Having an Etsy shop can be a rewarding and fun experience. But, just like any other business, getting the word out and promoting your shop is vital to its success. Here, I’m going to list 20 ways to promote your Etsy shop that are fun and effective!

Even though I don’t personally use all of these methods to promote my shop, I have read about them and know that many people do, with great success.

20 ways to promote your Etsy shop

Social Media

If you have an Etsy shop or a creative business, you are probably on at least one or two social media platforms. And that’s good — you should be!

Being active on social media is an extremely effective way to promote your business and, for a lot of people, it’s also fun. That helps when you’re doing something that really counts as work!

1. Pinterest

By far, for my business and my blog, Pinterest is the biggest traffic driver. I think that it works nicely with handmade and creative businesses, and makes it easy to showcase your things.

One of the best things about Pinterest is the fact that you can use Rich Pins. These are pins that include important information about your product right on the pin. Things like pricing, availability, and where to buy it. They will lead buyers right to your shop!

Another great thing about Pinterest is that it’s used mainly as more of a “search engine,” rather than for social media. This benefits you because people who are on Pinterest are typically searching for something, in particular, and are ready to buy.

There’s so much more to cover about Pinterest, so I’ll be writing an entire post dedicated to marketing your business on Pinterest. Keep your eyes open for that! But for now, if you’re not already on Pinterest, be sure to sign up.

If you really want to make the most of Pinterest, you can also automate your pinning with Tailwind! This can save you a ton of time and bring a ridiculous amount of traffic to your shop.

2. Instagram

If you’re selling something, then you should probably be using Instagram to reach your customers!

I like Instagram quite a bit. Instagram is all about images, and it’s a lot of fun to use when you sell handmade things. All you need is a good picture of your product and you’re set.

Instagram does make use of “hashtags,” and they’re pretty important there. You’ll want to research which ones are best for reaching your potential customers, but that part isn’t too hard. Just take a look at what others in your niche are using for them, and follow their lead.

For many shop and business owners, Instagram is the driving force behind their sales and revenue. It can be incredibly powerful! If you’re new to it, or really want to learn to use it to it’s fullest potential (and there’s tons of that!), look into Infamous To Influential. This one thing can make the difference between a shop/business with “okay” sales and a shop/business that allows you to quit your day job!

3. Facebook

Facebook is a close second for my business, as far as reaching people and growing a following.

The key to Facebook engagement is engagement. The more your fans react and respond to your posts, the more they will get shown.

I definitely think Facebook is worth it. Just know that if you decide to use it, you really want to do it right.

If you want to take your Facebook marketing to the next level, consider taking a quick, online course. This lady knows her stuff and can help you reach some serious Facebook marketing goals for your shop!

4. Twitter

I enjoy Twitter. I like it because it’s easy to use and fun to be on.

What makes it easy is the fact that it only requires very short posts (only 140 characters allowed), in regards to words, but you can still include links and photos. Super easy.

5. Snap Chat

I do not use Snap Chat (yet), but I’ve been seeing A LOT of how it’s being used for business promoting and marketing now. It’s probably worth taking a look into.

6. LinkedIn

I do think that LinkedIn would be more beneficial to marketing a service-based business, but it’s still a great place to connect to people.

For example, as a handmade business, you could end up connecting with boutique or shop owners who may want to sell your things. Or possibly with a “brand” that would want to work with you or collaborate on a project of some sort. LinkedIn has some great opportunities!

Other sites for promoting and discussing

The sites listed below vary in how they work and what they offer, but I know that they are all used among handmade businesses for promoting and marketing. I even use a few myself!

7. Craftjuice

I haven’t used this site, but it sounds fun! Read about it here.

8. Craftster

They have been around since 2003 and have over 1 million readers!! You can share a tutorial, or buy an ad spot for any of your products. With that many readers, you could really score! Check out Craftster here.

9. Craftersbuzz

Craftersbuzz is a great place to not only showcase your products, but can also advertise FOR FREE!

10. Flickr

Flickr is a photo-sharing website that is free to use and is pretty well-known. If you don’t have an account, you can register for one for free through Yahoo. Be sure to include your business information in your profile.

Once you join, you can add photos of your products and join “groups” where you can share those photos. Of course, only join like-minded groups who would want to see your photos, and be sure to follow any rules that the groups may have.

Please note that Flickr shouldn’t be used for the sole purpose of “advertising” your things, and the way your things will get exposure is by sharing your photos with groups.

11. Tumblr

Tumblr is another fun site where you can easily share, and be inspired.

12. StumbleUpon

StumbleUpon is one that I don’t happen to use, but I see TONS of handmade business owners talk about promoting their businesses on this site. Many say they get a good amount of traffic from StumbleUpon, so it’s probably worth checking out!

13. Reddit

Reddit is a unique site that’s all about discussion and community. There’s a topic for just about anything, and it’s pretty easy to use.

More easy ways to promote

14. add your shop link to your email signature

Most email settings include a way to add a custom signature at the end of your messages. Add your name, shop/business name, shop URL, and any other helpful info that will make it easy for your customers to reach you.

15. Ask an influential blogger to review your product or write about you

Find a blogger within your niche — one that your potential customers would likely follow. Then, offer to send them one of the items that you sell and ask them to write a review about it. If it’s something they think their readers would enjoy, there’s probably a good chance they’d say yes.

Some bloggers also offer to write sponsored posts, meaning you would pay them to write about your product. The price of these types of promotions can vary widely, from one blogger to the next, but can have a positive result.

16. Build an email list

I would consider this to be one of the best ways to promote your shop and a must-do for any business owner! Building an email list can be an incredibly effective way to retain customers, keep in touch with them, and build a business owner/customer relationship.

Aweber is one of the best email services to do this with because it’s super easy to use. You’ll be able to send emails to your customers and subscribers when you have sales, release new products, or just want to share something you think they’d like. An email list is definitely one of the more important tools for your business!

17. Participate in the Etsy forums

The Etsy forums are a great place to gain some visibility and connect with your Etsy community. Start a new thread with a question that you might have, or add your own comment to someone else’s question or thread. Each time you do that, your shop link is shown and you can end up receiving a nice amount of traffic. Not only that, but there’s so much great information there that you’re bound to learn new things about many aspects of your business.

18. Start your own blog and promote there

I’ve written an entire post about this topic alone, simply because it’s such a valuable asset for your business. You’ll be able to promote your shop, share with your customers, and engage in a real way. Read my full post on this topic here.

19. Join Etsy teams

When you have an Etsy shop, you have access to a huge variety of Etsy teams. Teams are started by other shop owners and can be a great way to bring people to your shop. A lot of the teams are just for promoting, which makes them even more effective.

20. Join Etsy and Handmade Business Facebook groups

Facebook groups are an awesome way to make your shop and business more visible. Find the Facebook groups that you think your customers would be a part of and join. Take the time to participate, and be sure to follow the rules.

Even if you only do a few of these things, the benefits can be incredible. Choose to be present on the sites that you enjoy the most so that you’ll actually want to be there promoting your shop.

Best,
Tammy