My first treasuries on Etsy well they sucked. I didn't know what treasuries were really about, and I fell into the trap of doing all vintage, or all owls or all one thing and it usually wasn't a great theme. Not that all the items I picked weren't great! I loved them that is why I picked them. But they were usually fellow team members to promote something and actually at first, I didn't have a clue what I was doing. You can see my treasuries here from the most recent on back go ahead look at the last page ...
Patti's Treasuries - Go to the Last Page to see first ones!
I started to take a good hard look at my store photos, and began making changes. I blogged about it -
http://fleaosophy.blogspot.
I joined a few teams that made treasuries, I made lots of treasuries, looked at lots of treasuries and fav'd and followed those I loved. I made some treasuries that seemed to follow the Front Page recipe - and some treasuries I made to tell a story (those are the ones I love to do) and then while I was sleeping a treasury I had made for a vintage team I was on was on the FRONT PAGE - it told a story - the theme of it was the Ghost and Mrs, Muir - it was a bit romantic, nostalgic and vintage - and not at all what I
expected to get chosen for a FP. the-ghost-and-mrs-muir
I also had a print from my second store on a FP treasury, which was awesome! my print on the front page!!
But the most important thing I have gotten out of all this - is the networking with other shops, finding great items, and the fun of great treasuries. The bonus my stuff is selling, my views are WAY UP, my sales are up when a ton of people are complaining about slow sales etc... my store is growing!
Every day I have several items featured in treasury, sometimes I don't get notification my the maker, and I have to search my feed to see them all and I think I miss a few of them because it has been so many!! That's FREE ADVERTISING!! I don't do the Etsy ads, sorry Etsy, I pay enough with listing fees etc... and I make treasuries featuring items I love and that sells for those stores - I know I get messages saying thanks! since that treasury was up the item sold in 20 minutes!
I honestly believe it all comes down to the photos I have in my store, helps other people find and market by treasuries, and my making treasuries shares my love of the items I find, and all that I made it to the front page - TWICE so far ... My Second FRONT PAGE treasury!! WHOO HOO!! # 2
and some of my favorites that I made and others have done No Exit
The Most Interesting Man in the World
dragon slayer
unearthed
a secretive man
nights in constantinople
water nymph
There are times (well, almost all the time!) when my take on Etsy's choices for front page treasuries is a bit on cynical side. (To see my post about Etsy treasuries, go to http://sheertrashroadshow.blogspot.com/2013/05/feeling-snide.html
ReplyDeleteOne question--how do you find out you've actually had a treasury or item featured on the front page? I know there's a site for it, I've checked it numerous times. The odd thing is, it never shows my stuff as having been on the front page and yet I SAW one of my MyPalPeppy items (a chalkware chihuahua) on the front page on Cinco de Mayo. And another time, a fellow Etsian convo'd me, all excited, to congratulate me for a treasury appearing on the front page, but she couldn't remember the title and I never managed to track that down, either. Maddening!
I do love a good story-telling treasury, myself--your Ghost and Mrs. Muir is terrific! Here's one I did, an especial favorite:
www.etsy.com/treasury/MTA0ODU1ODB8MjcyMjI4NzU2Nw/the-thing-by-phil-harris-epsteam-song
I do wish I had your photography skills! I'm sure it makes a big difference. Thanks for a good article!