Marketing on a Budget

Last week, I asked my Facebook peeps for business topic questions they wanted me to discuss here on my blog. One of the questions that stood out the most was how to market on a budget,  on and off of Etsy.

It’s that time of year when we have extra expenses with the holidays, but also want to get our products seen by holiday shoppers. There are a lot of things you can do to help promote your business, while spending NO money. I am by no means an expert but I put together some tips that I always take into consideration when it comes to promoting my own business.

1.) Send a blogger a product sample – Instead of buying ad space, sometimes bloggers will accept products to feature or wear in a blog post. This can get your product front and center in the blog content, which sometimes can even bring better promotion than an ad on a side bar. I suggest contacting the blogger directly to see if this is something they are interested in. You want to make sure your product is a good fit for their audience.

2.) Take advantage of ad sales – I do this all the time. I seldom buy ad space but if I see a blogger advertising a special as sale they are having, I’m likely to snag a spot. What can I say? I’m a sucker for a sale I guess! It’s a great way to test the water’s at a discounted rate.

3.) Utilize social media – Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are all free advertising right at your finger tips. That said, the effectiveness of advertising on these sites depends on how you use them. I have used social media to socialize and connect with fans, friends and colleagues. Building these relationships creates a supportive network for you and therefore, your business. You should be spending most of your time on social media engaging with your audience. Limit the tweets that share product links and promotions.

4.) Propose swapping ads – If you are a blogger, find a blogger with a similar sized following to swap ads with. Some bloggers mention being open to swapping ads on their ad page. However, if they don’t, don’t be afraid to reach out and ask anyways.

(Within Etsy)

5.) Join teams – This goes back to the idea of building your network. Joining teams on Etsy, whether it’s a team for the city you live in, the product you sell, or a communal love of cheese, can help you build relationships with people you have something in common with. Not only can this get you sells from people within the teams, but it could bring on advertising help from your team members. Several treasury teams create treasuries featuring items specifically from team members. And of course, the more treasuries you’re in, the greater your chances of being featured in the front page treasury.

6.) Stay up-to-date on tags – Keep track of what’s trending, what holiday is coming up, and what Etsy is promoting. Then update your tags accordingly. For certain holidays (Black Friday, Cyber Monday) Etsy will have specific tags they suggest to buyers so be sure to add those to your sale items. If there is a trend that one of your items falls under, update your tags accordingly.

7.) Etsy On Sale – If you’re having a sale in your shop, Etsy On Sale is a tool that marks down all your listings in one easy step. Not only that, but it shares your sale on their website to reach a different audience that is on the lookout for a good deal.

That’s all I’ve got tonight folks. It’s 9pm and time to close the laptop. Hope you found a tip or two in here that you have not pursued yet. If you have any business topics you’d like to discuss, leave a question in the comments! xo JA