Build Your Brand Through Love

Every Wednesday some of you join me here to talk about Etsy Success and Building Your Brand.  Every Wednesday I try to give you my best, easy and sound tips for succeeding on Etsy.  This week I had a question really throw me for a loop.  This question inspired today's blog post.

Etsy Success: All You Need is LOVE

A teammate asked me this week if she should make what sells or make what she loves.  Allow me to be honest.  If you truly want to succeed at your Etsy store, then the answer can only be one thing.  You must do what you love. You might think I'm crazy by saying this and some of you may actually write me off because I have said this.  However, let's think about it.  Why would you want to sell something simply because it sells.  Very few things can actually be "timeless" in the retail sales market.  Just because J Crew's Bubble Necklace is popular today, does NOT mean that it will be popular a year from now.  This being said, while you may make some sales from a J Crew Inspired Bubble Necklace, you aren't going to solidify yourself and set yourself apart from other Etsy sellers.  Why?  Because when you type" J Crew Bubble Necklace" into Etsy, you come up with over 600 items.  The chance of someone stumbling onto your necklace and paying your handmade price instead of the overseas China knock-off prices is slim.  Why would you want to do this to yourself? Why wouldn't you want to take that same time, energy, and effort to create something that's as much about you and your personality as it is about your art form?  When people ask me how I came up with Parker, the answer is easy.  Parker is an extension of myself.  I see the world the way Parker sees the world.  My Mom has told me for years that I see the world through "rose colored glasses" and my husband now echoes the same thing.  That's the main reason I love Parker, but the secondary one is this: because I have fun with Parker.  If you don't have fun in your creating and building of your brand, then why are you doing it anyway?  Now please know that you do not have to create a character like Parker to create, brand, market, and sell something you love. This is a fantastic jewelry artist, Janet Galla, that uses only buttons in her creations.  She is passionate about them and loves them! She builds them into one of a kind creations and designs that she has trademarked and copyrighted.  Listen to what she writes about a button: "A button is an incidental item, an after-thought in the world of fashion...these tiny trinkets remind us of life's biggest moments. A nervous bride recalling how her hands shook as she buttoned up her dress. A father remembering his child tugging on his jacket when standing for the first time....weaving them into wearable art that reflected the beauty of these moments."  I don't know about you, but I have never heard such lovely sentiments about a button before.  This artist has single handedly turned a button into a gorgeous work of art. So when deciding if you should make something because it sells or because you enjoy making it, I pray that you follow your heart and make something that you can pour your heart, soul, and energy into so that not only is it a joy to make, but it also brings joy to your clientele knowing that they own something that was created from the heart.  In case you STILL need convincing, you can read a similar sentiment direct from the Etsy blog. Thanks for joining me today. Join me next week to Build Your Brand on Etsy & experience success.