In the mood for a little handmade shopping? Of course you are. Well you know how when you click on over to Etsy the first thing you see are the featured items on the front page. You may find yourself clicking on one for more info, or wishing your item was there. Imagine the traffic these stores must get just from simply being featured on the front page. Maybe you’re even thinking… hey, I know an item that would have looked great in that collection.
Well, you probably already know this… but you could be the one to select those items. It’s really easy and actually quiet fun. The front page items are handpicked by Etsy members just like you and me. These members have created Treasuries that have made their way to the front page to be featured for an hour. That’s like 15 minutes of fame four times in a row!!!
The Etsy Treasury is a collection of favorites picked by Etsy members. There used to be a bit of a science to snagging a Treasury. You’d pretty much have to be in the right place at the right time and be as quick as a reproductive rabbit in spring. The window of time when that magic number would drop below 333 seemed to only roll around once every three days or so. And if you missed it, you were out of luck. Your treasury would last for about two days and then it would be gone forever. Unless of course you took a screen shot and saved it for your digital scrapbook!
Now with the creation of Treasury East, you can create a treasury whenever you feel like it and it never expires!!! At least that’s the way it is right now. That may or may not change with all the other recent changes we’re seeing on Etsy these days.
So how do you get in on the fun… well, here’s what you do:
First, think of a theme. You could pick anything from colors, to holidays, to glittered deer heads. Get creative… or not. It’s up to you. It’s your collection.
Next, do a little shopping. Let’s say you want to do a Farm House theme… that seems to be popular these days. Do searches with the term “Farm House”, “Country”, “Tractor”, etc… mark you favorites and when you have enough (you’re gonna need 16 items), you can create your Treasury. Be sure to pick items with clear pictures. The better the pictures, the better the Treasury. The best thing to do is have the same tones in the pictures. They make for the best treasuries and could potentially get on the front page. You can write your item numbers down if you like, but I prefer to just open a new window and copy and paste. It really doesn’t matter, whatever is most comfortable for you. Some people recommend using the Poster Sketch tool (http://www.etsy.com/poster_sketch.php)... call me old fashioned, but I’ve never really found it to be all that helpful. I’m sure it was more useful back in the old days before Treasury East came along. Again… whatever you are most comfortable with.
* I should mention treasuries are not intended for self promotion. If you do include something from your own shop, just make it one item. Share the love. I also wouldn’t include more than one item per artist.
You’re gonna want to have a good name for your Treasury.
Something catchy to make people want to see more. When members are scrolling through the thousands of treasuries, the only thing you have to grab their attention is the name and the first three pictures. Make it count! During the Treasury Main days (which still exists, it just always seems to be open now) you had to have your name ready to go. That was part of the trick to snagging one. Otherwise, that thing would disappear right in front of you.
If you are dealing with Treasury Main, You have 12 slots and 4 alternates. Make sure to include your alternates. That way, if an item sells out, you will have another to take it’s place. In Treasury East, you have 16 slots. Once an item sells out, it will disappear and you will need to replace it.
Once you treasury is created, you can promote it or just have it for your own enjoyment. I like to contact people to let them know I’ve included their item. However, I’ve recently learned, Etsy considers this spam… so I’m gonna let you make the call there. If one of my items is included in a treasury, I like to know about it, but that’s just me. I’ve been featured and every time it feels like an honor. Someone saw my item and liked it enough to highlight it in a treasury. I’ve always looked at the Treasuries as a way to help each other out. You help promote other members by calling attention to some of your favorite products that may not have otherwise been seen. It is basically free marketing for them and just plain fun for you.
If you are curious as to whether one of your items has been included in a treasury, you can check the “Treasure Hunt” features on sites such as CraftCult.com and Craftopolis.com. These sites also help you see how many hearts you have and even provide charts!
If you really want to take it to the next level, you can blog your Treasuries and get on the Etsy message boards to promote them a little. Some members really get into this and I’ve even seen members sign up just to make treasuries. It’s like the merchandising team that puts together the famous Macy’s window displays.
Now your treasury is out there for the world to see. Other Etsy members can search treasuries, leave feedback and hopefully buy some stuff.
View my American Honey Treasury here
If you would like to see all my treasuries just click here!
*tip of the week via WildBlueberryInk.com
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