Learning curves in the Etsy game

     So. It's been quite a month. Because I want to dive into the whole Etsy thing (my shop, Fluff and Ruff Beach Glass Designs, features mostly--you guessed it--beach glass jewelry) as wholeheartedly as possible (and still keep my full-time job), I have been studying everything related to Etsy, Etsy sales, Etsy keywords, keyword trends, blogging, Google Adwords, Handmade Spark, Flickr, and on, and on.
     And now, I've hit overload. After reading almost nonstop about everything that could possibly increase my search engine rankings, I need a break. Before I force myself to stay away from this latest endeavor for a day or two, I knew I had to update this blog.
     Therefore, I will relate to you, gentle reader (a nod to Ann Landers, in case you remember her), a handful of the most helpful bits of knowledge that I feel will be most useful when I return. Some of it, I warn you, is confounding, counter-intuitive, and confusing, but it is what it is.
     1.  Use keywords in your Etsy store. My store, for example, features mostly beach glass. So when I type in beach glass in my descriptions, this will theoretically lure more online shoppers in my direction because the search engines are drawn to keywords like bees to honey. My rankings in the search engines will go  up.

Made this one this morning while
I was chillin' on the boat!
See this in my Etsy shop at
Fluff & Ruff Beach Glass Designs

     2.  Don't overuse your keywords, as this will actually backfire on you and "blackball" your site. Apparently overuse of keywords is seen as unfair by the search engines. Overuse of keywords can actually make your rankings suffer.
     3.  Ask your friends to LIKE your business page on Facebook. I am mostly unclear about this whole idea, but apparently this will bring better rankings in the search engines and will afford you more options as a Facebook page owner (I've read SOooooo much lately, the info is beginning to get tangled up. Thus my necessary albeit temporary stand-down.)
     4. Take time to get your shop name "out there" by responding to forums and others' blogs, etc. Also take time to LIKE other Facebook pages and to build treasury lists of other people's stuff on Etsy.
     5. Reach an entirely different audience by creating a Flickr account, featuring your work and update it as necessary.
     6.  Begin a blog related to your shop, in case you haven't already done this. Link your blog to your Facebook page and your Etsy shop.
     7. Join a group called Handmade Spark, which will also feature your work, free of charge. (If you want to feature more than three pieces in your gallery and would also like to manipulate the information about it, you need to cough up $6 a month for the privilege. So far, I have not done this.)
    8.  Join a ning and contribute that way. This, I have done recently and--frankly--I have forgotten what I put in there, but again it's another way to get your name out there. (I think it's a forum of users assigned to different groups according to interest.)
     I have done all of the above (and more). I've forgotten all the other machinations that I've committed in the name of promoting my Etsy shop, but I'm hoping each of them will contribute to the future success of my shop. So now, I'm beginning at least a one-day hiatus. Happily and confoundingly, I will soon return to my controlled frenzy of promotional activity, all in the name of a hobby I love.
     As always, I am enjoying a fluff/ruff state of mind.     ~~Gigi