The Handmade Entrepreneur-How to Sell on Etsy, or Anywhere Else: Easy Steps for Building a Real Business Around Your Crafts

144 Pages·2015·3.58 MB·English

by  Marie

By Dani Marie
© C 2015 – D B LLC
OPYRIGHT AND
I
NTRODUCTION
We have all flipped through page after page on Etsy and admired all of the
beautiful crafts made from seemingly successful entrepreneurs. Indeed, Etsy
feels like the Promised Land, beckoning to everyone and making them feel as
though they, too, could achieve that same success. With this inspiration and a
heart filled with hope, hundreds of thousands have listed their products for sale
with the goal of seeing their beautiful, handmade products sold all over the
world.
Unfortunately, few people see any movement at their digital storefronts after
listing their items for sale; therefore, they frantically create social media
accounts and discuss their situation with other sellers, but still no sales roll in.
Etsy has over 1.4 million sellers. If each seller has an average of ten products for
sale at one time, that is 14 million items, and of course, Etsy does not display all
of them equally. Even though those millions of products are scattered over many
different categories, each shop still has a lot of competition, and as the “new kid
on the block,” shops must do more than just post items for sale and wait for the
orders to roll in.
Without any initial sales, many owners close their virtual shop doors and retreat
with a crushed heart, but it does not have to be this way. Anyone who is
successful online has learned how to market themselves and their products. All
you need is the same formula that they use, and you too can see your dreams
come true!
T C
ABLE OF ONTENTS
Introduction
Foreword
Who Am I?
Your Story
How I can Help
-Book Part 1-
Getting Your Product and Shop Ready
Do You Have a Good Product?
Narrow Your Focus
Take Pictures that Convert
Why Take Good Pictures?
Demonstrate Functionality
Use Props
Using Models
Get Creative
Choosing the Background
Photographing Large Objects
Packaging for Photos
Your Shop Photos as a Whole
How to Make a DIY Light Box
Use Photo Editing Tools
Setting Up Your Shop
Choose Your Shop Name
Where to Set up Shop
Create an Attractive Profile
Pricing Your Products
Write Descriptions and Titles
Choosing Your Keywords
Create the Titles
Writing the Summary
Writing a Full Description
Optimize the Page
Form a Brand Identity
Gathering Branding Materials
Open the Social Media Accounts
-Book Part 2-
Marketing and Traffic Generation
Making Sales through Social Media
Finding Your Target Market
Building up an Instagram Account
How to Get Real Twitter Followers
Marketing on Facebook
Find Those Pinterest Followers
Principles of Social Media Marketing
Automating Your Social Media Accounts
Purchasing Social Media Growth
Using Forums to Promote Your Shop
Partnering with Large Social Media Accounts
How to Sell without Selling
The Basics of SEO
Optimize Your Website
Get Links to Your Website or Page
Other Places to Generate Sales
Coupon Sites
Local Ads
Forum Ads
Listing Sites
Reputation Management and Business Growth
-Book Part 3-
Weekly Action Steps
Week 1 Action Steps
Week 2 Action Steps
Week 3 Action Steps
Week 4 Action Steps
Continuing the Momentum
Some Helpful Resources
And a Big “Thank You” Goes To..
Legal Disclaimers
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, recorded, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the
author and publisher.
The information provided within this book is for general informational purposes
only. While we try to keep the information up-to-date and correct, there are no
representations or warranties, express or implied, about the completeness,
accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the information,
products, services, or related graphics contained in this eBook for any purpose.
Any use of this information is at your own risk.
The methods describe within this book are the author’s personal thoughts. We
make no grantees of success or of particular outcomes. You may discover there
are other methods and materials to accomplish the same end result.
F
OREWORD
By Renae Christine Dani and I quickly became friends while championing the
same cause. As it turns out, we both have a soft spot for anyone trying to build
an income off his or her handmade talents. We met while collaborating on an
article about Etsy for the press, and I quickly realized that she was different from
most entrepreneurs that I had met. Dani is very knowledgeable, hard working,
and just as ecstatic over the successes of her clients as she is over her own
successes. I expect that she will never slow down, so it would be wise to latch
onto her coat tails and ride the wave of prosperity. This book is the perfect
opportunity for that.
After reading Dani’s book, I realized that the reader would benefit from it in
several unique ways. First, Dani is not just great at Etsy; she is an amazing
writer—far better than I ever was. Her unique way of communication allows you
to understand the reasoning behind all of the advice she gives. She does not tell
you to blindly follow instructions. Instead, she gives the ability to see how each
set of action steps would benefit your business. Therefore, your reading
experience will be incredibly enjoyable, and you will find it easy to apply all the
different techniques that she teaches.
Second, as you go through this book, you will learn everything you need to
know in a straightforward way. This is because she cuts out all the fluff; what
remains, are substance-filled action steps. You will get all of the information in a
Dani-won’t-waist-your-time kind of way.
Third, Dani really knows what she is talking about. I have read almost every
book related to building a business around handmade goods. It is rare to find
material that is succinct and well-written with sufficient systematic instruction as
well as proper training based on expertise rather than a lot of awful ‘hope-
guessing’.
Fourth, Dani uses countless photos. This book will not just tell you to do
something. Instead, it will show you exactly how to do everything with photos
demonstrating each point.
Lastly, numerous up-to-date apps and tools are revealed in this book, which is
quite unusual. Most authors shy away from including software or tools, because
no one knows when those tools will be obsolete. Dani, however, is more
concerned about you having the best shot at success right now, and part of that is
understanding how to take advantage of the latest technology. This is more of a
training guide than a book, and as such, you should consider yourself lucky to
have it available.
So, without further ado, take it away, Dani!
Renae Christine Author of the 'Home Business Startup Bible'
Owner and Creator of the Pinterest Academy Owner and Creator of Rich Mom
University FreeHandmadeTrainings.com Las Vegas, Nevada
P.S. I must send a shout out to my Besties! I love you!