We all know that you only get one shot at a first impression. This is also true for businesses, so you have to make it a good one. On your Etsy shop, there is an announcement feature that you can use to wow new customers and let them know what you are all about.
Your announcement will be one of the keys to your success/traffic on the platform. This is because it sets your shop’s first impression on potential customers. So, It is imperative that your announcement is well-written and conveys your mission as a brand. Otherwise, potential customers could be left confused and not want to buy from you.
We have outlined the ultimate guide below to give you tips about the best practices for a winning Etsy shop announcement.
What is an Etsy Shop Announcement?
An Etsy shop announcement is a short and concise written message that gives an overview of your shop and its offerings. It is placed right below the banner of your store. The message is really the first explanation about your store that a shopper will see.
The announcement is a maximum of one to two sentences. So, you have to make the most out of this short blurb of writing by optimizing it. We will show you exactly how to do this below!
What Should Be Included In Your Etsy Shop Announcement
What you include in each individual announcement can vary depending on what you announce. An announcement can be used for special offers, giveaways, or just to connect with your customers. It can be as high-level as what your store does to as specific as offering 25% off. However, at the end of the day, an announcement is basically a marketing piece and should be treated that way.
Although we can’t give you specific words that should be in your announcement, there are some rules you can follow. The following list outlines Etsy shop announcement rules that can help make your announcement eye-catching!
Think Like a Potential Customer
Since you should treat the announcement like a marketing piece, you have to figure out who you are marketing to. In other words, your announcement needs to be written for your ideal target customer.
Don’t have an ideal target customer? Then make one. It will make your brand’s focus so much clearer. To do this, create a description of your target customer. Ask yourself questions like: Who are you targeting? What type of person wants to buy your product? What are their hobbies? The persona description you create will embody all the characteristics of your potential customer. Using this method will allow you to get into the heads of your target customer to understand what type of marketing will resonate with them.
Once you know who you are targeting, you can hear your announcement towards them. Focus your announcement on them and what they would like to hear.
Speak Through Your Brands Voice
Along with speaking to your target audience, you have to ensure you are speaking through your brand’s voice. A brand’s voice is how a brand communicates with its audience. Every brand should develop its own unique brand voice that resonates with the company. For instance, if your brand is fun and exciting, your voice should relay those messages. As opposed to if your brand was sophisticated and cool. It all depends on what you sell, who you sell to and what your brand is all about. Developing a brand voice will be very helpful for your customer. It is a way for them to become familiar with and trust your brand.
In addition, the brand voice is a way for your company to authentically connect with your customers. Your customer wants to see consistency across all of your channels and marketing materials. Therefore, applying this rule to creating an announcement with a brand voice will benefit new and returning customers. It will either establish your brand’s vibe with a new customer or create familiarity with a returning customer. Accordingly, it is an aspect of marketing you need to think about when writing your announcement.
Keep Your Announcement Up To Date
Depending on the type of announcement, you will need to keep an eye on it, so it stays up to date. Not all announcements need to be updated regularly, but some do. For example, if your announcement is just an overview of your store, you can keep it for as long as you wish. However, if it has to do with a specific event or date, it needs to be updated when the time passes.
In addition, the announcement is an excellent way to incorporate Search Engine Optimization tactics. So, you could lose out on traffic, leads and conversions if you do not keep your announcements up to date/optimized. Be sure not to change it every day or something! you won’t be giving the etsy algorithm enough time to analyze your shop.
What Not To Do With Your Etsy Shop Announcement
It is just as important to avoid mistakes as it is to implement the tips above. Below is a list of things that you should avoid when writing an Etsy store announcement:
Don’t Think About You First
This goes hand in hand with thinking about your target customer when writing your announcements. Unfortunately, many Etsy shops focus too much on themselves and are narrow-mindedly when writing the announcement. Their message is only centred around the products or services being sold.
Instead, communicate your offerings to show it is beneficial to your target audience. This is the way you will grab their attention and make sales.
Dont Link Socials Here
Yes, you want your customer to follow your business’s social media accounts. However, the announcement is not the right place to do so. The announcement is one of the first things a customer will see about your business. So, you have to make it count. Linking your socials will deter the customer away from your website. However, the goal of an announcement is to concisely convince the customer to buy from you!
Be unique
Your business is unique, and you want it to stand out in a way that portrays that! Therefore, you shouldn’t be using generic wording to introduce your shop. For example, a generic announcement would be “Welcome to my shop”. That tells us nothing about what your shop actually does and does not entice the customer to want to buy. In addition, it sounds pretty lame and boring, which is not the vibe you want your brand voice to deliver.
Etsy shop announcements examples
Now that you have the gist of what should and should not be included in your Etsy Shop Announcement, let’s put those rules into action. Here are two Etsy Shop announcement examples:
- “Luxury, seamless swimwear for the modern woman’s curves. Receive 20% off of your first order.”
This example speaks in a chill, elusive brand voice that has keywords and is clear about who its target customer is. In addition, they give a solid CTA to make any new customer want to try out their product!
- Create a Stylish Kitchen with handcrafted, stainless artisan knife sets and cutlery. Order before Dec 12th to ensure your package arrives on time for the holidays!
This is a perfect example of how to keep your announcements up to date. As it involves the holidays, you need to edit it after December 12th to ensure the customer knows they might not get their items by the holidays. Then, you would need to edit it entirely after the holidays pass. In addition, notice that the announcement shows a benefit of their product “stylish kitchen” and then explains exactly what they sell.
How to Make An Etsy Announcement?
Although crafting an announcement is harder than it seems, posting one is simple. Below lays out the steps you need to take to actually put your announcement on your storefront page.
- Go to your Shop Manager on Etsy
- Find Sales Channel on the banner on the left-hand of the page
- Click on the small edit icon (shaped like a pencil) next to your store name.
- Find “Add Shop Announcement”
- Click to write your announcement.
- Then hit save and you’re done!