You’ve decided 2023 is the year you’ll turn your crafting talents into cash, but you need to figure out where to start.
Earning money online takes effort, and you need to know how to promote Etsy shop once you have it running.
This guide will explain how to reach Etsy customers in 2023.
How do I promote my Etsy Shop successfully?
Competition on Etsy is fierce. You may even wonder, is selling on Etsy worth it?
There are more than 7.5 million active shops on Etsy, but only 26% are successful as full-time businesses.
To get sales, you can’t simply list your items and forget about them; you’ll have to do the legwork to establish yourself and stand out.
There are many different strategies to do this. Some cost money, and others are free. It’ll depend on exactly what you’re selling and your business goals to determine what’s the best step for you.
One of the most obvious ways to advertise Etsy shops is to invest in Etsy ads. But are they worth it?
Etsy ads are advertisements for your listings through the platform’s internal systems, which increase the number of people who will view your listings on the platform.
Tactic for Success
Test how well your listings appear organically in search before investing in Etsy Ads. If you have a unique product with little competition, you may not need to spend money on Etsy ads, as you’re already getting decent organic traffic for free. If you can’t find your listing in search, consider an Etsy ad.
There’s no single method to regenerate more traffic to your Etsy shop; instead, you’ve got to do several things right.
First, you’ll want to ensure your listing uses relevant buzzwords for your products, ones people are entering into the search bar.
Once you get them to click, you need to keep them in your shop with engaging product descriptions and a gallery of photos that keeps them interested.
The more people who click your listing and buy your product, the more likely Etsy will show it to the next person looking for a similar item.
New listings, items that include free shipping, and positive reviews are also characteristics that help enhance your visibility on the platform.
How do you get popular on Etsy?
Your shop needs to be unique to stand out from the crowd, and of course sell things people actually want.
The e-commerce platform shares this information for free. Etsy releases trend reports each quarter that outline the trending words in customer searches.
You can find the latest trend report here.
Trend on the Rise
Feel free to sell larger creations. Etsy reports that in 2022 there was a 2,313% increase in searches on their platform for handmade furniture. The service says its users seek upscale, well-crafted and inspiring pieces for the home.
When do Etsy sales pick up?
The holiday season, also known as the fourth quarter, is the busiest time for any e-commerce business.
Shoppers flock to Etsy for gifts that prove they’ve put a lot of time and effort into finding something memorable and one-of-a-kind.
Expect sales to pick up early in the fall season, around the same time holiday decorations pop up in the stores.
There are other seasons worth promoting strategically with your Etsy business.
Popular Seasonal Etsy Products:
- Christmas Season – Home decor, personalized gifts, and lower-priced stocking stuffers
- Valentine’s Day – Jewelry, decor and personalized Valentine’s Day cards
- Mother’s Day – Unique and handmade gifts focused on comfort, relaxation, and self-care
- Wedding Season – Bachelor or bachelorette personalized gear, wedding favors, bridal accessories, and customizable wedding favors
- Halloween and Fall – Vintage or handcrafted costumes, props or decor
Tactic for Success
Create a sense of scarcity. List the quantity of your bestselling items as three or fewer, thus creating a sense of urgency for the shopper and a motivation to buy now or miss out forever.
Where can I market my Etsy shop?
There are endless free ways to get the word out about what you’re selling on Etsy. Some are simple, while others will take a little more work.
Free places to advertise an Etsy shop:
- Existing customer emails – Incentivize customers to sign up for your email list with discounts or user product guides, then announce new products or sales to your email list.
- TikTok videos – Grab potential customers’ attention with tutorials and visually stunning time-lapses, or relate the latest trend to your business and include your store link in your bio.
- Facebook groups – Share your latest creation or vintage find on Facebook interest groups and if allowed, share a link to your Etsy store. Check out neighborhood pages if you want to sell locally.
- Blog posts – A post showcasing how you’re using your latest design or find around your home can be enhanced with a link to purchase in your Etsy store.
Trend on the Rise
User-generated content is content created and posted by a brand’s customers. The Consumer Technology Association reports that user-created content now accounts for 39% of Americans’ weekly media consumption. You can send incentives or even freebies to your customers in your niche in exchange for a video or post featuring your product as an effective user-generated content marketing strategy.
Wrapping Up
With so many active users on Etsy, overnight success is unrealistic.
Instead, focus on little things like optimizing your listings with SEO best practices, monitoring trends, and offering excellent customer service to make this the year you smash goals on Etsy.
Nikki Davidson is a freelance TV and print journalist who covers finance and real estate news for media outlets across the country. She's also a chronic side-hustler and YouTuber who creates videos about reselling clothing online (Channel Name: Sew Much 2 Wear).
