When I first started my store I read a lot on how to be successful. The common advice I usually came across was to write long descriptions about a product, take great photos, have great shop organization, etc. in order to make a sale. While I agree this is great advice, this is not what actually helped me make my first sale.

What really helped me sell my first item was capitalizing on a holiday. There is a way to do this that will actually generate a sale and not just views. 

One of the first items in my shop were a pair of ouija planchette earrings. They were perfect for the fall season that year and I marketed them specifically for Halloween. After almost two weeks of listing them, they sold.

This first thing to note was that I marketed a major holiday in the US. While I could have marketed my listing for Labor Day, it was better to focus my shop and items on an entire season instead of just one quick weekend. What was even better was getting extremely specific about what holiday I was targeting in that season and whom I was marketing.

Which leads to the second point: know your shopper demographic. Many Etsy shop owners state that customers start looking for Halloween and fall items in late August. With my target demographic, which tends to be a younger audience, I know that conventions such as Midsummer Scream have people getting in the spirit as early as late July. Being aware of what’s popular with your target demographic can help you figure out what are the best ways to market a product and what times you should start listing items.

If you have not tried it yet, take a moment to get really specific with your listings and narrowing down your audience. Good luck!