This is a guest post by Sarah Hewett, Community Programmes at Etsy
We Are Pop Up have recently joined forces with Etsy, an online marketplace where people around the world connect to buy and sell unique goods. We are very excited to be collaborating with such an organisation which we believe will provide win-win opportunities for creative businesses. Etsy have kindly agreed to a guest blog on our website and this is what they have to say…
At Etsy, we help our community of designer-makers and vintage sellers to run successful creative businesses through a programme of educational resources, support services, promotions and selling opportunities. We support Etsy sellers in joining or creating their own community groups (we call them Teams), where they can gather with peers to socialise, get advice from experienced sellers, share information and generally support each other in their creative and business pursuits… it’s pretty great! The Teams are a hive of activity, not just online, but often running live selling events like Pop Up Shops.
All year our Teams have been tapping into our Etsy School programme – a series of educational workshops and team projects focussing on shop improvement to increase visibility and sales. The programme guides Teams through useful business development topics like; total shop review, SEO, photography and marketing, crafting with purpose, team marketing, photography… and now it’s time for the Christmas Pop Up module!
Preparations for the festive season are in full swing at Etsy! As well as selling online, we agree with our friends at WAPU that in-person sales at pop up events are an excellent way to grow your business. Our Teams agree too and they have planned to Pop Up all around the country in November and December, from Leeds to Brighton and many places in between!
Hosting a pop up selling event as a Team offers all the benefits of any kind of in-person market; you get to talk and interact with customers and listen to their feedback, promote your work to a local audience and utilise local press. Due to its temporary nature, a pop up can also take advantage of vacant space in a selected, relevant, busy location (and WAPU can help with this, of course!). We don’t need to tell you guys that the perfect venue really improves your chances of having a successful selling event!
A physical store is a lot of work, but much easier when you have your Teammates to help! The current Etsy School module is a guide to all things Pop Up. It steers you through the essential elements, providing checklists and helping you to think about; goals, planning, finding help, timelines, venue, budget, selling logisitics, finding participants and marketing… phew, there’s a lot to think about! Sign up for Etsy School and read our full Pop Up guide here. And don’t miss ‘5 things you need to know about hosting your own pop up’, tips brought to you by WAPU on the Etsy UK blog!
Etsy School is exclusively available for Etsy sellers who are members of a Team. If you’re already in a Team, get involved by asking your Team leaders if they are organising an Etsy School Pop Up or volunteer to organise it. If not, find out more about joining a Team and getting involved with Etsy School here.
Not selling on Etsy but excited by Etsy School? Opening an Etsy shop is simple… Get started with 20 free listings! Enter the code: WAPU at www.etsy.com/promotion (new sellers only).
Find out more about selling on Etsy here! And join the conversation on Twitter at @wearepopup @EtsyUK
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