Ijeoma Eleazu's guest appearances

Ijeoma Eleazu

The Cliff Ravenscraft Show - Mindset Answer Man

Starve the Doubts

Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show

Dorie Clark

David Allen

Chris Guillebeau

Roger Whitney

Vanessa Van Edwards

Erica Mandy

Guy Kawasaki

Jason Hartman

Gary Vaynerchuk

Chris Brogan

Brad Feld

Simon Sinek

Jenny Blake

Cesar Abeid

Jared Easley

OwlTail

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Etsy Conversations with Ijeoma Eleazu

This Week’s Episode I’m excited to share an interview with a fellow podcaster this week. Ijeoma Eleazu is a calligrapher who is also the host of the Etsy Conversations Podcast. You can also find Ijeoma on Facebook, Twitter, and BlogLovin. I discovered Ijeoma when she spoke on a panel at the Podcast Movement conference in August, and I invited her on the show to talk about selling on Etsy. After the interview, I share my experience selling crochet and knitting patterns as instant downloads on Craftsy, Crochetville, Etsy, Kollabora, and Ravelry. Ijeoma’s Tips for Etsy Success  Read the Etsy Seller Handbook Join Etsy Teams Set goals based on your motivations for selling on Etsy Brand your shop and optimize your listings Engage with the Etsy community  Why Etsy? Etsy is an online marketplace focused on handmade and vintage goods, along with supplies for making handmade projects. Etsy currently has over 1 million active shops that collectively sold $1.35 billion in merchandise in 2013. An Etsy “weather report” from November, 2013 reported that over 7.4 million items sold during the month ($147.5 million of goods sold) and there were 2.15 billion page views. In addition to being a great marketplace for crochet/knitting/weaving makers, yarnies, and sellers of supplies and notions, when Etsy introduced instant downloads in spring, 2013, it became more interesting to authors and designers who want to sell PDFs. And, Etsy now curates a separate wholesale marketplace. About Ijeoma Eleazu Ijeoma Eleazu is the current (and third) host of the Etsy Conversations Podcast. I first heard about the show when I attended Ijeoma’s panel at the Podcast Movement conference. About eight years ago, Ijeoma learned calligraphy through a friend who is a wedding coordinator when she was tasked with helping out with wedding invitations. Ijeoma later took additional classes and now has a part-time calligraphy business (primarily focused on weddings) in addition to her full-time job. Ijeoma first became an Etsy seller to destash vintage sewing patterns she bought at an estate sale. Occasionally, she sells her calligraphy services through Etsy, too. In 2013, Ijeoma discovered podcasts through the Podcasts app on her iPhone. She soon became a heavy listener of both the Etsy by Etsy podcast and the Etsy Conversations Podcast. She listened to a whole year of episodes in the Etsy Conversations Podcast, but realized it had stopped airing new episodes. In the meantime, Ijeoma took the Podcasting A to Z online coaching course with Cliff Ravenscraft, host of the Podcast Answer Man. She contacted the Etsy Conversations Podcast show host, and then the show founder, and eventually became the host in September, 2013. (You can hear more details in Episode 21 of the Etsy Conversation Podcast, where Ijeoma interviews show founder, Angela J. Holden.) In my interview with Ijeoma, she shared several tips for Etsy sellers. 1. Read the Etsy Seller Handbook The Etsy Seller Handbook is a frequently updated category on the Etsy blog, and the posts walk you through every aspect of setting yourself up for success on Etsy. Ijeoma recommends reading the Handbook first so you can understand the way the platform works. In particular, she thinks their tips on branding, naming your shop, setting up listings, and optimizing keywords for their search engine are helpful for new shops. (You can find an indexed version of the Handbook archives from 2013 here and the wholesale guide for Etsy sellers here.) 2. Join Etsy Teams Etsy has literally hundreds of teams, organized by region, product type, and function (e.g., marketing). Ijeoma recommends listening to Episode 35 of the Etsy Conversations Podcast, where she interviews the owner of the Laughing Cabin Etsy shop, who is also the co-captain of the North Georgia Etsy Team, for more information about Etsy teams. An active team can help an Etsy seller in several ways, including  Clarifying updates to Etsy policy, search, or site functionality, Providing shop critiques to members to help sellers optimize listings to increase views, Taking a critical look at product presentation and sharing feedback to help convert more visitors to buyers, and Engaging in collaborative marketing efforts.   3. Set goals based on your motivations for selling on Etsy Consider your goals in opening (or maintaining) an Etsy shop. Understanding your motivations can help you to gauge your success. Is your shop there to provide side income, cover the costs of a cherished hobby, replace a full time income, and/or to support a charity? If you understand why you are getting onto the platform and know your goals, you can work towards achieving them more easily. Additionally, knowing your goal for your shop helps you to clarify your time commitment which is important because finding success on Etsy usually requires a substantial investment in time. You need to make your handmade goods or instant downloads, take shop photography, understand the platform so you can optimize your listings and tags, and market your shop.  4. Brand your shop and optimize your listings Branding can help you get noticed in Etsy’s crowded marketplace. You want to ensure that when people browse a category, they recognize your brand through your listings for future purchases. Decide who you are marketing your Etsy products to and speak their language to help them find your items. (Etsy shares 6 Tips for Defining Your Target Customer here.) Other important elements for optimizing your Etsy listings include photography, proper use of tagging, and descriptions. Tagging with keywords is critical on Etsy. Ijeoma recommends searching for similar items in another tab on your browser so you can use common and relevant keywords. There are many great articles about branding and optimizing your listings on the Etsy blog, and teams and the Etsy forum discussions are also a resource. Etsy sellers also have the option of opening multiple shops, which may be helpful if you have different target audiences. Ijeoma mentioned that it is always possible to correct your course on Etsy and to start over with your acquired wisdom. 5. Engage with the Etsy community Etsy has a supportive community environment that is different from other online marketplaces where Ijeoma has sold her crafts. Sellers often work together collaboratively rather than in competition. Many Etsy sellers are also Etsy buyers with an interest in “shopping handmade,” but for various reasons. Some may be supporting local businesses or cottage industries, others aim to move the handmade movement forward, while still others may be seeking eco-friendly products. Ijeoma interviews Etsy shop owners in every episode of the Etsy Conversations Podcast. Here are four that I found particularly relevant to yarn-related business owners:  Episode 9 with Beate from Patterns Tried and True, Episode 25 with Gloria from the Creative Glo, Episode 28 with Robyn from She Makes Hats, and Episode 29 with Hailey from Ozetta.  Ijeoma also invites Etsy shop owners to contact her if you are interested in being interviewed on her show.  Marie’s feedback on marketplaces selling instant pattern downloads In response to questions that Beth Graham, a (mostly) crochet designer and teacher, shared with me, I talk about my experience selling crochet and knitting patterns as instant downloads on Craftsy, Crochetville, Etsy, Kollabora, and Ravelry after the interview. I’ve found that easier patterns that would appeal to general crafters are more likely to sell on Craftsy or Etsy than on Ravelry. Patterns for women’s fashion accessories or garments with an easy difficulty rating seem better tailored for the Kollabora audience. And, obviously, Crochetville is specifically for crochet patterns, but I don’t think most of their users exclusively use the Crochetville marketplace for buying patterns. I find Ravelry to be the best marketplace for “die hard” crocheters and knitters, although I don’t have experience with Patternfish. Thanks for joining us for an interview, and for sharing what you’ve learned, Ijeoma! If you enjoyed this episode The Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show is no longer broadcasting. Episodes are available as a service to the yarn community. This episode originally aired in October, 2014. Be aware that content may be outdated. If you'd like to chat with other yarn-related business owners, join the Creative Yarn Entrepreneurs Facebook group. Support Marie's work by buying one of her books, Make Money Teaching Crochet: Launch Your Business, Increase Your Side Income, Reach More Students (Amazon | Gumroad) or Design It, Promote It, Sell It: Online Marketing for Your Crochet and Knit Patterns (Amazon | Gumroad).

This Week’s Episode I’m excited to share an interview with a fellow podcaster this week. Ijeoma Eleazu is a calligrapher who is also the host of the <a href="http://convome.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Etsy Conversations Podcast</a>. You can also find Ijeoma on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EtsyConversationsPodcast" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/ConvoMePodcast" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12873191" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">BlogLovin</a>. I discovered Ijeoma when she spoke on a panel at the <a href="http://podcastmovement.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Podcast Movement</a> conference in August, and I invited her on the show to talk about selling on <a href="https://www.etsy.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Etsy</a>. After the interview, I share my experience selling crochet and knitting patterns as instant downloads on <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?u=940290&amp;b=253536&amp;m=29190&amp;afftrack=&amp;urllink=www%2Ecraftsy%2Ecom%2F" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Craftsy</a>, <a href="http://crochetville.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Crochetville</a>, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Etsy</a>, <a href="https://creativeyarnentrepreneur.com/episode-9-selling-on-etsy-an-interview-with-ijeoma-eleazu-from-the-etsy-conversations-podcast/www.kollabora.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Kollabora</a>, and <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ravelry</a>. Ijeoma’s Tips for Etsy Success <ol> <li>Read the Etsy Seller Handbook</li> <li>Join Etsy Teams</li> <li>Set goals based on your motivations for selling on Etsy</li> <li>Brand your shop and optimize your listings</li> <li>Engage with the Etsy community</li> </ol> Why Etsy? Etsy is an online marketplace focused on handmade and vintage goods, along with supplies for making handmade projects. Etsy currently has over 1 million active shops that collectively sold $1.35 billion in merchandise in 2013. An <a href="https://blog.etsy.com/news/2013/etsy-statistics-november-2013-weather-report/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Etsy “weather report” from November, 2013</a> reported that over 7.4 million items sold during the month ($147.5 million of goods sold) and there were 2.15 billion page views. In addition to being a great marketplace for crochet/knitting/weaving makers, yarnies, and sellers of supplies and notions, when Etsy introduced instant downloads in spring, 2013, it became more interesting to authors and designers who want to sell PDFs. And, Etsy now curates a separate <a href="https://blog.etsy.com/news/2014/etsy-wholesale-a-new-sales-channel-for-growth/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">wholesale marketplace</a>. About Ijeoma Eleazu Ijeoma Eleazu is the current (and third) host of the <a href="http://convome.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Etsy Conversations Podcast</a>. I first heard about the show when I attended Ijeoma’s panel at the <a href="http://podcastmovement.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Podcast Movement</a> conference. About eight years ago, Ijeoma learned calligraphy through a friend who is a wedding coordinator when she was tasked with helping out with wedding invitations. Ijeoma later took additional classes and now has a part-time calligraphy business (primarily focused on weddings) in addition to her full-time job. Ijeoma first became an Etsy seller to destash vintage sewing patterns she bought at an estate sale. Occasionally, she sells her calligraphy services through Etsy, too. In 2013, Ijeoma discovered podcasts through the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/podcasts/id525463029?mt=8" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Podcasts app</a> on her iPhone. She soon became a heavy listener of both the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/etsy/id274681115?mt=2" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Etsy by Etsy</a> podcast and the <a href="http://etsyconvo.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Etsy Conversations Podcast</a>. She listened to a whole year of episodes in the Etsy Conversations Podcast, but realized it had stopped airing new episodes. In the meantime, Ijeoma took the <a href="http://podcastanswerman.com/atoz/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Podcasting A to Z online coaching cours</a>e with <a href="http://podcastanswerman.com/about/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Cliff Ravenscraft</a>, host of the <a href="http://podcastanswerman.com/category/podcastanswerman/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Podcast Answer Man</a>. She contacted the Etsy Conversations Podcast show host, and then the show founder, and eventually became the host in September, 2013. (You can hear more details in <a href="http://convome.com/angela-j-holden/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 21 of the Etsy Conversation Podcast</a>, where Ijeoma interviews show founder, <a href="http://angelajholden.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Angela J. Holden</a>.) In my interview with Ijeoma, she shared several tips for Etsy sellers. 1. Read the Etsy Seller Handbook The <a href="https://blog.etsy.com/en/category/seller-handbook/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Etsy Seller Handbook</a> is a frequently updated category on the Etsy blog, and the posts walk you through every aspect of setting yourself up for success on Etsy. Ijeoma recommends reading the Handbook first so you can understand the way the platform works. In particular, she thinks their tips on branding, naming your shop, setting up listings, and optimizing keywords for their search engine are helpful for new shops. (You can find an indexed version of the Handbook archives from 2013 <a href="https://blog.etsy.com/en/2013/the-seller-handbook-archive/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> and the wholesale guide for Etsy sellers <a href="https://blog.etsy.com/en/2014/wholesale-guide-for-etsy-sellers/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.) 2. Join Etsy Teams Etsy has literally hundreds of teams, organized by region, product type, and function (e.g., marketing). Ijeoma recommends listening to <a href="http://convome.com/the-laughing-cabin-north-georgia-etsy-team/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 35 of the Etsy Conversations Podcast</a>, where she interviews the owner of the <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheLaughingCabin" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Laughing Cabin Etsy shop</a>, who is also the co-captain of the <a href="http://northgeorgiamade.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">North Georgia Etsy Team</a>, for more information about Etsy teams. An active team can help an Etsy seller in several ways, including <ul> <li>Clarifying updates to Etsy policy, search, or site functionality,</li> <li>Providing shop critiques to members to help sellers optimize listings to increase views,</li> <li>Taking a critical look at product presentation and sharing feedback to help convert more visitors to buyers, and</li> <li>Engaging in collaborative marketing efforts.</li> </ul>  3. Set goals based on your motivations for selling on Etsy Consider your goals in opening (or maintaining) an Etsy shop. Understanding your motivations can help you to gauge your success. Is your shop there to provide side income, cover the costs of a cherished hobby, replace a full time income, and/or to support a charity? If you understand why you are getting onto the platform and know your goals, you can work towards achieving them more easily. Additionally, knowing your goal for your shop helps you to clarify your time commitment which is important because finding success on Etsy usually requires a substantial investment in time. You need to make your handmade goods or instant downloads, take shop photography, understand the platform so you can optimize your listings and tags, and market your shop.  4. Brand your shop and optimize your listings Branding can help you get noticed in Etsy’s crowded marketplace. You want to ensure that when people browse a category, they recognize your brand through your listings for future purchases. Decide who you are marketing your Etsy products to and speak their language to help them find your items. (Etsy shares 6 Tips for Defining Your Target Customer <a href="https://blog.etsy.com/en/2014/6-tips-for-defining-your-target-customer/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.) Other important elements for optimizing your Etsy listings include photography, proper use of tagging, and descriptions. Tagging with keywords is critical on Etsy. Ijeoma recommends searching for similar items in another tab on your browser so you can use common and relevant keywords. There are many great articles about branding and optimizing your listings on the Etsy blog, and teams and the Etsy forum discussions are also a resource. Etsy sellers also have the option of opening multiple shops, which may be helpful if you have different target audiences. Ijeoma mentioned that it is always possible to correct your course on Etsy and to start over with your acquired wisdom. 5. Engage with the Etsy community Etsy has a supportive community environment that is different from other online marketplaces where Ijeoma has sold her crafts. Sellers often work together collaboratively rather than in competition. Many Etsy sellers are also Etsy buyers with an interest in “shopping handmade,” but for various reasons. Some may be supporting local businesses or cottage industries, others aim to move the handmade movement forward, while still others may be seeking eco-friendly products. Ijeoma interviews Etsy shop owners in every episode of the Etsy Conversations Podcast. Here are four that I found particularly relevant to yarn-related business owners: <ul> <li><a href="http://convome.com/patterns-tried-and-true/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 9</a> with Beate from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Patternstriedandtrue" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Patterns Tried and True</a>,</li> <li><a href="http://convome.com/creative-glo/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 25</a> with Gloria from the <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/CreativeGlo" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Creative Glo</a>,</li> <li><a href="http://convome.com/she-makes-hats/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 28</a> with Robyn from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/shemakeshats" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">She Makes Hats</a>, and</li> <li><a href="http://convome.com/ozetta/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 29</a> with Hailey from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ozetta" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ozetta</a>.</li> </ul> Ijeoma also invites Etsy shop owners to <a href="http://convome.com/etsy-conversations-podcast-guest/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">contact her</a> if you are interested in being interviewed on her show.  Marie’s feedback on marketplaces selling instant pattern downloads In response to questions that <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/designers/beth-graham" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Beth Graham</a>, a (mostly) crochet designer and teacher, shared with me, I talk about my experience selling crochet and knitting patterns as instant downloads on <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?u=940290&amp;b=253536&amp;m=29190&amp;afftrack=&amp;urllink=www%2Ecraftsy%2Ecom%2F" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Craftsy</a>, <a href="http://crochetville.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Crochetville</a>, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Etsy</a>, <a href="https://creativeyarnentrepreneur.com/episode-9-selling-on-etsy-an-interview-with-ijeoma-eleazu-from-the-etsy-conversations-podcast/www.kollabora.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Kollabora</a>, and <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ravelry</a> after the interview. I’ve found that easier patterns that would appeal to general crafters are more likely to sell on Craftsy or Etsy than on Ravelry. Patterns for women’s fashion accessories or garments with an easy difficulty rating seem better tailored for the Kollabora audience. And, obviously, Crochetville is specifically for crochet patterns, but I don’t think most of their users exclusively use the Crochetville marketplace for buying patterns. I find Ravelry to be the best marketplace for “die hard” crocheters and knitters, although I don’t have experience with <a href="https://www.patternfish.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Patternfish</a>. Thanks for joining us for an interview, and for sharing what you’ve learned, Ijeoma! If you enjoyed this episode The Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show is no longer broadcasting. Episodes are available as a service to the yarn community. This episode originally aired in October, 2014. Be aware that content may be outdated. If you'd like to chat with other yarn-related business owners, join the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/CreativeYarnEntrepreneurs/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Creative Yarn Entrepreneurs Facebook</a> group. Support Marie's work by buying one of her books, Make Money Teaching Crochet: Launch Your Business, Increase Your Side Income, Reach More Students (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Make-Money-Teaching-Crochet-Business/dp/0990683419/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://gumroad.com/l/iaaVg/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gumroad</a>) or Design It, Promote It, Sell It: Online Marketing for Your Crochet and Knit Patterns (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GTBVZ9P" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://gumroad.com/l/designit" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gumroad</a>).

Episode 9: Selling on Etsy, An Interview with Ijeoma Eleazu from the Etsy Conversations Podcast