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This is the first installment in a new series for the *EtsySellers Club. The Club is based primarily on the Etsy website
. For those who don't know, Etsy is a site completely dedicated to Artisans of all kinds, & you will mostly find handmade items there.

In this article, we'll go over different advertising strategies. There's several things that should be considered when setting up Shop, but first, let's have a bit of background history on something that is quickly becoming a world wide love. It's called "Taking The Pledge".

Take The Handmade Pledge

So, what exactly does it mean to take the handmade pledge? Well, simply put, it just means buying only, or mostly, handmade items. Buy handmade for yourself, or as gifts for others. With all the big time manufacturers that spring up on a daily basis, more & more "mom & pop" stores are going out of business. By buying handmade, we help to ensure that people who make products themselves by hand get to stay in business. Why is that so important, you might ask. Factory made products usually contain harmful components. Whether it's made with chemicals or minerals that are toxic, or paint full of lead, if it's factory made chances are it's also not up to par. When you factor in the monetary value of a handmade item versus factory made, that alone should sway the vote.

Not interested in those reasons? The main focus of the pledge is to help bridge the gap that is growing at a vast rate between those who produce items for sale, & those who buy those items. Don't you get tired of having to deal with rude people while shopping? Aren't you fed up with sales people who aren't helpful or friendly? Buying handmade is meant to help aleve some of that aggravating stress, & to bring joy back to buying for others & yourself again.

If you'd like to take the pledge yourself, or have already registered & would like to display the Pledge Badge, follow the links below:

Register With Buy Handmade
Codes For The Badges
Etsy Buttons To Display

Setting Up Shop

Once you have fully registered with Etsy
you can start setting up your Shop to sell your goods. A few things to keep in mind while setting things up is your store banner, your avatar, & your Shop announcement. While advertising is extremely important, the appearance of your Shop is equally valuable.

Store Banner: This is the graphic which sits on top of your Shop. The size of all Store Banners are 760 wide by 100 high. It serves as the one & only sign for your Shop. Being since it's at the very top, & the first thing people see when they land in your store, it should give your potential customers a great first impression & should give people an idea of what they can find in your Shop. The graphics should be clear, & the text should be legible.

Your Avatar: Your avatar can be 75 wide by 75 high. It can really be anything you'd like, but one that matches your Store Banner & that gives a hint of a peek into your Shop is more pleasing to the eye, & better for advertising while browsing the Forums
or the chatrooms.

Shop Announcement: Your Shop announcement sits right under your Store Banner, & should really be kept to a minimum of info content. In this day & age, people are too busy to have to scroll down a page forever to get to what they want. If your Shop announcement is too long, you might lose out on a possible sale. List any Etsy Teams you're a member of, mention if you're having a sale, mention any vacation dates, remind them to read your Shop policies, & move on.

Advertising

Maybe you've handcrafted some really great things, or maybe you'd like to sell your Photography as framed or unframed prints, or maybe you've drawn or painted your little heart out. What to do, what to do. Well, now that all the tedious work is out of the way, you can start on all the fun stuff - showing off!

Some Etsy sellers have created Facebook
, Red Bubble
, Flickr
, or MySpace
accounts, & advertise their Shops there. You can also put a link to your Shop in your signature, Journal, & Shoutboard here at deviantART. There is even a Website Promotion Forum
here at dA. Go start your own thread, & leave your Shop link for others to check out!

A huge part of marketing & advertising is by way of the social network. Put yourself out there in as many ways possible. If you're a member of multiple websites, & they all have chat networks or forums, get in there & be talkative. Etsy has it's own chatrooms & forums, & you definitely want to be in those as much as possible. Your fellow Etsians also buy & shop handmade, don't forget, so making your presence known is a must. You'll want to try & join a Team or two also, since you can use your Team's name as a "tag"/keyword for your products. Teams help you get more involved in the crafting community in your local area, as well as getting together for various events. You can check out all current Teams on Etsy by going here --> Etsy Teams
, & to keep an eye on Events you can attend, go here --> Etsy Team Events
. If you're in the area, & want to be a part of something fun & dedicated, join a Team & go to an Event. You won't believe what that can do for your business!

Familiar with the old saying "It takes money to make money"? Well, in most cases it's true. Another fantastic way of advertising your Shop, is to buy yourself a slot in the Showcase
. There's different prices & different slots available to choose from, but no matter which one you do, it's all about the same thing. Making yourself known! Choose your slot, pick your best top item to showcase, then watch the sales pour in!

Last but not least, it's wise to have some business cards printed up for your Shop. Most convenience stores, department stores, or doctor's offices allow businesses to post their business cards. They can be handed out to people you meet, & given to friends & family to hand out to people they meet. You can either make your own business cards using your image editing program & cardstock, or check out the following links:

Greener Printer
Overnight Prints
VistaPrint
GotPrint
123Print



Stay tuned for the next issue, where we'll talk more about marketing & advertising, & will also go over how best to display & photograph your product. Shops will be featured! If you have info or tips you'd like to share, please note ^2dazed, so the infos can be shared in the next issue.


DISCLAIMER: We try to research all info given offsite, but can't guarantee all info is correct, or free of malicious intent. Please be safe & careful when browsing outside of deviantART. Use your best judgment.