Are You Getting The Most Out of Your Internet?

The holidays are, well, I don't mean to frighten you, but they are here!  Thanksgiving has come and gone and now with Christmas and New Year's Eve approaching, you need to make sure that you are doing everything you possibly can to increase your Etsy Shop's exposure!

There are of course the obvious avenues to make sure you are tapping into, such as Facebook, Twitter, Etsy Teams,  and YouTube.  YouTube is a great (and free!) site to use for marketing your products if you create items that are interesting when filmed.  For instance, if you have some intricate and/or large art products you can set up a camera and film the art piece on the wall to give the viewer a more "there" experience.  Another way to use YouTube is if you have items that have a process.  You can videotape parts of the process, piece them together to show the beginning to the end!

Some other sites have been popping up on Etsy forums lately that I have taken an interest in, like pinterest, Stumble, and the recently launched Google+.  I am just settling into these sites.  So far, to me, Google+ appears (on the surface) to be similar to Facebook or Twitter and includes some of the same features us Etsy sellers are familiar with.  They have "circles" where you include friends, co-workers, clients, etc into your circle and they can view your activity, photos, posts and vice versa.  Though I am just getting started with Google+, I have heard from many people on Twitter and have read articles about how Google+ is amazing for freelance artists and designers!  It's free with a Google account, so it doesn't cost you anything if you haven't already tried it.

Another idea that has been circulating for  a few weeks is setting up your Etsy shop for the holidays.  Whether it be with seasonal decorations on your banner, a Christmas/Holiday sale announcement, coupon codes, or order deadlines for Christmas delivery, people will be more geared to order from your shop if you have at least one of those options presented.  You don't have to go to extremes, mind you.  You can stick to your specific style and shop presence by subtly inducing some holiday cheer to your shop.  There are a few of my favorite shops who have done it in their own way.  Check them out:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/tombland
http://www.etsy.com/shop/solocosmo
http://www.etsy.com/shop/1AEON
http://www.etsy.com/shop/BuyMyCrap

Those are just a few examples.  The last one I included because I really like the way they used the arrows in their banner to direct people to their shop sections and the Facebook and Twitter buttons underneath.  It's clever, cute, and eye-catching!  Anything that you can do to not only show your personality but drive people to your other social media outlets is wonderful!  Unless you have a huge marketing budget (which I know I sure as hell don't) free sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Flicker, and Blogs are our best friends.  People don't always assume that you have a Facebook or Twitter page or even a Blog!  That's part of our job as shop owners to steer them in the right directions.

But if you are thinking, "I know about all those!  I'm looking for something more..."  Well, then get out there, silly!  For sewers there are several websites out there where you can create an account (for free), upload photos and post projects (for free), and post links to your site where that item is for sale, once again driving more traffic to your shop.  My favorites for sewing are BurdaStyle and Craftsy.  For artists, website such as Saatchi, Blue Canvas, and Abduzeedo are amazing!

So get out there!  Explore the World Wide Web and find all those sites out there that are all geared towards your style and needs.  There is something for everyone!  And who knows, you might have some fun and learn something, too :)

by
kristen shearon
Havok Designs