I just can't drawan audience

kbeaudoin wrote

on Apr 19, 2013 5:49 PM

I set up a shop on Etsy a couple of months ago and have yet to have more than five people even look at my products.  I have done everything I have read suggesting ways to draw business:  listed several items, provided clear pictures, updated my personal profile, offered coupons, created a shop banner.  I just can't seem to draw anyone to my site.  I have used other social media as well, such as Instigram, Twitter, Posh Closet, and Wanelo to attract people to my shop.  Any other ideas out there?  Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

SCB1 wrote

on Apr 19, 2013 6:43 PM

kbeaudoin, Please remove your etsy shop from the body of your post. It is not allowed only in the signature line. I don't want to delete your post because of the address being in the wrong place. So please remove it. 

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. 

MichaelaJewelry wrote

on Apr 20, 2013 3:13 PM

Hi there Kbeaudoin.  I hear your pain.  I opened an Etsy store some time ago and I didn't make one sale.  That doesn't mean that Etsy is a bad place to sell but I really didn't do much to promote my store. I thought that just by having a store that looked great that people would find it and buy.  NOT. Plus there are tons of other artists on the same website doing the same thing as you.  Even if you have a stand alone website it still doesn't mean you get sales.  You have to market it, get your brand out there and for every business it's different.  What works for one business might not work for another.  Ask your friends to have parties where you can sell your pieces, network in your local chamber of commerce.  Do you have a Facebook account? I think that is a great social media site to get to know people, 'like' local businesses etc.  You have to market and promote your business.  It really isn't easy, you have to work REALLY hard at it and it doesn't happen overnight I'm afraid.  But don't ever give up. I hope this helps.    

kadone wrote

on Apr 20, 2013 10:19 PM

Personally, I wound up having to close my Etsy shop because I was losing money trying to do everything that they recommended. I haven't found the formula for making online work, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't. Keep trying. In the meantime, look into other methods of marketing, and read up on it.

I recommend, for starters:

Guerilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson

And

Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy

The first one I have read. The second one was recommended to me and is on my reading list. I also recommend getting on the Guerilla Marketing mailing list. They send you tips to your inbox. What you do with them and how you implement them is up to you.

megabgirl wrote

on Apr 26, 2013 4:26 PM

I know this sounds backwards, but here's a general rule of thumb I follow when marketing my business: give to give, and you will get as a result. (I'll be posting the nitty-gritty details on my business blog soon.)

To sum it up though: in all of your marketing facets, be generous and give help to your customers. By that, I mean, offer useful information that they may be searching for, or will find useful.

Rather than writing a bunch of blog posts and Facebook updates all about your new products, for example, write some updates that will help your customers with problems they are experiencing. Even better if that problem is related to your industry.

Since we are jewelry sellers, for example, you can recommend some thoughtful things that your readers/follows could do for Mom on Mother's Day. (Buying some of your jewelry as a gift could be one of those things, but include some other tips and advice that is just plain helpful. Sharing your personal experiences will make this even more powerful.)

If you come from a place of authentically wanting to help your audience with a problem they are experiencing (Like finding a necklace to wear to an interview), then those followers will eventually trust you, share your content with others, and BUY from you. It's a gradual process, but by far more effective than posting links and images all over the interwebs, though you are welcome to keep doing that as well.

I hope that makes sense and is helpful!