Finding a Community on Etsy
I started Cosmic Skincare on Etsy in 2019 with a few simple products. With no business experience and limited tech skills, I was nervous to say the least. I was already a dedicated shopper of Etsy and enjoyed the connection I felt supporting small businesses. I found the process of setting up the online shop fairly straightforward and was able to do it all myself in spite of my minimal tech experience.
Even though it was easy to get my company set up on Etsy, things were very slow at first and I was a bit disappointed. My opening was experimental and quiet. I wanted to see how it worked and give myself room to work out the inevitable growing pains and kinks that I encountered as I learned how Etsy worked. My friends and family were very supportive and shared my Etsy shop which helped me build the momentum I needed to get everything off the ground.
Eventually, I got my first sale from a dear customer in Texas who still shops with us today! Over time, the shop grew, and I found almost all my customers returned to buy more. They left glowing reviews (which is one of the things I love about Etsy shoppers!) and I was eventually named a two-time winner of Etsy Editor’s “Best Gifts of the Year” awards.
Etsy can be a magical place for sellers. The sense of community and support is outstanding. When I started I didn’t even know what a keyword was, but I found I was able to learn what I needed through blogs and articles. I read a lot of articles online that helped me gain a basic understanding of how to include specific keywords into Etsy write-ups and how to use tags that were niche to my line. These small changes made a huge difference in increasing my sales and searches. Additionally, the Etsy community always has great advice about when to market for upcoming holidays and events like Christmas, Valentine’s Day and gives suggestions. There are even Etsy groups that will review each other’s shops and give free advice, which I recommend taking advantage of.
Many Etsy shoppers are people who seek out small businesses to support. Some of my patrons have sent me beautiful notes or asked for special advice. I have had questions about how to support their skin health, or how to create a ritual gift box for a sick friend, or for a wife while undergoing treatments for cancer. These moments of interaction feel so special and intimate and are so dear to me. I’ve found one of the greatest gifts of running my business to be connecting with my wonderful and diverse customers. For a new company, Etsy can be a great way to get your feet wet so to speak, learn as you go, and make connections.
Instagram: A Tool of Empowerment
Instagram became the best vehicle to showcase our products. Because products like bath salts and skin oils are tactile in nature, visuals are very important to try to show people what we are about. On Instagram, I was able to use images to give buyers an idea of what our products and brand are all about. And I learned to use the caption feature as a sort of blog about how to use my products to support your self care as well as the rituals and experiences of my customers.
I found Instagram to be a positive place where other small business owners are supportive and helpful. In light of this, I started to reach out to more experienced companies who were similar to mine and ask them for advice. We archived a lot of great advice from a few key brands and businesses that we admired and felt were similar to our brand in some way to form a database of knowledge which would strengthen the business in a well-rounded and informed way.
How Start Your Community
The best way to develop a positive community on Instagram is to create a list of attributes about your customer and find out what they are looking for. Create the experience that speaks to the customer you are trying to reach. For us, this was mostly women looking to truly nourish themselves with clean ingredients and a self care routine that could work for them. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just start your business. Learn as you go, Make changes if something is not working. Try different tactics, pivot, adjust, listen. Being small means being nimble. Have patience when you start your new business; it takes time to gain traction and build followers. Stay the course.
When you are working on improving your social media presence, do your best to respond to each comment and DM with patrons. Post frequently. You can use a tool like Planoly or something similar to stay on track and plan out your month ahead. Use sales, holidays, and new release advertisements to draw attention to your company.
For the people who follow you and are already interested, you can build your connection and give your company a relatable face, your face, by utilizing the Stories Page on Instagram to share more personal stories, show them the “behind the scenes,” and use the Instagram Feed to go more in depth on your products, their use, and other relevant information. And comment on other pages! People might click on your profile and start to follow you. Go out and make connections!
I found that following accounts which expressed the qualities I wanted to instill in Cosmic Skincare helped to maintain the space. In order to create this sense of community we make sure to only follow other accounts that share our ethos on inclusivity. We always respond to our comments and messages and share each other’s “wins” on our stories. We tag everyone who shares a review or comment. We continue to grow, trying to create Reels and more personalized content. It is never easy to put yourself out there but having a safe space around you makes it so much easier.
Have a Clear Vision
I wanted to create something for ALL women regardless of their size, appearance, or age. What I saw in everyday media showed an outdated narrative of beauty that did not speak to me, my peers, or society as a whole. I believe that skincare and self care is imperative to all. Therefore, I decided to be intentional about including women of diverse races, religions, sizes, and abilities. It was important to include everyone, not just in how I formulated my products, but also in how I marketed them.
One way that I accomplished this was through my Instagram presence. We feature many different types of beauty on Instagram, and one feature we do is a post called “Meet the Woman”. We connected with other women on Instagram who we felt inspired by in theater, dance, business, and the arts. We reached out to ask if we could do a post about them, asking questions about their personal rituals to practice self care and any advice they might share. We use the feature on these various inspiring women to shine a light on their own causes. In the past this has included things like disability rights, skin positivity, and indigenous issues. We have found that doing these features is an amazing tool for us to give attention to these beautiful women while also boosting our social media presence and gaining followers. We meet a huge variety of women who inspire us in their strength and beauty. By posting on each other’s pages and stories we have developed a social media platform that is mutually beneficial, serving both our brand and the women we aim to empower.
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