How MassiPreciosa got started
Introduce your Etsy shop and tell us your story. How did you decide what to sell on Etsy, and how do you create your products?
I’m Carolin Soriano, the owner, and founder of MassiPreciosa on Etsy. I design and create handmade bracelets in macramé and friendship styles for the whole family. I joined Etsy in November of 2017, but it wasn't until late January of this year that I listed my first three products.
To be completely honest here, I had no actual clue as to what I was doing, but I’m a crafter at heart, and I was going to figure it out. I’m always making things around the house: flower crowns, bracelets, wreaths, and anything I can get my hands on creatively. So I saw Etsy as a great opportunity to put my craft out there, and on top of that, as a single mom of a 3-year-old baby girl, the extra cash I could potentially make was a great incentive.
When it came down to deciding the things that I wanted to sell, I went with things I knew how to create successfully: an infinity charm bracelet, a gorgeous flower crown, and a baby bodysuit (you can’t use the word "onesie" on Etsy or you get in trouble with Gerber) with an original graphic design in Spanish. Those were all beautiful items, but I had no real understanding of what a "niche" was or what I should be focusing on when it came down to actual brand identity. I just listed my products and prayed for the best!
However, when I heard that very first "Cha-ching" on my phone, I nearly cried! "We got a sale!" I exclaimed to my daughter and we started jumping and dancing (even though she didn’t know what was happening).
As the weeks went by, I noticed that people really liked my bracelets, so I made the decision to remove everything else, and from that moment on, I only focused on creating new styles of bracelets. That was, of course, until I decided to branch out and build my own website, where I have a broader selection of accessories.
When it comes to materials, I try my best to support other small shops, so 85% of everything I use, including threads, beads, charms, and even logo stamps and ink pads, comes from other small business owners I found on Etsy.
Favorite items
What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?
It's difficult to choose a favorite, but one of them has to be my Mommy/Daddy & Me duos. My customers are the sweetest people, and the majority of them tend to send me messages about their reason for getting these bracelets. It could be because their kiddo is heading to school and having a hard time dealing with it, so mommy gets them to make their baby feel safe, grandma or grandpa wants something to share with their grandchildren, or even a parent is going on deployment. Every single story touches my heart, and it makes this little corner I have on the internet totally worth having.
Another one of my favorites is the custom-name string bracelet. Perhaps the mom in me enjoys making these because I know a little person will be walking around with it, and my girls enjoy them as well!
Getting sales on Etsy
How long did it take for you to earn your first sale and how do you currently attract customers to your Etsy shop?
My first sale came fairly quickly; I remember it like it was yesterday. Her name was Krista, and on January 27, 2018, she was my very first sale on Etsy. It is safe to say that it forever changed me. I loved the feeling that the first sale gave me so much! So much so that at the beginning I tried to give Etsy ads a try, but that didn’t really work for me. I failed miserably at running ads, so I shifted my focus to making sure my SEO is as it should be. I try my best to ensure my keywords and tags are accurate and working, as well as my photography, descriptions, and my social media, which I am not great at anymore but intend to get back on and create content more frequently. That is what drives my traffic, and I am extremely fortunate to have a large number of repeat and loyal customers.
Managing MassiPreciosa
How do you manage your shop? Are you running solo or do you have any team members? What tools or services do you use to run your shop and how do you handle fulfillment?
I’m a one-woman show! That means that every single thing falls on my lap and that is no easy task. As I previously mentioned, part of running my business includes uploading listings, product descriptions and photography, SEO, etc. On top of that every bracelet is made to order so I am constantly working, ensuring quality, packing orders and shipping them. I also pride myself on having great customer service so I make sure to already read and reply to my messages as soon as possible.
To that you can add that I am a single mom of 2 little girls now, 8 and 4 y/o, that are constantly demanding my attention. Plus I run a household, help with homework, attend school activities, and so on. There is no extra set of hands, it is a labor of love and no matter how exhausted I can be I wouldn’t change any of it. I’m doing what I love and while I was deep in a horrible and scary postpartum depression after my second child was born, my shop helped me stay busy and distracted so I wouldn’t drown. I apologize for getting so dark and personal, but that’s my reality.
Now, in terms of the apps and tools I use, I am not as organized as I wish I was. However, there are some apps that really help me and one of them changed the photography game for me.
Adobe Lightroom is amazing! I use the free app version, but I purchase presets from Etsy.
Etsy Rank is a great tool for researching keywords and optimizing your SEO.
Pirate Ship for buying labels. I prefer it over Etsy labels because I also run my Shopify website and their integration tool allows me to conveniently handle both shops in one place.
Canva gives you endless possibilities to create a new logo, a flyer, and anything you can imagine.
Alura I am definitely a new fan!
The future of MassiPreciosa
What goals do you have for your shop in the future?
For me, 2022 was a bit rough for personal reasons, but that, unfortunately, took a toll on both my Etsy shop and my website. I was unable to fully dedicate as much time to my shops as needed; that also affected my social media presence or lack thereof now, so my goal is to ensure that my shops flourish this year and continue to grow. I would like to be more active on social media to create a better platform for potential customers to find me, as well as share more of the beautiful stories my current customers make me a part of and engage more with them. I would also love to be able to fully depend on my shop's revenue to take care of my girls and my household, which is something that became more difficult last year.
Advice for new sellers
What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?
Starting a business is hard work. You won’t learn everything overnight or see results in a day or two, but if you do the work and stay consistent (like in everything else), pretty soon you’ll start to enjoy the fruits of your labor! If you love what you do, seeing your business grow is one of the most rewarding things, and I promise that the long nights and numerous headaches will be more than worth it!
Also, please remember these few things:
-Describe your items accurately. Be as clear as you can be in your description as other people will be doing the reading.
-Take beautiful, quality pictures of your products. No cluttered backgrounds; simply showcase your product in the best light.
Use the correct keywords for the product you’re listing. Do your research; your SEO will thank you by letting more people find your products, which could result in an increase in sales.
Trust the process. A lot of times we want everything to happen right away, but most times we won’t see results in an instant. It takes time, so be patient, but don’t get discouraged. Learn from your mistakes. Evolving is a part of this business; you have to listen to the feedback, apply the changes necessary, and take risks when you can. Take a break. Running a business can be a very stressful thing, so if you ever start to feel overwhelmed, walk away for a bit. Stay clear-headed.
MassiPreciosa
Handmade Accessories ♥
