The Etsy Connection

When it comes to jewelry and crafts, there’s nothing more exciting than being able to share your talent and skills by showcasing your work and hope that people will love it and will have an interest to buy one.

In the past, selling handcrafted jewelry is so much hard work, what with all the talking with possible resellers from craft shops and establishing your business from scratch. But today, technology has made artisans realize that there is more to just creating beautiful pieces of jewelry.

You need to have a medium in which people will have one place to go to when they think of jewelry. And that’s where the idea of Etsy’s Rob Kalin came from. The idea was just revolutionary when people were just getting in the hype of social networking!

So what’s in it for you? As what Kalin envisioned it to be, “The little guy being able to organize a better marketplace”. So that’s how you are going to set up your etsy jewelry business. Make gorgeous pieces of jewelry and tap Etsy’s still growing marketplace of handmade crafts.

How Does It Work

Since it was born way back 2005, it has attracted hundreds, even thousands of small business owners in the crafts section has been making use of this opportunity to make their businesses known all over the world. That is widespread marketing strategy if you ask me.

That is the beautiful thing about Etsy, it gives you a place to direct your customers to, coming from your own website and Facebook fan pages. It actually gives a sense of belongingness as almost all tech-savvy artisans go for this kind of marketing strategy.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Don’t expect to be an overnight sensation just because you think your jewelry projects are great! – Work it to the top!
• It is not Etsy’s fault if your sales are not soaring high, what they do is just provide you with an alternative to present your finished products.
• Do make an effort to promote your Etsy site through massive campaign in Facebook, to your friends, and even email marketing where it is appropriate.
• Don’t disregard comments on your Etsy images. Interact with your audience as soon as they post a comment or a maximum of 2 hours to demonstrate reliability and credibility of your business.
• Do spend some time to take amazing pictures of your jewelry. Just because your necklaces and bracelets are beautiful, it does not guarantee a sale. You have to take great professional shots of these jewelry pieces.
• It can be frustrating and a turn off at times to see poorly lighted images of your pieces. Take a look at this article on how to photograph a jewelry properly. Invest in this area to highlight really good jewelry and be on the top list of Etsy finds.
• Do make every possible tag for your images, this is how search engine rankings work, so write every possible tag , you can put up to 14 tags per image, so that’s a lot of possibilities!
• Do add in images of your jewelry regularly. That is one of the key factors too. People need to know that you are serious on your craft and business.
• Do write about your product in your blog and show off. This is the right time to boast about something, and if that means getting those pieces sold, then so be it.
• Do understand your customers and target market. See this article on profitable jewelry niche markets for amore thorough explanation.

So you see there are only 2 Don’ts in the list, meaning achieving good sales isn’t really that far. All you need is the perseverance and passion for what you do. You should love your craft and ultimately the love will be returned as well.

Etsy jewelry is really a place for artisans starting out in the field of jewelry business, if you know in your heart that this is the place for you, then go for it and have fun!

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What do all these multi-million-dollar corporations have in common: Tupperware; Mary Kay Cosmetics; Sarah Coventry Jewelry; Especially Lingerie? They all started out in home party sales! There are many other companies whose success is founded in home party sales, but these are the ones that first come to mind. They are proof that home jewelry parties are a fantastic business strategy for marketing and selling your hand-made jewelry! Before long you’re jewelry making is a profitable hobby.

Plan your home party! Take inventory of your jewelry to make sure you have enough to merit a home party. Have at least five different designs of bracelets, earrings, necklaces, rings, that can be sold as sets or individually. Toe rings and belly-button pieces are enormously popular with younger people today, so if you have them, add them to your sales collection! It’s not a bad idea to have a few one-of-kind pieces to appeal to those who like unique jewelry, but the majority of your stock should include several pieces of each design. Another popular item is small kits with all the materials needed to make simple jewelry and instructions on how to make that particular piece of jewelry, kids love to learn how to make a button bracelet. The kids will always ask their parents to buy these for them, a little extra income.

Usually a friend, family member or co-worker is willing to host a home party for you. After you determine how long it will take you to make the additional pieces you need to fill out your sales inventory, you and your host can schedule the date and time for your party. If no one is available to host a home party, invite other area crafters to join you in a home party cooperative, selling their work along with yours for a small commission. Along with posting business cards and flyers on community bulletin boards (free advertising!), send a press release to local newspapers and TV stations to be displayed on their community events calendars.

Discuss with your hostess what refreshments will be served and how they will be provided, as well as seating for the guests, on what you will set your displays and how they will be arranged. Keep your displays simple, but attractive and easily accessible for browsing. Work up short presentations for pieces or sets you want to highlight, and pass them around so guests can get a good look at them. For more expensive pieces, or for special orders, have a small catalogue of high quality photos. If you have an Internet web site, be sure the URL is on your business cards, and pass them out to the guests. Have inexpensive, but nice, door prizes for the guests to win, or better yet, have a Grab Bag or play the “Trading Game” so no guest leaves empty-handed. Lastly, be sure to take the names and contact information of guests who would like to host a home jewelry party.

Show your appreciation for your host’s hospitality and work with a gift of jewelry, presented toward the end of the party, you may let him or her select a piece from your jewelry collection, or create graduated-cost pieces with the choice of gift based upon the amount of sales. If you know the host well, create a special item of jewelry just for them, inspired by their preferences.

You can still sell your jewelry at customary venues, such as crafts fairs, flea markets and on e-bay; after all, revenue is revenue! Don’t forget to look into setting up your online jewelry store. Still, establishing you’re your connection with local customers by having home jewelry parties is a great way to build a local following of loyal customers!

Technorati Tags: Handmade Jewelry, JEWELRY PARTIES, selling homemade jewelry, Where to Sell Jewelry