Latest / The Modern Etsy Seller Podcast / 39. 5 Things To Do in Your Etsy Shop When You Only Have 15 Minutes: Small Tasks That Keep You Moving Forward (Part 1)

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39. 5 Things To Do in Your Etsy Shop When You Only Have 15 Minutes: Small Tasks That Keep You Moving Forward (Part 1) · 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.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: Hey guys, welcome back.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: Today I want to talk about needle-moving tasks that can be done in 15 minutes or less.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: I am gearing up to start my new school year, so my schedule's about to change.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna have fewer long stretches of time to work in my shop, and I'll need to go back to taking advantage of those smaller pockets of time so my shop can continue to grow even when my schedule gets busier.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: And I know a lot of you are in the same boat.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: You're busy, you have a lot going on, and hours long work sessions in your Etsy shop aren't always an option.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: So taking advantage of those 10, 15, or 20 minute pockets of time that pop up can really help you keep things moving.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: Because even though 15 minutes doesn't sound like a lot of time, because it's not a lot of time, there are a lot of things still that you can get done in that span that genuinely move your shop forward.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: And that time adds up.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: Think about it.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: If you only spend 15 minutes each day in your Etsy shop, that's still almost two hours a week.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: And if you can find two 15-minute chunks of time each day to get some things done, that's three and a half hours, plenty of time to build and grow a shop.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: So rather than thinking, eh, I'll just wait until I have more time, get in there and do the one thing.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: And know that even if nothing else gets done in your shop that day, you still made progress.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: So I have 10 things that you can do in 15 minutes or less that are actually worth your time.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: Today I'm going to share just five of them, and then next week I'll give you five more.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: I had to break this into two episodes because once I started getting into each one, I realized if I didn't, then this episode would be way too long.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so we're gonna get into the first five here today.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: So let's jump right in.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: The first thing you can do in 15 minutes is list one finished product.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: And I know some of you are probably thinking there is no way I can create an entire Etsy listing in 15 minutes, but you absolutely can.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: Once you have set up the listing system for your product, this really can be a 15-minute task.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: You will already have so much done and ready to use.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: You will already have your base mock-ups ready to go, and all you're gonna need to do is drop your design into them.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: Your informational listing images will be ready to load onto Etsy.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: These are all the images that share information about the product, and they stay the same for every single listing of that particular product.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: So, for example, the image that shares your product details like the size, material, etc.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: That would be an informational listing image.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: You'll make that once.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: Another example is the images that show options like your color options or font options or graphic options.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: And again, you'll make these once and then reuse them in every listing.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: Your listing description will be just about ready.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: You'll just need to add that opening paragraph that's unique to the particular design you're listing.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: I do that very quickly, and Claude, you can too.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: Your shipping profile, it's already there.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: You know what attributes you typically use for that product, so you can quickly choose those.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: Your pricing's already set.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: Basically, most of the decisions that can slow you down have already been made.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: The majority of your time for this 15 minutes will be spent on the title and tags and researching the best keywords to use.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: But two things I want to say about this.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: First, in a lot of cases, you will have already started this process because it likely influenced the design to begin with.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: So maybe you created a design that's meant to be a gift for a godmother because you saw that godmother gifts and gifts for godparents had decent search volume and lower competition.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: You'll want to make sure that you include those keywords in your title.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: So, like I said, you will have already looked at these things and already started this process.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: The second thing I want to say is that if you are a new seller, you will get quicker with this the more you do it.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: So if it feels like it takes you a long time, know that it won't always feel like that.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: So if you find yourself with 15 minutes and you already have finished designs sitting inside Canva, and you probably do, then get them listed.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: Get one of them listed in this 15-minute chunk of time.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: All right, number two is to create variations of a design you already have.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: This is a great 15-minute task because you are not starting from scratch.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: You already have the basic idea, the layout, the fonts, maybe even the personalization setup.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: Now you're just asking yourself, how else could I use this?
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: You'll want to change the recipient or the occasion or the wording or the personalization, maybe the profession, the hobby, etc.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: And you're gonna turn one idea into several future listings.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_00: So let's think about an example here.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you created a journal for a hiker with a message about trails they want to hike, or maybe like national parks that they want to explore, or something like that.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: You could take that same basic design and create versions for a golfer and the golf courses that they want to play at, or a marathon runner and the races that they like to run, or a reader and the books that they want to read.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: The design will stay the same.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: You're just changing out the recipient.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: So now it's being given to a golfer and a marathon runner and a reader, and then the words that are geared towards them, so that you're using words that match that recipient.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: I would bet that most of your designs can be made into 20 plus variations.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I especially like doing this with designs that have already sold.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: If buyers have already shown you that they like the message or the concept, that's a clue.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: Instead of immediately moving on to something completely different, see how far you can stretch that idea.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: Another way to create variations from something that has already shown it can sell is to keep the concept, but now change the layout or the fonts or the wording.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe add a trending pattern or concept.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: Right now, stripes are really big.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: So is there a way to add stripes to a design?
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: You're basically taking something the market has already told you it likes and incorporating it into something you know is selling.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: So open the original design, duplicate it a few times, make the changes, and save them.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_00: In 15 minutes, you could easily walk away with three, four, maybe even five new designs ready to list.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: And then the next time you find yourself with another 15-minute pocket of time, you go back to number one and get those listed.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, number three is keyword research for new ideas.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: There are different types of research that you're gonna do as an Etsy seller, and I think it's helpful to keep it focused when you sit down to do it.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: So this is not research for a specific listing.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: You're not trying to come up with titles or tags here.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: This is keyword research specifically to build your idea bank.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: If you don't already have a running Google Doc or Sheets for ideas, I would absolutely start there.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: I personally like working in Sheets better.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: I just think it helps me stay a little bit more organized.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: But whichever you prefer, open a fresh one and give it a title like Etsy Idea Bank.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: Then head to your favorite keyword research tool.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: I've always used ERANG for this, but I've also been using Alora and Everby lately and liking both of those as well.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: For this type of research, you're basically looking for opportunities.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_00: So you're looking for words and phrases that people are searching for, but that don't have a crazy amount of competition.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: Now, these tools typically give you a keyword score, or you can do your own really quick calculation.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_00: I take the Etsy competition number and divide it by the average monthly searches.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: That gives me the competition to search ratio.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: So basically, it tells me how many competing listings there are for every one search.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: I generally like to see the number under 100, but really the lower the better.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: Now, for this kind of 15-minute research session, you can be totally random.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: You might start with one word, click into a related term, then another one, and end up somewhere completely different 15 minutes later.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: And that's okay.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_00: Actually, it's kind of the point.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: You're not trying to decide what to create.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_00: You're just looking for interesting words and phrases with a good keyword score or competition to search ratio and saving them.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: So anytime you find one that looks promising, add it to your idea bank.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: Then later, when you sit down to brainstorm or create, you're not starting from nothing.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: You already have a whole bank of keywords that have shown you there is buyer interest and potential opportunity.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_00: All right, number four is to brainstorm 10 or more design ideas from one keyword.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: So this is a perfect follow-up to the keyword research we just talked about because now you're taking one of those opportunities from the idea bank and seeing how many ways you can use it with the product you sell.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: So open your idea bank, choose one keyword, just one, and start stretching it into as many design ideas as you can.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: And again, you don't have to actually do the designing here.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: You're just doing the thinking, the brainstorming part of it, okay?
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: So for example, let's say one of the keyword phrases you found is new homeowner gift, and your product is ornaments.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_00: And really quick side note here for that, ornaments are bought year-round.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: I actually consider them an evergreen product.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, sales are much more concentrated in Q4, but honestly, so is everything else too.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: So don't be afraid to consider ornaments as your product.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: All right, so back to it.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: Now ask yourself, once you know you're using the keyword new homeowner gift, ask yourself, how many different ornament ideas can I come up with?
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe one says our first Christmas in our new home.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: Totally generic, I know, but so what?
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_00: It's a natural first thought.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe you end up making it using a current design trend and come up with something totally new that no one's done.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe one is personalized with the family name and year.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you come up with an idea to include the new address.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe one is shaped around the idea of home sweet home.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe one is for a couple that's buying their first house or a family that's moving into their forever house.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe one is geared toward a family that just had their home custom belt.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe one is wrapped around the city and state.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe one is funny, one is sentimental.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, you're just coming up with ideas.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_00: Same product, same keyword opportunity, 10 different directions you could take it.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_00: And all of your ideas are not going to be winners.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_00: They don't have to be.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: You're not going to create all of those products, most likely.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_00: The goal is to stretch the keyword and see how many possible different listings you can get from it before you have to take your daughter to dance class.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: Because a lot of the times the first idea is the obvious one.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: But idea number six or seven might be the one that feels more specific, more interesting, or less like everything else already on Etsy.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, number five.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_00: Number five is to create one reusable listing asset.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: So back in number one, I talked about how much faster listing becomes once you have all those reusable pieces already created for your product.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: And you hear me talking about this a lot because it is so important.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_00: So this 15-minute task is for you if you're a newer seller and you're still building out that system for your first product, or if you're an established seller and you're getting ready to add a new product type to your shop.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: Building out that listing system does take time, but it can easily be broken into smaller parts.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_00: So if you have 15 minutes, pick one asset and build it.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_00: That's a perfect amount of time to make one informational image.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_00: So maybe just the one that shows and states the size of the item or just the one that gives the buyer their font choices.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: Just do one in that 15 minutes.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: Another asset you could check off from your list in less than 15 minutes is setting up your shipping profile.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: When you create a shipping profile in Etsy, you're basically saving all of the shipping information that you'll want to reuse for every listing for that product.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_00: You'll tell Etsy where the product ships from, what shipping service is being used, what you're charging, and what shipping upgrades you offer, if any.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: You'll get all this information right from your PIMP provider.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: This is a one and done job, and 15 minutes is more than enough time for it.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_00: So think about the reusable pieces still missing from your listing system and choose one to knock out the next time that you have 15 minutes.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_00: Alright, so there you have it.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_00: Today we talked about five things that you can do in 15 minutes or less that actually move your shop forward.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so let's refresh real quick.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_00: Number one, you can get a product listed.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: This is assuming you already have that design sitting in your Canva file and you already have all of your listing assets ready to go.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_00: In 15 minutes, you can list one product.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_00: You can, number two, create variations of an existing design so that now you have quite a few more products ready to be listed.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_00: You can do keyword research looking for keywords with low search.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_00: Excuse me, not the opposite of that.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: So you're looking for keywords with high search and low competition, and you're just adding them to your bank of ideas.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_00: Fourth, you can brainstorm 10 listing ideas from one of those keywords that you just found.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_00: So, how can you design something geared towards that particular keyword?
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_00: And finally, create one reusable listing asset if you are in the stage where you are still building those out, either because you're new or because you are adding another product to your shop.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_00: I hope this gives you something to pull from the next time you find yourself with a small pocket of time.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: And don't forget, we're only halfway through this list.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: I have five more 15-minute tasks for you next week.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_00: So make sure you come back for part two.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_00: All right, that is it for today.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_00: Before you go, if this episode helped you in any way, I'd love if you would leave the podcast a quick review.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: Reviews help more Etsy sellers find the show, and your feedback helps me create more of the episodes you want to hear.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening today, and I will see you in the next episode.