If you try and grow in too many places at all the same time then you end up unlikely to be able to grow in ANY of the places
So it is important to focus in one or two places and get really good at drawing traffic to them
However having all your eggs in one basket can also put your business at risk.
Say the worst happens and for whatever reason you lose access to your Etsy shop! Or the BEST happens and you are looking to move your customers to a new website or venture
Then it can really help to have a mailing list to let you communicate with your most passionate customers and fans.
So I decided to finally look into creating a mailing list.
I chose MailChimp, not only because the name makes me smile but it is also a well thought of site that is free to set up an account for and free for up to 2000 subscribers to your lists
2000 of your most loyal fans is a great amount
What this can mean is when you release a new range in your Etsy shop you have the potential to drive lots of extra views right when you create that new listing and this is really giving Etsy some amazing signals that your item is cool and wants to be shown infront of lots more shoppers
Or if you start a new website you can immediatly get some great traffic and help your SEO for a brand new website right from launch day.
This kind of velocity is amazing to help you grow online.
Also if customers love what they have purchased from you and chose to opt in to your mailing list then there is a much higher chance of them ending up being repeat customers. Especially if you put out a really exciting email just when they were thinking about buying gifts to friends.
BUT
Just asking people to sign up to a mailing list is unlikely to convince many people. People always want to know 'What is in it for me?'
So make sure and offer them some reason why they want to sign up
Give THEM something
You can offer shop discounts or a free cute download when they sign up
You can promise that your emails will give them exclusive access to behind the scenes or new ranges, prize draws or the fastest information
And then once you have your amazing list you want to make sure and let people know about this
Etsy does not want you contacting past customers or using their email to add them to a list. They have to opt in. But for new customers you can add the link to your mailing list in the thank you email after they have purchased
You can link to it from your social media and you can even put the link in some of the descriptions of your listings.
To start understanding about email lists I have decided to create a new list from scratch for everyone looking to grow their Etsy shop. When you sign up you can download my fantastic FREE 'Roadmap to Etsy success' pdf which is only available on my email list
Sign up here
And let me know how you get on with your mailing list
