Best Etsy Marketing Strategy to Promote Your Shop

Successful Etsy shop owners will tell you it’s not enough to craft or curate unique, awesome products and post them to your Etsy storefront. With more than 2.5 million active merchants on the global e-commerce platform selling everything from craft supplies to vintage items and handmade items, Etsy business owners need to put in extra effort to stand out on the online marketplace.

It’s not enough to just produce fantastic products and post them on your Etsy storefront to generate sales and become a successful Etsy shop owner. The e-commerce market is only getting more crowded and competitive and with over 4.4 million active sellers on Etsy selling everything from vintage cups to handmade products, you need to go the extra mile to stand out and grow. 

To help you get sales on Etsy, we have compiled a list of widely applicable Etsy marketing strategies.

So, let’s get you started.

Table of Contents

How to Have a Successful Etsy Shop

The primary goal of Etsy is to connect customers with the products they are looking for. Thus, its algorithm works by using two phases: query matching and ranking. 

How does Etsy Work?

When a customer enters a query, Etsy shows them the items that match that specific query. This is Query matching.

So, in this case, what matters are the titles, tags, listing descriptions, categories, and attributes you’ve added to find matching keywords. 

Make sure you use all 13 tags by adding all the relevant attribute options. Trying lots of different tags and categorizing your products will help you to increase the chances of your listings matching a query.

Etsy ranks the matching listings based on a wide range of different factors – this is Ranking. 

The factors that Etsy pays attention to when “deciding” either to show your listing or not are the following: 

  • Relevancy – if the tags, titles, listing descriptions, categories, and attributes match a shopper’s query.
  • Listing quality score – how well a listing converts.
  • Recency – a new listing gets a small, temporary boost in search results.
  • Customer and market experience score – great reviews, complete shop policies, and an About section positively impact your search ranking.
  • Shipping price – listings that ship for free to the United States and shops that offer a US free shipping guarantee get priority. 
  • Translations and language – translations you add yourself tend to be higher quality and sound more natural so they often outperform machine translations.
  • Shoppers’ habits – Etsy learns what buyers are interested in to show them the items they’re most likely to purchase. 
How does Etsy Work?

Leverage the Power of SEO

When it comes to creating and running a successful Etsy business, it’s crucial to know SEO. 

SEO Checklist: How to Improve Your Results on Etsy

Etsy SEO is the process of enhancing the visibility of your Etsy shop and its listings in the Google search engine, as well as within Etsy’s own search. 

Relying on a traffic source like SEO that’s free is the perfect way to start, especially if you don’t have much funds.

Now when you know how Etsy algorithms work, it’s important for you to have a basic understanding of SEO best practices. 

Determine and Use Your Main Keywords

Keywords are a significant part of Etsy SEO. 

The keywords you add to your listings are a crucial tool for matching your listings to customers’ searches. 

To find the best keywords for your Etsy store, put yourself in your customers’ shoes. And ask yourself questions like this one: “What terms would I use to search for a specific product?”. In this way, you’ll be able to easily determine the right words and phrases to use in your listings.

Use keyword research tools to find keywords for your Etsy shop. You can utilize popular tools like Ahrefs, SEMRush, and Ubbersuggest. But there are also Etsy-specific search tools, such as Marmalead, which helps Etsy sellers find and analyze keywords specifically for their shops.

Another way to find keywords for your Etsy shop is to check out your Etsy reports. Etsy’s native reporting tool provides its users with helpful insights into how buyers find your listings. 

Optimize the key components of your listing

Choose a shop title that describes your products

Your Etsy shop title is a short description of your business. It will help your customers understand what you produce and sell.

Take advantage of the possibility to name your shop appropriately. Think of a title that demonstrates the sort of products you sell. 

For example, Etsy shop SilverDollarCandleCo sells candles.

For example, Etsy shop SilverDollarCandleCo sells candles.

Etsy tags

Etsy tags have two functions: help customers locate similar or related items and help Etsy in its query matching process.

Etsy allows you to add up to 13 tags for each listing, make sure to use them all. Vary your tags so they cover a wide range of search terms. Etsy tags can be up to 20 characters long and can contain multiple words.

Attributes

Attributes have two functions as well: they make customers’ lives easier by allowing them to filter search results and they enable Etsy to match queries more effectively. 

You can optimize this part of your listing by adding as many relevant attributes as possible when you’re submitting your listing. 

Categories

Categories and sub-categories work as Etsy tags, and the site uses them when matching listings to search queries. 

Make sure you are being as specific as possible when optimizing your categories. Go for the sub-categories first when classifying your items, because Etsy automatically adds your products to the broader categories that the sub-category is nested in. 

For example, if you’re selling a table decor for weddings, then use the sub-category “Table Decor.” When you do this, that product will automatically be listed under “Wedding Decorations” and “Wedding & Party” so buyers will still discover your products when they search those categories. 

Promote your Etsy shop to get inbound links

The most obvious way to improve your Etsy SEO in terms of links is by linking your shop to your own website or blog. But at the same time, make sure you use other channels as well. Here are a few suggestions:

  • Share your products on social media sites like Pinterest where everyone can easily re-share.
  • Get your listings featured on other websites 
  • Contact other Etsy shop owners to do a cross-promotion.

Keep your customer and market experience score high

Collect lots of reviews

Etsy favors products with positive reviews by giving them a better placement in its search.

Collect lots of reviews

About section

Craft a compelling About section to let your buyers get to know your store better.

Store policies

Being transparent with how you operate, gives customers confidence in their buying decisions. Plus, it helps you manage customer expectations.

Promote Your Etsy Shop on Social Media

Social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest can supplement your brand image and can advertise your items to followers in a casual way. Whereas, having accounts on for example Facebook and Twitter will enable you to connect with different types of customers, learn from other shop owners in the niche, promote your brand, and build authority.

Social media is an extremely effective marketing tool and by entering the global community of retailers, you are not only generating new leads but you are provided with the chance to gain insights into your industry.

You can use the free graphics maker tools to add text or GIFs.

Here are some best practices:

  • Post with regularity;
  • Respond to comments;
  • Share any customer posts about your products;
  • Use hashtags (or even create your own) that your audience would use if looking for products like yours;
  • Offer occasional giveaways and ask entrants to tag a friend.

Check out: How To Make a Post Shareable on Social Media: A Step-by-Step Guide

Leverage Email Marketing

Building an email list for your Etsy store’s email marketing is like a basic building block.

You need email addresses to send newsletters, new product updates, offers, and whatnot. You can get their email address from your order.

You should be aware that it’s against Etsy rules to add your buyers’ emails to your mailing list. What you can do instead is to ask them for signup. You can provide your customers with a signup link for your mailing list and entice them with benefits for signing up. 

Email campaigns can be a significant driving force that gets your leads and increase sales for your Etsy store. 

Effective newsletters go beyond promoting your listings. They feature useful content that makes your clients want to open your emails every time they come.

When considering what types of emails to send, try these:

  • Welcome email
  • How-to guides
  • Holiday-related gift guides
  • Easy DIY tips
  • Check whether they like their purchase. Ask them for a review
  • Coupon code for next purchases 

Consider creating a regular email newsletter schedule that doesn’t overwhelm your consumers.

Leverage Paid Advertising To Increase Sales

All of the Etsy marketing strategies above are free, but it’s also worth considering putting some funds toward Etsy’s paid advertising opportunities. 

Etsy’s Promoted Listings boost your product visibility by ensuring your product is at the top of relevant Etsy search results. The model is pay-per-click, and your product will surface in search results with the word “ad” included. 

For most Etsy shops, running ads on Etsy will be enough exposure to bring noticeable results. It’s a great place to start if you’re new to e-commerce. The option to create an Etsy ad campaign is in the Marketing section of the Shops Manager.

Summing Up

Make sure you have the two most important things to successfully grow your Etsy shop. The first is a stream of communication with your clients. The second is a memorable brand that customers trust and that is visible on multiple platforms. 

Use the Etsy marketing strategies that come naturally to you. Start small, experiment, and grow as your business does.

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