March 24, 2009
Please welcome our next guest Etsy Success contributer, Tamara from BlockPartyPress! Tamara has been a featured Etsy Seller, and is a blogger and member of the Baltimore Etsy Team.
Dear Sellers,
As Etsy grows, everyday there are more and more sellers vying for buyers' attention. How do you stand out in the crowd? One of the best ways is to brand your shop. All large successful companies are branded, and the same principles can work for our smaller handmade businesses. When you you see the red, white and blue globe, don't you automatically think of Pepsi? Or how about the Swoosh, doesn't it immediately make you think of Nike shoes? Wouldn't it be great for your shop to have that kind of recognition? Here are some great ways to make a name for yourself and your shop.
What's in a Name?
Branding starts with your username and shop name. Remember, it's much easier to remember a shop URL if it's the same as the shop name. Keeping it simple for buyers to navigate to your shop is key. Try to come up with a simple name that fits your style or product. I like the name Sew Fragrant because it's short and simple. She sells mostly scented sachets that she sews, so it tells about the product and it's a clever play on words. Do some research to make sure the name you want is available and isn't trademarked. If you're having trouble coming up with a name, check this article for some great tips. And don't panic if you need to change your name as the article also outlines the steps to take.
One Chance to Make a First Impression
When a buyer navigates to your shop for the first time, how are you going to keep them engaged? You often have only a few seconds to catch a buyer's eye before they move on to another shop. Make them take a closer look with a great banner. Showcase some of your items, include your shop name and make sure to keep the style consistent throughout. (For instance, don't have a modern looking banner when all of your items are shabby chic, because if a buyer is expecting something modern, when they scroll down and see your items, they may be disappointed and move on.) Not skilled at banner making? Read this Storque article from the Shop Makeover Series and follow this Photoshop banner skill share. Don't have Photoshop? Here are a few resources to help:
- Creating an Etsy Banner Using Gimp by Luchi
- From the Etsy Forums: How to make a banner without a fancy program by ScarletCat
- Search ready made and custom banners from one of the many Etsy banner sellers
- Free Etsy Banner Generator
Rock Your Avatar
Your avatar may be the first contact a buyer has with your shop. Make it eye-catching by using your logo or a great shot of an item in your shop. If you you want to brand your shop around you the artist, then use a picture of yourself. One thing I hate to see is a compelling product shot avatar, and then when you click into the shop, it's not there, and none of the items look anything like the item shown in the avatar. Remember: An avatar may draw a buyer in, but a misrepresentation will make them move on. To learn more about successful avatars, check out this article by Tinaseamonster.
Keep Your Focus
When branding your shop, you have to decide exactly what it is you're branding. Is it your product, your technique, your style, or you the artist? The focus you choose will affect all aspects of your marketing strategy. Here are some great examples of Etsy shops that know their focus and are successful in branding it:
Product: Circaceramics
Technique: Tinctory
Signature Item: HiTree
Theme: Birdnerd
The Artist: Hyena
Repetition and Consistency
The more ways customers can see your brand, the more they will recognize it and attribute it to your shop. We are all susceptible to believing that things that are familiar are better, so the more familiar buyers are with your brand, the more likely they will buy from you. Use your logo or avatar on all your blog and business related social networking sites so customers can find you and follow you. I have found a lot of sellers on Flickr, Twitter, Facebook and Indiepublic because I recognized their avatar. That recognition made me want to see what was new with them and in most cases I ended up in their Etsy shop. When I signed up Twitter, one of the first people I started following was redpanda because I immediately recognized her logo. If I need chainmaille jewelry in the future, her shop will be the first that comes to mind and the first place I look to buy. All because of effective branding.
There are many more aspects to branding. To learn more, check out How to Brand Your Etsy Shop by Littleputbooks (with over 10,000 sales, I think she knows what she's talking about). There will also be an identity and branding seminar at Hello Craft's Summit of Awesome in May that is sure to provide a wealth of information.
Tamara
BlockPartyPress
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