Archive for Missie

Upcoming Holidays

/ September 20, 2012 / Comments Off

Now is the time to really get in gear for the holidays if you haven’t already.  Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are the easy ones…did you know about these others as well?  (Thanks, Etsy On Sale, for the reminder!)

(image credit)

 

Oktoberfest Sept 22 – Oct 7
Yom Kippur Sept 25-26
Columbus Day Oct 8
Eid-al-Adha Oct 25-26
Halloween Oct 31
Dia de los Muertos Nov 1-2
Veterans Day Nov 12
Thanksgiving (USA) Nov 22
BLACK FRIDAY Nov 23
CYBER MONDAY Nov 26
Hanukkah Dec 8-16
Christmas Dec 25
Boxing Day Dec 26
Kwanzaa Dec 26
New Years (Gregorian calendar) Jan 1

Keep in mind that targeted items sell better!  Etsy is worldwide and not everyone celebrates the same holidays as your family.  Learn about a new one by clicking each holiday above.  You might even learn something new about a holiday you currently celebrate!  Come back and let us know what holidays you’re planning for already and what holiday you think you’ll add into your shop items.

Category: ! Admin Post, Business /

Tutorial: Setting Up Google Alerts

/ July 27, 2012 / One comment

What are your customers saying about you? What do you do if you don’t know? I mean, you could always contact your local psychic to find out, but let’s start somewhere a little simpler: Google. Have you heard of Google Alerts? It’s an absolute MUST! Imagine getting an email almost every single time your business name is brought up online publicly (unfortunately, facebook doesn’t count). That’s what the power of Google Alerts does. I’ve been using it for years and I swear by it! How do you get all set up? Well, I’m glad you asked! It’s really simple so follow along and let me know what you think!

First, head to http://www.google.com/alerts. In the very first box, type in what you want to search for. For example, I have one set up for “sykin” so it’ll capture everything from my blog and my etsy shop. This is the word (or words) google will search for, around the clock, and notify you of when it’s found.

Next, select where to search, how often you want to be notified, how many results you want, and your email address. Then hit “create alert”.

 

Finally, this will create the alerts and send them to you via email. It’s that easy! Here’s an example of what the emails look like:

 

Pretty cool, huh? Did you find this useful? Please let me know! I’d love to feature more tutorials like this on our blog if they are helpful to you!

Category: Business /

And the winner is…..

/ July 23, 2012 / 4 comments

Congratulations to our Treasure Hunt winner:

Leah from LeahsLittleBowtique!
Look for an email from me today to collect your prize basket :)

SO NOW THAT THE TREASURE HUNT IS OVER…
What did you think?  We’d love to get some feedback regarding the event.  Did you love it?  Hate it?  Find it confusing?  Was it too much working it in together with the Christmas in July sales?  We want to try and hold events that the majority are interested in and we can’t do that unless you tell us what you like and don’t like.  So please, share!  Feel free to leave a comment on this thread, or shoot us an email at etsymomteam@gmail.com.  Your emailed information will only be shared with the Events & Promotions Committee leaders (Jenn and Erin).

Happy Monday, all!  We hope you have a great selling week.

Category: ! Admin Post, Team Challenge /

It’s Time for a Treasure Hunt!

/ July 7, 2012 / Comments Off

Are you good at “hide and seek”, Easter Egg Hunts, “I Spy”?  Try your hand at the EtsyMom Treasure Hunt!  From July 12 to July 22, everyone around the globe (EtsyMom or not) can scour through participating EtsyMom shops, looking for hidden treasures.  Each participating shop will hide an icon inside one of their listing photos.  It’s YOUR job to find that icon.  Once you’ve found it, you’ll send in the link to us and get entered in to win an EtsyMom prize basket!  Each correct link you find gets you entered in.

Did we get your attention?  GOOD!  Check out the shops below…these are just some of the participating shops!  Get to know their items and listings to give you an advantage.

intuitivejewellery
CreativeArtbyME
TamsyTrends
myfunclothes
leahslittlebowtique
lavenderave
ModernTypography
mylovebugbaby
newenglandquilter

Category: Team Challenge /

Christmas in July & team-wide Treasure Hunt!

/ June 20, 2012 / One comment

How much exposure would you like?

This year, we will be combining our Christmas in July promotions and Treasure Hunt Challenge!  Christmas in July participating shops have the option to get extra exposure by being in our Treasure Hunt Challenge.  Each participating shop will hide a tiny graphic on one of their product photos during a given time period.  Once the list of participating shops is posted, users around the world will scour through the shops looking for the icons.  When they find them, they will submit their entries and be entered in to win donated prizes.

This form will sign you up to be promoted by us as a shop with a Christmas in July sale and also give you the opportunity to sign up and/or donate an item for the treasure hunt challenge.  You do not have to do either one to be promoted for the Christmas in July event (but if you do, you’ll get more exposure).  If you choose to participate in the Treasure Hunt (by hiding a graphic or donating an item as a prize), we will contact you via email for more info.  Please make sure what you enter is correct!

Questions?  We’re a quick email away!  etsymomteam@gmail.com

!!!!!!!!!!!!  ::  SIGN UP ENDS JULY 1st  ::  !!!!!!!!!!!!

Category: ! Admin Post, Team Challenge /

Q3 Cover Art Challenge on Facebook

/ June 17, 2012 / Comments Off


(current Cover Art)
Hello, EtsyMoms! The Q3 Cover Art Challenge has begun!! Head over to our facebook page and enter your shop in to our Cover Art Challenge. Here’s how it works:

:::::::::::::: JUNE 17-23 :::::::::::::::
Post a link to a photo that best represents YOUR SHOP to the designated album on our facebook page and your shop ID (for example, mine is “sykin”). You MUST be an EtsyMom team member to win. If you’re not sure if you’re a member, go to your team listings on your etsy shop. If we’re not there, you need to go to our website and fill out the form on the Join page.

:::::::::::::: JUNE 24-30: ::::::::::::::
HOW TO VOTE: Click on the photos you think should be included on our facebook page. Hit “like”. You’ve officially voted! You can vote for more than one photo.
DEADLINE: Voting ends 11:59pm on Saturday, June 30 so don’t forget to come back and vote!
WINNERS: The 10 photos with the most “likes” will be included in our cover art to show off EtsyMom items. You must be a current EtsyMom member to win.

:::::::::::::: :::::::::::::: :::::::::::::: ::::::::::::::

QUESTIONS? etsymomteam@gmail.com

Category: ! Admin Post, Team Challenge /

Back to the Basics: Shop Profile

/ April 27, 2012 / Comments Off


photo credit
I know this might seem like a silly question, but when was the last time you looked at your shop profile? You know, that page that tells everyone who you are and why you’re selling on etsy? In a recent blog post, Etsy reminded us it’s important to keep your profile updated. Here are their suggestions on what a well written profile should include:

  1. Use first person. One special aspect of buying on Etsy is connecting with other people. Hit home that there is a person behind your shop by starting with “I.”
  2. What makes your shop special? Why should someone buy from your shop? Share your story by talking about what sets you apart.
  3. Talk about your process and what inspires you. Buyers love to hear the vision behind the products, so speak up!
  4. Add your location to your profile. This will help local buyers find you.
  5. Have fun and be welcoming! Use an upbeat and positive voice to make your profile sing.

I took a quick look through our member shops and found a few great examples. Check out these profile pages (and corresponding shops!) to see what it’s all about.

wildthingsdresses * AllYouNeedDesigns * RainbowGerbera * letterqueenof4 * megansstore

Category: ! Admin Post, Business /

How would you like to be a Front-Page Treasury?

/ April 9, 2012 / Comments Off

Who wouldn’t love to have the EtsyMom team treasury they created be featured on the front page of etsy?  I know I would!  Here’s a secret that may help you out.  Stick to one of these themes this month with your featured items – and your chances are a lot higher to have your treasury featured on the front page.  Keep the theme throughout and make sure the photos all mesh well together.  (this is also a good time to make sure your own items are well photographed so you will be featured in these treasuries)  The lists below are from this month’s Etsy’s Merchandising Desk.

Themes to Plan for:
Our central merchandising themes this month focus on spring, fashion, weddings, and Mother’s Day. This emphasizes the seasonality of the Northern Hemisphere, but it’s important to remember that it is fall in the Southern Hemisphere. Maintaining seasonally appropriate options year-round is good practice for boosting international and overall sales.

  • Easter: With Easter Sunday falling in early April, now is the time to state any expedited shipping and local delivery/pickup options clearly within your item descriptions to take advantage of last-minute sales.
  • Spring: Bright spring colors, fashion, spring cleaning, outdoor activities, seasonal holidays and spring breaks.
  • Earth Day: Falling on the 22nd this month, Earth Day celebrates the environment and all the things we can do to be kind to the earth. Think in terms of reclaiming, recycling, upcycling, eco and environmentally friendly solutions, planting, conservation and energy savers.
  • Gardening: It’s spring planting time. Consider indoor, outdoor and urban gardens, tools, aprons and gloves, plant markers and signs, containers, vertical solutions, heirloom seeds and composting.
  • Fashion: Spring looks that can transition into summer — think light layers and bright accessories. Take advantage of spring break and vacation season by offering your lines of swim, beach and resort wear now. Tagging Tip: Try adding the term “fashion” to appropriate items to reach a broader shopping audience.
  • Weddings: Wedding season is in full swing; determine how your line of goods could expand into wedding offerings and tag accordingly if appropriate.
  • Prom, Parties and Glam: Party-style dresses, vintage frocks, and the glamourous accessories to complete the perfect look. Also trending: makeup, false eyelashes, nail polish and stickers, and hair pins.
  • Mother’s Day: April signifies the start to Mother’s Day shopping. Think in terms of gift ideas incorporating personalization. Other popular gift categories include cards, vases, bath and spa sets, jewelry, fashion accessories, smartphone accessories, edible gift sets and creative takes on family portraits.
  • Intro to Graduation: College and university graduations take place in early to mid-May while high school ceremonies usually take place in early to mid-June. Think in terms of keepsake gifts, personalization, milestone achievements, and innovative ways to present cash gifts. Don’t forget about those end of the year gift ideas for teachers, too.
  • Seasonal Escapes: Offerings for seasonal destinations: spring breaks, resorts, beaches, cruises, and ski excursions, along with appropriate luggage, travel gear, fashion, and gadgets.
  • Birthdays: April’s birthstone is diamond; star signs include Aries and Taurus (March 21 – April 20: Aries, April 21 – May 20: Taurus).

April’s Trends:

  • Gardening: Planters, vertical solutions, tools, garden markers, heirloom seed varieties, compost bins, terrariums, bird and bee houses.
  • Gadget Accessories: Innovative gadget cases, docking stations, speakers, amplifiers and accessories, especially geared around the iPhone 4S, iPad and Kindle Fire.
  • References to Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Mad Men & Alice in Wonderland — all trending in pop culture. Think in terms of symbols like arrows, birds, wizardry, magic, enchanted forests, rabbits, whimsy and mid century modern fashion and decor.
  • Vintage Fashion and Decor: With the return of Mad Men‘s season 5, expect to see inspired vintage collections trending once again.
  • Weddings: Engagement rings, both handcrafted and antique. Vintage, retro and rockabilly references, photobooths and props, fan programs, Mad Libs, personalized wine labels, fingerprint guest books, DIY decorations, and creative takes on the little details from save the dates all the way to favors.
  • Nails: lacquers, polishes and stickers.
  • Infinity Styles: Rings, scarves, bracelets & necklaces.
  • Sports: Time for baseball season, hockey playoffs and golf: The Masters! Think in terms of teams, colors, and sportsmanship.
  • Organization and Storage: Spring cleaning! Fresh solutions for getting organized.
  • Personalization: Gift ideas with monograms, initials, text, numbers, zodiac, constellations, portraits, custom labels, stamps, fingerprints and family trees.
  • Cottage: Chic decor and accessories.
  • Home: Window curtains, drapes, shower curtains, bedding and hardware.
  • Fashion: Spring basics and accessories, lighter layers, leggings, and bright colors.
  • Culinary Trends: DIY culinary kits are on the rise. Classic cocktails, homebrewing, beer and wine accessories, herb infusions and kits, garden to table.
  • Designer Vintage: Authentic fashion, collectibles, bikes and auto accessories.
  • Letters, Numbers, and Symbols: Large vintage signage, letterpress blocks, monogram housewares and typewriter keys.
  • Natural History: Woodland forest themes and animals, birds, owls, squirrels, hedgehogs, chipmunks, bunnies, butterflies, feathers, nests, eggs, acorns, leaves, trees, branches, woodgrain, and natural colors.
  • Lockets, secret hiding places, skeleton keys, arrows, diamonds, paper cuts, silhouettes, fortune cookies, wishbones, constellations, fortune telling.
  • Large scale vintage and handmade paper maps, botanical and anatomy charts.
  • Upcycled lights, lamps, exposed bulbs, and chandeliers.
  • Vintage cameras, especially Polaroids with film.
  • Bike caddies, baskets, and creative accessories.
  • Embellished, painted & customizable shoes.
  • Video game-inspired references
  • Writable chalkboard surfaces
  • Designed Fabric Yardage
  • Wall and laptop decals
  • The little black dress
  • Mermaids
  • Ear cuffs

Upcoming Dates to Remember

  • April is known as: International Guitar Month and National Poetry Month (U.K.)
  • April 1: April Fools
  • April 2: Children’s Book Day
  • April 5-8: Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta
  • April 4: Ching Ming Festival (Hong Kong)
  • April 6 – 14: Passover
  • April 6: Good Friday
  • April 8: Easter Sunday
  • April 11-15: Pictoplasma Festival, Berlin.
  • April 12 – 14: Grand National (U.K.)
  • April 17: Tax Deadline
  • April 22: Earth Day
  • April 23: St George’s Day
  • April 25: Anzac Day (Australia)
  • April 27: Freedom Day (South Africa)
  • April 27: Arbor Day
  • April 30: Queen’s Day (Netherlands)
  • April 30 – May 4: 2012 Australian Fashion Week
Category: ! Admin Post /

Want to win a prize pack from the EtsyMom admins?

/ March 19, 2012 / Comments Off

Who wouldn’t want a prize pack from the EtsyMom admins! Well, your chance is escaping! Check out the latest newsletter emailed to all members on March 1st for your chance to win! It’s really easy to enter.

Can’t find the newsletter we sent out? Send an email to etsymomteam@gmail.com with your shop name and we’ll resend it!

 

Category: ! Admin Post /

EtsyMom Team Newsletter: Issue 12 – November

/ November 1, 2011 / One comment

Welcome to November, everyone! Are you feeling the holiday spirit yet? Orders should begin to speed up now as everyone starts to realize Christmas is less than 2 months away. SCARY! Speaking of scary, how was your Halloween? We hope you’re not suffering too horribly from a candy crash. This month’s newsletter is the first on our new schedule. It’s also our 1 year newsletter anniversary! How exciting is that? Pretty awesome, if you ask us. We’re still transitioning to the new site and forum and adding features.  We now have site advertising available at a very reasonable rate.  Check out the sidebar for more information.  The Blog Roll and Category Shopping Guide are also set up.  Check them out! We’re missing a lot of our great friends – so if you were a member or would like to be a member, please make sure to check out our join page (yes, even past members need to fill this form out) and don’t forget to sign up at our new forum! Alright, on with the newsletter!

SPECIAL EVENTS

We welcomed Fall with our first-ever Color Palette Challenge and it was hugely successful! 47 shops participated in this fun, creative event which generated some sales and gave the team a lot of exposure via Team Treasuries and Social Media promotion. Big thanks to all who pulled this event off, from planning and playing to promoting.

Congrats to our first, second, & third place winners:

1. Little Tadpole Designs
2. For My Sweet Daughter
3. Fashionably Me Bowtique

Details of our annual Black Friday Cyber Sale coming soon! You won’t want to miss this opportunity to boost your shop’s visibility during the busiest shopping season of the year. Keep checking the site and forum for info to come.

ETSYMOM CURATOR AWARD

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS!

It was a close call this time!

Grand Prize:
Jill of Petite Paintbrush, with 8 treasuries

1st runner up:
Allena of Star Knits with 7 treasuries

2nd runner up:
Carla of Blueberry Junkie Kids with 5 treasuries

We had 15 participants and 44 treasuries were made. I’m calling it good for our first month, but I’d love to have 50 next month.

Thanks everyone for participating!

Etsy Search Ads – Worth the Money?
By Jenn (lavenderave)

In October, Etsy rolled out a new advertising option called Search Ads. For those of you who are not familiar, here is the description of this option from Etsy News:

With Search Ads, sellers can pay to appear in a highlighted section of search results pages when shoppers perform relevant searches.Search Ads on Etsy appear based on the search terms (or keywords) that a member types in the search box. When a seller signs up to promote their items with Search Ads, our algorithm suggests keywords based on their tags and titles. Sellers then have the chance to decide on a weekly budget for their ads. It’s that simple, and you can get started for as little as five dollars a week. And best of all, once your Ads start running you can check out up-to-the-hour stats on how they are doing in a new Search Ads module of the Shop Stats page.

Last week I signed up for Search Ads so I could tell you a little bit about it. I paid $5 for one week and 5000 impressions. I chose to feature only two of my custom Christmas listings. Here are my stats for the week:

Actual $ spent: $4.92
Actual # of impressions: 5,495
Views: 117
Favorites: 9
Sales: 3 – but not of featured items

Last year at this same time I had:

Sales: 2
Favorites: 3

Many factors other than Search Ads apply here. I realize that with better photos and more exposure in the last year, my sales should be up anyway. None of my featured items sold, but the exposure to my shop may have led to sales of other items. However, during the week I was running the Search Ads, the number of views and favorites increased noticeably.

Overall, I think Search Ads are worth a try. It isn’t very expensive and you can choose how much you spend for how long. It was at least as effective, maybe more, than buying a spot on the showcase. Especially since you don’t have to sit waiting at the computer for a showcase slot to open up.

ETSY TIPS
By Jenny (loulou tutu)

Improving your Listing Descriptions:

Often I find myself spending more time trying to write the “perfect” listing to accompany my latest and greatest product, but ultimately end up with the same 4 lines just rephrased over and over again. Well, your listing descriptions are often what separate you from the 10 other similar listings in your own shop and in others. Spending a little time sorting out the essentials from the overkill will most definitely get buyers on your side!

1. Keep it Simple, Short and Sweet- The last thing that a potential customer wants to do is weed through an overly detailed novella to find out what your listing is for.
2. Make the first sentence count! – These are the first few words that will appear under the Google search for your product. Make it catchy, but not cheesy!
3. Use description to fill out details not provided by the photographs (i.e. texture, scent, size, materials)
4. Break up large blocks of text with bullets or paragraph breaks
5. Use keywords through out to help optimize your SEO
6. Proofread! Proofread! Proofread!

Below is a list of great resources on improving your listing descriptions. Check them out for new ideas!
Seller How-To: Making the Most of Your Descriptions
Seller How-To: 5 Tips for Item Descriptions
How to Write Product Descriptions That Seal the Deal
5-Step Formula for Writing Handmade Product Descriptions that Sell

FEATURED SELLER

Our featured Etsy seller for November is Sue, a very talented jewelry designer and owner of AllureByU. Be sure to check out her shop on Etsy to see many of her beautiful, colorful jewelry creations, both for men and women.

Tell us about yourself
My name is Sue and I am from Singapore, a little beautiful island in South East Asia. I have a belief. Life is short. Live to your fullest. If you have a dream, live it and make it happen. I hope my belief will also extend to my jewelry creations.

What do you create/offer in your Etsy shop?
I create nature-inspired modern, vintage style and bridal jewelry and accessories. You can find necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings and hair accessories in my shop. Men are not forgotten. They can also find cufflinks, tie bars and tie tacks in my shop.

How did you get started in your line of business?
Everyone starts off differently! I got started in the designing business by accident. I got inspired by all the other crafters and artists while shopping and browsing throughout the internet. When I saw their creations on their websites and in their shops, I thought to myself how beautiful their creations are and how nice if I could create some of these myself. That train of thought ended with the determination to make my own beautiful creations!

I stumbled upon Etsy by accident to begin with, but it ended up being the best accident because AllureByU was born!

Describe your creative process
Let your creativity juices flow. I love having new exciting ideas and trying them. I do not like sticking to the same old concepts. Thus, I use all kinds of themes and all kinds of different materials in my creations.

Where do you find your inspiration?
All the things around me inspire me. I love nature and life. I love to get inspirations from all of them. Sometimes, something seemingly boring, when combine with another material, will create a beautiful piece.

What is your favorite item in your shop at the moment?
I love every single piece of my creations because they are created with lots of love, effort and time. However, I am extremely proud to share this piece because it’s a first try at a more complex project and one that I spent many hours at:

How do you promote your work?
I used to promote in Twitter and Facebook. However, I found them very time consuming and I had not gotten the kind of results I was looking for. Thus, I have spent lesser time on social media now. I have instead used time to create more pieces and I will let my creations speak more for themselves.

What is one of your most important lessons you’ve learned since starting your business?
Success does not come easy. It comes with a lot of sacrifices.

What advice would you give someone just starting out?
Be prepared to put in lots of hard work and determination. It takes time before success knocks at your door. Never give up.

What are your other sites (facebook, twitter, blog, etc.)?
Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001640498085
Twitter: www.twitter.com/#!/allurebyu

Welcome to all of our brand new and returning members! We hope you’ve enjoyed this issue of the newsletter. Bookmark our site and sign up to receive email notifications when we post to get all the latest breaking news – the link is on the sidebar. Leave us comments letting us know how we’re doing, what you’d like to see more of, and any general things you’d like us to know. Thanks and happy holidays!!

Missie, Heather and the whole newsletter committee

Category: Newsletter /
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