Any Etsy sellers want to chat / share tips?

[SinkGirl]

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve restarted my Etsy shop (well it has been up and running for five years, but I was pregnant when I started it then I had twins who are both disabled so I haven’t touched it in four years - I’ve just been selling digital downloads, so it’s just been ticking over with very very few sales (about 40 last year).

I’ve added lots of new items including a kit and have been trying to get back into the swing of social media as my pages had died a death. It’s hard going but feel like I’m getting somewhere (have turned over as much in the last month as I did all of last year).

I have a mammoth to-do list including taking all new photos, and restarting my shop selling finished items to run alongside my templates and kits.

I’ve been out of it for so long that I feel like I’m starting from scratch.

Would be lovely to talk to others about how they are doing, share tips on getting the best results, making listings as effective as possible, share info on things like where to order packaging and stuff like that.

Anyway, I’m here if anyone wants to chat :)

I've got a new item a super handy little accessory bag, I thought it would have a good reception but barely any interest so far. I might start some ads

It sucks when you think something will fly and it just doesn’t.

I’m waiting on my prints still and put them up as pre-order and have only sold one set today - worried now that I’ll have loads of stock. Etsy tells me 19 people have a set in their basket 😬

Oooh that's a lot. Do you have the basket abandonment email set up, do you ever get any pick up from that?

I don’t for this account - I do it for my other one where it’s mainly downloads, maybe I need to do it here too. I already have free U.K. delivery, so would have to be a percentage off.

Have set up a code now but not sure if it will be sent to those who already have stuff in their basket. I’ve now just noticed someone has my most expensive map in their basket - if they get an email that would be a hefty discount!

My shop is soooo dead this week 🙄

Mine has gone really quiet too - last week was so busy and now it’s very quiet.

Maybe it will pick up around pay day.

Still 20+ people with sets of my prints in their baskets 😬 Have sold a couple of sets this week but still... super annoyed I went out of stock so quick, I reckon I could have sold a lot more if I’d had more in the first place.

I've sold three cards so far in May. I sold 10 in April.

DS (21) has just said that no one his age would by my cards, only people my age (55) and over. I'd be really grateful for honest opinions on whether I should give up!

Www.rachelcampbellcards.Etsy.com

TIA 🙂

I’m so sorry he said that - but hey, what’s wrong with that? There are plenty of older people who want cards so even if it is true then I don’t think it matters? You just need to find your audience. How do you feel about it? Everyone has their own style, you just have to find the people who appreciate it! If you want to shake things up a bit then you could start a Pinterest inspiration board and look at the things other people do, find things you’d like to try etc - took me ages to find my own style of things that I was happy with. I had my Etsy shops for years just barely ticking over while I focussed on my twins and what I sell now is so different to what I sold then!

I’ve had a good month but mainly due to one product (half of my income this month has been from one product, and 30% from another product) so it can just take hitting on the right thing.

Have just started this thread - go and add your links and pics :)

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/4252666-Special-gift-ideas-or-treating-yourself-Etsy-Not-On-The-High-Street-etc?watched=1

Following for all the shops because I love Etsy!

DS and DD have both suggested an Instagram account. I'd need them to help me get it started but it seems like a good idea.

@Riddo

I've sold three cards so far in May. I sold 10 in April.

DS (21) has just said that no one his age would by my cards, only people my age (55) and over. I'd be really grateful for honest opinions on whether I should give up!

Www.rachelcampbellcards.Etsy.com

TIA 🙂

They are lovely! Have you got anything for fathers day I can pretend to have made with my toddler but it actually looks amazing?! 🤣

@doadeer

I have the personalised sports card for Father's Day or I could make a custom card. I could leave the face blank so your toddler can draw Daddy's face 🙂

Thanks for the other thread, @SinkGirl !

Feeling really fed up today - I just cannot do social media! One of my pages still has a lot of followers from before I had my twins but because it was silent for so long my posts don’t get shown to anyone. I’m rubbish at Facebook ads too!

Frustrating as I’ve seen that my stuff can do really well when I get it in front of the right people but really struggling to actually do that at the moment.

I had a really really good few weeks (for me anyway!) and now things have gone quite quiet again. I’ve had some lovely reviews and repeat customers in the last couple of weeks which makes me happy, and I’m probably just being impatient - just feeling a bit pants. I can’t even remember how I built up a following before.

Feel exactly the same!
What's your instagram link?

Who are you targeting on ads, I know a bit about these

My instagrams are
www.Instagram.com/CutScenesUK
www.Instagram.com/CreativismUK

For Facebook ads I’ve tried so many things for targeting but nothing has really worked. I don’t mind advertising at all (never used to do it but trying to grow more quickly now) but just feel like I’m wasting money every time I try.

I shared my Line of Duty prints on the Not On Amazon group (which has now shut) and sold lots of sets just from that but because I was stupid and didn’t order enough stock first time, I ran out - have restocked but now only selling a few (still absolutely loads in people’s baskets). Got a couple of sales from posting on Reddit weirdly! I tried targeting an ad to Line of Duty fans in the U.K.... nothing. I have now idea how to target the kind of people who like amusing small prints 😬 I upped my Etsy ads budget a bit but there are so many Line of Duty items on Etsy that it’s not very easy to get seen for that search term.

For my maps I’ve tried targeting people who have an anniversary coming up, international travellers, I’ve tried all manner of random stuff 😂

Has anyone managed to figure out selling abroad? I am so unbelievably confused.

Got quite a helpful link from Folksy but the trade tariff bit is blowing my mind - I literally cannot figure out what code(s?) I would need to use for my paper cutting kit since they include printed papers, cutting mat, craft knife, blades etc... it’s absolutely mind boggling and just makes me think screw it, I just won’t sell abroad. At least prints is easier!

I'm very annoyed - I had a message yesterday which was worded in a slightly odd way about ordering 13 cards. It came with an attachment containing details of the order which my computer anti virus software blocked. The message has now been deleted by Etsy security so it was clearly a scam.

I'm so disappointed, I thought I'd actually made a decent sale 🙁

That's annoying, @Riddo
I've had two sales in the last 2-3 months, I know I need to up products and promote more, but I'm losing motivation.

@SinkGirl I've gone a little quiet on my Instagram, and it definitely shows. Have you tried an engagement group? I use to be part of one, where you all like, comment save each other's posts to boost posts and stop the algorithms hiding you away.

It worked really well for me, but it wasn't specifically a business related group and was quite time consuming commenting on all the other posts etc.

I recently did a 'loop giveaway' with some small businesses, and that gained me around 250 followers (one business had 15k so i assume that was the reason!) but not really an increase in engagement.
I'm still driving 85% of my Etsy views from there, and still failing at linking my shop 🤦🏻‍♀️

My shop is soooo dead. I can't constantly offer sales and it doesn't even seem to make much of a difference. I have had some really really nice reviews this month but less sales than I'd like 😢

Gone really dead here too. Have had a good months thanks solely to the traffic from that one Facebook group earlier this month, but since that died down a couple of weeks ago it’s very quiet. I’ve had a few people come back for custom orders but it looks likely this month will be a bit of an anomaly.

Currently considering whether to run a special offer on my other shop to sell the rest of my prints stock and maybe even one of my much more expensive items, but then I worry that once people notice you’ve run a sale, they won’t buy from you until another happens.

I guess people are spending their money on going out!

So how was May for everyone?

It was my best month yet by a long long way but only because of the first couple of weeks and that one social media post that took off. Can’t replicate it so I expect the graph is going to look a lot more depressing at the end of this month.

But I had 50 orders in total, which is far better than usual so I know it can happen. Just frustrated I can’t find a way of getting my stuff in front of the right people.

Even ran 10% off on my shops this weekend (since there’s about £800 worth of stuff sitting in peoples Etsy baskets still) and nothing at all. So that’s that idea done!

The successful post I had was via the Not On Amazon fb group which is huge - anyone post on any similar groups? Would like to do a big fathers days push.

May was pretty rubbish for me. I sold 9 cards, after Etsy fees I made £5.23 but I still have to knock P&P and materials off that! I'm not relying on the money as DH works but it's demoralising to make a loss 🙁