How Do You Brand Your Etsy Shop?
The first thing we need to note is that branding on Etsy is an uphill battle. Etsy’s main goal is to have people remember Etsy and depend on Etsy to find you. The day people are able to find you without Etsy will be the day you no longer need them. They know this, so they make branding difficult.
But Is it Impossible to brand on Etsy?
No, not at all. You are given opportunities to build your presence all through your shop and listings. Etsy has even allowed more freedom over the years (to fight against website building software) to include more about your story in your shop.
Is it important or even worth it to brand on Etsy?
When developing your Etsy shop I cant stress enough how important it is to have a brand. Think of it this way. Lets say that you sold shoelaces. And lets pretend that all the shoelaces on Etsy were put into one store. What would be the reason that someone bought your shoelace over a different listing?
I can answer this.
Price would be the number one
The style would be the number two (The color of the shoelace).
So what if your blue shoelace was $2 more than the cheapest one?
You would lose.
99% of Etsy shops would go under just trying to keep their prices low enough to get a sale!
The good news though, we dont live in that world.
We live in a world where you can brand.
So now lets look at this example.
If I told you I got you a gift from the .99 cent store.. Would you be excited?
Probably not. Cause you know that whatever I got you was not expensive, cheaply made, and will most likely break after an hour.
But how can you know that without ever seeing what I got you?
Because of their brand. That is what comes into your head.
You can do this with your shop! Let’s break down how.
You must be consistent!
We all know that one crazy person in our life who we just can't put a finger on. The person that one day is happy to be alive and then the next day is yelling at their cat for no reason. Normal human behavior is removing yourself emotionally from these people because humans don't like to be in uncertain environments. If your brand is living that “snip snap”
Lifestyle then shoppers are going to have a hard time trusting you when making a buying decision.
Create your core values into your brand
This is an important one. If you are a fun person, PLEASE make your brand fun. If you are organized and clean, then have your brand match. The worst thing you can do is be not have your brand be apart of you. If you fall victim to just trying to do what you “think” will work, I promise you the relationship between you and your brand will slowly fade away.
“If you fall victim to just trying to do what you “think” will work, I promise you the relationship between you and your brand will slowly fade away. “
Find Your Why.
Sometimes when we are trying to be successful, we want to just look around and copy what we see other successful businesses doing. This can be a very costly mistake. Instead of looking around, look inward. Look at your why. If you are looking to do something you hate to make money, you won't last long. The long nights, the crabby customers, the slow times will push you out. If you are in your line of business hopefully it's because you love it, and you are good at it. So take a moment to find your “why.” Why are you opening your shop? Why are you willing to put up with the low times. What makes you passionate about what you do?
You then want to take those motivating “whys” and place them with your brand.
If you started your business to help give moms a cuter option for kids clothes, then make that your life mission. The money will follow if you stay true and succeed in that doing that.
What Makes You Different.
While you're looking inward, look inward at your product. Why would someone buy yours and not someone else's? What do you LOVE about your product that would make you want to buy yours instead of someone else's?
Once you know what this is, this becomes your tagline.
In the podcast episode, (you can listen to that above) I talk about sallys yarn. Sally claims that her yarn is softer than anyone else. So she becomes,
Sally Yarn - The Softest Yarn in the Farm!
What this does is bring value to your product that people remember.
(its no wonder “worlds best coffee” is so popular)
Not only are you creating a brand, becoming memorable, and showing who you are, but you are going to stand out from those who are all trying to be like one another.
If you want to get a ton more free stuff, head over to Grow My Etsy Shop Facebook Group for even more!
If you're ready to take your shop to the next level, click HERE to join my Growth Report waitlist.
This Grow Report includes a call with me and a detailed Growth Plan for your shop, totally customized and tailored to your specific needs. I do the research so you can Grow!
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