I haven’t been active on the craft market scene and I have no new art projects to work on for the shop, so I have been spending my time using social media to promote The Nancydraws Shop. There is always something new to learn in this ever-changing field, so I thought I’d share some of the resources I have been using. Please share your own resources in the comments, I’m hungry for more!

Etsy Shop Updates

Etsy launched its “Shop Updates” section in the Etsy Sellers’ iOS app at the end of 2015. As a shop owner you can upload a photo related to your shop or products and tag it with a listing from your shop, add a caption, and even share it via text, email, or your favorite social media platform as long as it is Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. Here’s one that I posted this week:

Launch, Grow, Joy’s Instagram Webinar

Maker-marketing blogger Andreea Ayers and Melissa Camilleri, of Compliment, presented a webinar, “How to Take Advantage of Instagram’s New Algorithm” on April 6 and the replay is only available for a couple of days, better go watch it now!

“How To Take Advantage of Instagram’s New Algorithm” Webinar Replay
http://app.webinarjam.net/replay/17998/c3e8282a5a/0/0

As of this writing, the new algorithm was not in play, but I think the main point of the webinar was to improve your Instagram presence now so that you go into the “new era” well-connected to your followers. Melissa offered numerous great tips about improving engagement with your fans and customers, branding, and building lasting relationships with your buyers or clients.  I just started a second Instagram account exclusively for my artwork and Etsy shop @thenancydrawsshop and I’m excited to test out some of Melissa’s tips there.

Melissa is also offering a 21-Day Instagram optimization class that starts on April 18.

Hootsuite’s Podium

Hootsuite, mostly known for its social media dashboard, offers a  collection of learning videos that are a great resource to better understand the planning and strategy behind a strong social media campaign.

I am used to having a goal and general plan in mind as I roll out my own campaigns, but it is helpful to know how the pros handle it for their clients. There are also videos to introduce you to the basics of social media marketing if you are new to this mode of communicating with customers.

At the end of each section, there is a brief quiz to solidify what you’ve learned and downloadable worksheets so you can begin optimizing your social media outlets and drafting campaigns with your new marketing skills! The musical intros get old after a while, but I like how the concepts are presented in nice, bite-sized chunks that are easy to learn and remember.