You all are doing an amazing job with the treasuries! thanks to you all. I'll try to get one done tomorrow. In the meantime, if you are using the "Circles" option on Etsy, don't forget to "favorite" each treasury because that shares the treasury with the people in your circle, just like any item you "favorite." I've posted the treasury links on my FB fan page, http://facebook.com/hurricane.pottery If any of you are on FB, post your links, too please. There's also another group on FB you might be interested in. Although it's not strictly cone 6, it's very helpful. It's Clay and Glaze recipe sharing - https://www.facebook.com/groups/glazeshare/
There are 33 in this group, but only a few have tagged their work EC6 on Etsy so they can be found and promoted.
Any way to get the word out to those in the group who may not have visited here recently? I'd love to add & make a few more treasuries. The first one has had 200 visitors at least count. Great exposure.
Hunting people down by name, without a tag, is a bear...I tried!
A new Treasury! All Creatures Great and Small. Don't forget to tag some of your pieces with EC6 so we can find you to include you in future Treasuries.
Cute treasury, Sharon. :) Just a tip: to increase the chances of a treasury being picked up for the front page of Etsy, it should be an eclectic mix of items based on a theme. We are pushing ceramics, so maybe half or less ceramics and half made up of vintage, handmade, soaps, 2D art, fiber art, etc. All based on a theme like Sharon's, or a color, a holiday, a season, etc.
BTW trending tags for upcoming treasury picks include the following (according to Etsy blogs): New Year, purple, home decor, grape, winter white, romantic, 2012, tangerine, party, mint, flower. Think about building some treasuries around those themes with a few good ceramics choices included.
I have been help greatly by the recent postings in this group, thanks. Also, I have been reading How to Sell Your Crafts Online - Guide to Etsy and beyond, by Derrick Sutton. Got a copy from my library. Wealth of info and you can digest it at your leisure. Well laid out and easy to understand, highly recommend it. -carl
Thanks for the Treasury tips, Teresa, and the book info, Carl. This group has been such a help to me, especially during this busy Christmas season. My first real attempt at selling on Etsy during the holiday buying season and I am much encouraged to continue!
I also have used PayPal for many years without problem.
There have been many pfishing incidents where bad people have sent out emails allegedly from PayPal, but that can happen (and has) with many credit cards and banks. The simple solution is never to follow a link in an email allegedly from a bank or credit card or money service, but instead go to the site directly.
My tip for PayPal: transfer your money out of it as soon as you get it, using the free transfer to your bank. PayPal is not a bank.
There is nothing I know of as easy to use for international transactions, since they can handle the currency issues. They are less costly for credit card transactions than a merchant account if you do not process credit cards every month. You can offer your customers a secure way to use their credit cards.
I treat my PayPal account like my other sensitive banking and money information. I protect my login information, like an online bank account, and I balance my bank and PayPal accounts regularly. There is no 100% safe way to manage money, but there are a lot of ways to reduce risk.
I think putting a credit card number out on many merchant sites would open your information to more risk than keeping it behind the paypal fire wall where it does not get exposed to others. Hacking is always a threat and has been experienced by many merchants and banks. Walking down the street with a wallet also exposes you to financial and other risks.
I use etsy as a reference sight mostly. I get some sales from it but it's pretty slow. It's a huge pool of unwashed crafties. many of the potters are selling pretty low end stuff - hard for the untrained eye - but on further inspection you can see pitting, crazing, uneven, patchy drippy pots. It's a lot of noise to break through. You need LOTS of inventory to get any traction. It's not great but it doesn't hurt.
Could we get some numbers from the group. Approx monthly revenue. Breakdown of values that move or don't. Types of things that move or don't, etc. As I said previously, I am yet to make my first sale on etsy. (Yes, I know I only have 4 items in my shop! More on the way)
I decided to stock my shop to 90 pieces, minimum, starting at the end of this past June. I also began to post notices of new incoming work and "out the door" items regularly to: flickr, FaceBook business page, and twitter. Up to that time, I'd made about $230 via Etsy in the year and a half, prior.
In the 5 months since stocking, I've made nearly $400. During 12 weeks of those 5 months, I took on some full time contract work and did not promote. I only added a few new items, & posted when there were in/out changes.
That's not "a ton of money," but it is a significant percentage increase over past performance. I'm encouraged to continue.
I think my best decision has been to target a particular market: custom clothing makers. Nobody wants to put commercial buttons on handmade work. "Solving the buyer's problem" is a good approach. How does your work solve a problem?
At this point, I've also attracted collectors. Collecting books is about the author's story. A lot of my work has a story, a history. Collectors are acquiring the story, as much as the object itself. What's your story? Why you made it is more interesting than how, for most people. As in writing, answer the "So what?" question.
I put up a blog post on my page here about saving time by doing online promotion using syndication. It might be helpful.
Learned from my daughter's vintage shop, set up one year ago (now closed because she is going to grad school):
You must have 90-plus items in your shop. Then add more.
Yu must list at least one item every day, so you are always in front of the customer base.
If you can't list a new item, renew an old one. Preferably at peak hours on the East or West coast.
You must ship internationally.
You will take a hit on shipping. Calculate it into your overall prices.
You should buy a feature spot at least once a month or two. Holiday weekends and weekends in general go fast. They will tell you when the next slot of feature spots opens up...sometimes it is in the wee hours for your region. You have to reserve your spot as soon as the slot opens for prime times.
Tags, tags, tags. Hit the key words for search. Underneath your shop title, where you get to describe your shop, hit the key words for Google search engines to pick up within the first sentence.
Sell only smaller items that are easy to ship. The rest is just a headache.
Research, research, research. Stalk other merchants. Compare items. Compare prices. DO NOT undersell your premium work to match up with the price of mediocre work. The buyers are out there. If it looks like you don't value your work, they won't value it either. If you feel you need to reduce the price, give them free shipping. But let your work maintain it's value. Also be aware that your art fair patrons will be checking your Etsy site. If the same item is listed there at a lower price to accommodate Etsy, they will be annoyed.
Photos! It's all about the photo. Your photo has to grab the customer and make them want to click to see more. Study how some of the successful merchants stage their photos. Watch your lighting. Edit them with photoshop and lighten them up again so they display well on screen. The Etsy blogs are FULL of tips and advice for taking better photos. Just search.
How much can you make: Go to the Etsy Craftcount page to track statistics of other merchants in your medium (link, I think: http://www.craftcount.com/category.php?cat=3&subcat=24 ). Study what the most successful merchants are selling and what their prices are on their listing page, go to their "sold" page and count how many sales in a specific amount of time and see what they are making. Take note of whether they are charging shipping in addition or including it in the sale price. For my daughter's vintage shop, her average was around $500 per month gross. Take out of that inventory price, shipping, time spent researching, etc. But it paid her rent without much time spent in doing it. Some of the most successful ceramics sellers in statistics actually sell pretty flea-markety stuff. So you might search for sellers who post more professional work to get a realistic idea.
Etsy works as a small part-time job on the side. As a supplement to your other marketing. As a simple store-front option on your professional web site. It does take a considerable amount of time to learn the in and outs, take the photos, do the research, do the marketing.
I do admit, after searching Etsy crafts last night to create a treasury, I came away almost ashamed to put my work back up there. :P But...know that there ARE professional artists and craftspeople on there, with outstanding work. Really, really outstanding. You just have to help the customers sift through all the flotsam and jetsam to find you.
I only decided to really stock my Etsy shop and actively promote it about mid-November of this year, right before Thanksgiving. My goal was to post at least 100 items, but I don't think I ever got over 40-something at any one time. I did as suggested here and only added 3-4 items a day or renewed a couple old items when I didn't have new ones.
I've been pleasantly surprised to have sold 34 items and made over $600 in the last 2.5 weeks. This is after Etsy and PayPal fees and shipping, so not clear profit, but it certainly encourages me to make more pieces and keep trying. I stocked items at various price points, from $7 to $48. I still am not sure how I'll sell larger, heavier bowls, platters and such, but for now this is working well.
Now I realize sales likely will drop off after this week, but I'll look at that as time to get more pieces made and do some glaze testing and concentrate on stocking my shop. Also want to work harder on branding and marketing myself, not just my pottery. I believe folks buy because they like what you represent, not necessarily just because they like your pottery.
Learning so much about Etsy from those who are sharing here. Thank you so much.
Teresa and Sharon, I love the intense colors in your treasuries. They are both eyepoppers. I wanted to chime in with Sharon about sales. My sales in the last 3 weeks have topped $700, after shipping and fees. It has been amazing! And my shop hasn't even been well stocked, only about 75 items. I have a garagio full of large bowls and crocks waiting to be glazed, but delayed due to issues with one of our base glazes. :( I finally resorted to supplementing with some commercial glazes until we figure out what changed in the chemicals we have. (Just found a thread that reference changes in custer feldspar which may well be the answer we have been searching for.)
There are lots of birthdays in January, Chinese New Years hits at the end of the month, and Valentines coming up in February... anyone up for red themed Treasuries? I've put all my red work on the first page of my Etsy...
I haven't used Etsy yet but have been considering it for quite a while. I joined this group hoping for some feedback on it. Any pros and cons that you are willing to share?
Great Treasury, Victoria! Kathy, I'm relatively new to Etsy, but will be happy to share what I've learned. Hard to do while at work, but I'll post something when I am home. The group here has been most helpful and kind. you will learn a lot from them.
thanks for including me in your treasury, Victoria. I pinned a couple of your pieces on Pinterest, one on my hearts and Valentines board, and one to my Pottery for daily living board. Amazing pieces. I favorited many of the pieces you selected. thanks so much for putting it together for us.
Kathy, one of the main things you need to remember about Etsy is that you can't just put stuff in your shop and sit back. It doesn't sell itself in this highly competitive venue, and Etsy doesn't sell your work for you either. You have to list frequently (or renew/relist) and you need to promote yourself and others through a variety of methods. Joining teams, like EC6 and the Etsy Mud Team, can be very helpful. Another place I find a good group of sharing potters is on Facebook. Most potters will accept friend requests which exposes you to work form potters around the world. Naturally they aren't going to be buying your work, but they are sources of support and inspiration. There are also groups on FB which are supportive: the clay and glaze sharing group, pottery heads, clay office, to name a few.
Thank you both Sharons! I have friended a lot of potters on fb and find it leads to more and some very interesting, cool work. I'm trying to link social media together to cut down on the amount of time I spend on the computer as that cuts down on the time I get to spend in clay. I think it's essential to have a web presence though and the first question I get these days is do I have a website? I've talked to people who suggest an Etsy page to direct people to rather than to sell directly from.
I regularly post our Treasuries to Twitter (usually more than once/different time slots & days), my FB business & personal pages, and to Google+, sometimes Tumbler, too. And, of course, I favorite them, click around to see what else the Treasury artists are up to and send favs off to friends & the sites I already listed.
Kathy, ditto what Sharon H and Victoria said. You certainly must be ever active on Etsy, but it pays off with sales. Post pieces in various price points. Although I sell mostly smaller pieces, such as mugs and smaller lidded jars, I've often had customers buying large casseroles or bowls throw in a smaller piece with their order.
I do have a blog just because I enjoy posting to it, but I've not added a shopping cart to it, nor even a gallery of my work, but I do have an Etsy app that scrolls my Etsy listings and takes people directly to my Etsy shop.
I get lots of response from Facebook. Not many customers from MY friends, but lots from friends of my friends. My new favorite venue is Pinterest. Along with posting pieces made by other artists, I throw in some of my own pieces, taken directly from my Etsy shop so when someone clicks on it, it takes them to my shop.
Etsy does take up a LOT of time with taking photos, cleaning them up, listing, renewing, participating in forums and teams, responding to customers and potential customers, and packing/shipping, but you eventually get into a sort of rhythm. Besides, it's always exciting to check your email and see those Etsy Transactions!
Can anybody tell me how I can figure a shipping price for an item when I don't know the destination? All the shipping calculators I've found want to know a destination.
Within the contiguous states, pick the furthers from you, quote for that and refund if it's less. For all others, ask buyers to convo you for a quote. OR... see sellers with items similar to yours and use their tiers or method.
Victoria Cochran
I created a treasury this morning. Here's the link, if you'd like to start posting it around! http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NjcyNTB8MTQzOTM3MjgxOA/hows-your-elect...
Dec 7, 2011
Ceci
Already saw it Victoria....I've clicked commented and reposted to the Etsy Mud Team and another team of mine. Thanks so much!!!
Dec 7, 2011
Sharon Ivy
Dec 7, 2011
Liz Gamelin
Made a treasury with EC6 shops. Has everyone tagged at least one piece with EC6 so we can find each other to "Like" and add to Circles?
Dec 7, 2011
Sharon Ivy
Dec 7, 2011
Sharon Hutson
You all are doing an amazing job with the treasuries! thanks to you all. I'll try to get one done tomorrow. In the meantime, if you are using the "Circles" option on Etsy, don't forget to "favorite" each treasury because that shares the treasury with the people in your circle, just like any item you "favorite." I've posted the treasury links on my FB fan page, http://facebook.com/hurricane.pottery If any of you are on FB, post your links, too please. There's also another group on FB you might be interested in. Although it's not strictly cone 6, it's very helpful. It's Clay and Glaze recipe sharing - https://www.facebook.com/groups/glazeshare/
Dec 7, 2011
Victoria Cochran
Don't forget to add EC6 tag to your treasuries, too. Makes them easy to find and post, again, later ;)
Dec 7, 2011
Sharon Ivy
Another Treasury featuring STRIPES -
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NjE2OTc4NXwxNDQ2MDAzMjU4/stripes-of-a-...
Dec 7, 2011
Victoria Cochran
There are 33 in this group, but only a few have tagged their work EC6 on Etsy so they can be found and promoted.
Any way to get the word out to those in the group who may not have visited here recently? I'd love to add & make a few more treasuries. The first one has had 200 visitors at least count. Great exposure.
Hunting people down by name, without a tag, is a bear...I tried!
Dec 10, 2011
George Lewter
Victoria. Up near the top of this group above the members list is a link "Send message to group". That should reach everyone.
Dec 10, 2011
Teresa Wooden
Here is an Etsy blog article on tags and "relevant search" descriptions on your items to generate more views:
http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2011/putting-your-shop-on-top-etsy%E2%8...
Dec 10, 2011
Sharon Ivy
Thanks for the article link, Teresa!
Dec 10, 2011
Sharon Ivy
A new Treasury! All Creatures Great and Small. Don't forget to tag some of your pieces with EC6 so we can find you to include you in future Treasuries.
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NjE2OTc4NXwxNDg2NjYxNjIw/all-creatures...
Dec 11, 2011
Teresa Wooden
Cute treasury, Sharon. :) Just a tip: to increase the chances of a treasury being picked up for the front page of Etsy, it should be an eclectic mix of items based on a theme. We are pushing ceramics, so maybe half or less ceramics and half made up of vintage, handmade, soaps, 2D art, fiber art, etc. All based on a theme like Sharon's, or a color, a holiday, a season, etc.
BTW trending tags for upcoming treasury picks include the following (according to Etsy blogs): New Year, purple, home decor, grape, winter white, romantic, 2012, tangerine, party, mint, flower. Think about building some treasuries around those themes with a few good ceramics choices included.
Dec 11, 2011
Carl Ray Crutchfield
I have been help greatly by the recent postings in this group, thanks. Also, I have been reading How to Sell Your Crafts Online - Guide to Etsy and beyond, by Derrick Sutton. Got a copy from my library. Wealth of info and you can digest it at your leisure. Well laid out and easy to understand, highly recommend it. -carl
Dec 11, 2011
Sharon Ivy
Thanks for the Treasury tips, Teresa, and the book info, Carl. This group has been such a help to me, especially during this busy Christmas season. My first real attempt at selling on Etsy during the holiday buying season and I am much encouraged to continue!
Dec 11, 2011
Victoria Cochran
I've been using PayPal for at least 10 years...never any problems.
Dec 12, 2011
Nancy Krug
I also have used PayPal for many years without problem.
There have been many pfishing incidents where bad people have sent out emails allegedly from PayPal, but that can happen (and has) with many credit cards and banks. The simple solution is never to follow a link in an email allegedly from a bank or credit card or money service, but instead go to the site directly.
My tip for PayPal: transfer your money out of it as soon as you get it, using the free transfer to your bank. PayPal is not a bank.
There is nothing I know of as easy to use for international transactions, since they can handle the currency issues. They are less costly for credit card transactions than a merchant account if you do not process credit cards every month. You can offer your customers a secure way to use their credit cards.
I treat my PayPal account like my other sensitive banking and money information. I protect my login information, like an online bank account, and I balance my bank and PayPal accounts regularly. There is no 100% safe way to manage money, but there are a lot of ways to reduce risk.
Dec 12, 2011
George Lewter
I think putting a credit card number out on many merchant sites would open your information to more risk than keeping it behind the paypal fire wall where it does not get exposed to others. Hacking is always a threat and has been experienced by many merchants and banks. Walking down the street with a wallet also exposes you to financial and other risks.
Dec 12, 2011
Patricia Bridges
I use etsy as a reference sight mostly. I get some sales from it but it's pretty slow. It's a huge pool of unwashed crafties. many of the potters are selling pretty low end stuff - hard for the untrained eye - but on further inspection you can see pitting, crazing, uneven, patchy drippy pots. It's a lot of noise to break through. You need LOTS of inventory to get any traction. It's not great but it doesn't hurt.
Dec 12, 2011
George Lewter
Could we get some numbers from the group. Approx monthly revenue. Breakdown of values that move or don't. Types of things that move or don't, etc. As I said previously, I am yet to make my first sale on etsy. (Yes, I know I only have 4 items in my shop! More on the way)
Dec 12, 2011
Victoria Cochran
I decided to stock my shop to 90 pieces, minimum, starting at the end of this past June. I also began to post notices of new incoming work and "out the door" items regularly to: flickr, FaceBook business page, and twitter. Up to that time, I'd made about $230 via Etsy in the year and a half, prior.
In the 5 months since stocking, I've made nearly $400. During 12 weeks of those 5 months, I took on some full time contract work and did not promote. I only added a few new items, & posted when there were in/out changes.
That's not "a ton of money," but it is a significant percentage increase over past performance. I'm encouraged to continue.
I think my best decision has been to target a particular market: custom clothing makers. Nobody wants to put commercial buttons on handmade work. "Solving the buyer's problem" is a good approach. How does your work solve a problem?
At this point, I've also attracted collectors. Collecting books is about the author's story. A lot of my work has a story, a history. Collectors are acquiring the story, as much as the object itself. What's your story? Why you made it is more interesting than how, for most people. As in writing, answer the "So what?" question.
I put up a blog post on my page here about saving time by doing online promotion using syndication. It might be helpful.
http://cone6pots.ning.com/profiles/blogs/marketing-via-social-media...
Dec 12, 2011
Teresa Wooden
Learned from my daughter's vintage shop, set up one year ago (now closed because she is going to grad school):
You must have 90-plus items in your shop. Then add more.
Yu must list at least one item every day, so you are always in front of the customer base.
If you can't list a new item, renew an old one. Preferably at peak hours on the East or West coast.
You must ship internationally.
You will take a hit on shipping. Calculate it into your overall prices.
You should buy a feature spot at least once a month or two. Holiday weekends and weekends in general go fast. They will tell you when the next slot of feature spots opens up...sometimes it is in the wee hours for your region. You have to reserve your spot as soon as the slot opens for prime times.
Tags, tags, tags. Hit the key words for search. Underneath your shop title, where you get to describe your shop, hit the key words for Google search engines to pick up within the first sentence.
Sell only smaller items that are easy to ship. The rest is just a headache.
Research, research, research. Stalk other merchants. Compare items. Compare prices. DO NOT undersell your premium work to match up with the price of mediocre work. The buyers are out there. If it looks like you don't value your work, they won't value it either. If you feel you need to reduce the price, give them free shipping. But let your work maintain it's value. Also be aware that your art fair patrons will be checking your Etsy site. If the same item is listed there at a lower price to accommodate Etsy, they will be annoyed.
Photos! It's all about the photo. Your photo has to grab the customer and make them want to click to see more. Study how some of the successful merchants stage their photos. Watch your lighting. Edit them with photoshop and lighten them up again so they display well on screen. The Etsy blogs are FULL of tips and advice for taking better photos. Just search.
How much can you make: Go to the Etsy Craftcount page to track statistics of other merchants in your medium (link, I think: http://www.craftcount.com/category.php?cat=3&subcat=24 ). Study what the most successful merchants are selling and what their prices are on their listing page, go to their "sold" page and count how many sales in a specific amount of time and see what they are making. Take note of whether they are charging shipping in addition or including it in the sale price. For my daughter's vintage shop, her average was around $500 per month gross. Take out of that inventory price, shipping, time spent researching, etc. But it paid her rent without much time spent in doing it. Some of the most successful ceramics sellers in statistics actually sell pretty flea-markety stuff. So you might search for sellers who post more professional work to get a realistic idea.
Etsy works as a small part-time job on the side. As a supplement to your other marketing. As a simple store-front option on your professional web site. It does take a considerable amount of time to learn the in and outs, take the photos, do the research, do the marketing.
I do admit, after searching Etsy crafts last night to create a treasury, I came away almost ashamed to put my work back up there. :P But...know that there ARE professional artists and craftspeople on there, with outstanding work. Really, really outstanding. You just have to help the customers sift through all the flotsam and jetsam to find you.
Dec 12, 2011
Sharon Ivy
I've been pleasantly surprised to have sold 34 items and made over $600 in the last 2.5 weeks. This is after Etsy and PayPal fees and shipping, so not clear profit, but it certainly encourages me to make more pieces and keep trying. I stocked items at various price points, from $7 to $48. I still am not sure how I'll sell larger, heavier bowls, platters and such, but for now this is working well.
Now I realize sales likely will drop off after this week, but I'll look at that as time to get more pieces made and do some glaze testing and concentrate on stocking my shop. Also want to work harder on branding and marketing myself, not just my pottery. I believe folks buy because they like what you represent, not necessarily just because they like your pottery.
Learning so much about Etsy from those who are sharing here. Thank you so much.
Dec 12, 2011
Teresa Wooden
Made two treasuries (man, you can spend a lot of time surfing Etsy to do this stuff! :P ) :
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTUwODIzMXwxNTAyMjk3NDkx/keen-on-tange...
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTUwODIzMXwxNDg4NzM2Mjk5/home-is-where...
Dec 13, 2011
Sharon Ivy
My latest Treasury: The Grape Escape
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NjE2OTc4NXwxNTEzNDU4NDUz/the-grape-esc...
Dec 14, 2011
Sharon Hutson
Teresa and Sharon, I love the intense colors in your treasuries. They are both eyepoppers. I wanted to chime in with Sharon about sales. My sales in the last 3 weeks have topped $700, after shipping and fees. It has been amazing! And my shop hasn't even been well stocked, only about 75 items. I have a garagio full of large bowls and crocks waiting to be glazed, but delayed due to issues with one of our base glazes. :( I finally resorted to supplementing with some commercial glazes until we figure out what changed in the chemicals we have. (Just found a thread that reference changes in custer feldspar which may well be the answer we have been searching for.)
Dec 14, 2011
Victoria Cochran
Getting Mugged by New Years? (New Treasury!)
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NjcyNTB8MTU3Mjc2MTgzMw/getting-mugged-...
Dec 20, 2011
Victoria Cochran
There are lots of birthdays in January, Chinese New Years hits at the end of the month, and Valentines coming up in February... anyone up for red themed Treasuries? I've put all my red work on the first page of my Etsy...
Jan 11, 2012
Sharon Ivy
Jan 11, 2012
Sharon Ivy
Check out my latest Treasury "Red-y for Valentine's Day"!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NjE2OTc4NXwxNzgwMjczNzU2/red-y-for-val...
Jan 11, 2012
Victoria Cochran
We've Got Electric Hearts - Treasury
Feb 8, 2012
Liz Gamelin
Victoria, Thanks for the treasury!
Feb 9, 2012
Kathy Ransom
I haven't used Etsy yet but have been considering it for quite a while. I joined this group hoping for some feedback on it. Any pros and cons that you are willing to share?
Feb 9, 2012
Sharon Ivy
Feb 9, 2012
Sharon Hutson
thanks for including me in your treasury, Victoria. I pinned a couple of your pieces on Pinterest, one on my hearts and Valentines board, and one to my Pottery for daily living board. Amazing pieces. I favorited many of the pieces you selected. thanks so much for putting it together for us.
Feb 9, 2012
Sharon Hutson
Kathy, one of the main things you need to remember about Etsy is that you can't just put stuff in your shop and sit back. It doesn't sell itself in this highly competitive venue, and Etsy doesn't sell your work for you either. You have to list frequently (or renew/relist) and you need to promote yourself and others through a variety of methods. Joining teams, like EC6 and the Etsy Mud Team, can be very helpful. Another place I find a good group of sharing potters is on Facebook. Most potters will accept friend requests which exposes you to work form potters around the world. Naturally they aren't going to be buying your work, but they are sources of support and inspiration. There are also groups on FB which are supportive: the clay and glaze sharing group, pottery heads, clay office, to name a few.
Feb 9, 2012
Kathy Ransom
Thank you both Sharons! I have friended a lot of potters on fb and find it leads to more and some very interesting, cool work. I'm trying to link social media together to cut down on the amount of time I spend on the computer as that cuts down on the time I get to spend in clay. I think it's essential to have a web presence though and the first question I get these days is do I have a website? I've talked to people who suggest an Etsy page to direct people to rather than to sell directly from.
Feb 9, 2012
Victoria Cochran
Thank you, Sharon H!
I regularly post our Treasuries to Twitter (usually more than once/different time slots & days), my FB business & personal pages, and to Google+, sometimes Tumbler, too. And, of course, I favorite them, click around to see what else the Treasury artists are up to and send favs off to friends & the sites I already listed.
Feb 9, 2012
Sharon Ivy
Kathy, ditto what Sharon H and Victoria said. You certainly must be ever active on Etsy, but it pays off with sales. Post pieces in various price points. Although I sell mostly smaller pieces, such as mugs and smaller lidded jars, I've often had customers buying large casseroles or bowls throw in a smaller piece with their order.
I do have a blog just because I enjoy posting to it, but I've not added a shopping cart to it, nor even a gallery of my work, but I do have an Etsy app that scrolls my Etsy listings and takes people directly to my Etsy shop.
I get lots of response from Facebook. Not many customers from MY friends, but lots from friends of my friends. My new favorite venue is Pinterest. Along with posting pieces made by other artists, I throw in some of my own pieces, taken directly from my Etsy shop so when someone clicks on it, it takes them to my shop.
Etsy does take up a LOT of time with taking photos, cleaning them up, listing, renewing, participating in forums and teams, responding to customers and potential customers, and packing/shipping, but you eventually get into a sort of rhythm. Besides, it's always exciting to check your email and see those Etsy Transactions!
Feb 10, 2012
Sharon Ivy
A new Treasury for spring!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NjE2OTc4NXwyNDI5MjY2NjIz/spring-has-sp...
Mar 12, 2012
Pat Cooper
Can anybody tell me how I can figure a shipping price for an item when I don't know the destination? All the shipping calculators I've found want to know a destination.
Apr 30, 2012
Victoria Cochran
Within the contiguous states, pick the furthers from you, quote for that and refund if it's less. For all others, ask buyers to convo you for a quote. OR... see sellers with items similar to yours and use their tiers or method.
Apr 30, 2012
Benjamin Coffman
Got the shop up and running for summer! http://www.etsy.com/shop/Gabrielsgrove?ref=si_shop
May 1, 2012
Donna Ferrara
your shop looks terrific!
May 1, 2012
Liz Gamelin
Hi Ben, just ♥your shop. I really like the detail on this bowl
http://www.etsy.com/listing/98173935/handmade-ceramic-serving-bowl-...
May 1, 2012
Benjamin Coffman
Thank you!
May 1, 2012
Patricia
FOOD FOR THOUGHT -
Here's a little insight into how people get to MY etsy site. First- I spend a lot of time and effort to drive traffic.
Just thought I would share this with you all. Opening a store is just a small bit of getting people to your site to buy on Etsy.
May 25, 2012
Patricia Bridges
Running 1 weeks sale on my Etsy shop- need to make some room for new work.... Will report back how it all went. www.bridgespottery.etsy.com
Jul 13, 2012
George Lewter
Sold my first pot on etsy on Monday. Woo Hoo!
Dec 4, 2013