How are you doing on Etsy?

[Jennie Lamb]

I agree with Di, I have had to work hard networking and FBing but it has paid of and now have steady sales and lots of commissions you have to just keep plugging away every day.....

I've realised that likes really amount to nothing!!  I worked it out for myself this morning.  I went through my feed and 'faved' those that made me look twice - but I have no intention of buying them!

I am doing very well on Etsy and getting lots of orders off the back of it - BUT I have spent an enormous amount of time promoting it.  I joined loads of teams, twittered like a flock of bloody skylarks, and facebooked until my friends got pee'd off with me.  And I am still doing those things.  The time spent doing all of this has resulted in success and sales BUT (sorry with my big butt!) fora like this one have had to go on the back burner - this is why I haven't been around.

Now, this gives me a dilemma - how can you ignore your forum friends and then come and promote to them?  it doesn't compute does it.  I guess what I'm saying is, if you want Etsy success you have to work hard for it and some, more pleasurable, things have to fall by the wayside.  It's a very fine balance.  And I'm still wobbling!

[Passionatelamper]

Hmm well I have been on to my items for sale and gone through them all adding tags...I was never quite sure what tags meant.
  But have done that I also think I will go public on my Facebook....instead of just friends. I must try and get into Twitter as I don't to be honest understand it. I am on there though. I will take more care with my photos having I think sussed out my camera. And go all out now to try and sell. I would rather be making beads than jewellery I think. That way it would finance my passion. I admire you all to be honest. We women...we are great aren't we?  No one else to tell me so I tell myself I can do this. If I didn't have this place to come to I don't know what I would do. You are all so bloody marvellous and I thank you for that. 

[Pandanimal]

I have had 1 sale on etsy this summer. I didnt list much during the holidays but am listing and tweeting and relisting and facebooking and pinteresting and heaven knows what else and get loads of hearts and views but no sales. Maybe my photos are bad or my beads are not interesting enough. I don't know. I like my beads and people pop them in treasuries often, Thank you, so I think others like them. No idea what the problem is. Glad to see I'm not the only one. well sad that others are having problems too obviously. Lets hope it picks up with Christmas coming.

[Princess Peggy]

I think it's a lot to do with prices.  We are looking increasingly expensive when pounds are converted to dollars...have a look at some of the US shops.  I'm selling things for £10 and under just now.

[jobead]

I had a flurry of activity in the Summer very similar to last year and now dead again, I need to fill up my shop more but there just aren't enough hours in the day !! I agree the exchange rate doesn't help but I think people are just being super careful with their money.

[Blue Box Studio]

I've amazingly had a couple of sales on Etsy this week.  It's flatlined all summer.  One was from Australia and another in the UK.  I'm sure all the talk of financial doom and gloom isn't helping, I'm not even spending on me which is a first.  I joined Twitter 2 days before these sales so wonder if it is the extra exposure or just coincidence?    I'm so busy making this week I've not got around to listing, but know that is the (one of) key to everything.  Compared to last year Etsy is about 4 figures down  - I was doing very well last year.