I came across this question on the Etsy Forums and just had to sit down and craft a response for her because I have definitely been in her shoes. And based on the numbers of responses (78 and counting), shyness and lack of confidence among creatives seems to be an epidmemic.
I hope this advice can apply to anyone who feels shy about sharing their work, whatever it may be.
QUESTION:
Hi! Does anyone out there struggle to market their shop (and, by extension, themselves) due to shyness or uncertainty that their work is even good enough to sell?
MY ANSWER:
This is a topic near and dear to my heart! I speak from experience. I have social anxiety plus shyness so it made it even harder when I first started out way back in 2011. So from one shy girl to another...
I have two suggestions for you and one crazy idea
1) Love what you do! This may seem obvious but appreciate your art for what it is. Think about why you do it. What do you love about it? Why is it unique? How do you feel when you make it? Write a list in detail. (If you need inspiration, read your customer reviews!)
When you're clear on why you love it, you can start to convey that to your potential customers. Your enthusiasm will be contagious and affect how you photograph it and how you write about it. Paraphrasing, Marie Forleo, your art and creativity is a gift that only you have. It would be a shame not to share it.
2) Focus on areas that you are already good at or things you would love to improve (that don't involve direct marketing to people). For me, I loved photography. So I spent a lot of time taking photos and learning how to improve them...maybe taking a class or joining a photography forum or watching YT videos. Or maybe you enjoy writing. Focus on improving your item descriptions - making them engaging.
Both of these are more introspective activities that you can do on your own from the privacy of your own home. But once you hit publish on your listing, they have the potential to reach your customers. They will also lay the foundation for social media marketing down the road and you WILL gain more confidence as an artist as you start to get positive feedback from customers.
3) And my final suggestion, which will probably sound insane is... apply for a craft fair/farmers market/pop-up shop/group show etc. This is probably not possible right due to the current lockdown, but maybe tuck it away for later. I think it's an effective way to boost your confidence and develop a thicker skin.
Not only will you get lots of hopefully positive feedback from customers and fellow/sister sellers, you will learn so much about who your customer is, what people gravitate towards, how people might use your items, how to display your items etc.
All information that you can use to keep improving your business. You will also meet other sellers who probably have the same concerns and fears about marketing. And of course, you might sell some stuff! For me, craft shows definitely boosted my self-confidence as an artist.
Looking back on Etsy career, I know it has had a huge impact. When I started selling my work in person and got mostly positive feedback from strangers, I got the validation I needed to start seeing my work as valuable. Of course, I was a nervous wreck when I did my first fair! It will be hard, but worth it.
Good luck!
Cathy