Ever wondered how to market your Etsy shop without spamming your customers? I get this question a lot, especially when I'm talking about email lists for your Etsy business. For some reason, more of you think of sending emails to a list that you've created as spammy behavior.
In fact, this whole post is inspired by someone who commented on one of my Facebook posts recently. Someone specifically asked on a post where I was talking about email if it was even possible to start an email list without coming across as spammy.
Now, I can think of about a million ways to do that. So let's dive in.
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Can you market your business without being spammy?
And here’s what this all boils down to….
You cannot spam an audience that has opted into your marketing. If people have opted into your email list, they want to hear from you.
End of story.
You don't think you're being spammed when Target emails you do you? Their emails exclusively consist of products that they want you to buy or that are on sale. They're not giving you any value in emails besides letting you know what you can purchase from them.
And I know that you are on an email list or 10 that gives you no value other than telling you what they can purchase from you.
So what I want you to take from this post first and foremost is that telling people what they can purchase from you is not spamming them.
If you can get rid of this mindset error that you have around email marketing you can grow your revenue and your return customer rate on Etsy so much easier by starting an email list.
How to make email effective
Now if we want to talk about making your email list very effective for your small business, that might not mean you're sending out a link to a new product every week with just a photo and that's it.
If you want your email list to be effective for your product business, I want you to ask yourself what your audience finds valuable.
Yes, it may be telling them when you have a sale, so they don't miss it. Helping them purchase from you more easily is valuable to them. It might also be very niche-specific tips that help them use or care for what you make.
Candles are such a great example of this. If you make candles, and I join your email list and immediately get some tips on how to make sure that my candles burn beautifully and last for a long time I'm going to be so grateful to you.
The same can be true for any other niche. I would love to know how to care for or style jewelry if that's what you sell.
If you sell digital downloads, I want to know the easiest way to print them, where I can print them professionally, or how to use whatever you've made super effectively.
If you make home decor, I want to know how I can choose the perfect color to complement the paint in my living room or how to style your specific product on my mantle so it looks like I had an interior decorator come in and help me.
Every email you send can sell your products, but you can infuse some value into those emails as well.
How to start an email list
Now that we've decided you can't spam your customers who opt into your email list, I hope you're excited to start email marketing for your Etsy shop.
Here are your next steps:
- Pick an email service provider
- Decide on an opt-in for your audience
- Automate your opt-in to be delivered when someone signs up for your list
If you need help with any of these steps, click here to join the Seller Collective. After joining, you'll get immediate access to my entire Etsy course which includes a module on starting and growing your email list.


