Who do people want to buy from when they buy on Etsy? YOU, the maker. This is what sets Etsy apart from other marketplaces. Etsy customers love that they are buying from a maker, someone who is passionate about their craft, they love the connection! When you are on Instagram as an Etsy Seller you can capitalize on this even more! Instagram is a place to create community and show people you in your brand, and explain why you are passionate about your creative business. Instagram also gives you the opportunity to let people in to your life outside of your shop! Here’s a few actions you can take today to ensure you are setting your instagram up to include yourself in your business because you are ultimately who your customers want to connect with! Let’s step through how to optimize your Instagram bio, your posting strategy and your Instagram profile picture. 

Your Instagram Bio

Let’s first look at your instagram bio. Are you clear about who you are and what you sell? Do you have contact info and a link to your shop? Let’s walk through the components of an impactful bio and give an example: 

1. Your Title (Etsy Shop Owner). Example:  Owner of Etsy Shop: Sporting Standouts 
2. Your Benefits: Example: Modern Sports Art for Your Home.
3. Who is your account for? 
4. Contact info: your email address
5. Your Shop Link

First your title, who are you? YOU are an Etsy Shop owner, CEO, Founder, put your title first an foremost.

Second & Third, who are you marketing towards and what’s in it for them? I often pull from my tag line in my Etsy Shop. For my Etsy Shop I have the Tag line of: Modern Sports Art for your Home. I use this in my Insta Bio! 

Fourth: Put your contact info in your bio, this is often overlooked but sometimes people want to know where to reach out to with questions, collaborations, etc. If you prefer instagram DMs, cool put that here, if you have an email you would like to share list it! 

Finally, your shop link. I love to put a call to action before my shop link… Free Shipping, Shop Now. 

Have fun, I love to copy emojis from my phone and use them to break up the sentences.

MY SHOP EXAMPLE: feel free to copy and paste and fill in your details if you like! 

Owner of Etsy Shop: Sporting Standouts Modern Sports Art for Your Home. laurenkrummel@gmail.com Free Shipping, Shop Now https://www.etsy.com/shop/SportingStandouts

Instagram Posting Strategy: 

As an Etsy seller I love instagram because it’s so visual and people are drawn to instagram to connect with makers. ⠀

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This is beautiful because you don’t necessarily have to create a separate business instagram profile for your Etsy shop, you can use your existing personal account and incorporate your business in to it. 

But what do we post about as makers what kind of balance can we achieve on Instagram?

HERE’S A STRATEGY: Think of 5 categories you want to post about and cycle through posting about those five categories, that way it’s a good mix of business and personal content. At least two of those categories should be about your brand. The first should be things about your brand and the second should be you in your brand. The remaining three categories can be personal items that resonate with your audience! ⠀

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Check out these groupings:⠀

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1. YOUR BRAND (you can cycle through these topics below)⠀

⁃Describe your product or service in detail⠀

⁃Talk about your industry⠀

⁃Customer reviews/testimonials⠀

⁃Different ways to use what your offerings⠀

⁃Think about what kinds of overlaps you can make (ie: a candle maker might want to talk about why they use a particular kind of wax, and how the colors of wax are so wonderful and invoke a certain emotion)⠀

⁃The process of making your product/service⠀

⁃Your workspace / Work routine⠀

⁃Your business starting and growth⠀

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2. YOUR BRAND WITH YOU IN IT (you can cycle through these topics below)⠀

⁃Why do you love your brand⠀

⁃Why did you choose this industry⠀

⁃Your wins and struggles within your business ⠀

-Your partnerships with other business and relationships you’ve made⠀

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3. PERSONAL (pick 3 main topics below to focus on) these topics are different from your business, but are likely to resonate with your ideal audience⠀

-Children⠀

-Pregnancy, Adoption or Loss⠀

-Marriage / Dating⠀

-Mental Health⠀

-Physical Health⠀

-Habits⠀

-Nutrition⠀

-Hobbies⠀

-Faith⠀

-Pets⠀

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Now you’ve got 5 topics: Your Brand, Your Brand with you in it and 3 topics within the personal category!

Your Instagram Profile Picture: 

Sometimes your profile picture can be like an introduction to you the maker and owner of your Etsy Shop. Are you tempted to put your logo as your instagram profile picture? I will try and convince you to show your happy smiling face instead! Etsy customers jump on the Instagram platform to have a more personal connection with the maker, showing your face often creates an instant connection, something a logo just can’t do. Your Instagram profile picture is quite small so a close up photo of your face or upper body and face is best. Make the photo warm and welcoming! 

Now that’s we’ve gone through your Instagram bio, your posting strategy and your Instagram profile picture. You are set to have an optimized Instagram account. With a strategy and plan around your posts you can create instagram content feeling more organized and your profile will shine with you the maker and a bio that is clear with a call to action to click through to your Etsy Shop and purchase!