Guide to Etsy shop branding

How to easily brand your Etsy shop using this simple guide and free branding printable.

Etsy is a vast market place, and it’s almost impossible not to notice how some shops just seem to look tidy, neat, and sophisticated, all at once.

We are naturally attracted to them and more than once I’ve visited a shop and just had to have something, anything because it just looked so delicious.

Well, this all comes down to branding on Etsy.

Branding, in general, can be a hit or miss affair, some just have it, and some need to work that little bit harder to achieve any sort of branding at all.

Everyone is their brand in someways, from the way you style your coffee table, (or not) to the way you dress.

It’s all about branding.

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If you haven’t yet opened your Etsy shop you can find all the information on Starting on Etsy

Worried you haven’t found the right name for you Etsy shop

What is branding

We might think of branding as the logo of our Etsy shop and end there. But that’s not the end of it. – branding reaches much much further.

It covers everything from the way you photograph your products, the products themselves to how to communicate with your customers.

Often it’s a natural fit to what you are attracted to. I love flowers, so my branding often includes some feminine touch and it suites my products or watercolour prints.

I’d never use dark themes or rigid fonts because it just doesn’t look as attractive to me.

Branding is every action you take that involves customers, or your customers can see.

Why is branding so important?

How many times have you purchased something which you don’t need? – lots, I know I have. But why? – is it to satisfy some internal urge we have to gain something new, pretty, or inspiring?

I bet you have something like this.

Why do you go to a particular restaurant? – is it because the food tastes great? – of course – is it more fundamental than that? – Enjoy the atmosphere, love the cutlery? – feel at ease in the beautiful surroundings?

Every time you go in Anthropology – do you just have to have something, anything – to feel satisfied? I know I do.

This is branding.

And although you don’t have to master it – you should have some basic understanding of branding, to help you understand why one visitor to your shop makes a purchase, and the other does not.

If you can master branding – you will understand your product, your customer and your results far more clearly when it comes to your Etsy shop.

Creating an excellent comfy brand now on Etsy also ensures you can build your brand off Etsy when you grow.

How to create a brand on Etsy?

You now know that branding covers so much more than your logo, and it is such a huge topic, we can only really cover the basics of branding here.

If branding is something, you want to get right, especially if you are in a saturated market, it’s worth investing some time getting it perfect.

Etsy themselves consider branding important in their handbook.

I recommend the following branding books which hold your hand from start to finish, are beautifully put together to inspire and indulge in your business branding.

Image with text The big guide to branding on Etsy

What can you use to brand your business on Etsy?

Within your Etsy shop – your branding would encompass all of the following and more.

Your shop header image or Etsy banner
Etsy shop icon
Shop logo
Colors on Etsy
Shop name
Shop owner image
Customer service
Product images
Styling your shop
Categories
Your description
Feedback from customers
Shop announcement
Updates
Message to buyers
Anything you use for packaging and inserts customers receive

So you see it can cover a multitude of areas which you have control over in your shop.

7 ways you can build a brand on Etsy

Your Mission Statement
Know your why, what you want to be known for
Make a mood board
Know your vision
What’s your shop story
Create your style
Name your Etsy shop

But let us start with just the basics.

Do you have a shop mission statement?

What is a mission statement?

Why did you start your Etsy shop in the first place? – I know, besides money. Did you begin your crochet pattern business to inspire people to begin their crochet hobby to alleviate mental illness or create something beautiful to hang full of memories?

You can start with a few questions to get your ideas out.

Answer the following questions and begin to record what your brand is, or what it can become.

Know you’re why?

Why are you doing this and not something else?

What do you want to achieve with your business?

What makes your products different to the rest, what is it that you are offering which is unique?

Are you solving a problem which the others are not?

Having a great idea is one thing, executing it and making that thing happen is something else altogether.

Write at least one sentence which explains why you are doing this. What’s it all about?

Create a mood board for your Etsy shop

One of the easiest and simplest ways to get your branding sorted and figure things out in your head is to create a Mood board. You can do this physically or like me, virtually on Pinterest.

Get started by using Pinterest to promote your Etsy shop –

Pinterest branding board

Pinterest colour board

Don’t just add lots of photos you like this is not going to help you. They need to pull together to draw the customer in through a collective style.

Simply pick 1-3 pics of the following and add them.

A font you love
A secondary font you love
1-3 pattern you like
Several colours you are drawn to
Photos which reflect the style you want and the colours
Some examples of logos you like

Get creative, placing things together on a board or take some pictures to capture the elements of the brand you have chosen.

You can do this with leaves, flowers, objects from your home, colour cards from your store.

Collect objects from around your home which you are attracted to.

Style them together to create a theme you love.

Get creative.

Simple is often best.

Be brave in your choices.

image of styling on a mood board with items

The vision for your Etsy shop?

Now you need to understand what your vision is for your shop. What do you want it to become? Think big here – visualise your perfect Etsy shop and processes.

Here are a few questions to help you see this.

Why is your product better than the next best one?

Are you solving a problem which the others are not?

Is there something you are using which your competitors are not?

What does my niche use? – and how can I put my spin on this?

Perhaps you show off your earrings in a particular light or with a specific background, why have you done this? Is it because the colours of your earrings change in the light?

What’s your shop story?

Where did you come from, what inspired you to do this?

Is there something you can show in your branding, which brings your background into it?

Memorable branding incorporates something personal unique to your brand; it has a tie to you – it creates a connection with your brand, and we love personal stories.

So if you can incorporate something about you into your brand – it works well.

What inspired you to make these products?

What’s your style?

You may have to live with your brand for a long time, so you have to like it. You have to feel good when you see it. Branding is more of how this will make you feel when you view it. So stay close to what you love.

Are you a passionate person with a scented personality?

Do you love detailed graphics with details or large bold styles?

What styles are your drawn to? And can you incorporate this into your brand?

I love flowers, blowsy blooms and exaggerated colour. I like anything with a summer feel – typically English and bloomy.

It might seem overwhelming, and of course, it doesn’t have to be perfect, I don’t believe it’s necessary to have all the pieces in place at this stage.

Just know without any hesitation what you like, why you want it, what your why is, and how this can be incorporated into your brand.

What’s in a name?

I chose my shop name in a flash. I had so many perfect business names all lined up, perfect, attractive, almost gorgeous on the screen, and guess what; they had all gone. Every one of them was not available.

Don’t have a perfect name for your shop yet, no problem – help on creating a name for your Etsy shop is here.

Try to choose a name which gives the nod to your style. If you can incorporate keywords, this is better, but many brands do well because they are unexpected.

I follow a lady called Flowerona. A perfect name for a blog about flowers and the lady who writes it is called Rona.

Don’t forget your packaging on Etsy

You will likely be sending your items through the post. Now is the time to make that final connection with your customer.

Merely sending your item in a brown envelope with no note or shop branding – takes your item from buyable to forgettable. Use all you can to ensure your brand is front and center when you deliver your product.

You can find these pretty boxes for your Etsy packaging.

Make a connection.

For digital, you can do this with your message to buyers. Refer them to your Website or social media accounts which contain your branding.

Communication with your Etsy customers

Branding extends out to your customer service. The way you engage with our customers, encompassing everything from your item description to the way you answer convos on Etsy and your Frequently asked questions.

Will you keep your emails firm but friendly, light and graceful, sincere and honest?

What if I don’t know anything about branding

Now, I’m as busy as the next person – I’m reasonably confident with designing, I know what I like and how I can translate that onto the page. However, if you don’t know anything about branding and putting things together doesn’t come naturally – fortunately, there are some alternatives.

Phew! that’s great.

You can educate yourself about branding and create your brand from scratch using instructions from someone who knows about branding.

I recommend this Branding book for anyone who wishes to create their brand. It’s comprehensive and takes you from start to finish in the process, as well as showing off beautiful images and inspiring brands. A joy to read from start to finish.

Image of inside book creating mood board — Inside Brand Brilliance book.

What if I’m not comfortable choosing myself

Search on Etsy
Look at Pinterest
Look at other shops
Looks at your competitions
Look on Instagram
Look around you
Ask friends

Another option would be to purchase your branding. Although this may not be perfect, it will ensure you look professional and further forward in your business.

You can buy a branding kit from Etsy very quickly or look on Creative market for buyable solutions.

Etsy shop banner and logo design

You can create an Etsy banner in minutes in the free software Canva.com.

Your banner doesn’t have to be striking, but it should reflect your brand and is a great way to engage the customer and create an impressive looking shop in moments.

Final thoughts on this Guide to Branding your Etsy shop

Be original in your branding, keep it simple, but honest. Let the products speak for themselves and always keep the buyer in mind.

Use your branding in everything you do with your Etsy shop
Create a mission statement
Know why you started an Etsy shop
Create a mood board
Keep your future vision in mind
Use your shop’s story
Create your style
Use your name
Style your packaging
Communicate effectively
Create a banner and logo