Share your best social media tip

[TheOrangeApp]

Let's help each other out.

Share the one (or more than one) tip that worked best for you on any social media channel.

If we get enough tips, we will feature your tips in a blog post with your shop links and details. Of course, we'll promote this blog post all over social media.

Let's give it a try!

Go....

[clairekamber]

I think getting your brand (avatar) out there is more important than your smiley face :-)
So, make sure your logo is tied to all your social media posts. For this reason, I use the "Pages Manager" app on my phone.
Claire
x

[scatoli]

Hello together,
Two things I like to tell you today. First, after Etsy has changed its categories, my clicks decreased significantly, because for my products there are now no more categories.
Secondly, Im delighted with the new updates. They all seem to be good and since then I have always an increased number of visitors.
In addition I try to change my keywords regularly and also try to look for American terms.
In addition, I place 2-3 times a week new products within one category. This also helps a lot.
Nevertheless, it would be very nice if there would be a category for papeterie-products again. This missing category intensely hurts the amount of my clicks.
Best wishes
Sylke

[Former_Member]

I've been successful with Instagram, and I believe it is because I treat my followers very similar to Facebook.

On Facebook when you post, it is nice to get a "like". But if I make a comment, my followers remember who I am and what I sell.

Really engaging with my followers on a friendly/friendship basis has been paramount. Sometimes a follower (who feels they know me somewhat and vice versa) will buy a wreath they have seen,take a picture of it on their door, post it on Instagram and tag me. I love that and extra advertising!

I cannot engage with *every* follower on **every* post, but a few times a week I spend about 30 minutes commenting on my target customer's pictures. It is not hard - I am simply myself and make honest comments. I think it helps that they see I am a real person, one who is even interested in them which makes them more likely to buy a wreath they have seen on my Instagram account.

I also try to post a few somewhat personal pictures (my dog, leaves changing colors in my yard, etc.) along with my wreaths.

And I always (okay, I have missed a few, I am not perfect) post in the description "the link to my shop is in my profile".

Maybe this is all elementary, but it works for me! : )

[Former_Member]

Forgot one thing! When I am able, I take a picture of a new wreath I am creating that is "in progress". My followers seem to find that interesting.

[Former_Member]

Instagram works great for me. My views have skyrocketed since I began using it. I find when I post in the late evening/night, I get more likes. You have to figure out your target customer and try to guess when (on average) they are online more. I try to use as many hash tags as possible to reach a broader crowd.

[amberstudios]

Pinterest and museum! Now Facebook, but it's a high maintenance business... LOL!

After my work was featured in the Art museum all my business changed...
I created a demand in a niche market.

[ArtByAlexandraNicole]

A year ago I started working on my brand: designing my logo, promo materials, and creating a stand along website. I have a brand presence on all my social media and try to include my logo as much as possible. It is a constant process and we are aiming for a cohesiveness.

The social media platforms I use are Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and most recently I set up a Pinterest business page. Instagram is my favorite and I post on it and I have it set to cross post to my other social media accounts to go out to those followers. I use Hootsuite to help manage and schedule posts.

I am fortunate that I have my mother as my business partner to help manage my day to day business, art shows, shipping, etc. I am a Wildlife Biologist and a Coastal Artist and I have to carve out time to paint and create art with my busy schedule. I really enjoy talking with people about my art and interacting with them on-line. I usually respond within one day to any one on social media and I have sold many paintings and shipped them out through these channels.

Developing a relationship with my customers is important. When I ship my Etsy sales, I always include a free sample item. Most times it is a 2-pack of my coastal linen notecards nicely packaged. This is a $3.50 value. People love to get extras. I also include a promo card and a thank you with links to my social media and a discount code for a future order. I offer free shipping on domestic orders.

We really started focusing on our Etsy Shop about year ago and adding more products. More products, more sales. We spend time every week refreshing hashtags. This is a constant and continual learning process. I search on Google and Etsy to look for tags. Many of the images on my website link to my Etsy Shop if people click through.

The Etsy Seller Handbook is a good place to start if you want to open an Etsy Store. It is important to read about SEO here on Etsy. There is a lot of information in the forums.

It is a constant process; you can't just build your Etsy store, leave it and expect to get sales.

We would really love to attend an Etsy Convention one day, meet fellow Estians, exchange ideas and attend some social media workshops. I don't think Etsy has done this yet but it is a great idea. I hope Etsy plans one near us soon.

[ShaggyBaggy]

my best tip for facebook is to engage your audience. ask questions, respond, be thankful. AND post post post. every day! Stay active on your page.

[KnitOnDesigns]

Good morning! As long as I've had my shop, and have been posting on social media sites, I concentrate on photography. This goes along with your branding. How many of us have seen those pics and know exactly who the business is? I have! For me, it's about taking photographs that represent my brand; same location, same kind of shot, just same. That helps the end user/buyer know that it you, and is more likely to continue to follow on the social media sites. It spells professionalism. It shouts YOUR brand.

[CreatedByShari2]

Are there any etsy sellers that sell other peoples items for a commission? I have lots of handmade silverware jewelry made up as i have been doing it for 16 years and 2 slow selling stores on etsy. I am not very computer savy and just need someone to incorporate, promote. my items with theirs. Is that doable?

[GrammysCustomCrochet]

I sure do appreciate this topic because I am starting to learn how to use Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook to increase my sales. The tips are really helpful.

Is there a forum where I can ask questions?

[WickedMinerals]

Since I work full time (like a lot of ETSY folk) my time is limited. Find groups on facebook (the ones that allow you to sell) and post away! You are advertising to part of your "target audience" for free!! Pay attention to other ETSY shops that sell the same thing you do. Pay attention. What are their prices? Are yours competitive? What makes you stand out? What key words are they using? What do you like (and not like) about their shops? The buyer has about 2 seconds to decide if your pictures scream.."come on in!! I will be worth your while!! I look interesting!!" Be sure to change up your listings..a lot! Everybody likes to see something new and different every time they enter your shop!

[Former_Member]

Having a brand. It helps to be in groups on social media that are similar to branding items. Groups can be very helpful. The one that helps me is, I believe in what I'm selling. I'm driven by my passion. If you believe in your product you can sell it!

[MalachiBlessings]

To all who have posted tips, thank you so much. It is all so helpful.

[TheOrangeApp]

These are all great tips - do keep them coming....

[TheOrangeApp]

@Joye - you can start a thread in this team with any question you have.

Or you can ask your question in the Etsy forums: https://www.etsy.com/forums

[sweetcandlemelts]

I know for me I do swag bags for certain event. When I send my products usually 20, in exchange they have my logo on their back drop, in their magazine as well as the vips guest taken picture with my products. This help a lot because I have other people basically marketing for me.

Another tip is to be everywhere. Meaning cross promote by being interview on each other blogs...that if anyone on this team has a blog.

Blog hop giveaway is another go way to bring attention to your shop. I have gotten 4 orders just from the blog hop.

[TwistyTurtle]

Patience! Building followers on any social media platform can be slow going, but don't lost heart. Stay consistent and the following will come. I pretty much started by throwing all of my attention to twitter, built that following, and now I have that on autopilot and am focusing on building IG next (while still posting to Facebook, Tumbler etc).

And if you're wondering if that Twitter push lead to sales, the answer is YES. I've literally been in the middle of tweeting for my followers and have had people tweet, "I just bought *fill in blank* from your shop! Some of those have developed into repeat customers (yay, right?!).

I do want to qualify that I think it's critical to engage on a personal level. Be yourself and let your personality shine through. We aren't just promoting our products, we're establishing relationships. It's more fun when you get to know new people, have some laughs, and feel good about promoting them!

Finally, don't get discouraged! I have very few followers on IG as yet, but I have gotten sales from it. Just because people aren't "following" doesn't mean you aren't getting buzz. I have an AU business owner who orders 3-4 times a year and she ONLY contacts me through IG. Same with Facebook...few followers but multiple sales.

Guess that's my 3 cents for the day lol!

HUGE P.S. - If you are using the OT app and haven't tried the new hashtag research tool you are missing out on a goldmine! I'm getting so much more engagement from my demographic since I started using it. No joke. It's the real deal! =D

[LittleObservationist]

Instagram works great for etsy sellers since it's so visual. Tap into some of the top creative hashtags and some of the less popular ones for more exposure. Interact with other people using those hashtags. Find your competitors on Instagram and interact with their followers. The more you engage, the more you get out of it. Use it to post behind the scenes shots, things that inspire you, etc, not just to post products. Also, post daily, if possible. Consistency is key, as is quality, more than anything! Make sure you have a link to your shop or website in your bio and when you post a product shot, note in the description that the link is in your bio. :)

[TanzaScrubCaps]

Tell a little story as opening line. Then link of shop in bio then hashtag your target market. I am still learning and need help:) willing to help too.

[GardenCopperArt]

Creating collages on Pinterest is the most successful tip I can suggest. Several customers send me copies of collages where they have found my items. I post collage weekly.

[CABCreativeCo]

My tip is to focus on the type of social media that truly interest you. For instance, if you are a visual person and love to look at and post images, than focus on Instagram or Pinterest. Don't focus on Twitter or Facebook since their not an visual base media (although you can post images on them).

Don't feel like you have to have all the common social media, like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumbler, etc, because doing so will likely overwhelm you and cause you to ignore some, like what happened to me.

Since I'm a visual person, I now focus on Instagram and Pinterest. I don't have a Facebook or Twitter attached to my shop brand because I would not be active in them.

Lastly, always acknowledge those who support your brand in anyway. I always check out individuals' brand, social media, etc. who comment, favorite, or like my stuff.

[GoneDigital]

Be consistent. That doesn't mean that you have to post everyday, 6 times a day. Get to know when and for how long your followers are interacting with your content and post consistently enough to give them more to come back for. For me, my Instagram engagement usually lasts between 4-6 days for a specific post. This means that my post is continually being liked, commented and shared for 4-6 solid days before interest dies down, so I always make sure I do a new post within the 4-6 day period after my previous post to keep my followers engaged. Sometimes I post more often than that but I make sure I never go over the 4-6 day period now with nothing posted, as followers tend to stop looking out for your new posts by then. Of course the engagement period depends on the quality of your post so make sure it's a good one and that it is targeted!

[ValleyStreamAtelier]

Its important to place your social media links on your Etsy page.

BTW Alexandra, I went to see your IG page and you have only Twitter connected to Etsy