Etsy is a fantastic platform for crafty people who want to sell their goods online. It’s easy to get started and requires very little initial time investment. Of course, this low barrier to entry also means that there are a LOT of sellers on Etsy. Millions.
Millions of sellers means lots of competition.
So how can you make your store stand out from the crowd?
You build a brand on Etsy.
In this guide, we’re going to walk through the why and how of brand building on Etsy. Let’s go.
Why Should You Build Your Etsy Brand?
Many people don’t associate Etsy with branding. After all, many people use the site to sell hand-crafted goods. This tends to create a mom-and-pops store vibe, which isn’t normally what you think about when it comes to branding.
But whether you like it or not, if you sell anything on Etsy – you have a brand. What is a brand? A brand is the overall image and identity of a business. It’s how people perceive your company, and it can include everything from your logo to the way you package your products.
Why should you build a brand on Etsy? Several reasons.
First, a strong brand can help you stand out from the competition. With millions of active sellers on Etsy, it’s important to do anything you can to make your store unique. A well-crafted brand will help you do that.
Second, a strong brand will make you more memorable to customers. If someone visits your store and likes what they see, they’re more likely to remember you and come back in the future.
Third, a strong brand can help you charge more for your products. This is because customers are willing to pay more for products from brands they trust.
Fourth, a strong brand can help you attract new customers. If you have a well-crafted brand, people will be more likely to find your store when they search for keywords related to what you sell.
Finally, a strong brand can help build customer loyalty. If you have a loyal following, you’ll have customers who are more likely to buy from you again and again.
12 Ways To Build Your Brand On Etsy
Now let’s look at specific ways to build your brand on Etsy.
1. Clarify Your Mission
Before you do anything else, you need to clarify the mission of your brand. What are you selling? What does your store represent? What kind of feeling do you want your customers to have when they visit your store?
Answering these questions will help you determine the direction of your brand. It will also make it easier to create branding materials that reflect your mission.
For example, let’s say you sell handmade jewelry. Your mission might be to sell beautiful, high-quality jewelry at an affordable price. With that in mind, you would want your branding to reflect that mission.
Your logo might be a simple but elegant design, and your product photos might focus on showing off the quality of your work.
On the other hand, if your mission is to sell fun and funky jewelry that makes people smile, your branding would be completely different. Your logo might be colorful and whimsical, and your product photos might be quirky and playful.
The bottom line is that your brand should reflect what you’re selling. Take some time to determine the mission of your brand before you move on to the next step.
2. Choose A Name And Logo That Reflect Your Brand
Your name and logo are two of the most important elements of your brand. They’re what people will see first when they visit your store, so you want to make sure they’re reflective of your brand.
When choosing a name for your store, try to pick something that is short, easy to remember, and reflective of your brand. For example, if you sell jewelry inspired by nature, you might want to include the word “nature” or “outdoors” in your name.
If you can’t find a name that reflects your brand, don’t worry – you can always use your personal name or a made-up word. The important thing is that your name is easy to remember and pronounce.
Your logo is just as important as your name. It’s the face of your brand, so you want to make sure it’s reflective of who you are and what you sell.
If you’re not a designer, don’t worry – there are plenty of places you can go to get help creating a logo. Fiverr is a great option for finding affordable designers, and 99designs is a good option if you’re willing to pay a bit more.
3. Identify Your Target Audience
The next step in building a brand on Etsy is identifying your target audience. Who are you selling to? What are their interests? How old are they?
The better you know your target audience, the easier it will be to craft a brand that appeals to them.
For example, let’s say you sell handmade baby clothes. Your primary target audience would probably be parents or grandparents of small children. You would want your branding to reflect that audience – so it would be soft, colorful, and kid-friendly.
On the other hand, if you sell vintage clothing, your target audience would be people who are interested in fashion, history, or both. Your branding would reflect that audience – so it might be more sophisticated and stylish.
Think about who you’re selling to and what they’re interested in. The more specific you can be, the better.
4. Determine Your Differentiators
With so many sellers on Etsy, you have to have something that sets you apart from the crowd. What makes your store unique? What can you offer that other stores can’t?
Your differentiators might be the quality of your work, the uniqueness of your products, the low prices, or the personal service you offer. Whatever it is, make sure it’s something that will appeal to your target audience.
For example, let’s say you sell handmade jewelry. Your differentiators might be that you use high-quality materials, your designs are one-of-a-kind, or you offer free shipping.
On the other hand, if you sell vintage clothing, your differentiators might be that you only sell items in excellent condition, you offer a wide variety of sizes, or you have a large selection of items.
Think about what sets you apart from other sellers and use that to inform your branding. Make it clear in how you describe your Etsy store, the packaging you use, etc.
5. Decide On Your Brand Voice
Your brand voice is how you communicate with your customers. It should be consistent across all channels – from your Etsy store to your social media accounts to your blog or website.
Your brand voice should reflect your target audience and your differentiators. For example, if you’re targeting a young, hip audience, your voice might be more casual and edgy. If you’re targeting a more sophisticated audience, your voice might be more formal.
Think about how you want to communicate with your customers and make sure your voice is consistent across all channels. If you send out emails to your customers, use your brand voice. If you write a blog post, use your brand voice. Every communication from your store should reflect your chosen brand voice.
6. Create A Cohesive Look
Now that you’ve decided on your name, logo, target audience, differentiators, and brand voice, it’s time to start putting it all together.
Start with your Etsy store. Create a banner that reflects your brand and add it to the top of your store. Make sure your logo is prominently displayed and that your description and policies reflect your brand voice.
Your product photos should also have a consistent, cohesive look. If you’re selling physical products, take high-quality photos that reflect your brand. If you’re selling digital products, create cohesive graphics that represent your brand.
Your social media accounts should also reflect your brand. Use the same profile photo and cover photo across all channels. Create a description for each channel that reflects your brand voice and make sure the content you share is on-brand.
If you have a website or blog, make sure it also reflects your brand. Use the same colors, fonts, and overall aesthetics as your Etsy store and social media accounts.
The more consistent your branding is across all channels, the easier it will be for customers to recognize and remember your brand.
7. Write A Compelling Store Description
Your store description is one of the most important aspects of your Etsy branding. This is where you tell customers who you are, what you sell, and why they should shop with you.
Use keywords throughout your description so that your store comes up in relevant searches. But don’t stuff your keywords – only use them where they make sense.
Your store description should also reflect your brand voice. If you’ve decided on a more formal brand voice, your store description should be more formal. If you’ve decided on a casual brand voice, your store description can be more casual.
Most importantly, your store description should be compelling. It should tell customers what they need to know about your store and convince them to shop with you.
Take some time to write (or rewrite) your store description and make sure it’s reflective of your brand.
8. Use Keywords In Your Product Titles And Descriptions
In addition to using keywords in your store description, you should also use them in your product titles and descriptions.
Your product titles should be descriptive and use relevant keywords. For example, if you’re selling a t-shirt with a cat graphic on it, your title might be “Women’s Cat Tee Shirt.”
Your product descriptions should also use relevant keywords. But don’t stuff your keywords – only use them where they make sense. In addition to using keywords, your product descriptions should also be compelling. They should tell customers what they need to know about your product and convince them to buy it. Describe the benefits people will experience from using your products.
Your product titles and descriptions are important not only for SEO purposes, but also for conversion purposes. The more compelling your product titles and descriptions are, the more likely people are to buy from you.
Review your product titles and descriptions and make sure they’re reflective of your brand and use relevant keywords.
9. Invest In High-Quality Product Photos
Your product photos are some of the most important aspects of your Etsy branding. After all, they’re often the first thing potential customers will see when they find your products in a search.
If you’re selling physical products, it’s important to invest in high-quality product photos. Hire a professional photographer or learn how to take great photos yourself.
Your product photos should be bright and clear, and they should show your products from multiple angles. If you’re selling clothes, consider using a mannequin or model to show how the clothes look on a real person.
In addition to taking great photos, you should also use photo editing software to make sure your photos are cohesive and reflect your brand. For example, you might use the same filter on all of your product photos or make sure they all have the same color scheme.
Investing in high-quality product photos is important for two reasons. First, it will help your products stand out in a search. Second, it will help convert potential customers into paying customers.
10. Be Consistent
Consistency is key when it comes to building a brand on Etsy. Make sure your branding is consistent across all channels – from your Etsy store to your social media accounts to your packaging. You want everything coming from your Etsy store to have the same look, feel, and tone. You want people to be able to recognize your brand even if they don’t see your brand name specifically.
Take some time to audit your existing materials to make sure that everything is on brand. If something doesn’t feel quite right, do something to fix it. For example, if you have some older Instagram posts that don’t match your current brand, consider deleting them. When someone looks at your Instagram profile, you want it to feel the same as your Etsy store.
11. Always Keep Improving
While you don’t want to be constantly changing key elements of your brand, you should always be looking for ways to improve and strengthen it. This might mean getting better quality packaging, upgrading your photos, or even using better quality ingredients in your products.
And always be willing to change something that’s not working. The key is to find what works best for you and your business. Again, you don’t want to be always changing things, but if something clearly isn’t working for your brand then you should hesitate to change it.
12. Treat Your Customers Right
The most important part of building a brand on Etsy is treating your customers right. If you want people to buy from you again and again, you need to give them a great experience every time they shop with you.
This means providing great customer service, being responsive to questions and concerns, and going above and beyond for your customers. You should also make sure your products are high quality and as described in your listing.
If you treat your customers right, they’ll be more likely to buy from you again and recommend you to their friends. And that’s the best way to grow your brand on Etsy.
Final Thoughts
You don’t have to build a brand in order to sell products on Etsy. However, if you truly want to succeed and take your Etsy store to the next level, you need to build a brand on Etsy.
It’s not easy. It takes time and effort. You may have to make changes to your Etsy store. You may even find that you need to make some changes to your products.
But when you see the results, you’ll know that the effort was worth it.