How KnotOurPlanet got started
Introduce your Etsy shop and tell us your story. How did you begin and decide on what to sell on Etsy, and how do you create your products?
I am Lara Pertschy, I am German, 27 years old, and the founder of KnotOurPlanet. I have had a creative mind since my childhood, and when I first tried macramé a few years ago, I instantly fell in love with this craft. In 2020, I decided to create my own label, KnotOurPlanet, after getting so much positive feedback on Instagram, and a few months later, I started selling on Etsy. In the beginning, I mostly sold handcrafted macramé wall hangings, garlands, keychains, plant hangers, and everything else that came to mind. Following the demand of my clients, I also offered made-to-order items. Right now, my focus lies on digital items, but that varies depending on how much time I can spend creating.
Favorite items
What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?
My favorite item in my Etsy shop is definitely the digital guide to my "ELMA" wall hanging. This was my all-time best-selling physical product, and when I couldn’t provide enough wallhangings for everyone, I decided to create a detailed and beginner-friendly guide on how to create one yourself. The guide includes basic macramé knowledge about yarns and knots, how to create different patterns, a few tips and tricks I learned over the years, and a detailed step-by-step guide on how to create the wallhanging (with lots of pictures and explanations so that everyone can do it)! Available in German and English.
On the platform, domestika I created a video course for an even more complex project (that is still absolutely beginner friendly) that contains lots more useful tricks, knots, patterns, and knowledge of all around the art of macramé.
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?
It didn’t take long to earn my first macramé sale because I already had a little follower base on Instagram from when I previously sold some items, so the transition was very easy for me. But don’t expect to get sales right away; if you are starting completely fresh, it can take a while. On Instagram, it took me a few months to earn my first sale! I can highly recommend using social media as a starting point or at least as a side project to gain reach and build your personal brand. Right now, Instagram and Etsy itself are still my main points of advertising and connecting with people/customers. On Instagram, I have to do everything by myself, and on Etsy, the automated advertising feature mostly does the job for me.
Managing KnotOurPlanet
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?
KnotOurPlanet always was and still is a one-woman show, which comes with a lot of work! For example: managing Instagram and Etsy listings; creating physical and digital content (including product photos and descriptions); packing orders; administrative work; and providing customer support! Most of these things grew over time, and I learned a lot along the way. I didn’t use that many tools or apps and tried to do everything by myself, which I honestly regret because it could have saved me so much time.
Adobe Lightroom: Product Photography
I try to maintain a unique and consistent feed on Instagram as well as on Etsy, and for my product photos, I always use my own Lightroom presets.
Further down the road, I started using:
Billbee - Invoice. A tool to generate invoices and also shipping labels or delivery notes. At first, I did everything by hand, which is a good way to start, but using tools will make paperwork a lot easier.
Marmalead, SEO Tool: Entry-level SEO and market research tool—I mostly used it to gain a bit more knowledge about how SEO works in general.
The future of KnotOurPlanet
What goals do you have for your shop in the future?
My goal is to keep up the label in a way that suits my current needs and lifestyle and allows me to stay true to myself. As a one-woman show and only part-time artist, I have a lot on my plate, so I need a dynamic setting for my brand to exist in. Staying with Etsy as opposed to creating my own website allows me the flexibility that I need. I will definitely try out a few more of Etsy’s integrations to keep things as practical as possible, and I am excited for all the things to come!
Advice for new sellers
What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?
My number one advice for selling on Etsy is to put a lot of work into your product photography! I think photos are one of -- or maybe even THE -- selling points. Your photos are the first thing a customer sees—the first one in particular. It should stand out, focus on exactly what you are selling, and not feature much else. The other photos can show more variations, interesting angles, etc. I can only recommend using Lightroom to tweak your pictures and maintain a consistent style on your shop listings.
Your listing can’t be found if you are not using the right keywords. Fill out your item descriptions carefully and add fitting keywords. Maybe even use tools to help you with that—like Alura, for example. Promote your products on social media. A social media account can really help to build your brand and attract customers. You can even run some paid advertisements or get free advertising from people sharing your work.
Create a personal "about me" page for your Etsy shop and maybe even integrate it into your item descriptions. People may like to know more about how you created something or who you are.
Ask for reviews! Always be kind and responsive to customers; asking for a review in a friendly way often does the trick, and especially product photos go a long way. I always add a little something to my packages and put in a card with information and a reminder to review the product. Listen for feedback! Customer feedback is very valuable and can often give great advice regarding your listings and general product line.
