Hi All, I haven’t sold on Folksy for sometime as I struggled with sales and found I was only selling to other sellers; I have been considering giving it another go, so would like to know how everyone’s sales are going and is there an app yet?
Donna x
Speaking for myself, sales have been pretty terrible… I think you really need to push the Social Media side of things if you want to be successful on here (something I have personally been quite resistant to consistently do, I just don’t like it!) but if you can spend as much time doing that as you do making, it seems to work for a lot of people. You’re lucky to have sold to other sellers - I never (knowingly) have, even though I’ve spent far more buying from others on here than I have ever earned through sales! I think other sellers probably make up quite a large percentage of buyers on Folksy, so if you’re selling to us, you’re doing OK! Sorry to sound negative, that’s only my story, and I’m sure other people will have more positive news!! Good luck.
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Sadly, I have a negative story too. I push Social Media a little but I gave up office work to concentrate on my “creative side” so I really don’t want to spend too much time online. On the other hand I don’t want to leave Folksy but I am on the lookout for other selling mediums 
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The main positives for me are the fact that this is a genuinely ‘handmade’ platform, and there are some wonderful makers that you are in company with, also the community can be very supportive when you’re struggling (and when you have little successes too!). While I’m still making things, I will continue to use Folksy as it’s the best option from those standpoints, but not sure how long my creativity can survive no buyers! Sometimes I feel like giving it all up, but at the moment, making stuff is keeping me going! Sorry to hear you’re struggling too, and wish you the best.
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Thank you for your replies, I think I’ll save the monthly fee for now as I don’t really do social media. I haven’t got the time or patience for all the drama that seems to come with it! I will keep checking back to see if things improve as I do like folksy and the wonderful community that comes with it 
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I hope you get some positive replies too! I’d hate to think I’d put you off. Of course, it also depends on what you make and how commercially viable that is, among many other factors. I couldn’t see pictures of any of your items as I assume you’ve put your shop ‘to sleep’? Anyway, wish you all the best for whatever you decide to do.
My sales are going very well. I use social media to promote my shop and always have done and in these lockdown days, if, like me, you are selling the sort of things which people gift to each other, then it is no surprise to find that recent year’s sales have been excellent.
But please note that on the forum we do have quite frequent negative posts about sales and the answer always given, as mine is here, is that promotion Is needed if you want to have a successful shop. If you check the successful shops you will find that they use social media.
Now we are here in 2021 in this modern digital world and also this most recent covid world of enforced online selling and much reduced face to face, social media is absolutely essential to any successful attempt to sell online.
So if you want to join the online selling ‘revolution’ you really do need to do what is needed to maximise the opportunities.
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I try to encourage Folksy sellers on here with their shops and offer whatever advice I can so that they too can have successful shops. I also bear in mind that customers can see posts like this and may well be put off Folksy if they read too many sellers comments about lack of sales.
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I apologise if I may have overreacted as I felt your comments were directed at me. When someone is obviously feeling a bit low already about their sales, a sensitive approach and an awareness about how comments might be interpreted, can go a long way.
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I do okay would like to do more but also get sales privately from F & F etc.
For sales away from F & F you do have to work at it and on SM a lot throughout the day. I believe you get in what you give out so yes it does take work but anyone running a business has to constantly be promoting products and yourself. John Lewis although well know constantly advertise and promote through SM. No one can afford to sit back and expect to be found, sadly this is the truth.
Like setting up a stall at a fair and sitting behind the table with no thought to display, interaction to customers etc online is no different.
All selling platforms will be the same you have to work at it or just use as a showcase but don’t expect to get sales for no effort. There are those that do more for you such as advertising but very, very expensive for the subs and comms.
Folksy suits me love the people on here and have always found very helpful including Joy.
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Donna Folksy is a brilliant place to sell, especially now with a captive locked down market. But it does take some effort on your part. No good just listing and running, you need to also tell the customers you are here, that what you make is fantastic and that you want to sell to them. You do therefore need some form of promotion, social media of one kind or another. No B&M shop down a backstreet is going to sell anything unless it tells people that it is there and encourages them to go down that street to find them and come in the door. Online selling is just the same. We all started the same way and have learned t promote in whatever way suits us best but you do need to do some.
There are a few thousand sellers on Folksy and therefore potential buyers. There are millions out there in the real, online world. I sell to a few Folksy sellers but my main market are the people out there who found me via my promotion on Social media and my good searchability on Google via carefully set up SEO. Don’t be discouraged. There are many many happy and successful Folksy sellers. Give it another go, please.
Joy xx
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Thanks again for your replies. I have sold my soul and do quite well on eBay and Amazon, I wanted to start back up on folksy as I have always enjoyed the feel of it. I have signed back up to give it another go and will be listing again over the next few days.
@Caroleecrafts I’m not sure what F&F or sm are could you explain please? 
@JOYSofGLASS Hi Joy, it’s good to see you’re still here. I do have Twitter and Instagram but I’m not sure how to go about promoting myself. I don’t want to spam followers with pictures of my listings
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Friends and family. Social media.
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Ahhhhh thank you 
Twitter I treat with caution and only ever for my joysofglass purposes. I find it quite scary on personal posts how they can go viral and once gone they can’t be stopped . That of course is not a worry for promotional posts but even so…
In the first instance I have Pinterest and while it takes some time for your pictures to be googleable once they are it is a very powerful tool. I have lots and lots of pictures on there and Folksy and Google Analytics both tell me that I get good feeds into my shop from there … And no worry about spamming anyone… the idea is to show your pictures… so certainly recommend signing up for that if you haven’t already,
Next Instagram… I add a picture most days and try to make sure it isn’t same design as shared too recently… every now and then and totally at random I add a picture of something else… some cake, a photo taken when we are out and videos are always well received… even if its two kingfishers (glass 
banging their heads together on the window, I’ve built up my followers over time… have neve ever done the’ ‘folllow me and I will follow you back’ idea. I get traffic to my shop from IG and enquiries via comment or messages. Posting on IG is via phone and my photos are on my laptop so I have to wait until something is on Facebook to share it or faff about to get pictures onto my 3.5 year old android phone. It’s a good phone but not that good
Facebook suits me best because of the laptop thing probably. When I list something, unless I listed the same design only a couple of days ago, then I put a post about it on my Business FB page. With a photo and No commercial words in the text… no ‘shop’, ‘order’ ‘buy’ ‘££’ etc … If i need to use one of those i switch a letter… shop = sh0p.
i put the link in the first comment…never in the post itself.
If you can write the post so people are likely to inreract then that is brilliant as the more interaction the more people FB will show your post to. So Always respond to comments and that applies on Instagram too.
Hope this helps a bit.
Yes I am still here… not going anywhere fast and honestly I feel I have been profiteering from the lockdown as my sales since last March have been fantastic. My glass seems to make good lockdown post-direct presents.
Took a couple of weeks off 6 weeks ago to have a new hip but now pretty well running up to the garage (studio ) and surgeon signed me off yesterday. If I can just get rid of the still stiff bits everywhere else, reacting to my bad posture of the last 6 weeks and therefore the painkillers needed so I can sit still for more than an hour at a time I will be a very happy bunny indeed.
Good luck with your shop and just shout for advice… it is Always available and freely given on here xx
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From my own perspective my own sales are s l o w but I do make and sell off Folksy and It isnt currently my main income.
From reading replies from Folksy sellers such as @JOYSofGLASS I am trying to improve my SM interaction. Mainly with IG and Pinterest but ill have to start using FB again I think.
Find a SM platform you are comfortable with and promote the hell out of yourself.
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Lockdown has certainly helped me a lot. Last year I had about 3 times as many sales as previous years and even though we are only in the first week of March I have had more sales this year than in the whole of 2019. I use Pinterest as it’s the platform I find easiest and I chuck out the occasional tweet, but I find taking part in the daily listing challenge helps a lot as everyone else is helping to promote your items too.
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Becca Sorry if I also reacted. I wasn’t boasting or criticising in any way at all, just answering the "how are sales going " question with a positive response.
I love Folksy, been here since 2009 and have learned over time that in order to sell here you need to learn to promote.
I had no social media before I started here so have learned how to use it and to best advantage, to use the bits I like and ignore the bits I don’t. It has paid off for me, my shop really is lovely and busy and has kept me sane and happy throughout the last year instead of my pining to be away holidaying in our motorhome and spending lots of quality time with my sorely missed family.
I don’t expect it to continue to be as busy if they really are getting the vaccine right and the virus really under control. People sending gifts to their friends may in a few months time find it more fun to actually go to the B&M shops but in the meantime I will continue to make glass as fast as my customers want to buy it.
Because i love Folksy I encourage everyone to love it as much as I do and for that every shop needs to be as successful as possible so I also encourage positivity whenever and wherever possible. Hope you understand and hope your shop picks up. xxx
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Hi Joy. Thank you. I agree that SM is important, and it is a necessary evil (for me, anyway) and I do need to get used to using it regularly. I think emotions are running closer to the surface in Lockdown and we’re all looking forward to seeing and hugging loved ones again.
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My sales aren’t too bad at the moment. I still don’t get massive amounts, but they’re slowly increasing, and at the moment I’m selling more on Folksy than elsewhere.
I do make sure all my links point here though to help that (as I’d prefer to get my sales here). If you’re not promoting your Folksy shop so people know it exists, I do agree with the others that it’ll be harder to get regular sales. Not that is has to be social media if you really don’t like it, it could be handing out business cards with your Folksy link to everyone you meet, paid advertising, sites like Pinterest (I don’t really consider that social media as there’s not much contact or conversation with other users, so it avoids things like the drama).
@RedDragonDesigns For the app question, there’s something for sellers coming soon. And as you mentioned saving the monthly fee, don’t forget you don’t need a Plus account to sell. It can be the most cost effective way if you have lots of items, but for some sellers sticking to a standard account works out best. It’s nice to see you’ve decided to give Folksy another go though, and your items look good!
The one thing I would suggest (especially if you’re not planning on doing social media promotion) is make sure you use up all of your 15 tags, to give the people browsing Folksy the best chance of finding your items.
This might help - How to use tags on Folksy
As well as checking if any of this month’s theme of the day tags suit your items - Homepage themes for March 2021 - find the list here (there’s at least one tag everyone can use this month).
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