Branding your creative business is incredibly important. I didn’t even know how important it was until I did it. I’ve been an Etsian for 7 years now and have always coasted along, hoping people would catch my individual listings here and there, and they did. I never made more than $200 a month and I thought I was doing awesome. People were buying my crafts! Woo Hoo! I am so ashamed by my own naivety. If I could go back in time, even just 5 years, I would have started Branding my Creative Businesses.
What is Branding?
Branding is a marketable look that your customers can rely on, are attracted to, and even become loyal to. That’s a big one there… more on that later. Your Branding also sends the message of your Brand out into the world and conveys your company vision. There is a whole lot more on Branding out there on the internet, written by much more savvy people than me. I am writing this post to share with you how Branding your Etsy Shop can be super easy and in turn, extremely beneficial.
4 Simple Ways to Brand your Etsy Shop
Cohesiveness is key. You want your overall branding to repeat throughout the whole customer experience so that it “sticks” in their mind and they remember you and your shop. What I mean is, your Branding should be carried through from when your customer is shopping, buying, receiving your products and then perhaps running back to the packaging to answer that excited friends question on, “Where did you get that!?”
1- Shop Headers with Canva
What does your shop header look like and is it Branded? I use Canva to create my shop banner. It is a design website that is completely free to use unless you want to upgrade it. They even have a convenient template for Etsy Banners! {I know, right?} You can even download some of their designs for free if one so happens to fit your shop. I recommend using a product image or even a pretty stock photo. Head on over to Canva now and start fiddling.
2- Order Slips
Since your customer was inspired by your pretty shop, they buy something. Make sure that you’re printing the order slips. Go into your Open Orders and select them all. Click [Print Orders] and a box will pop up. Click the blue [Customize Options] to the right and you’ll get a drop down menu. You can choose what you want but I choose many. Select the [Shop Banner] option {pink arrow} for sure so that it makes your Printed Order Branded. I also choose to include a coupon code for my repeat customers and I put a message in there to tag me on Instagram.
3- Business Cards
Create a business card that coordinates with your Shop Header. I’m actually updating mine be exactly the same when this previous design runs out. You’ll want to include a business card so that when a friend of your customer says, “Wow I really like that! Where did you get it?!” your customer can hand your name right on over. A business card is a great way for your customer to keep your shop in their records too. I know I keep all of the business cards that came with my Etsy orders when I bought online so that I remembered where I got it. I could go back into my order history, but when I see a business card laying on my desk I sometimes think of buying a gift when I otherwise wouldn’t. Vistaprint is an amazing resource for business cards, or have you seen some of the gorgeous Business Card options from Zazzle? Shop Business cards HERE
4- Packaging
My fourth and final but probably the simplest way to brand is packaging and how you ship your items. Your packaging makes the first, impression on your customers. Not only that but think of how many hands touch your package before it arrives at your customers’ doors? Here’s a fun story: I drop my bundle of packages off daily to our local Post Office, perhaps 10+ a day. My packages are all bright pink with my logo and website on them. One day, I hear my Etsy notification ding and I run to check what the order is. Low and behold it is an order from someone right here in Stayton who WORKS at my Post Office! So the next day I hand deliver her order and refund her shipping and she says to me, “I saw so many of your fun, pink packages come through that I got curious and went to the website on one of your labels!” -End Amazing Story.
My packaging along inspired a purchase. You can do that too! Everyone is excited to get their order, so make it even more fun for them to open, just like Christmas, dress it up! My whole Post Office knows it’s me now going through their building with the bright pink packages. When I drop them off now, any one of them says, “Oh, it looks like someone is having a party!” and they’re right! The PO recognizes my brand!
Buy Packaging in Bulk
Fun packaging is so easy to buy. Please stop buying packaging retail too please! You’re cutting deeply into your profits. Always buy in bulk. I order my packaging envelopes through Amazon Business so that I can set up a reordering schedule. My envelopes are all bright pink but they have so many options available.
Now go forth and Brand!
Branding has done tremendous things for both of my Etsy shops. I really started putting effort into my branding in January of 2017 and I’m already making more than I did for all of 2015 and half of 2016. More on that in a later post… 😉 Good luck fellow Etsians!
Annnnnnd….. just in case you’re curious, here are my 2 Etsy shops 😉 #shamelessselfpromo
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