Lately, there's been a fantastic buzz about
treasuries in the team. They're a great (free) way to promote each other, especially if shared on Twitter, Facebook and blogs. Featuring in a well thought-out collection can get you on the
front page of Etsy, which leads to hundreds of views and therefore, potential sales. Anne-Marie of
Handmade by Amo'r here, pondering what you can do to increase your chances of getting into treasuries more often. I sought some insight from a few experienced curators.
Creating a treasury is an art form in itself. I asked Fiore of
Fiore Jewellery what she looks for when choosing items for her stunning collections.
'When curating a treasury I usually start with a colour, a colour combination or a theme.' she says.
' I then look for sharp photos that fit the theme, with plain, uncluttered background - white often works very well. I often look for photos with an interesting angle, or a closeup.'I agree whole heartedly, sharp, uncluttered photos do have a better chance. Having said that, occasionally I'm surprised (and embarassed) to see my worst, darkest and dullest photos getting into treasuries. I suspect that sometimes a few um, let's say 'atmospheric' rather than 'dull', photos get chosen to contrast with sharper, brighter pics and make them stand out. My photo is in it for the wrong reasons but 'who cares?' I cry 'I'm
in it!'
That's all very well, but the offending items remain, unsold, in my shop so it's time to reshoot a few. If you need help with the all-important photos,
this post by Ruth of
Nicedaydesigns may be of use.
Margo of Lilabelle Design is another prolific treasury curator.
'I enjoy creating treasuries but also browsing through them. The ones with a theme/story always catch my eye. A theme can be built up with items from one category e.g birds, love, spring weddings or by using color.Check out The Painted Rabbit blog where "Treasuries take individual items and turn them into beautiful, moving, and even emotional collages. " I was delighted to have my "Enchanted Feeling" treasury featured here.'
'Hand in hand with theme comes trends. What is currently in vogue? Ideas can come from anywhere; bus stop posters, magazines, things people say. I recently did one with ballet as theme and the film, Black Swan" was the trend, see "Raising the barre" .'To keep ahead of trends,
Etsy's Merchandising Desk is the place to go. I usually try to list a few seasonal pieces or 'hot trend' items each month. However, tweaking how you present and describe items already sitting in your shop can be just as effective.
Once you have your 'hot' items, tagging well will help you get found, not only by buyers but by treasury curators on the hunt for suitable items. Use all 14 tags and include terms to describe the item, the colours and when appropriate, to tie in with current trends and themes.
Using your team tag 'craftyirelandteam' on all your items increases the chances of you getting into a team treasury.
I've noticed that since I finally started making treasuries a few months ago, I get featured in them more and more. So it seems a big key to getting into treasuries, is to
make treasuries.Rachel of
Balanced curates a staggering number of
gorgeous treasuries every month. She also gets featured regularly and is no stranger to that holy grail, the front page.
'I believe I've had the best luck with reciprocal treasuries.' she comments.
'Sometimes I like to make one, specifically as a show of gratitude, by including all the shops who have featured me recently.
I've also recently joined a treasury team, so we are always promoting each other as well as other favorites. I highly recommend joining a treasury team (or any team, and do use your team tag!) if you enjoy making them. The more you make, the more shops you feature, the better your chances of you being featured in turn.'
This goodwill is probably true of all networking within the site. Etsy is a community. Getting involved by participating on the
discussion forums, making or commenting on treasuries, or whichever way you choose, can come back to you threefold. I find there's a lot of kindness on the site and within the
Crafty Ireland Team, where crafters are always willing to help each other out and repay the complement.
