When you decide to sell on Etsy, the primary objective is clear – making sales. But what often becomes a challenge is navigating the various strategies to achieve these sales.
Like many, I was initially bombarded with suggestions, most of them echoing the sentiment of promoting my Etsy listings everywhere. I watched videos that told me to leverage Facebook, email marketing, and other channels.
Sending an email to your loyal followers is one thing (but only if you've built a list of interested past customers). Sharing your listings on a personal Facebook profile? Not the most effective move either. Posting your designs on Instagram or tiktok? Is going to be a grind to get any traction (especially in the beginning) TRUST ME.
Your early sales are VITAL to ranking your listings. But the question is, how do you then get those initial sales?
Enter Etsy Ads...the best way to launch new listings and rank them (for future organic sales).
Some people suggest diving into social media ads first, but I learned the hard way that's not always the most effective approach. Think about it. A random Facebook user who spots your ad might not be as inclined to purchase as someone already browsing Etsy. Their intent is completely different. While the Facebook or tiktok user might be casually scrolling, the Etsy searcher might be keenly looking for a specific product (one that is extremely related to the one you're selling - if not, completely identical).
So, what will Etsy Ads do for you? Three pivotal things: traffic, good conversion rates, and sales.
And if you're unsure about your listing titles, descriptions, or tags...the data from Etsy ads would guide you by revealing which keywords attracted visitors and conversions. And you could then take that information and put it into your listing, to help rank better organically for all those high traffic keywords.
There was a piece of advice I constantly heard when starting Etsy myself: "Wait to get sales before running Etsy ads." But in my experience, this was the complete opposite of what ACTUALLY worked for me (for most listings).
By hesitating, I’d be purely relying on organic traffic which, for a new seller like me (at the time), would be a slow and unpredictable route. By starting with even just a small daily budget (less than the cost of your daily Starbucks, perhaps), Etsy ads can help you gather insights, fine-tune listings, and most importantly, make those crucial first sales (which are the key to ranking your listings organically - and getting more free sales into the future).
Think about it like this: if you were launching a physical store in a low foot traffic traffic area, wouldn’t you invest in grand opening promotions? Or let customers know you what it is you're selling and how to find you to buy it?
The same principle applies to your Etsy store. The early days of your business demand attention, promotion, and some investment to generate traction. Relying solely on organic methods in the hope of saving money is like starting a race with a significant handicap.
Can you get some sales? Yes, of course. But you'll struggle to make any real profit consistently...and you'll definitely struggle to rank any listings high enough in search results to get those lucrative organic sales that roll in monthly.
The bottom line? Investing in your business upfront, even before you see a profit, is a strategy that worked wonders for me. And I've learned that above all else on etsy, SALES are the biggest determining factor to how high you rank).
You SEO matters. You still need to have a great title, great tags, and a great description with all the right keywords. BUT Etsy is a business at the end of the day....and in a vacuum (with all else being equal), they're going to reward listings that are converting and selling way better than those that aren't as much....because they make them money.
When you're starting out, remember that it's not just about immediate profits but laying a robust foundation for your business. And in the world of Etsy, this foundation is built faster and stronger with the right ads.
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