I am tired of promoting on deaf ears on Etsy. I feel like all the Etsy forums and teams are full of Etsy SELLERS; the Etsy BUYERS don't go to those places, they just SHOP.
Don't get me wrong; some Etsy sellers are fabulous resources and can be very supportive, and I try to reciprocate that support myself. My Anna Delores blog is full of shop features and giveaways from other Etsy sellers, and that's gotten me about 75 followers so I'm not particularly devastated. I just feel like this isn't the way to sky-rocket to stardom in the independent fine art photography world, which is what I REALLY want.
I'm so greedy and impatient! Whenever I make a sale on Etsy, I'm definitely excited, but I'm also like, "Okay. Next one? How about another one after that?" Never satisfied, this girl.
I want to be like Irene Suchocki or little brown pen or Raceytay. Tons of sales, every day. I know it takes time (and most of these sellers have been on Etsy since at least 2009, if not more like 2007 or 2008). I'm just anxious and, like I said, incredibly impatient. And who knows if Irene and Nichole and Tracey are even able to live off of their profits (i.e. quit their day jobs). AND I've only been open since March 2011 -- less than a year. Compared to a lot of other photographers on Etsy, my 169 sales in 9 months is incredibly successful; I just read a blog post from a woman with lovely photographs who's only had 70 sales in two and a half years and is so frustrated, she's taking a hiatus.
I have lots of ideas crammed into my head about how to cross that threshold, from selling to other Etsy sellers to getting lots of views from Etsy (and non-Etsy) buyers. I feel like I first need to identify my target market: the audience of people most likely to buy my prints. I tend to be a brand-name whore, myself, so of course I'm aiming way too high for a just-getting-started, no-name photographer (think West Elm, Art.com, etc.).
So I need to figure out that happy middle-ground, where I can successfully (key word: SUCCESSFULLY) promote my business to that next level without over-reaching. I know they say to "shoot for the moon and you'll land among the stars," but I also want to spend my valuable time contacting businesses, people, blogs, etc. who are likely to respond to my efforts.
Lately I've been all about the giveaways, as that seems to earn me lots of Facebook "likes" and blog followers, so that's great! I've also done pretty well with sales this week so I don't mean to complain. I'm just very ambitious about this photography thing and like I said, I want to be the next Irene Suchocki. I don't half-ass anything, I'm very competitive, and I like to be the best.
And being able to work from home wouldn't suck, either. :)
The most important thing is that you're out there DOING STUFF. So many people think about doing something and never seem get around to doing anything. Slow and steady wins the race! ;+)
ReplyDeleteditto what zuma said, just keep doing stuff. it'll happen as long as you keep at it. it's a lot trial and error. it'll happen for you, it just takes time. i've had 1 sale since i open my shop in jan, however i haven't been consistent. it's hard to stay motivated and promote!!! and to personal stuff going on in my life and it's difficult.
ReplyDeletegood luck!!!