How To Get Your Etsy Shop Involved

Hi Everyone!
I wanted to take a quick minute to give a little insight on why and how to get your Etsy shop involved in our First Friday Art Walk Weekend.

First - What is this First Friday Event?

Simply - this is a date - a goal - something we all can put on our calendar and give ourselves something to look forward to every month to help promote our Etsy shops and our "Art".

It is a celebration and a gathering of people from all over the world that are trying to live their lives in some creative way and express their interests and get noticed.

This First Friday Art Walk Weekend "Event" is basically a monthly blog post on First Friday where we link up to our "Event" discussion thread on our team page. Our members have listed items from their shops in that event page, and over the weeks prior to First Friday are helping to promote each other through Etsy treasury collections and social media outlets.

If you are just visiting here - looking for something special to buy, looking for inspiration, looking for some retail therapy - then you know that over the First Friday of every month, you can stop by and see a bunch of cool work (art work, supplies to make artwork, vintage collectable items). You can click on the blog post for First Friday, and simply click through to the "event" thread on our Etsy Team page.

And WHY should you get your Etsy shop involved?

If you are an Etsy seller, making your own work, selling supplies to make work, or vintage collectable items, you are welcome to join our Art Walk Etsy Team (AWETeam) and add up to 4 items from your shop to our monthly "event" thread.

We also have discussion threads designated to specific colors, themes, seasons, etc where you can add a few items from your shop every so often (just don't be spammy).

Our team members enjoy making AWETeam Treasuries featuring at least 50% AWETeam members.
This helps to spread the word about the AWETeam and will hopefully get new shops to join our team and participate in the monthly event thread.

We have social media outlets:
1. Facebook
2. Twitter
3. Pinterest
4. Instagram using #FirstFridayEtsy

And our team members use:
@FirstFridayEtsy
#FirstFridayEtsy
#AWETeam

And all of our members are invited to post an Etsy Mini of their shop for our Team Members Shops page. This page is like virtual window shopping at any time during the month!

So what are you waiting for?
You should get your Etsy shop involved and participate every month to celebrate this Art Walk…

PS - Always get out and check out your local art scene too!
We have a page designated for local art walks and would love to add yours (just comment below and we'll do what we can!)

So, What is First Friday Art Walk on Etsy.com

Sometimes I feel like people keep asking me the same question.

What is First Friday Art Walk on Etsy?

If you want the details, we have an entire ABOUT page.

And if you read it, you will probably gloss over and just not "get it" because it is more than 140 characters long.

But there is a lot of info there you can go back and reference.

Sometimes you just have to jump in and try something...

Short and sweet:

The First Friday Art Walk is a "Blog Hop" event where a bunch of people that are selling their work on Etsy.com show off their new shop items (and maybe even run a special for the event).

In 2013 we clarified the question:

Where does "the event" happen?

It happens here, on the AWETeam blog.

The AWETeam (Art Walk Etsy Team) is the founding team that started this monthly event.

When does it happen?

Over the First Friday Weekend of every month.

PS - Lots of links on the site bar of this blog (not mobile view).

Why did this event start?

People selling on Etsy.com wanted a regular event where they could show off their new work.

So the AWETeam was formed from a couple of great women...

It has changed over the years due to team & forum changes, leadership and technology.

And we now work the entire month leading up to First Friday by posting new work in the thread, creating Treasuries, and sharing things socially. Then when First Friday rolls around, all the work is done and we can all just sit back and click and cruise all the cool work & maybe get something great out of it!

What is an "Art Walk"?

Traditionally, Art Walks or Art Loops happen locally on the First Friday of every month here in the U.S. where galleries and shops host a small "Opening Celebration" for their new show for that next month. 

Lots of people come and see the work, enjoy beverages and finger foods and of course: ART!

Why should you join this event?

If you have a shop on Etsy.com and you want to market your work and do it in a way that will also give you a supportive network of fellow Etsians to work together with,

this is a great event to join in on.

For individual shops:

Join the AWETeam.

The AWETeam has a team Pinterest Account.

A FaceBook Page.

Twitter: 

#AWETeam, #FirstFridayEtsy #FFAW @FirstFridayEtsy

And of course, this blog...

Why should your Location or Theme Team join?

This gives your team a monthly event to participate in.

You can market the Art Walk to upcoming trends, local events, holidays, celebrations, etc.

It gives your members an actual deadline to get new work listed.

So there is motivation.

Not to mention that individual shops and teams get exposure through cross promoting,

especially the week leading up to the First Friday Art Walk Weekend.

Want to get your Team involved?

Join the First Friday Art Walk Weekend Team for Teams

Really, it is simple to join up for a Team.

1. Join the FFAWW Team for Teams.

2. Create a thread on your team board the month prior to the event.

3. Link the thread up to our blog hop (link in private thread).

4. Get team members involved:

~Each shop adds 4 items from their shop

~They can create team treasuries 

~They can share and promote via social media.

Who sees the Art Walk Blog Hop?

Anyone that clicks on links to this blog can find the First Friday Art Walk Posts.

Those posts contain links to:

1. AWETeam threads

2. Location Team threads

3. Theme Team threads

This has the potential to grow exponentially.

It is a seed that is planted in the soil, waiting for a bit of rain and sunshine.

You should join in and watch this Art Walk Garden grow!

Click and join: Shops or Teams

Then help promote and get more people to

Click and Blog Hop this Art Walk!

See you back here on April 5, 2013 for the three posts for First Friday Art Walk Weekend!

2013 Art Walk Etsy Team Updates

About this team (New as of January 16, 2013)

The First Friday Art Walk Team (AWETeam) is the official team hosting the the "First Friday Art Walk Weekend" on Etsy.com.

First Friday Art Walk on Etsy was established in June 2009, with the formal AWE Team being established in September 2009 to promote and support Etsy sellers interested in showing off work in their shops for First Friday Art Walk.

The First Friday "event" happens over the weekend of the First Friday of every month. It is a visual tour of the new work of our team members. Some shops like to offer promotions during this time, others just want to get their work out there.

As we enter into 2013, the AWETeam is changing up the ways we approach the FFAW "event" and how our team promotes items. These efforts will in turn let us as a team promote this event and our member shops through our established social media outlets.

To make things flow easier, more organized and hopefully without a lot of stress to members, we are now creating posts a month in advance of First Friday, so we can all promote the team up until the deadline (The goal! The celebration! The weekend that beckons you out of your hole to see ART!), which is formally: First Friday Art Walk Weekend.

We are looking for members to join that are interested in not only promoting their work, but other team members work as well through treasuries, blog posts, social media outlets, and other ideas that may come about as technology advances and the promotional flow of Etsy.com proper changes. 

We need Members:
~That like to promote for upcoming trends and themes.
~That like are interested in helping re-establish this team and help it grow and possibly even as an event that Etsy.com proper would like to help promote on their calendar, blog and emails.
~That like to have a deadline to work towards to keep themselves creative and making new work and keep their shops fresh and new.
~That like to have their work seen, possibly purchased and promoted.
~That like to be part of team that starts to feel like extended family.

We do not need Members that:
~Post their items and disappear for months.
~Add the team tag to a few items, then never participate in team threads, events, etc.
We understand life gets the better of us at times, but please take just a moment to heart a few fellow member items. Heart, click, and comment on a few treasuries. 

You don't have to be on the ball 24/7 with this team. But a quick weekly checking-in and adding items, or hearting a few items, or commenting on a team treasury, etc, is highly recommended and greatly appreciated!

For more information about the the direction of the AWETeam and First Friday Art Walk Weekend on Etsy.com for 2013, please see this discussion thread:http://www.etsy.com/teams/5635/aweteam/discuss/11558833/

To tweet FirstFridayArtWalk items add @AWEteam.

Visit our team blog! http://aweteam.blogspot.com/

Become a Facebook fan! http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Friday-Art-Walk-on-etsy/12­6995814016699

Have questions? Please ask on our Forum's Chat Thread!

Team Captain:
Marsha of MarshaNealStudio.Etsy.com
Major Team Blog Contributor and 2013 Captain of AWETeam

Team Leaders:

#1. Michele of PixesTreasureChest.Etsy.com
Team Blog Creator, Team Leader/Forum Moderator

#2. Valerie of PonderosaQuilter.Etsy.com
Team Leader/Forum Moderator

#3. Chris of Chris1.Etsy.com
Team Leader/Forum Moderator

AWEteam logo is courtesy of: http://www.etsy.com/people/jenergydesigns