Latest / The Modern Etsy Seller Podcast / EP 27. The Only Two "Marketing" Strategies I'd Use as a New Etsy Seller

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EP 27. The Only Two "Marketing" Strategies I'd Use as a New Etsy Seller · The Modern Etsy Seller Podcast

• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: Hey there and welcome to the Modern Etsy Seller, the podcast where busy women build, grow, and profit on Etsy.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Melissa Carroll, a full-time teacher, a busy mom, and an Etsy seller who's built two successful Etsy shops in the small moments of everyday life.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: Here you'll find simple strategies, real behind-the-scenes insight, and the clarity you need to stop second-guessing and start moving forward one intentional step at a time.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: Let's get to it.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: Hey there and welcome back.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so new sellers ask about whether or not they should be posting to social media all the time.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: And my answer is always absolutely not.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: I truly believe that you do not have to do any of your own marketing to make money on Etsy.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: As long as you focus on some core strategies when creating and listing your products, your shop will grow.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: But just because you don't have to, doesn't mean you shouldn't.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: Because the reality is that anything extra you do to drive your own traffic to your shop and your products is only going to help.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: In the beginning though, I don't want you worrying about anything that could create overwhelm or anything that is going to cost you time that is better spent creating and listing products.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: And so that means making TikToks and posting to Instagram are never going to be my recommendation.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: But there are two small growth strategies that I would encourage you to consider starting from the very beginning.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: They're what I like to think of as background systems.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: By that I mean they're things you set up once, spend very little time maintaining, and then let them quietly work in the background while you focus on what matters most in the beginning, which is creating products and getting live listings.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: Then six months or a year from now, once your shop is established and you're ready to spend more time growing your business, you can come back and build on them.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if your shop has already been open for a while, don't tune out, okay?
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: This episode is for you too.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: If you haven't put these systems in place yet, today is as good a day as any to get started.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: So today I want to walk you through the two background systems I'd set up on day one if I were starting on Etsy all over again.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: Actually, I want to talk about Etsy's share and save program first because you'll want to use it hand in hand with the strategies.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: Plus, it's so quick to set up, and every new Etsy seller should do it as soon as they open their shop.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: So if you haven't heard of it before, the basic idea is that Etsy wants sellers to bring shoppers to the platform and so they reward you when you do.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: Once you join the program, anytime you share your unique share and save link to your shop or to one of your listings and someone makes a purchase within 30 days of clicking that link, Etsy refunds 4% of the eligible order total back into your Etsy payments account.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: So it's Etsy essentially saying, thanks for bringing us a customer and then giving you a portion of your fees back.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: I do realize 4% doesn't sound like a life-changing amount, but if you're going to be sharing links anyway, whether it's with family and friends now or eventually on social media, you may as well get the refund.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: It's super easy to set up.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: It takes like 30 seconds.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: To do it, you'll first go into your shop manager, which is on the left-hand side of your screen if you're on your desktop.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: If you're in the app, you're gonna click the more icon.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: It's the one on the far right.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: Then go to marketing, click share and save, and finally click join.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: Don't wait until your shop has traffic or sales.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: Do it on day one before even publishing your first listing.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: That way every link you share from that point forward is eligible.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: It's one of those small things that's really easy to overlook, but once it's turned on, you never have to think about it again.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so now let's get to those growth systems.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: First up is building an email list.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: This sounds way harder than it is, so I really want to simplify it for you.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: So stick with me here.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: To start, all you need is an easy hands-off way to collect email addresses from buyers.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to send emails or create funnels or develop a newsletter strategy.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: You can, but you don't have to right now.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, you never have to do those things if you end up deciding that you don't want to.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: But if six or nine or 12 months down the road you realize that you do want to implement ways of bringing in your own traffic, having an email list will be gold.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: So let's walk through this setup.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: The first step is choosing an email service provider.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: I have used and I've recommended both Everbee, email, and kit.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: Both have free plans and are really user-friendly.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: But if I had to pick one, I'd probably recommend Everbee because it's built with Etsy sellers in mind.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: Don't overthink this part though, just pick one and move on.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: The second step is deciding what you're going to offer people in exchange for their email address.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: The easiest and most effective thing, especially for Etsy sellers, is a coupon code for a future purchase.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: People need a reason to hand over their email address and a good coupon gives them one.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: I personally offer 30% off.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: That's more than I'll ever run as a public sale, but it also still leaves enough room for me to make a small profit.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: Once you've decided on your offer, you'll create a simple sign-up page inside your email provider.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: This is just a page where someone enters their name and email address to receive that coupon.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: Then you'll create one automated email.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: All that means is that when someone signs up, your email provider automatically sends them an email with their coupon code and your share and save link back to your Etsy shop.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: From there, you just need to let people know it exists.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: My favorite place is inside of package insert that ships with every order.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: Unfortunately, not every print provider offers package inserts, but if yours does, I think it's one of the best places to promote your email list because you're reaching people who have already purchased from you.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: I also mention it in my shop announcement, in the automatic message buyers receive after placing an order, and in my listing descriptions.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_00: Now let's talk about the why.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: Because I know some of you are probably thinking, Melissa, if I'm not planning to send emails anytime soon, why would I spend what little time I have setting all of this up?
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: And that's a completely fair question.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: And if this required work and time week after week, I wouldn't be recommending it.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: But it doesn't.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: It requires maybe an hour setting up a simple system that can quietly work and grow in the background while you focus on building your Etsy shop.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: And in return, what it gives you is an asset.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: An asset that you own and no one can take it from you.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: If Etsy were to suspend your shop tomorrow, you wouldn't be starting completely from scratch because you'd still have a way to reach customers who already know, like, and trust you.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: If one day you decide you want to expand beyond Etsy, you've already started building an audience that you can take with you.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: And when you're finally ready to announce a new product or launch your Black Friday sale or let people know that you're adding a holiday collection, you already have a list of people who have purchased from you before and have asked to hear from you again.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: That's a really big deal.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: Now listen, I still believe that 95% of your time in the beginning should be spent on the here and now, creating products and publishing listings because that's what's going to grow your shop the fastest.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: But I also think it's important to spend a tiny bit of your time setting up a few things that your future self will benefit from.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: As small online business owners, we have to learn to balance today's priorities with tomorrow's opportunities.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: Most of your decisions will be made for the business you have today.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: But every once in a while, it's worth making a decision for the business you believe you're going to have six months or a year from now.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: Your future self is going to be really grateful that you spent an hour setting up an email list before you thought you needed one.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: The second background system I'd set up is what I call the publish and pin habit.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_00: So, yes, this system involves using Pinterest, but do not worry because it's not about understanding Pinterest strategies.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: We're not getting into creating fresh pins every day or learning Pinterest SEO.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: I know I don't have time for all that right now, so I'm sure you don't either.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: Just like the email strategy, you can build on this down the line if you choose.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: And just like the email list, I want to keep this incredibly simple.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: If you don't already have one, you're going to want to create a business Pinterest account.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: Then, if you want to create a few boards ahead of time, you can, but honestly, you don't even have to do that right now.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: Then this is the publish and pen habit I want you to get into.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_00: Every single time you hit publish on a new Etsy listing, you are going to do one more thing before moving on to getting your next listing up.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: In the listings section, on the new listing that you just created, click the little gear that's located at the bottom right.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: Then from that drop down, click share and then choose Pinterest.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: Pick a board or create a new one, and then you're done.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_00: That's it.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_00: It should take all of three seconds.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: Your product is now on the Pinterest platform.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: The title and description will match what you have in Etsy and the image will be your main Etsy thumbnail.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: And because you've already turned on the share and save program, every pin you create is using that same share and save link.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: So if someone clicks through Pinterest and makes a purchase, you're also eligible for that 4% refund we talked about earlier.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: Now let's talk about the why.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: The reason I recommend building this habit from day one is not because I think it will help you get your first sale quicker.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: Instead, it has everything to do with building a foundation.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: Pinterest is different from most social media platforms.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, most people will tell you, and I agree, that it's not a social media platform at all.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: It's a search engine.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_00: And because of that, a pin can continue showing up in search results for months or even years.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: This is unlike a post on Instagram that may disappear after a day or two, or a TikTok that might get buried after a week.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_00: A Pinterest pin has some longevity.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: And every time you publish and pin, you're laying a brick.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_00: I love this because you don't have to stop building your Etsy shop to do it.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: You simply added a few clicks to a task you were already doing.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: Like the email list, this isn't about becoming a Pinterest expert today.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: It's about giving your future self a head start.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_00: Over time, you'll have dozens of products pinned.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: You already have content on the platform.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: Then if you decide you do want to become intentional about using Pinterest as a growth tool, you will already have a foundation to build on.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_00: Once again, your future self is going to be really glad you did this.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: All right, so let's quickly recap.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_00: If you're just getting started on Etsy, I still want you spending the majority of your time creating products and getting listings live.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: But I do think there are a couple of things worth spending an hour or two setting up early because they can grow alongside your shop and be there when you're ready for them.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_00: So turn on share and save, set up a simple way to collect email addresses and get into the publish and pin habit every time you add a new listing.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_00: And remember, if you've already been selling for a while but haven't put these systems in place yet, that's okay.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_00: Don't beat yourself up.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: Just start today.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: None of those things takes a lot of time, but I truly believe they'll pay you back in a big way down the road.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_00: Remember, we are doing this for future you, and she will not be disappointed.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for listening today, and I will see you in the next episode.