Any hints on building an audience?

[Former_Member]

Hey all. I've been lurking in the forum for a while, waiting to get my shop halfway to where it needs to be before I started asking questions.

My shop, https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotallyRottenTShirts, sells T-shirts which primarily focus on either serial killers or gory manga-style images... in other words, family friendly stuff which will have no problem attracting an audience (sarcasm).

For those who've had some success at this, not just on Etsy, but in general, what's your secret? Do you mostly do your own marketing through things like Etsy, Facebook, Instagram, etc., try to get your stuff mentioned on other people's blogs, or do you go the more traditional route, like advertising in magazines? The self-advertising and traditional routes seem relatively easy, other than figuring out the SEO thing, but I'm not really sure how to go about getting my stuff mentioned in blogs without seeming like I'm spamming the owner.

Thanks,
Brandon

PS--If anyone would like to offer any critiques of the current state of my shop, it would be much appreciated :)

[Former_Member]

Facebook fan page which I bribe friends and family to share pages, word of mouth in general. I have done some sponsorships for events and giveaways. I left Etsy for a couple years and went to various other sites and I would say being inconsistent has been my biggest downfall, although I've had a steady customer flow. The longer I stay in one spot and consistently offer new items and limited items, the more success I have on the internet side of things.