Your marketing options for your Etsy shop are really endless. But there's also a lot out there that don't work. And we're going to talk about those Etsy marketing strategies today.
One of the issues when you run a product-based business is that so much of the advice out there is for serviced based businesses. And it's easy to try to adapt that advice to us. But that doesn't always work. And sometimes we hear advice that's great for makers and product businesses, but we don't always apply it in the right way.
So here's the list.
Facebook Groups
The first thing and the single biggest mistake I see sellers making is posting in Etsy seller Facebook groups for marketing.
Best scenario? Nobody sees your posts because there are 40 thousand other makers in that group doing the exact same thing. Which is posting and running. Nobody is engaging because nobody is in that group that is actually your target market. So no one cares about your post or your products.
Worst case scenario? You get some visits from those posts. But guess who the traffic is from? Other Etsy makers that aren't in those groups to buy. They're there to advertise. So they click on your shop to see what you're doing right. What you sell. How you price. How many sales you have. But never buy anything.
And that means your conversion rate goes down. And that means your shop is hurt in Etsy searches. Because Etsy doesn't want to promote listings that have bad conversion rates. So you don't show up in real buyers searches anymore.
Now if you've been doing this. It's ok. But stop right now. Unless your target market is other Etsy sellers…like you sell craft supplies. Then marketing like this is either going to be a huge waste of time or it's going to hurt your shop.
The second thing I want to talk about is your Instagram account. One of the biggest mistakes I see here is using hashtags that attract other Etsy sellers instead of your target market. If you have more makers and business accounts following you then real people and real buyers then this is something you want to focus on now before you continue to grow your account.
Because what happens is that Instagram sees a bunch of makers following you and your account and the algorithm assumes that that's who you WANT to follow you.
But just like the FB group mistake, makers don't buy from you unless you are specifically making products for them. And that's not why they're on Instagram as a business account. So the Instagram algorithm isn't helping people who would actually buy from you find you. So the answer to this is a lot of keyword research into what your target buyers are using and following for keywords.
Email Mistakes
The third mistake is complicated email opt-ins. I did this when I first started my email list. I was listening to a lot of podcasts from business owners who coached other service providers. The recommendations were always to have a digital freebie or checklist or challenge to get people onto your email list. So that's what I did.
But you know what converts for product businesses and is way easier? A coupon for your buyer's first order. It takes minutes to set up and has given me thousands more email subscribers than any other opt in offer ever has.
Website Mistakes
The last thing marketing mistake I see is sellers directing their social media traffic to their website before they are getting consistent Etsy sales. I talked a lot more about this in the last episode that was all about why you don't need a website. And this marketing mistake is another reason you can add to that list.
Etsy (and any other platform for the most part) really loves it when you send them traffic. So when you build a website too early (AKA before you're getting super consistent sales on Etsy) then you lose out on this little Etsy bonus.
Now there will be a time when it's good for your business to quit sending visits to Etsy. I started sending it to my own website this year instead of Etsy. But I had over 200k in revenue on Etsy last year and so it was time to start making sure my email list (which had 2000 people on it and could start supporting my website financially) knew me as a brand. Not as an Etsy shop.
But this isn't something you should rush. Get Etsy to start sending you a ton of organic customers first. Then move onto your own website. You're going to be much more profitable doing it this way.
What does work?
If you're making some of these mistakes let's chat about what does work instead! Successful sellers typically use a combination of Etsy SEO and external marketing or social media marketing to drive consistent sales.
On Etsy Marketing Strategies
You have a ton of options for getting your products in front of buyers on Etsy. Here are the best!
I recommend regularly add new products to keep your shop fresh and maintain visibility in search. This will help you rank for new keywords and maintain the rankings you've already established.
If you aren't ranking for many Etsy search results yet, the fastest way to do that is through your SEO. Target long tail keywords and search terms with low competition to start ranking quickly. Remember to use keyword rich descriptions, especially in the first couple of sentences.
Don't forget to use all 20 image slots if it will help your customers get to know your product better. Display your products from multiple angles, including close-ups for texture and detail.
Last, but not least, respond promptly. Be responsive to customer messages and set up automated replies for when you are away. Those Etsy customer service stats are important!
Selling Unique Products
Listen, Etsy is competitive. So selling what everyone else is, isn't going to work. Increasing visibility on the platform starts with making unique listings. Consider offering personalization, new colors, or size variations that your customers might be looking for.
Social Media Strategies
For visual products like handmade goods, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok are often the most effective. But you need to be yourself in order to stand out. Make sure to tell your story. Share details about your background, creative process, and inspiration in your “About” section or bio to build a personal connection with customers.
Focus on getting comments and engagement to help push the algorithm into showing your posts to more new customers and stay consistent!
Pinterest (although it's really a search engine, not social media) is great for every Etsy shop owner, but remember that it can take a long time to get traffic that converts from this platform. New shops should focus on a faster channel.
Influencer Marketing
Successful Etsy shops also can leverage micro-influencers and nano-influencers for marketing due to their higher engagement rates. These influencers will often have lower rates for promoting your products as well.
Make sure to make a real connection with influencers so you can get to know them and understand their audience before pitching a collab.
Email Marketing Strategies
Building an email list gives Etsy makers a way to stay connected with customers outside social media platforms. Keep your email list simple!
Limit your Marketing Channels
I see way too many shop owners struggle with keeping up with an effective strategy on multiple platforms. Your time is limited, right? I recommend picking one external platform for marketing and getting really good at it! Build a community and drive traffic until you are happy with your conversions.
Etsy Ads
Etsy ads do work, but only when your shop is optimized for organic traffic. Ads work through the keywords you've added in your Etsy listings. That means optimized listings are more likely to have a good return on ad spend. Make sure you have a good handle on your keywords before using ads!
Conclusion
So there are your top Etsy marketing strategy mistakes that I see sellers making. Most sellers have done one or all of them. I definitely did! So if you are guilty of making some of these mistakes, don't worry. But pick a few things to change and test so your marketing can be more effective.
Tired of social media and want some help getting traffic directly from Etsy? I got you! Sign up for my free masterclass here!
