Simply Beaded: Getting "found" on Etsy!

Wow!
I didn't know it would be so much work promoting my Etsy shop! But I did know that I had to do something to increase traffic and sales!
I opened my shop "Elemental Nature" in 2008. I was working full time as a medical technologist and I did very little other than post items to my shop. I didn't know anything about Etsy Teams,or BNR/BNS, or Treasuries. I really didn't know much about what it takes to be seen on Etsy! I thought you just listed your stuff and people bought it! Silly me!
Well, in 2010 I stopped working due to health issues. Now I have time to spend on my jewelry and my shop. Earlier this year, I started looking for info on how to increase traffic to my shop and how to get "found" on Etsy search engines! SEO , teams,treasuries! Who knew?!

I started out reading all that I could find. First, I needed to change the name of my shop! No one knew what the name meant and it didn't tie into what my shop sold! So I changed the name to Simply Beaded Treasure.Okay, so now my shop name leads to thinking about jewelry! Great! So, now what?

Next, I joined a few teams and started posting to discussion threads! WOW! The traffic started to jump! I was getting "faved" like never before! Okay, I know, the people were "faving" me because I was "faving them, but I found out some very interesting information! The more "faves" you have the more you are "seen" by Etsy search engines! My jewelry was coming up higher in the search pages! WOO HOO! Here we go! On the road to sales!!!
Well, not yet...
I signed up with a team that said it did shop critiques! Just what I needed! What was wrong with my shop? Why wasn't I getting sales? The girl who did my critique was wonderful and I learned so much! She told me how to change my titles, descriptions and tags to be seen!
Here is how it goes:

1. You have 140 characters to use in your title, USE them!

Example: Old title -Rhyolite Heart Earrings

New listing: Natural Rustic Green Rhyolite Gemstone Heart Earrings ~GemstoneEarrings ~Gemstone Heart Earrings~Rhyolite Earrings~Chunky Rustic Earrings

This new title has "tags" that the search engines will pick up! Also, you don't want to use "artsy" titles that people won't be searching for! Ex: I was using names for my jewelry pieces like, "Woodland's Heart Earrings". Who would search for that? Add your names in the later part of he description!

Look at the Google preview as you are typing your listing. It will show you how your listing will look in a Google search.

2. The first 160 characters of your description are added to your Google search listing too, so make these characters something that will grab a buyers attention!
For the Rhyolite earrings:
Beautiful natural colors mix together in these chunky,rustic gemstone heart earrings! The main component of these great earrings is the awesome multi-colored

A short summary of your item that tells the buyer what you are selling and why they want it! Some gets cut off, but the important part is there!

3. Tags! I was using one word tags like "green", rhyolite,earrings etc. NO NO NO! These won't work!
Too general!

Tags for the Rhyolite Earrings:

Two word tags are better when possible. Add your shop name in case someone looks for your shop by name. Add team tags so team members can find your items. Tags like "gifts for women" will bring up your items on that search page. Be as specific as possible!

All of these things have made a huge difference in the traffic to my shop and my placement on search pages.

The another and one of the most important things I did was start making Treasuries! Since you can't add your own shop to a Treasury, you may wonder how this works. Well, when you make treasuries, the people you put on your treasury will often (not always) put you on their treasuries! Everyone on a treasury helps to promote the treasury, and in so doing are helping to promote you! I joined a few Treasury teams that have treasury making games. Lots and lots of promotion!
Most of the teams that I am on also have a thread for posting treasuries. More promotion!

Another form of Treasury is the BNR and BNS. (I won't go into these in this post, but look for a upcoming post for these!) Basically for a BNR (Buy and Replace) you purchase an item from one of the shops on the Treasury and you take their place in the treasury. You stay until you have a sale and someone replaces you! For a BNS (Buy and Stay) You buy into the treasury and you stay for an alotted time until the next round. Both of these are highly promoted and you are seen by many!
Promotion is the key to getting seen on Etsy! Networking with other sellers is the key to promotion!

I am now a member of 21 teams and I am active on all of them! I have the time for that, but you only need a few to get started! With a little time and effort on your par you can inprove your traffic and sales! I had been getting a sale here and there, but went months without any! I have gotten 4 sales in the past two weeks, and I know that it is due to all my efforts in promoting my shop!
Look for upcoming posts here on BNR and BNS, and I will also be doing one on Social Media. Check back fo these!

Here is a list of links to the Etsy teams that I am on. Check them out! Join a few! It really helps!

Treasury Teams

https://www.etsy.com/teams/10548/top-treasury
https://www.etsy.com/teams/14114/treasury
https://www.etsy.com/teams/21266/perpetual-bnr-bns-hub
https://www.etsy.com/teams/21084/buy-from-women

Social Media Teams

https://www.etsy.com/teams/10355/etsians-of-facebook
https://www.etsy.com/teams/8220/facebookers-on-etsy

Promotion Teams

https://www.etsy.com/teams/19190/colorful-items-promotional-team
https://www.etsy.com/teams/15483/get-noticed
https://www.etsy.com/teams/20663/giving-tree-promotions
https://www.etsy.com/teams/20686/love-and-promotion
https://www.etsy.com/teams/11916/no-sales
https://www.etsy.com/teams/19725/promotion-and-sales
https://www.etsy.com/teams/20787/see-and-be-seen
https://www.etsy.com/teams/7508/self-taught-artists-team
https://www.etsy.com/teams/10412/share-the-love-team
https://www.etsy.com/teams/20904/show-tell-your-etsy-business-team-satet
https://www.etsy.com/teams/11668/the-crazy-advertisers-team

Other teams

https://www.etsy.com/teams/10860/seller-opportunity-tools
https://www.etsy.com/teams/19755/everything-jewelry
https://www.etsy.com/teams/8572/handmade-jewelry
https://www.etsy.com/teams/21172/necklaces

Try it out and good luck!

Simply Beaded

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Getting "found" on Etsy!

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