host the giveaway for you.

Sahiba

[PamsFabPhotos]

Dear Sahiba - I AM totally 'dense' - I thought while I had a minute I'd tackle the coupon/Orange Twig/Etsy thing.
I can't even locate 'my personal profile' page on FB and don't even know where to look for it. I have my personal page and my business page and that is all I can seem to locate over there...I don't know anything about personal a PROFILE page.
Sorry to be such a 'pain'.
Thank you,
Pam

[TheOrangeApp]

Hi Pam,

Your personal 'page' and personal profile are the same thing.

In Facebook jargon, 'page' generally refers to a business page and 'profile' means personal page.

Don't worry, you're not the only one getting confused - we're thinking of creating a Facebook / social media glossary in our blog for our users :)

Sahiba