Etsy Selling Tips: Week 1

So last Saturday, I wrote a post called Five Things I'd Wished I'd Known About Starting an Etsy Shop. There was great response and so many good questions coming in through email! It was flattering, really!

I've decided to continue to share my Etsy selling knowledge weekly. I'm constantly learning and evolving my shop. So here's my tips for the week.

1.) Watermark your photos! You work hard on your items, and you want to get credit where credit is due right? Nothing stings worse for an Etsy seller than seeing their handmade creation posted blindly on Pinterest on a DIY or craft board with a comment saying, "I am so gonna make this." With absolutely no reference back to your shop. I am still in the works of getting all of my photos watermarked, but it's on my to-do list!

Here's an example of how I've watermarked mine.

If anyone is interested in a tutorial of how to watermark your photos in Picasa, let me know, and I'll get one posted!

2.) DO NOT make it a practice to give away your products for free! I made the mistake in the start of participating in SEVERAL giveaways. If you are opening your shop to make a profit, this is not the way to do it. While I'd like to think participating in the giveaways helped my Etsy shop, they really didn't. I did not see an increase in sales, and the new "likes" to my Facebook page, quickly dwindled after the giveaways were over.

If you are thinking of "giving away" a $10 item. Perhaps consider buying two $5 ad spots on some great blogs. Or give away that $10 item to a blogger who will review it for you and really promote your shop for you. I feel these are ways to get more bang for your buck.

On that note, make sure it is a blog you know and trust. How often does that blogger post? How many followers do they have? Are their followers likely to be interested in what you are selling? You sell baby items, great, look for a fantastic Mommy blog! You get the idea.

3.) I'm not certain how I feel about the BNS / BNR treasuries on Etsy. (Buy and Stay or Buy and Replace). Basically, you buy an item to be put on the list next, and someone buys your item to get their item up for sale on the treasury, and so forth. So you're spending money to make some money. Seems kind of silly to me. I'd love to hear from someone this works for though, and who might have some insights into it.


Well, I could keep going on and on, but then, what would I talk about next week?

Feel free to leave comments with anything you've learned from Etsy selling that you think might be helpful to others.

Got Etsy selling questions? Let me know! I will do my best to get your question answered. And, if your question gets answered in a future Etsy Selling Tips post, you will be entered to win a fantastic prize.