For an online business to run successfully, marketing is vital. With eCommerce revolutionizing, allowing companies to grow and connect to the global market from home, it’s now easy to turn your passion into passive income with marketplaces like Etsy. With effective Etsy marketing strategies, you’ll raise your brand awareness and establish your reputation.
With appropriate Etsy SEO tactics, shoppers will find your products with ease; build their trust and confidence with your brand, thus increasing your sales leads. If you’re planning on promoting your business on Etsy or already run a shop on the platform, there are various ways of marketing on Etsy. You’re going to learn the appropriate tactics to market your Etsy shop through email marketing, paid advertising, social media SEO strategies, and more.
Understand how the Etsy marketplace works
Before marketing your Etsy shop, it’s essential to understand how the platform works. We’ll not talk about creating your Etsy shop; instead, explain how Etsy fees work. Etsy platforms have recorded millions of visitors searching for digital and handmade products like yours.
So, is selling on Etsy worth it? Etsy charges fees for products listed on the platform. You’ll be charged $0.20 for every product listed, which is renewable every time you renew your listing. All listings expire on the fourth month, and the auto-renewing feature automatically renews the items for $0.20 unless you opt-out.
Also, you get charged 5% of the transaction fee, which is a display price for each listing. So, when setting up prices for your products, it’s vital to consider the packaging, shipping costs, and the time and resources you allocated to creating your product. To understand more about Etsy’s fee and payment policy, check out here.
Once you’ve listed your products on the Etsy platform, try and monitor your store’s progress to ensure it’s healthy and successful. Etsy marketplace is popularly known for selling handmade, vintage, and crafted products. Once you have a listing that doesn’t sell, change it with something more marketable. Check more details of easy things to sell on Etsy to avoid inconveniences. Also, if you have made a good observation about what customers are searching for specifically, you can offer different variations of the same item.
Let’s now look at Etsy marketing.
Etsy Marketing
As we said earlier, employing Etsy marketing tactics is beneficial to your store. Apart from creating and following the ideas we listed above, there are other ways to market your Etsy shop;
1. Etsy SEO
Other marketing strategies can be optional on the Etsy platform, but Etsy SEO is not optional. For your product listing to appear in the Etsy search engine, there are two things to do;
First, optimize your listings to appear on searches. This means you have to find an appropriate keyword for your listing titles and tag, product description, and categories. For your goods to match Etsy relevant shopper’s searches, use top-ranking keywords.
But, how do you find these matching keywords?
In this situation, think like a shopper. What words would you use to find something that you want online? As a seller, what are the user’s demographics? What items are they searching for? What about what questions are people asking that relate to your product? What do Etsy search bar results mean?
With these questions in mind, you’ll have found the targeted keyword. Most sellers ready to purchase products online use long-tail keywords for their products.
So, while naming products on the Etsy marketplace, consider all the keywords or keyword combinations that shoppers use. These keywords have to relate to your items. After identifying your keywords, you can use various keyword placement strategies to increase leads to your product search.
More keywords related to your product are a great chance to increase your product visibility. Remember, the keywords used in your product title and descriptions align with the content on your blogs or website. Most importantly, imagine yourself as a shopper.
Secondly, ranking is Etsy SEO’s second part. Because of this strategy, Etsy uses to select which products appear on their first page. Etsy finds listings that have keyword matching with what shoppers want. Also, a quality score is assigned to every item listed on this platform. The main objective of Etsy is to ensure that the top-ranking products have all qualities that shoppers are looking for.
Apart from keyword selection and ranking, there are other ways to increase your SEO ranking:
Offer low delivery cost. Shipping costs also influence your search engine ranking. Etsy is recently encouraging sellers to offer free shipping to customers. As we said earlier, ensure your product prices can cover all expenses.
Seek positive reviews. If you have made sales on the Etsy platform, it is good to have positive reviews. Email your buyers to ensure they are satisfied with the products and services rendered. Then, ask them for reviews. It’ll help new sellers to build trust and confidence with your brand.
2. Update your listing
The advantage of using the Etsy platform is that it’s always making changes that favor the seller. Recently, Etsy has been giving a bit of weight to the recently added products. If your product has not been making sales, you can relist it with a marketable one. You may see increased search engine ranks. Ratings on the Etsy platform are connected to your business, not to a product listed. This is not a guarantee that your products will sell immediately, it may take a while, but it’s worth it
3. Run Ads on Etsy
There are two different programs to use for advertising on Etsy. The most popular and efficient method for advertising on the Etsy platform is Etsy Ads. The advantage of Etsy Ads is that it increases the visibility of your products appearing in category pages, search results, and at the bottom of product pages.
Ideally, how much you spend on Etsy Ads will determine where the product will be displayed. When using Etsy Ads, you get charged if someone clicks on the advertisements. Unlike other platforms that have direct control over cost per click, Etsy has no direct control.
To make good use of Etsy Ads, set your daily budget. Etsy’s algorithm is used to determine where to shoe Ads on your platform. When there is a similar search for a similar product to yours, Etsy conducts a bidding war for all sellers. For your bid to be competitive as possible, use the automated bidding system while still maintaining your budget. Sellers with larger budgets have a higher chance of winning the top ranks than those with small budgets.
Etsy also considered all listing’s quality. If you offer optimal data with favorable ratings, you may spend lower than those sellers offering low-quality listings.
To set up an Etsy Ad campaign, there are two elements for consideration;
· Daily budget- This is the amount you set aside to spend daily advertising.
· Target listings-These are the items you plan to market daily; you can select as many as you want.
Etsy encourages the creation of campaigns that target products with a maximum budget of $5 if you’re starting on the platform. It will take 30 days for the Etsy algorithm to perform tests, analyze data, and improve ads. More so, the metrics collected from orders will help determine which product does best. Etsy SEO was launched by Etsy, making it an ad-listing service.
Another good part is that Etsy offers sellers products Offsite Ads. Etsy handles all expenses and technicalities, so there are no upfront fees when a buyer purchases from you. Besides that, Etsy charges 15% finders for all sales less than $10,000 per year. However, they charge a 12% finder’s fee if it’s more than that amount.
This program is automatic, and all merchants get enrolled. But you can disable this option if you’re not interested. Remember, this program is not for vendors earning over $10000 yearly. Also, before you start promoting your products, ensure your listing is well optimized.
Etsy Marketing on Social Media
One of the most low-cost effective methods of promoting your small business is through social media. Social media helps you as the seller to connect to customers, grow your brand, and reach potential buyers. Each social media platform has its pros and cons, thus making them different for various promotion styles.
So, before launching your campaigns on social media, understand what types of promotions you’ll create and the most suitable platform for it. If you’re not linking your Etsy store to your social media platforms, then you’re doing it wrong. How are users going to be influenced by your products? More so, how many times have you purchased a certain product you viewed on social media?
Social media is an extremely powerful marketing tool that makes it worth selling on Etsy. Check out our article on Is selling on Etsy worth it?
Instagram platform supplements your image brand and also advertises products to potential buyers. Conversely, Twitter and Facebook platforms connect you with various users, promote your brand, learn from other retailers, and build authority. Using social media platforms helps you see what other users respond to, exposure to clients, and develop professional relationships with businesses.
Etsy marketing on social media platforms works best on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. We’ll discuss each platform and its benefits and drawbacks.
4. Etsy marketing on Facebook
Facebook platform is good for connecting with customers, video content, sharing curated photo collections, and sharing product listings. The main advantage of using the Facebook platform to market Etsy products is paying to advertise.
· Facebook Paid Ads
Facebook Advertising offers a larger audience and target possibilities for businesses. With correct budgeting, you can run advertising perfectly to target your customers before launching your Facebook ad campaign, and set what you need to accomplish. Doing so will help the Facebook algorithm maximize the ad spend. Your objective can be consideration campaigns, awareness campaigns, and conversion campaigns to increase sales.
As an Etsy seller, your focus should be on conversion campaigns if you’re a beginner in advertising. It can help generate immediate investment returns. After setting up your goals, develop your ad set and define the target audience, ad location, and budget. Besides, what is needed more is detailed targeting which comprises of the following;
· Demographics include relationship status, political allegiance, wealth, and educational level.
· Interests- your online interaction favorite pages are used to identify users’ preferences.
· Behaviors-it will help you with targeting customers that are likely to make a purchase and focus on purchase habits
By increasing the number of your targets, the possibility of increased ads exposure gets targeted, and potential clients may make a purchase.
After setting up your ad, the next thing is to select ad placement. Facebook can broadcast your advertising on Facebook and Instagram if instructed. So, you’ll need to build an outstanding ad package for Instagram advertising. You can then let Facebook optimize distribution for its platform. Ideally, all you’re doing is guiding the Facebook algorithm by telling them what you need from the launched campaign. Whether it’s clicks, impressions, or conversions, Facebook will use it to optimize its algorithm.
The last stage is your daily budget. Your daily budget guides facebook on how much it can spend advertising your campaign per day. Day-to-day budgeting is essential as it’s the only way people will view your ad campaign.
· Facebook groups
Facebook groups are gaining popularity as a marketing tool for small businesses. The best way is to create groups based on communities or shared interests. Though it’s unlikely for a Facebook group to bring in new customers, it’s an excellent method to build relationships with shoppers who have made purchases from your store or now your brand. Also, to create a connection with your brand, you have to be innovative. Create something unique and always post regularly on your platform to maintain the connection.
5. Etsy marketing on Instagram
Instagram is so popular for marketing your Etsy products. You have to set up an Instagram business account first to get started. A business account gives you access to all the data and tools that personal accounts don’t offer. Though, you can still use your personal account.
A business profile makes you appear as very professional as possible. Your profile description should state what you sell, and yes, use your shop logo, not your personal photo. Though it’s not compulsory to use a verified badge, it can build more trust.
After you’ve set everything in place, you need to make some shout-outs. Find Brand ambassadors. It may sound like something complicated or expensive, but it’s one of the best ways to market your Etsy products. So, how do you get a brand ambassador? Your social media influence plays a major role.
First, find a larger audience and those who fit your brand description. Then reach out to them. You can use hashtags also to find active users. Since marketing your product aims to improve people’s lives and connect with clients, brand ambassadors can help you achieve that.
Start by offering discounts and commissions or offering free products to these influencers to help promote your brand. Such influences show buyers that you are genuine, trusted, and of a high-quality brand because of a prominent person’s presence. Influencers will keep marketing your products as they benefit from free products.
Apart from brand ambassadors, link your Etsy business in the bio section of your page. After that, start creating Instagram content. You won’t get many Instagram followers with only an attractive blog. It would be best if you had a hashtag strategy to target people interested in your products. Hashtags posts reach a larger audience. The Instagram hashtag science is worth using on Instagram.
Your content must be eye-catching for the audience to keep reading your posts. Create;
Engaging captions-People love sharing their thoughts on the social media platform, so engaging captions; it’ll help you build conversations, comments, and a sense of community for your business.
Post-behind-the-scenes details. A peek behind what you will help increase trust in your shoppers. These are the same tactics used by films on social media channels. Comment- commenting on your post also improves communication. For example, if it’s digital items to sell on Etsy, comment on customers’ interests to diversify your posting rather than posting only the items.
Another excellent tactic is to use paid ads on Instagram. This is an easy process, especially if you’re starting. But, as your business grows, you will understand more and have control. Instagram advertisements go through the Facebook advertising platform. The same way you construct your Facebook ads is the same tactic for Instagram. The best way to do it on Instagram is by using photo ads in combination with organic content. You can feature your product photo with a call to action button to direct people to your Etsy shop.
6. Etsy marketing on Pinterest
The Pinterest platform is the best platform for Etsy marketing for inspirational boards, visual thinkers, on-trend products, and trend lovers. If you’re starting to find places to print invitations, Etsy is the best place for your printable. To market your product, Pinterest may be the best platform for you. The Pinterest platform is not about capturing photos; it’s about planning future events. Meaning digitally printable can do well on the platform.
7. Create an Email List
So, you have your Etsy shop well set and running; email marketing is another strategy to use. Email marketing is the best way to maintain contact with clients and also help you with asking for reviews after purchases. To keep your customers updated on new products and new discounts, you’ll need an email list.
First, create an email list for all of your Etsy customers. Send them a friendly and informative newsletter. It’ll make a good impression on your customers and boost your brand image. After creating your email templates, you’ve to determine how you will reach out to them.
8. Automate your Email marketing process
It doesn’t have to end thereafter sending the newsletter to your customers. Continue sending more updates about your business. The best part is that you don’t always have to send it manually. You can automate your emails. There are various email services to use, like ConvertKit and Mailchimp. Both of these platforms create automated emails and manage lists.
Most email services offer user-friendly platforms for both beginners and advanced users. These platforms provide drag and drop editing, email templates, autoresponders, A/B testing, and more. Some even have free versions included. However, Convertkit is a suitable platform for content creators. They don’t have a free version to test their services. Both of the named platforms are user-friendly and affordable, therefore perfect for entrusting with your marketing tactics.
9. Offer free items to customers’ purchases.
This is also one of the top tactics to use to market your Etsy store. Offering free items with the purchase of thank you cards to help customers bond with your brands, gifts can be inexpensive or something small, maybe a small sample of what you are offering. For instance, if you’re giving out print invitations, why not include some stickers to make them more attractive? Also, some giveaways will not only engage clients, but it’ll increase your page traffic.
Bottom line
Growing your Etsy shop is all about using correct Etsy marketing strategies. And for it to grow, you must have two things; a stream of communication and an attractive yet visible brand on various platforms. Yes, you can employ the above tips on other platforms while adhering to their rules.
The amount of engaging posts online has a bigger contribution to increasing traffic to your website. With various easy things to sell on Etsy, be sure to apply the right Etsy marketing strategies for your shop. Engage your customers always.
