For a very long time, I’ve featured small artists and artisans on a blog I’ve updated daily for seven years. It probably sounds like the easiest of things: you go to Etsy, you’re struck with inspiration, you copy those beautiful pictures to your own blog and you’re done. But it’s never like that in reality. Creating a (magazine style) blog feature can take anywhere between half an hour and two hours, and that’s without counting time spent down the rabbit hole of putting things on my wishlist. One thing I’ve noticed over the years (and have been meaning to just put out there for everyone to know) is the feeling that sellers/artists are going out of their way not to be featured. It feels like they’re hiding essential information on purpose, and in all the weirdest places. I know, I know, that’s not really the case, but I did put together this guide on how to have your Etsy shop featured on blogs and social media.

• the main photo should show the product clearly, in focus, preferably on a simple, non-distracting background. Feel free to use the same setup for all your products, to create a cohesive look. 

• consider that in search results your photo appears cropped to a certain size. Make sure the cropped picture still shows the product and the product doesn’t appear too small. 

• it’s nice to have several photos to choose from for a feature. Try to provide both landscape and portrait photos; with and without a model (a human touch is always nice, even if just for scale); photos on a white background (where the product can easily be cut out for a collage), large size photos and video, too.

Some bloggers/creators might email you to ask for permission and hi-res photos, but some won’t. You want them finding everything they need as easily as possible.

3. Have a complete profile. I know writing an “about me” is one of the hardest things to do. But it’s also super important. This will give bloggers a few things to write about you (and it will probably make you look more approachable to customers). So fill in not just the description of your shop, but also the page about yourself. Generally, try to make use of all the features that Etsy puts at your disposal, they’re there for a reason, and you can only benefit from them! Here is how you can best write this section of your shop, directly from Etsy.

4. Social media links. Remember how I said to make use of all the features? That applies here as well. Of course, no one says you have to be active on all networks, but remember that different people have different preferences. For some, it might be TikTok, for others, Instagram. It can’t hurt if you’re there greeting them on both. I often find artists I like on a completely different channel before checking out their Etsy shop, so. 

5. Update your shop frequently. If I’m working on a feature with a certain theme, the first place I’ll look is in my list of favorite shops. Etsy offers users an option to see “new from your favorite shops”. If you haven’t updated in forever, needless you say your stuff won’t appear there. Of course, no one expects you to come up with something new every day. But if you have a big batch of products to add, space them out instead of publishing them all at once. 

6. Shoutout! Sometimes the easiest thing you can do is just email your favorite blogger/creator and introduce yourself and your shop. Even bloggers don’t know everything that moves (shocker!), so they might actually appreciate it. Remember to keep it short and sweet, be friendly and, most importantly, include links! You want your products to be easy to find and not a treasure hunt. 

So make your products searchable, show them off with pretty and varied pictures, and don’t shy away from your about page. With regular updates and some social media buzz, you’re pretty much ready to be featured! 

Want more small business inspiration? I’ve rounded up some favorite gift ideas here and arranged them by country so you can shop locally + here is how you can support small businesses (with free options included!).