So you just opened your exciting new Etsy shop. Congrats! 👏
But now comes the hard part – actually driving customers to your store and getting those initial sales rolling in.
One of the most effective ways to promote your Etsy products is by building an email subscriber list.
Email marketing drives explosive growth for eCommerce stores with $44 return for every $1 spent. Yes – forty-four dollars!
When you can market directly to customers who have already opted-in, you have enviable potential to:
- Inform them of new arrivals
- Offer subscriber-exclusive discounts resulting in repeat purchases
- Crowdfund upcoming product launches
- Request feedback for product improvement ideas
In this comprehensive, 4-step guide, we‘ll explore methods for capturing emails that abide by Etsy‘s terms plus email campaign strategies used by today‘s top Etsy entrepreneurs to turn subscribers into raving customers.
Why Focus on Email Marketing? The Data Speaks for Itself
Let‘s quickly establish why savvy makers center their marketing around email list building before diving into the how-to…
This data says it all:
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Email Marketing ROI | $44 for every $1 spent |
| Email Subscribers Average Value | 138% higher than non-subscribers |
| Email List Growth Past 12 Months | +15% average for eCommerce brands |
With stats like that, it makes absolute sense to funnel time and effort into growing your subscriber base.
An email list allows you to cut through the noise and speak directly to fans who have already expressed interest by providing their contact info.
That‘s an invaluable asset small creative businesses can leverage to reduce costly ad spend elsewhere.
Let‘s explore easy methods for collecting emails that abide by Etsy‘s terms…
Step 1) Create Your Opt-In Landing Page
The first step is giving visitors a designated landing page to opt-in for your mailing list.
This houses your signup form prompting them to hand over that precious email address!
While you could code one from scratch, I strongly advise choosing an established email marketing platform to quickly launch a turnkey solution.
Here are top options:
| Email Marketing Tool | Key Benefits |
|---|---|
| MailerLite | Free up to 1,000 subscribers |
| ConvertKit | Great for bloggers |
| Constant Contact | Tight Etsy integration |
| MailChimp | Most advanced features |
All have drag-and-drop builders to design opt-in forms, premade templates, workflows plus analytics.
For this tutorial we‘ll demo MailerLite for its generous free tier allowing unlimited forms, landing pages and 1,000 subscribers.
Building your form looks like this:
- Sign up for MailerLite
- Use the Form Editor to design your signup form
- Customize with colors, fonts and fields
- Offer an incentive like 10% off for subscribers
And just like that, you‘ve got a hosted form with a unique URL to promote!
Etsy does allow linking out to external sites which brings us to…
Step 2) Place Signup Links Strategically Across Etsy
Now for the fun part – sprinkling links to your signup form across your Etsy presence.
You have full permission to link out encouraging visitors to join your mailing list.
Take advantage of these high visibility spots I‘ve seen convert extremely well:
✅ Etsy Shop Announcement
The fixed banner headline space on your shop‘s homepage is perfect for a mailing list call-to-action.
✅ Shop Description
Weave your signup link organically into your ‘About‘ story and brand details.
✅ Banner Image
Banner featuring your opt-in offer on eye-catching visuals converts visitors well.
✅ Product Descriptions
Surprise! Sprinkling signup CTAs into select product details keeps the ask top of mind.
Pro Tip: Offer discounts or freebies as signup incentives – e.g. 20% off first purchase. Incentives lift conversion rates by 5X on average!
Let‘s optimize this further…
Step 3) Welcome Series for New Subscribers
You worked hard to get those signups. Time to wow new subscribers from the very start!
Kick things off by delivering a series of 4-5 automated welcome emails when fans first join filled with valuable perks.
Check out this proven sequence:
Email #1: ‘Thanks for Joining!‘
Thank them + share an exclusive discount as promised
Email #2: ‘Meet Your Maker!‘
Introduce yourself + brand origin story
Email #3: ‘Subscriber Insider Scoop‘
Behind the scenes content + production processes
Email #4: ‘Give Feedback, Get Rewards‘
Survey request + gift card incentive
Email #5: ‘Enjoy 20% Off Your First Order‘
Special coupon code they receive after completing your survey
This automation allows you to create thousand of custom signup experiences completely hands-off.
Subscribers feel valued with this VIP treatment right out the gate!
Step 4) Craft Captivating Email Campaigns
You‘ve got a growing list of subscribers now actively engaged with your brand ✔️
Time to leverage them to promote new product releases, shop sales and offers through compelling email campaigns!
Here are proven email marketing strategies used by today‘s top grossing Etsy merchants:
Hyper Personalize Content
- Ask subscribers interests + preferences to shape email content catered to their wants
- Leverage segmentation to send targeted updates by purchase history
- Share their feedback/photos in emails after customer makes a purchase
Strategic Discounting
- Offer tiered promo codes by quantity purchased
- Bundle best-selling items with packaged discount
- Urgent flash sales in 24 hour increments
Loyalty Rewards
- Special VIP access, discounts and free items only for 3X+ repeat customers
- Free shipping + 10% off for referrals who signup
Follow-Up Flows
- Abandoned cart email series with fresh coupon to complete purchase
- Birthday coupon good for entire month
- Customer win-back if not purchased in 6+ months
See why savvy entrepreneurs invest so heavily in subscriber relationships?
You hold all the power speaking directly to fans who want to hear from you.
Now let‘s go out there and grow those lists! 🙌
