In Buyers Hands – Distributing Etsy Promo Material

Jackie, from the Etsy blog called Etsy Item of the Day, featured handmade seller Rebecca D. Dillon, famous for her soaps listed at SoapDeli on Etsy.com.  In this feature on Etsy Item of the Day, Rebecca shared ten tips she has for handmade sellers.

Rebecca shared an impressive list of tips for sellers who are selling their handmade items on Etsy.com.

“Be sure to read these over and a big thanks to Rebecca for sharing all this info!” Jackie said in the Etsy feature blog post.

You can read all of Rebecca’s ten tips for selling more handmade here.  In this article, our team wanted to focus on more information about promotional items.

Rebecca’s seventh tips was to look into using promotional items to get your Etsy shop’s name out into the public.

Rebecca says a goal of handmade sellers should be to get product into the hands of buyers on the Internet.  She says one of the best ways is to create “promo” items.

Don’t worry, if you are wondering what a promo item is, you aren’t alone.

“Generally promotional items are samples of your product or a useful item that represents you shop – such as a magnet – and reminds a consumer that you are there and where to find you,” she says in her feature on Etsy Item of the Day.

If you’re lucky, these promo items will be saved or used, whereas business cards are often lost or thrown out.

Referring back to her fourth tip in her top ten tips for Etsy sellers, Rebecca reminds handmade sellers to always include your established .com on any promotional material.  That way, the potential buyer has an easy path to purchasing your items.

So how do you get these promo items into the hands of potential buyers?  Rebecca has a few suggestions:

• Distribute samples or promos when you sell at craft shows.  Simply pass out the promo materials to anyone who stops to look at your work.  “In the case of samples, sometimes “try before you buy” can make a huge difference! Include samples or promos in bags with buyer purchases,” Rebecca says.
• Rebecca suggests swapping promo items with other sellers online who sell complimentary but different items from yourself.  “These swapped items can then be included in online purchases or distributed at fairs and markets,” she suggests.  Unsure if this will work for your Etsy shop?  Rebecca insists this worked for her.  “I have had a fantastic response from good sample and promo items,” she says.
• Another idea Rebecca has is to include a coupon code for a discount or free shipping helps to entice buyers even more.  As a double benefit, using a coupon code can tell you how effective your marketing efforts are.  Play around with this one – try using different codes for different venues to see what works best for your Etsy shop!

Rebecca says she has tried sample boxes on multiple occasions from various sites, but never noticed sales from doing so.

“Everyone’s products are different and reach different audiences. I would never discount sample sites without first trying them as others have reported success,” she said.

You can connect with Rebecca by visiting her shop’s Facebook page, Twitter feed, or the seller’s website.  You can also visit SoapDeliNews to see the newest things happening at her Etsy shop.

Visit Etsy Item of the Day to see her full feature, including Jackie’s favorite item from SoapDeli.  You can submit your shop for a feature on this Etsy blog here.

Share your tips for using promotional items to attract more buyers to your Etsy shop!

Why share? Our team publishes ideas from handmade sellers, artisans, and crafters.  Don’t forget to include links to your social media sites or handmade shop site in your article.  Sellers receive free press for lending their knowledge, and both new and experienced sellers alike get new ideas.  Share with HandmadeMarketing.org here.