What is your brand? Knowing that is the jumping off point for all future advertising and promotion.
As I've said before, a consistent logo is key to identifying with customers. Something clear to see that somehow ties in with your store or name is ideal. I chose a turquoise teapot because it was one color (easy to view), a color that has strong vintage associations, and photographed cleanly. I don't offer that teapot-but it's similar to what I do offer and customers remember it.
I consider that teapot my logo. It is THE identity of Nachokitty. In order for it to work as my branding, I need to keep the same across Facebook, Twitter, Etsy, my business cards and the cards I include in every package.
Once you have a clear identity established, be consistent. I don't recommend using one name for your user id and different shop name on your banner. Customers can't search for you under that banner ad name, but it is the largest text on the page in most cases, calling out, Look at Me! Remember Me!
Okay, so you know who you are and how you want to be remembered. How will you get your name out there-not just once, but over and over again? Marketers have studied human behavior for eons and one thing is sure-viral marketing works best. Meaning, word of mouth.
This is where your single most effective FREE tool comes in. Treasuries. You find things you like, you post them and notify the sellers. What could be easier? Yet it's a free tool most of us aren't paying enough attention to. If people like the treasury, they'll likely check out your store. Now that we have activity feed, I am able to watch activity spike after certain treasuries are created. My New Years business resolution was to make 1-2 a day.
Other forms of free or low cost promotion: Facebook and Twitter. To boost my numbers on Facebook, I paid for an ad. It was cheap. It brought in hundreds of people. Now I have a core audience I can advertise directly to, involve by asking questions, and use as my word of mouth advertisers. You certainly don't need to pay for an ad-I see plenty of Etsy sellers with strong Facebook pages who didn't. It was just a quick way to get where I wanted to be.
There are other ways to promote that we'll discuss another time. Brand your store, use the tools that are free, and promote yourself. You have nothing to lose and much to gain.
