Are you a new Etsy seller looking for their first sale? Or are you an established store owner struggling to get new customers?
Either way, this guide is for you.
Do you want to learn how to increase your visibility, get more customers, improve brand awareness, and grow your online business?
Keep on reading, as I’ll teach you how to promote an Etsy shop in several ways.
I’ll also detail different strategies that can apply to varying levels of budget and needs.
Let’s begin.
11 Best Ways: How To Promote an Etsy Shop
1. Develop an Etsy Marketing Strategy.
Before you explore marketing and advertising strategies, you must first develop a clear plan of action.
Outline your goals – what you want to achieve from your efforts. Of course, the end goal is always to increase your Etsy sales, but there are a lot of ways to get there.
For example, you might want to focus on getting new customers, encouraging repeat purchases, increasing brand awareness, or anything else at all.
When you get an idea of what you want to do, follow these tips:
Research the Market.
First, gain an understanding of the current market landscape to determine the best approach to achieving your goal.
Study other Etsy shops and assess their strategy for products, pricing, and customer interactions. Identify what sets your shop apart and how you can differentiate yourself to attract customers.
Review the current trends in your niche, as well. Check if your products are still relevant, and see what you can do to stay on top of the market.
Know Your Target Audience.
“There is only one winning strategy. It is to carefully define the target market and direct a superior offering to that target market.”
- Philip Kotler
You need to determine your target demographic to promote your Etsy store successfully. This dictates the effectiveness of your product offerings and marketing strategy.
Did you know that 81% of Etsy customers are women? In this case, you must research what will make your product appeal to this demographic, and make decisions with it in mind.
Think what makes your ideal customer, and determine the following details:
- Age
- Gender
- Desires
- Location
- Income
- Pain points
- Buying habits
- Online platforms
When you create a buyer persona, you have better direction with your strategies. You can better decide where to promote Etsy shop listings and what methods to use for reaching them.
Set a Marketing Budget.
What is the maximum cost you can spend on your marketing strategies?
There’s only so many strategies you can do for free, like email and social media marketing. However, even these options require some money, especially for creating content and using paid tools.
Ads may take the biggest chunk of your marketing budget even if you plan to do every aspect yourself.
Once you decide on a budget, track your spend and return on investment (ROI) with budgeting tools or small business expense monitoring software.
2. Optimize Your Listings for SEO and Conversions.
To optimize your listings for Etsy’s search engines, you must find the right people search for.
Properly optimized listings help drive organic traffic to your shop, increase conversion rates, and improve your marketing strategy.
Important: Don’t skip this step. Your promotion strategies won’t work if the listings aren’t optimized to encourage sales.
Use Etsy SEO Tools.
I highly recommend using Etsy SEO tools to help you find keywords. Software like EverBee and EtsyHunt can provide valuable data like search volume, competition, and more.
You can also use these tools to streamline your research process, study the market, and stay ahead of the competition. With the right platform, you can optimize various aspects of your strategy.
Aside from keyword research tools, you can also find ideas by using Etsy’s search bar. The suggestions typically represent the most common words and phrases that customers use.
Insert Keywords Strategically.
To optimize your listings, find the right keywords and use them in the following listing components:
- Shop Name
Optimization starts with the name of your Etsy store, which affects your Etsy search ranking and brand identity. Learn how to properly choose an Etsy shop name that reflects what you have to offer. - Listing Title
Write a compelling, keyword-rich title that represents your products accurately. Use engaging language to grab attention and entice potential customers. - Listing Description
Write a clear and concise description that provides all details and highlights the benefits of your product. Incorporate keywords naturally into the copy to improve search visibility while retaining readability. - Tags
Maximize Etsy’s tags by using all 13 of them. They must describe your product using certain attributes, like colors, styles, and uses that align with popular search terms.
Use High-Quality Images.
High-resolution and great photos help attract potential buyers and nudge interested visitors into buying your product.
Etsy allows you to upload 10 images per listing, so you can include shots from multiple angles and in varying contexts. Utilize all 10 to help buyers visualize your product.
Before uploading, ensure each one has the right size and resolution to meet Etsy’s image standards.
Provide Clear Policies.
Communicate your shop’s policies regarding returns, refunds, and shipping clearly in your product listings.
Be transparent about your shipping times, production timeframe, etc. by detailing them in the description. You can also customize the policies through Etsy’s built-in tools.
Easy-to-understand policies helps potential customers gain the confidence to buy. They can better understand what to expect,
Offer Free Shipping.
Etsy prioritizes listings with free shipping, improving their visibility on the search results. Likewise, customers prefer free shipping deals.
Here are some ways you can offer this deal even if you can’t subsidize shipping fees for your customers:
- Set a minimum order requirement.
- Incorporate shipping costs into your product prices.
- Offer free or low-cost shipping on high-margin items.
- Run limited-time promotions.
Refresh Your Listings Regularly.
No one knows for sure how Etsy’s algorithm ranks listing, but we have some ideas. Keywords and relevancy aside, the platform also considers the listing date.
New listings get a small boost, so they have a higher chance to appear on the Etsy search results page.
You can try this trick on listings that don’t get much visibility.
3. Build Your Own Online Store and Link It To Your Etsy Shop.
If you want to establish a professional presence on the web, you need your own ecommerce website. It’s the next step toward growing outside Etsy, although you can still use the marketplace as a sales distribution channel.
By having both, you can leverage the advantages of both platforms.
However, the challenge is creating the website. You must consider several aspects, such as:
- Domain name
- Web design
- Ecommerce functionalities
- Payment processing
- Website maintenance
The good news is that you can use website builders to create your online store without coding knowledge.
One of the most popular platforms is Shopify, which gives you access to ready-made themes and templates. You can also easily add ecommerce solutions, like carts, payment processors, and product listings.
The best part is you can link your Etsy shop to sync your inventory and manage both platforms.
Benefits of Having Your Own Website
- Branding and Customization
You can establish your brand identity and showcase your personality with more freedom over the website design, layout, and aesthetics.
- More Flexibility
Your own store provides the opportunity to customize and adapt your online presence for your specific Etsy business needs and goals. You can freely add features, integrations, and plugins to enhance your website’s functionalities.
- Greater Control Over the Customer Experience
You have full control over the customer journey – from start to finish. You can ensure their shopping experience is seamless and optimized for higher conversion rates.
- Content Diversity
Having a website enables you to unlock opportunities for other types of content, such as blogs for SEO and videos for advertising. You can learn how to promote your Etsy shop on Google.
You can also add an About Us section, where you can share your values and goals. This helps you build connections with your audience.
- Credibility
A website gives you professionalism points, especially if it’s well designed and optimized. Buyers are more likely to trust you, and you can get better responses when reaching out to influencers.
- Marketing Campaigns
You have the flexibility to explore other marketing methods beyond what Etsy offers. You can launch Google ads, email marketing, retargeting campaigns, and other advertising options to generate more traffic and leads.
Linking Shopify and Etsy
Shopify has an Etsy integration feature that allows you to sync your shop inventory, ensuring both platforms reflect accurate data regarding:
- Item availability
- Pricing
- Product description
If you use other ecommerce solutions, I highly suggest using one with a direct integration with Etsy.
4. Promote Your Etsy Shop on Social Media.
Do you have at least one social media account?
The answer should be yes; otherwise, it’s high time you create a page for your Etsy shop.
Social media presents the best way to reach your audience. It can help you engage with your community and build customer relationships outside of selling.
It also allows you to increase brand awareness. By constantly exposing your brand to your audience, you can stay on top of their minds and eventually make them convert.
Which platform should you use for your online store? That depends on where your target customers hang out, but I’ll give you a quick rundown of the most popular sites for Etsy sellers.
Pinterest is a visual discovery platform that perfectly complements the Etsy marketplace.
It’s the go-to website for audiences looking for inspiration, ideas, and visually-appealing elements. Pinterest’s user base coincides with what you’re looking for in a customer, making it a goldmine of qualified leads for handmade Etsy stores.
You can leverage the platform by creating pins that lead visitors directly to your Etsy shop or product listing with a click.
Pinterest is a search engine, so your pin’s visibility also relies on keywords. This also means it might take some time to see results, but you must keep going to see the long-term benefits.
Facebook is the biggest social media platform, having nearly 3 billion monthly active users.
The platform is most useful for interacting with your audience, thanks to features like:
- Likes and comments
- Private messaging
- Facebook Groups
You can post any media you want, from text to videos, to engage with your audience. You can also use it for marketing purposes, like promoting your email list, directing your audience to your Etsy shop, and running ads.
By gaining more followers, you increase your brand’s reach and build customer relationships.
Instagram is a visual platform focusing on images, videos, and stories rather than text-based content. As such, it’s a solid choice for arts and handmade items.
Its cross-promotional features and influencer content attract over 2.35 billion monthly active users. Even if it started more than a decade ago, it’s still growing rapidly, earning the fourth spot in the biggest social media sites globally.
TikTok
TikTok is best for short-form videos that can engage your audience and build a following.
This platform is less about advertising and more about connecting. Organic videos work best instead of highly orchestrated content, so you don’t need much budget to set up a TikTok account.
All you need is a high-quality camera, although recent flagship smartphones work great. You may need a mic, as well, since the platform is great for storytelling.
You can post behind-the-scenes, your creative process, or even just nonsensical videos that can appeal to your audience.
The ScrubDaddy account, for example, keeps track of trends and popular sounds to create relevant content with a good chance of going viral. If you look at its videos, many of them are just for humor.
5. Build an Email List.
A mailing list is a powerful strategy for promoting on Etsy and building brand awareness. You can retarget existing customers and gain new ones if you play your cards right.
With this marketing strategy, you establish a direct line to consumers. You can nurture relationships and promote your products at the same time.
Some of its key benefits are:
- Targeted marketing
- Consumer loyalty
- Brand awareness
- Abandoned cart recovery
- Repeat purchases
Here’s how you can collect email addresses for your Etsy email list:
Offer an Opt-In Incentive.
Why would your target audience want to subscribe to your newsletter?
First, offer a tempting incentive that new subscribers would receive the moment they sign up.
It could be access to a free resource library, eBook, course, tutorial, and other materials your market might be interested in. Ensure it aligns with your niche.
Create a Sign Up Process.
If you have a website, you can easily add a landing page where visitors can sign up.
You can also use tools for helping you create one, such as:
- Mailchimp
- GetResponse
- Constant Contact
- ActiveCampaign
These tools can also help you manage your list and deliver content.
Promote Your Newsletter.
Let everyone know about your exclusive email list by promoting on Etsy, your website, and your social media pages. You can also encourage your valuable customers on Etsy to sign up for your mailing list to receive an incentive.
Be Transparent.
Anyone interested to sign up must have a clear idea of what they’re signing up for. Other than the sign-up incentive, what can they expect to receive?
Detail the type of content you’ll regularly send out, and highlight the benefits it can provide.
Remember, stick to what you promise to avoid losing email addresses or going to the Spam folder.
Deliver Content Regularly.
Getting subscribers is one thing, but getting them to repurchase or turn into buyers is another.
Once you’ve captured their attention, ensure your brand has constant visibility in their inbox. This can make your subscribers feel a personal connection with your shop and create brand awareness.
However, it’s not all about quality. There’s no use sending daily updates when you’re not delivering value – this will earn you a spot in the spam folder instead.
6. Launch Sales and Promotions.
When advertising on Etsy, never underestimate the power of a good deal.
Occasional sales can create a sense of urgency and increase customer satisfaction, which can help get you new customers and improve your reach.
Here are some ideas you can do:
| WHAT | WHEN | WHY |
|---|---|---|
| Coupon Codes | After a customer’s purchase | Repeat purchases |
| Sales | Seasonal / clearance | Capture first-time buyers |
| Giveaways | Celebrating milestones | Increased audience reach |
| Freebies | With every purchase / certain order amount | Word-of-mouth referrals |
| Free Shipping | After reaching a minimum order amount | Increased sales and conversion rate |
Whichever strategy you choose, remember not to overuse it.
Launching frequent deals will give you the opposite results, diminishing your product’s value and removing the sense of urgency instead.
You might also lose money if you’re not careful with calculating the costs. Ensure to cover all your bases by using an Etsy calculator, which is available in tools like EverBee and EtsyHunt.
7. Leverage Word-of-Mouth Advertising.
Word-of-mouth marketing is often an underutilized method of promoting Etsy store, but it’s a powerful tool for boosting sales and increasing your reach.
Buyers are more likely to trust this form of advertising since you’ll leverage people they trust. You’ll encourage your customers to recommend you to the people they know.
However, your customers must like you enough to recommend you. The key is building your relationship through the following methods:
Offer Exceptional Customer Service.
Providing an excellent customer experience can leave a lasting impression on your customers. It helps build customer loyalty and encourages them to recommend your shop to others.
A bonus is you can get positive reviews to boost your credibility and increase a buyer’s confidence.
Here are some tips on providing a personalized and positive experience:
- Respond promptly to customer messages and inquiries.
- Note any feedback – positive or negative – and thank the customer for their review.
- Resolve any issues and concerns efficiently.
- Go the extra mile whenever you can to exceed customer expectations.
Sometimes, your level of customer service can be the defining factor for the whole user experience. Many buyers prefer a hassle-free and pleasing interaction with the seller over getting a cheaper deal.
Provide Small Tokens and Freebies.
Adding small gifts of appreciation with every purchase can delight your customers, creating a memorable experience.
A small gesture can help build customer relationships, gain repeat customers, and prompt buyers to share their experience.
You can get creative with the free product and make it align with your niche. For example, you can throw in a matching keychain for phone case purchases, or you may add a free template if you sell digital downloads.
Stickers or bookmarks are also good ideas regardless of your niche. However, even a simple, personalized thank you note can go a long way.
Enhance Your Packaging.
The packaging can generate more excitement when your customer receives their purchase. This sets the tone for the rest of their experience, leaving a lasting impression for your brand.
Consider these practices to make your packaging work for you:
- Use high-quality and aesthetically pleasing boxes, containers, and accessories that match with your brand.
- Ensure the safety of your products during transit with proper cushioning material, such as packing peanuts, air cushion, etc.
- Consider eco-friendly materials to emphasize your sustainable values.
Launch a Referral Program.
You can also incentivize referrals by giving current clients perks for referring another paying customer to your shop.
It could be a discount code your clients can apply toward their next purchase, or some free stuff from your shop.
8. Activate Etsy Advertising.
Etsy’s native advertising feature allows you to promote your listings in prime locations within the marketplace.
You can select one or more relevant products to promote, which will then appear in various places, such as:
- Earlier search pages on Etsy
- Category pages
- Listing pages
Etsy Ads work in a pay-per-click (PPC) model, wherein you only pay when a user clicks on the promoted listing and regardless whether it leads to a sale. The amount you pay depends on your bid and the amount of competition for the keyword.
Here’s how to promote Etsy listing:
- Go to Shop Manager.
- On the left-hand menu, select Marketing and Etsy Ads.
9. Advertise Outside the Etsy Platform.
While Etsy Ads are great for improving your visibility on the platform, you can supplement them by attracting customers from external sources.
This step also requires you know where your audience hangs out online, so you can better strategize your ad placement.
Social Media Advertising
If you want to learn how to advertise Etsy shop in social media, the best resource is the platform itself.
Social media platforms have built-in advertising tools to help businesses and marketers reach their audience. They offer advanced targeting options, allowing you to reach users based on their demographics, interests, and online behavior.
If you use Facebook or Instagram, you can take advantage of Meta Pixel. It’s a piece of code you can insert in your website to track a buyer’s behavior after seeing your ad on social media.
This helps you with retargeting and optimizing your strategy for more effectiveness.
Google Ads
Google Ads displays your ads on search engine result pages and over two million websites within the Google Display Network. This allows you to reach potential customers who are actively searching for awesome products or browsing websites related to your niche.
Local Advertising
Consider advertising through local channels such as newspapers, community magazines, or radio stations. Sponsor local and community initiatives to gain exposure and attract customers in your area.
10. Reach Out to Micro-Influencers and Brand Ambassadors.
Many sellers like to work with influencers who can promote their products in exchange for free items or a promotion fee.
This approach helps generate buzz around your product, especially when you’re launching a new offering or having a special event.
You may ask, “why micro-influencers and not influencers like Kylie Jenner?”
Popular influencers can be hard to reach and require an expensive payment to promote your store. The best alternative is to reach out to micro-influencers who can work for a commission or fee you can afford.
However, it still depends on your budget and goals. What’s more important is my succeeding tips:
- Find an influencer that aligns with your values and niche.
- Assess their following. You want a highly-engaged audience even if it’s small.
- Reach out with a unique proposition and the benefits they can get by promoting your Etsy shop.
- Identify your local customers and invite them to be your brand ambassadors.
- Focus on building long-term relationships with a solid foundation of trust.
Promoting your store through influencers is a great way to tap into their existing following and build your brand’s image.
It could result in more sales on Etsy, and it’s a great way to get the word out when you’re still creating awareness.
Affiliate Network
Etsy has an affiliate program that allows bloggers, influencers, and other people earn commission for recommending Etsy products. It tracks successful sales through a unique affiliate link to calculate an affiliate’s earnings.
How do you leverage this for promoting your Etsy shop?
Reach out to Etsy affiliates within your niche and encourage them to promote your products, as well.
It’s a win-win situation for both sides. You gain credibility and access to their audience, while they can recommend a quality product while getting paid at the same time.
11. Collaborate with Other Etsy Sellers.
You can view other sellers in two ways— as competition or collaborators.
When you see other shop owners as the latter, you can gain another avenue to reach more customers and mutually benefit from each other’s networks.
Here’s what to do to effectively collaborate with other shops:
- Reach out to other artists or small businesses that sell products that complement yours. If you’re a handmade jewelry designer, partner with a clothing designer. If you’re a painter, work with a sculptor.
- Cross-promote your products by sharing each other’s offerings on social media, blog posts, or email newsletters.
- Create collaborative product bundles that enhance each other’s value and attract more customers.
- Run promotions together and host joint contests. You can require willing participants to like and share all collaborating sellers to increase exposure for all of you.
When choosing a partner, ensure you have something to offer to each other. Find someone who shares your values and with an audience that aligns with your target customer.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Am I Allowed and Not Allowed To Sell on Etsy?
The most common items sellers offer on Etsy are handmade goods, vintage items, and craft supplies. You can sell any of those products.
Meanwhile, you can’t sell alcohol, tobacco, drugs, weapons, and other products that might promote or encourage danger and hatred. The platform can close your Etsy account if you sell prohibited products.
Who Can Be an Etsy Shop Owner?
Anyone from virtually any country can become an Etsy seller! Furthermore, most businesses and individuals on the marketplace offer international shipping as an option.
How Do I Measure the Return on Investment of My Strategies?
Promoting your shop should make you money, not lose it. So you want to ensure that your marketing strategies are driving more sales. To do that, you should have a way to track the money you spend on your marketing efforts and compare that with the sales that each marketing strategy generates.
If you’re running paid ads, set up conversion trackers to see whether or not your ads are generating future purchases.
How Much Does It Cost To Advertise on Etsy?
The cost per click on Etsy ads can go between $0.20 – 0.50, depending on how effective your ads are. Copywriting and the quality of your images play an essential role in this, so make sure those are compelling enough to get people to click your promoted listings.
How Do I Promote on Etsy for Free?
Utilize free marketing tactics, such as:
- Optimizing your listings
- Using the right keywords
- Enhancing your packaging
- Offering top-notch customer service
- Leveraging social media platforms
- Building an email list
How Do I Increase Sales on Etsy Without Ads?
You’ll rely on organic traffic to boost your sales. Here are some ideas on how to market your Etsy shop without ads:
- Create social media accounts.
- Build your own ecommerce store.
- Leverage email marketing for Etsy.
- Maintain a blog.
- Offer free shipping.
- Launch sales and discounts.
The Bottom Line
Hopefully, the marketing tips and strategies I outlined in this article have helped you understand how to advertise on Etsy.
Out of the 11 best ways to promote Etsy shop I provided, choose two or three you can start implementing today.
However, remember your Etsy success won’t come overnight. You must keep monitoring your progress, adjusting your strategies, and waiting patiently for results.
