As an Etsy store owner, you need to take a good hard look at your product and decide how it should be talked about.
This will help define who you are, stand you out past competition, and convince others to buy your product.
If you talk about your product like this:
What hope do you have to sell your product at a decent cost?
Here is something we have to think about. When you buy something from the internet, and you go to show your friend or spouse what you have bought, do you say?
“ look at this cool product. It was made to order - personalized, foil options available.”
Or do you say,
Look at this cool product. Here are its functions and HERE IS WHY I BOUGHT IT.
Use Your Copy to Convince.
I recently purchased something called the “chirp wheel”. It's a product that helps relieve back pain. I got it because I was starting to develop bad back pain over the last year and based on the reviews, it seemed like something that could work.
Wait, did you see what I just did there?
I just broke down the buying process! Listen again.
I was in pain. My back was not getting better and I needed a solution. I was presented with an ad that related to me. That spoke directly to someone with back pain. It showed me how the product worked and I was able to see that I needed this product.
This style of marketing comes right out of the 3 P’s of marketing.
The First p of Marketing - PAIN
If you sell a product that is directly a solution to a problem, you are light years ahead of most e-com stores. I’m sure most of you reading this right now didn't go to the doctor today. However, if you fell out of a tree and broke your foot, you probably (hopefully) would go to a doctor.
What made the difference?
Pain.
Now the chirp wheel and falling out of a tree are both physical pain, but pain doesn't have to be physical. Let’s say that you have a child who is not doing well at school. And while scrolling through Facebook you see an ad for this online software that kids who are struggling can use for just 15 minutes a day to increase their grades. Most parents would be all over that so that they don't have to wear the weight of their child struggling in school.
How about a Disneyland fast pass? It’s a pass that if you pull a ticket ahead of time you can get on rides quicker. For anyone who has been to Disneyland, you would know that lines can be out of control, so something like this is SUPER helpful.
Neither of these examples are physical pain, but are things that people are willing to pay to get solved.
When you look at your own Etsy shop, is there a problem that your item can solve? If so, that is what you want to advertise! That your product is not just a "whatever", but that it solves this problem in their life.
The description I shared above was for a leather camera strap.
Here is a good way to write for pain (even if you sell a camera strap).
Why do all camera straps have this Itchy cheap feel to them? Nothing is worse than spending a day carry around a heavy camera and developing a new red irritation on the back of your neck.
Wound’t you agree that your 2k camera deserves something better? (im sure the back of your neck fully agrees!)
{share about the product and why its amazing.}
I don't own an expensive camera so I wouldn't know 100% if that a real pain, but I imagine it is. Any photographer reading that posting is going to (hopefully) relate with it and be drawn to your product simply because it will solve an issue that they have.
This is how you can win someone over at the description level of your listing!
The 2nd P of Marketing- Problem awareness
This is similar to pain, but is geared to those who don’t know that they have a pain yet.
I love this style of marketing because you set the stage for your customer.
Here is an example of how a problem awareness listing would look
(again with the camera strap)
“ Expensive cameras don’t mean expensive neck straps. This means that your camera is just one “opps” away from turning into a million pieces and one expenisive mistake
Heres the thing.
Straps that come with your camera are 2x more likely to break within the first year. Which means when your stomach is in knots as you dangle over the ledge of the beach to catch that perfect shot of the sunset, you are completely justified!
But, you don't actually have to have anxiety every time you are out with your camera.
There are actually straps made to NEVER break. And you are currently looking at one!
Our straps have been tested in every scerno.
Jumping
Hiking
Climbing
Running
AND we have even done the opps test. (when your camera suddenly falls out of your hand and the strap saves the day.)
100% on it all.
We then took it one step further and tested it with water, extreme heat, and even some razors.
It passed with flying colors.
Not only will this strap give your camera a serious fashionable upgrade, but it will be the lifejacket to your camera for the rest of its days!
Its time to put your 100% of your focus on photography and 0% on the worry of your camera.
{Explain the details of the item here)
Do you see the difference with this? Instead of speaking to the person who is looking for a non itchy strap, we “awoke” the reader that their current strap is putting their camera at risk, and that the only way they can truly be safe is to invest in our camera strap.
When you provide “problem awareness” to your customers, you become a trusted source to them. You also help populate the vocabulary they will use when they justify the purchase in their minds.
“Sure this camera strap is cute, and it is a little more expensive than the other camera straps, but I don't want my camera to fall and this makes it so I won't ever have to worry”
Perrrrrfect.
The 3rd P of Marketing - Promotion.
This is the final P to our 3 p’s of marketing. This is one of the most common ones, and in my opinion sorta poor mans version of marketing. However, it does work!
Promotion is just like what it sounds like. Have a promotion around your product.
Here is an example with the camera strap.
Our leather camera strap is built to last 5x times longer than any other camera strap. It also wont make your neck feel like a cluster of red ants is biting you like those stock camera straps.
We currently are offering $10 off for the next week on any of our camera straps PLUS will add any personalize messaging on the strap for only $3 dollars (normally $8)
Don’t want on this, this is something we just have going for the week! Get your personalized leather camera strap for a steal now!
{ item details}
There you go! We offer a promotion, build some urgency while making it short term and you just gave your readers a reason to buy.
But here is the major question. Why are they buying?
Because of the discount.
I believe and coach that sales are a great way to make an extra buck. But all you are doing is getting people who would have eventually bought from you to buy earlier, and pushing fence-sitters over the edge. Promotional marketing is great when looking to quickly stand out in a crowd, but is not great for long term growth. Learn how to market with pain and problem awareness to set your brand up for more of long-term growth plan.
Find Your P.
This doesn't just happen. Finding your P comes from market research, creative thinking, and trial and error. However, once you have your P, it will give you purpose, help overcome price worries, and make marketing your product 10 times easier!
Want a more in-depth look into your own store? Head over to growmyetsyshop.com to get exactly that!
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