If you have goals of building your business into a trusted brand that reaches beyond Etsy, this episode is for you! This week Juliana Barbati is sharing how starting your own podcast can attract your perfect customers in droves and build a brand...
Loading summary
Lizzie Smiley
Hey, my name is Lizzie Smiley and I absolutely love helping people connect with their calling and all the tools they need to kick roadblocks and excuses right out the door so they can cultivate the life they dream about. If you want to launch, grow, pivot, or scale your Etsy shop, or you've always wanted to develop the mindset and skills to run your own business, then I'm your girl. I've had that entrepreneurial spirit going strong since my very first lemonade stand. And now I'm a work at home mama with multiple online companies and a full time Etsy shop, all while being present with my kids for the everyday chaos and most important milestones. On this podcast, we'll talk about all things business, mindset, Etsy, creativity, dazzling our customers, and so much more. There's plenty of room at this table for you, so scooch on in and let's go. I'm holding nothing back. Welcome to how to sell your stuff on Etsy. I'm so glad you're here. Hi, guys. Welcome back to the podcast. I'm so excited. I don't know how long you've been here listening, but a few years ago, I connected with this gem of a human, Juliana Barbati. She got the most beautiful accent. She is Brazilian. She is gorgeous. She is. She's just like, she's got that hippie soul even more than me. And so I just love her so much. And she reached out to me via email not that long ago. She's like, girl, we need to have this conversation again. I am still sitting here staring at your space and not seeing Etsy sellers start podcasts when it could literally be like the backbone foundation of their business. It could be driving them crazy traffic. And I'm like, you know what? We are all in a time right now where we can use as much of that as we can get. So we needed to have this conversation. I'm really excited. It's very meaty, it's very chill, we're having a good time. And Juliana is so always, like, very gracious and giving us lots of information. So let me tell you a bit about her and then we'll welcome her. Juliana Barbati is a podcast studio strategist and consultant and the owner of a small podcast production agency that supports entrepreneurs in growing shows that align with their voice and values. She specializes in marketing, SEO, copywriting, and podcast monetization. But what really drives her is helping people share their voices and stories in a meaningful way outside the podcasting world. Juliana is your typical hippie homeschooling mom, a vegan kitchen alchemist, and a homesteader wannabe who's always down a new rabbit hole. She's all about slow living, intentional choices, and raising wild kids in the tropics of Central America, usually barefoot and probably sipping something green. Are you in love yet? Because it's so good. So let's dive into it. Let's find out if a podcast could be a really good fit for you in building your brand and selling more Etsy products. Please help me welcome Juliana to the podcast. Juliana, hey. Welcome back to the podcast.
Juliana Barbati
Well, thank you for having me. I'm so excited to be here again.
Lizzie Smiley
How long ago was the last one? Was it two years now?
Juliana Barbati
Yes, it was before I had my baby. So, yes, about two years ago.
Lizzie Smiley
Yeah, we both had to go and have kids in there. It's okay. We're both. We're gonna survive. We're gonna survive. But I've just. I've enjoyed keeping up with you over the years, and I love your energy and your sweet spirit and your brilliant brain. And so I'm so glad you suggested that we talk about this again, because I think it's something that Etsy sellers don't even think about as they're building their brand. So talk to us about, like, how can hosting a podcast completely change the game for an Etsy seller?
Juliana Barbati
Y. So, first of all, it's a strategy that I really don't see many people doing in general. Right. Most people are. I mean, Pinterest number one. Like, no brainer, everybody, please be on Pinterest. Right?
Lizzie Smiley
Yep.
Juliana Barbati
But what if you could show up once a week on a podcast, record your episode, actually talk to the ideal person, like your ideal buyer, talk to their struggles, to their desires, and put in your product in there as the natural solution. What would that do for you, for your brand, for your visibility? Because here's the thing. As an Etsy seller, you have to know the world of SEO and podcast is no different. Right. Like, you are using SEO so that you can rank higher in the algorithm. The thing that I tell everybody is that out of all the platforms that we're talking about, SEO, Pinterest, Etsy, YouTube, Google, everything, podcasting is the easiest one to crack when it comes to SEO. So really, with a very. Yes, even somebody with a very basic level of understanding of SEO and doing some SEO keyword research can kill it on the podcast. And in the podcasting space, it's like the one thing that, like, 99% of podcasters still don't understand. That the podcast app is a search engine. So for example, if I want to learn how to sell on Etsy, I'm going to go to the podcast app and type how to sell on Etsy and your show is going to come up and I'm going to start listening to you. So basically, Lizzy, the same way that you have a podcast that teaches people how to sell on Etsy and people have found you through the podcast, right? Like you are confirming right now that this works because your podcast listeners found you on the side of the podcast app. So now we're going to take the same concept but apply it to your Etsy shop. And there you have like this whole way to market your shop in a way that people are just not doing, in a way that's not competitive, in a way that doesn't suck the life out of you. Because yes, Pinterest is fun and all that, but you know, you have to keep up with your account, right? Like you cannot just post a pin today and like disappear. You have to stay on top of the algorithm, right? And like, let's not even talk about Instagram and TikTok, right? Like you cannot just make a TikTok today and like never show up again, right? Well, the thing with a podcast is that your content is evergreen, you know. So for example, I don't know if your listeners know this about me from, you know, and maybe they didn't haven't listened to the last episode, but I used to actually sell on Etsy myself and back when I had my Etsy shop, I don't, don't have one anymore or I closed the original one that I had. I started a podcast for it and I was making sales because it was the same thing. I just, it was a non toxic living podcast. I used to sell like kitchen scrubbers. There were like chainmail scrubbers like for your cast iron pots and stuff like that. So anyway, I had that, that was my main product for, for a very long time. And then towards the end of my, my Etsy career, I started making not templates like ebooks and things like that on non toxic living because you know, we roll as a hippie. So I would pitch them on my episode and people were just from the podcast would come over and buy and it was great. Yeah, I just, I love the strategy so much because you know, if I still had my, that, that Etsy shop and I still had my podcast, I would still be making sales because the content is evergreen. So like let's say you're like, okay, you're telling me I need to show up once a week. Yes. But if that, if that is not really something you can see yourself doing right, you can still create a library of episodes. Say you have 12 to 15 episodes. It's an evergreen podcast, and people are still listening to you, the content is still relevant, and they're going to come and find your shop and buy from you, and all you have to do is create those 15 episodes. I will say, though, I am a fan of having those more consistent episodes, they tend to work better. You're more relevant not because of the algorithm itself, but because me as a listener, I want to know that you're still active. So that's why I recommend you just being active. But, yeah, it's a strategy that people are just not aware of yet. But it works.
Lizzie Smiley
I had never thought of the fact that you really could kind of get a library of episodes out there and you wouldn't necessarily have to tend to it.
Juliana Barbati
That's really.
Lizzie Smiley
That's a very interesting thought there, you know, for people who maybe don't want to necessarily keep up with it. But. So were you saying it actually doesn't affect the algorithm, whether. Because on Etsy, you can revive a dead shop, for example, by starting to list again regularly. If you start putting new listings out, your shop that otherwise isn't getting sales could, you know, not. Just like the whole shop could kind of come back to life. Is. Does the. Do you. And sometimes the algorithms I know are such a mystery. We don't know. Are you able, Are we. Are we able to get that information about, like, you know, the Apple podcast.
Juliana Barbati
App, for example, all these algorithms, like you said, they are a mystery. But I have tested this because, you know, I own an agency, right? So I have worked with. With many different clients. I have clients who launched a podcast and they're like, you know what? I don't want to do this anymore. But their podcast is still live, and if I search, you know, whatever key term that they were going for in the specific podcast, their podcast will come up. So, as a matter of fact, let me try this. So my, my old podcast, when I started my podcasting career, I was talking about Etsy because that was my experience. I was teaching moms how to make money from home because I, I figured out a way, you know, one of my most downloaded episodes is called Etsy SEO. And I forget what I call, like, Etsy SEO finally explained in a way that you, you understand, or something like that. That is my top downloaded episode. And, like, look, I just Put an Etsy SEO on the podcast app. The first episode that comes up is mine.
Lizzie Smiley
Okay, let me try. So interesting. Let me try it online. Because you probably follow that podcast, right?
Juliana Barbati
Yeah, I'm just following my podcast and I probably will get a different. If I go on my, on my desktop, what will happen?
Lizzie Smiley
Oh my gosh.
Juliana Barbati
What do you see?
Lizzie Smiley
No, you know what I do do I follow your show? You came up at the, you came up as the first result and the last episode. It's the episode it's showing us from October of 2020.
Juliana Barbati
Isn't that insane? And I don't know.
Lizzie Smiley
I don't know. This is embarrassing, but I don't know how to look at the episode and figure out if I'm following your show or not. Let me see here.
Juliana Barbati
So if you follow.
Lizzie Smiley
I'm not following your show. I'm not. Oh my gosh. You just proved this, that I'm so excited. This also means I could, I'm not going to take a break, guys, but this means I could take a break. My business could continue a little bit.
Juliana Barbati
100 like, listen to this. So I put in Etsy SEO. The first podcast that comes up is mine. How to set up your Etsy shop on Amazon or Amazon. I made $3,000 in seven days. And then the, the third episode is one that just came out May 31 by another Etsy podcaster. Right? So like, guys, this stuff works and like nobody's doing it. Like.
Lizzie Smiley
Okay, I have another question. Yeah, say it, go ahead. No, I'm getting excited.
Juliana Barbati
I was just gonna say the same way that you listener found Lizzie by searching on the podcast app how to sell your stuff on Etsy, you know, Etsy SEO, whatever other thing, and you found her. That's how your people are going to find, find you in your shop. Well, eventually your shop through your podcast. But that's how they're going to find you. That is the magic sauce right here. It's a proven concept. It's just nobody is taking advantage of that yet.
Lizzie Smiley
They're really not. And so here's, here's my other question for you. So on Etsy, when we are trying to decide, make, make a data based decision about what to sell, what the next product is, that we should roll out the next listing or whatever. There are keyword research tools that we're able to use to figure out what the demand is, to kind of guess what the demand is and then what the competition is. Is there the same thing for podcasts?
Juliana Barbati
Well, that is not really how I have Ever done research like that. So, for example, when. When I'm helping a client either launch a podcast inside of the agency or if they. They bought my course, right? They have a general niche that they're in, right? So, like, let's say for me, my actual podcast right now talks about podcasting. So my podcast is on podcasting, right? But like, let's say I'm like, I embraced the fullness of Juliana, you know, the. The hippie, the vegan who loves conspiracy theories and whatever. Whatever. And I open up an Etsy shop. Let's just say that this Etsy shop, I'm selling print on demand, okay? And I'm just selling all my shirts on Tartaria and Little Season. And was Jesus vegan? I don't know, you guys, you just roll with me here because, you know, conspiracy theories and vegan, right? I could still make that podcast that's still a little bit more general, right? And I could still send it back to my Etsy shop. Even though my Etsy shop, I mean, it still has like a general niche, right? Like, it's not just a vegan shop, or it's not just a conspiracy shop, or it's not just a homesteading shop, right? But it's still like, under this general hippie umbrella. Let's call it that.
Lizzie Smiley
Yes.
Juliana Barbati
You know, so as long as there is like a general rhyme or reason to what you're selling and you're not selling, you know, I don't know, things that don't go together. Like you're selling, you know, hair ties, but also journals. As long as there is a focus of some sort, then this is going to work.
Lizzie Smiley
It's thinking about that perfect customer. And, like, would the perfect customer gravitate towards the different products in your shop? And that. That makes a lot of sense. So that's so interesting. So when someone starts a podcast and it. And they've paid some attention to the SEO and they've kind of put it around their. Their product that they sell on their Etsy shop or their website, whatever it may be, and they. They never really get a good listener base. What's usually the reason for that? If it's not saturated? Or is it market saturation? Is it. There's too many podcasts about that, or I'm guessing it to diagnose it. It varies every time, right?
Juliana Barbati
It can vary. There's a couple of things. But I will tell you one thing. When people come to me and they're like, I am SEO optimizing my podcast, and it's I'm not getting results. They're not SEO optimizing their podcast like there is. You know, they think they're SEO optimizing, but they're actually not. You know, so they're like, they're going after. You know, there's a whole methodology that I teach on, on keyword search, volume and all of that. They're probably way outside of that, so they think there's optimizing. But then when I look, I'm like, like, did you ask ChatGPT to make this title for you? Because this is not SEO optimized, you know, which is the other thing. You can ask ChatGPT to give you a title or any other AI. It's still not there yet. How do I know? Because I have an agency, and every week we're pumping out, you know, hundreds of titles for our clients. And like, we still do. It's. It's. We still have humans working on titles and SEO. Like we're doing, you know, like actually physically doing keyword research.
Lizzie Smiley
I'll have ChatGPT give me suggestions, but I never go with them directly. I'm always making edits because I know what they'll click on. I know what keywords need to be there, and I don't want it to sound like AI, so I use it as like an ideation tool. But it's. This is so interesting because on Etsy, like, we're literally diving into the data of how many search. How many people are searching on Etsy for, like, you know, for example, homesteader PNGs this month? Oh, there's only 20 searches a month. Maybe this isn't actually. That's not accurate. There's a lot of demand, guys, for homesteading. But if it was only 20, 20 know searches based on the SEO tool, I'm like, there's not enough demand to justify me creating this. And then the other factor is the competition. So there could be, let's say there's 2,000 searches a month for a homesteader PNG, but there's 800,000 competing listings. I don't even want to play in that. That ratio. It's like, as a platform, there's no saturation, but there are certain products that I would say the demand isn't there or the competition is extremely high. It doesn't mean don't do it. It just means understand. Understanding what you're putting the work into and what your competition is going to be.
Juliana Barbati
Yes, yes. And then, like, the way that that translates in the podcasting space is you don't need to make a podcast episode about the product itself, right? So, like, let's say, you know, you're not teaching people how to create a graphic so you can sell on Etsy. Like, that's not what you're doing. What you're doing is you're talking to. Let's say you're talking to me, the homesteader wannabe, right? And then you're making episodes for that. Like, are you trying to become a homesteader? Three steps you need to take right now to plant your garden. I don't know, something like that. Right? And then, like, let's say you sell. What can they sell on. On their shop, Lizzy, that they can.
Lizzie Smiley
Well, I loved your suggestion because we were. One of the other things I want to ask you about was, like, what kind of sellers are a good fit? And I love that you brought up print on demand. Like, let's say someone's just making a bunch of, like, hippie homesteader shirts and things like that, and they decide, well, I've always kind of wanted to be on stage. I'll start a podcast. At least I don't have to show up with makeup on. Lol. Yeah. But then, so. But then. So talk to me about what their podcast might be about. I mean, they'd have to really know that. End customer.
Juliana Barbati
Yes. And, like, the thing of it is, is this will work for the people who are committed to their shop, right? Like, the people that are like, okay, I'm gonna do this. I am invested in this, not the people that are like, how do I make money online? And I'm gonna give this thing a try, but I'm not really sure. And I'm also trying 10 different things. Like, this is for the person who is like, okay, this is it. I'm doing this. Right? So then when you create a product, there's a likelihood that what you're creating is something that you're attached to. Like, for example, me as a vegan, I'm not going to create merch for carnivores, right? Like, no matter how much demand is there, I'm not going to create merch for carnivores. So there is some, you know, this is rooted in your values, right? So then, okay, who is the kind of person who is going to buy my. My. My vegan merch, my conspiracy merch, my all of the above kind of merch, right? Then you think about the person. That person's going to be a lot like you. So what information would you need to. To hear, to get excited about so that the the next thing is to buy your product from you. You know, like, it. It's just. It requires a little bit of reverse engineering, but it's really not that complicated. So at the end of the day, you're creating the podcast episode for you a couple of years ago.
Lizzie Smiley
Yes. I love that person. Yeah.
Juliana Barbati
Yeah. Like, your person's just. She's not quite there or he's not quite there yet. Right. So. So that's how it is. It's really not complicated, you know, rocket stuff here. It.
Lizzie Smiley
No, it's not. But sometimes these things get. Get tangled in our brains. But I. I heard this quote the other day. It says, serve the. Or be the person you needed seven years ago. Five to seven years ago, kind of. And I think that's so smart.
Juliana Barbati
So this.
Lizzie Smiley
This is so exciting, Juliana, because it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what kind of seller you are. What matters is, are you serving a niche? It doesn't matter if you sell stickers, if you sell shirts, and it's print on demand. If you sell handmade something, if you sell vintage, it doesn't matter what the product is. Any product can work, so long as you're going hard on a niche. You are like, selling to you a few years ago, you're even selling to yourself now. You understand, you're finding your people basically through the store. And believe me, you start a podcast, you're going to have so many friends you. You can't even imagine. It's the best. It's actually one of the unexpected benefits is like the. The connections you're able to make through that. The common bonds. Um, you're one of them, Juliana. But it doesn't matter what the product is. It matters. Are you. Are you selling to a particular niche? And those. You don't have to do that on Etsy, but those shops tend to be the ones that become the mega sellers.
Juliana Barbati
Yes, it's all. It's always right. It's the old saying, the riches are in the niches. And that is very true. That's really all it takes. Even going back to the question you asked earlier. If a podcast is just not doing well, okay, let's say the keywords are on point. But then what about your niche? Because let's take me as an example. If I have a podcast that I talk about podcasting, but also veganism and also conspiracy theories and also homesteading tips for the. The homesteader wannabe. Like, which one is it, Juliana? Like, I. We can all rank you for all those things, right?
Lizzie Smiley
Yeah.
Juliana Barbati
And this is very important. We see the, the big podcasters in the space, right? Like let's say Joe Rogan, we see Tim Ferriss, we see whoever, right? They're doing interview based episodes and they're talking like Joe Rogan can talk about whatever, right? And he's going to get millions of downloads. Guys, we're now Joe Rogan. Like, we have to have a reality check. We are small fish here. People don't really know who we are. So we have to stay in a niche. So let's not start a podcast and not have rhyme or reason. We have to stay within a niche and I have to control myself. The way that I bring in my little quirks in my show is that I will talk about things here or there. I will use a vegan example in my show. But at the end of the day I really have to focus and talk about podcasts, right? So it's the same thing for you. If you're going to start a podcast, what is the focus here? And you can bring in other pieces of you, but it's more like as to paint a picture. It's not to actually go off on a tangent and talk about that, you know, so when it's using me as an example, I'm not using my podcast to turn people vegan. But I will say now and then, you know, how do you know I'm a vegan? Don't worry, I'll tell you. You know, like, I will use little quirky things like that too. So people know that about me and they can connect with me and they're either if they're vegan, they're like, oh my gosh, she's vegan. Or if they're not vegan, they're like, oh, she's actually pretty cool, you know, because you know, you better love them or hate them, right? So hopefully I can show you that we're lovable people too, you know.
Lizzie Smiley
Okay, so what does this look like practically, like when people is thinking about. Okay, I'd be interested in thinking about this. How is that podcast going to translate into Etsy sales? Like what should that funnel look like? What needs to be set up?
Juliana Barbati
I actually do have a freebie specifically for your people and I'll give you the link so they can see because I pulled out a lesson from my paid course and that's what they're getting in this. In this.
Lizzie Smiley
Wow.
Juliana Barbati
It's a, it's a free lesson that they're getting. But basically let's say that I have a podcast. I'm sorry That I have an Etsy shop and I am selling. What can I sell? Give me. Give me something. Like, let's. Like a digital product. What can that be?
Lizzie Smiley
Digital product. How about, like, homeschooling materials?
Juliana Barbati
Oh, perfection. Okay. Super easy. Like, you just made life easy. Okay, so I'm going to start a podcast talking about. And who is my dear listener, right? Like, am I talking to the mom who is starting her homeschool, but she's like, I'm not sure I can do this? Or am I talking to the mom who's like, okay, I am talking to the mom who's, like, all out. Like, her house looks like a whole big homeschooling room. Like, everything turns into a science lesson, right? Like, we just need to have a little bit of clarity on who we're talking to. And that comes from the products that you're creating, right? Like, you have that focus on your shop, right? So I have my homeschooling podcast. Let's say you're talking to the mom kind of like me, who kind of like, wanted to homeschool before she had kids, and then she had kids, and she's like, oh, my gosh, I cannot do this. And then they send my kids to school, and then I'm like, no, I cannot do this. So now I'm homeschooling them again, you know? So, like, she's talking to me. Well, what I need is I need lesson plans. Okay? I tried unschooling. Did not work for me. I need structure. So your podcast in general is going to be about homeschooling, but the specific episode is going to be about, you know, how to design the perfect lesson plan so your kids don't fall behind. Okay? And inside of the episode, you're gonna be like, okay. So step one, we need to make sure that, you know, you sit down with your kids and you find out, what are they into? Because that really does shape how you are gonna plan your lesson. Are they into lizards? Let's go that route. Let's get all the lizard books and, you know, plan our lessons that way, you know, step two, we are gonna get material that is going to complement our homeschooling experience. By the way, if you need help with this, I've got you covered. Go check out the link in the show notes. I have a whole homeschooling lesson on lizards that you can check out right now. All you have to do is add to cart and print, and everything's done for you. And that are data. So you're. You see how Where I'm going with this. Like you're organically weaving in your offer inside of the podcast episode, you know, so we're still targeting the homeschooling mom and then organically we're mentioning our offer. We don't need to do an ad. We don't need to get weird about selling nothing, you know, now if you're like, oh my gosh, I don't know that I can organically sell like this. You could just say this podcast episode is sponsored by the so and so shop. I would say it's a better idea for you to brand the shop rather than Etsy because one day you get out of Etsy and then what? You know what I'm saying? Like you have your own Shopify store, you know, so it would be even a good idea for you to use Bitly links because now Bitly lets you switch, swap out links. So if you ever get out of Etsy and you start your own shop, you can go back to the Bitly link and put in your shop link as opposed to your Etsy link. You know, I'm a forward thinking person, you know, so I like to set people up for success.
Lizzie Smiley
It's the consistency. Let me say that back to you to make sure I understand you're saying that. Let's say right now you're working out of an Etsy shop and you want to link to things in the show notes or in the, in the podcast description. You would take the Etsy shop link and convert it to a Bitly link to put in the in the show notes. Because then later if you wanted to direct those same people to your website, you can tweet, you can go to Bitly and you can say now I want this link to point over here instead of to that Etsy Shop link. Did I say that correctly?
Juliana Barbati
Yes.
Lizzie Smiley
That's cool. I didn't know that.
Juliana Barbati
Right, yeah, the thing that they just wrote out. Okay, so back in my days, you know, I just, you, I would link it to my Etsy shop. But regardless, like, let's say you're like, oh my gosh, what is this Bitly link? I don't ever understand. Just put in, you know, go to the homeschooling shop, I'll leave the info down into show notes and then that kind of would. What you have to do in the future, if you ever started your Shopify store, is that you have to manually go back to your show notes and switch out the links. It's going to be more work, but that's something that you could do.
Lizzie Smiley
Are you a print on demand or digital product Etsy seller who's tight on time or still learning all of the Etsy secrets? I totally remember the days of having no idea what product to create next before I learned how to make those informed decisions. So I can really identify with where you're at. I know how stressful and frustrating it can be to just create listing after listing and see little to no results. You wonder what you're doing wrong and just you just want someone to tell you what to create that's actually going to sell. Where are those opportunities? So let me give you a leg up with my weekly trends and opportunities report. You just join my membership and every Monday I'm going to send you an email with a list of exactly what is trending right right now, with a video tutorial showing you how I found those trends and how to apply them in your shop. We're taking guesswork and time, extensive time off of your table. I'm also going to send you five print on demand and digital product opportunities that are growing in demand right now, helping new shops make sales and still have very low saturation in the marketplace. So your tight schedule, your newbie status doesn't have to hold you back anymore. I'm going to help you earn while you learn. You, you can grab my free demo to start and see an example of what the weekly trends and opportunities email looks like right from the show notes. See what you're going to get and I will see you on the inside soon. Okay, so the freebie is going to help with kind of like the steps on building that funnel.
Juliana Barbati
It's going to give you ideas on how. Yes, how to set up the funnel. I don't really go into like step one, this is how you start a podcast, but it's kind of like the idea, like you getting the idea of what can this look like. You know, because you, you have all these ideas, right? But how, how does that translate into something tangible? So that's what that lesson is going to help you do.
Lizzie Smiley
I think. I mean, and this is, this is guys, this is exactly what I do. I, I create content around what I know you guys want to hear or new things that maybe you haven't thought about. And then I have offers or I have sponsors or I have something that is relevant to that overall topic. Not directly, it's not the same topic, but it's relevant that you can go learn more from and I just mention it and people go click it in the show notes and that's Literally, that's just what drives the business. So rather than, you know, going to create a bunch of reels or creating a pin or creating a, you know, running an ad, instead you're just. And here's the thing, this is what was really interesting. I did this research when I was going to be on Jenna Kutcher's podcast. It turns out that people trust podcasters more than like any other. I don't have the number in front of me, the data, but any other output. So they trust them more than YouTubers. They trust them more than bloggers. They feel a direct connection to a podcaster that can help, that can really help drive sales. So especially if you're, you know, if you have a product that requires some info, some, how do I want to say this explanation? Like someone might not directly search it on Etsy, you're going to need to drive some of your own traffic. It's got a bit of a story behind it. There have been a few of you that I've coached over the years that we've even had on the show where it just required a little more explanation and having this kind of a. What's the word? I'm looking for an outlet to be able to talk through, to be able to draw in those perfect people and expose them to what you've got to offer that they're maybe not looking for yet.
Juliana Barbati
Wow.
Lizzie Smiley
I mean, the sky's the limit.
Juliana Barbati
100 or even like if you sell things that are more expensive, right? Like let's say you sell wooden baby toys, right? Like the person who you're trying to attract, she's me and she, she will spend, she'll drop a hundred bucks or wait, what am I saying? She'll drop 400 bucks on like a pickler triangle for her kid because it's made with the right wood and non toxic everything, right? But how do you attract that person? Because that person might not know to go to Etsy, right? So then you have your podcast all about non toxic, you know, play and whatever. Like maybe the podcast in general should be about play, right? Like you know, how to play with your baby or whatever. And then you pitch in your pickler triangle or whatever it is that you have, you know, even if you say, okay, I'm thinking about this because in 2020 somebody bought something on Etsy and it got shipped it to my house and it wasn't for me. So then I had to it call called, I had to contact the seller to have the person come to my house to get it. And it Was that game that you have, like, the little, like, bean bag things and you throw it and you want to get it in the hole. Do you know what I'm talking about?
Lizzie Smiley
Oh, kind of like a cornhole.
Juliana Barbati
It could be. I have no idea.
Lizzie Smiley
Yeah.
Juliana Barbati
But let's just say it is. Okay. Yeah, Okay. I remember that that shop sold a lot of, like, entertainment, like, play kind of things, you know, for adults, you know, so then, okay, like, your podcast can be about maybe entertainment. Like, you know, entertainment. Because there are people who love to entertain, right? So, like, your podcast could be about that. And then, like, okay, if you want to really take your entertainment to the next level, check out this product that we sell. Or if you're trying to attract the adult who wants to play, and they're like, I don't know what that looks like. You're like, I heard Renee Brown talk about play, but, like, I just know how to work, you know? Then you make your podcast for that person, you know, so that's how. And you get to have so much fun. Like, this really is an extension of the creative outlet, because one thing that we know as Etsy sellers, that we all. We are all very creative, right? But sometimes with the algorithm changes and this and that and the other, we feel like, oh, my gosh, like, this is not what I signed up for. But once, you know, we have our podcast, you know, the sky's the limit. Because maybe somebody listens to your podcast. You're like, you know, what, do you want to write a book? Like, let's chat. Maybe somebody wants to sponsor your show. It's not just gonna be great for your Etsy shop, but it's also gonna open up a bunch of opportunities. Like, again, looking at your show, right, and the doors that it has opened for you, like, look at all the doors that your podcast opened up for you. You know, the same thing can be said about the Etsy seller who's listening to the show right now. Right there, the sky is the limit, and it's very untapped.
Lizzie Smiley
That's so interesting that you say that. I would have never thought to myself, it's untapped. Tell us more about that.
Juliana Barbati
Yes, because most people are not doing it. How many Etsy sellers do, you know have a podcast to promote their product?
Lizzie Smiley
Their product. That's. I was just gonna say there's other people like me. There's maybe four or five of us. I don't know. I actually never look at the, you know, the competition, because I don't really think about competition. And I want to just say, you know, I want to stay true to Lizzie and. And that message. But I don't know about Etsy sellers. I can't think of a single one who's run a podcast. Some of them have been.
Juliana Barbati
Audience.
Lizzie Smiley
Have been on them, have been on podcasts.
Juliana Barbati
Yeah. And, like, listen, could you go on somebody's podcast? Yes, you could. The thing of that is that it's. It's a lot more annoying for you to like, email somebody and say, hey, here's my page. Can I be on your show versus you have your podcast? You're in control. Let's just do the thing. Because, you know, you are the executive producer of your show, you know, and you can talk about whatever. And again, it's your show. It's an asset that you own. So at the end of the day, what you need to understand is that your podcast is an asset. It's not just an extra thing on your to do list. Really, truly is an asset. It's building your brand in way more ways than. Than you can even imagine. I have clients who, okay, they were not Etsy sellers, Right. But I have clients who have been on TEDx, who have launched books, who have had, like, really amazing interviews with people, all because of the podcast. Right.
Lizzie Smiley
So.
Juliana Barbati
So even me, guys. Like, I'm just a girl from Brazil with an accent, and I have a successful podcast. Like, I always say this. If anybody can say, if I can do it, you can do it too. It's me. Like, I can. I can claim that because I've done it. It's really not that complicated, I promise.
Lizzie Smiley
Do you think the. The accent gives you an advantage?
Juliana Barbati
I don't know.
Lizzie Smiley
You know, it makes you memorable. I think it makes you memorable.
Juliana Barbati
You think so? Yeah. I don't know. Sometimes I listen, I'm like, oh, my gosh, is that what I sound like? Because I don't hear my. Hardly ever do I hear my accent. Sometimes, like, the Brazilian in me really comes out, but most of the time I don't hear it, because if I heard it, I would fix it. And I'm like, oh, my gosh, how can anybody understand what I'm saying?
Lizzie Smiley
Also, how did you get a Pickler set in South America?
Juliana Barbati
How.
Lizzie Smiley
How did that happen?
Juliana Barbati
Well, I found it on Facebook, Marketplace. But I guess because there's so many expats here now. A lot of people. So I live in El Salvador, and a lot of people have flocked here because of bitcoin. A lot of expats. And if you're familiar with the world of bitcoin, if you know. You know, so a lot of people have come here for bitcoin, so we. We have, you know, more of the. The things that we know and love from the US So it's. It's a little bit easier to get it here. It's not that easy, but easier. That's a big thing. Cube.
Lizzie Smiley
Yeah.
Juliana Barbati
Yeah, I have a cube and a triangle. So, yeah, really hippie around here.
Lizzie Smiley
Look at you go. No, that was my. My toddler lived on that thing for. For years. Okay. I was gonna ask you. Oh, talk to us about, like, what do you. What is, like, the time and financial commitment to roll out a podcast?
Juliana Barbati
So it can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be. So if you're gonna go to YouTube University, right? Like, if you're not paying with money, you're paying with your time, right? So you could definitely go that route and just do everything. Diy. You could buy a course that's gonna, you know, fast track your growth. You could hire an agency, like, I have a course and have an agency, right? It really depends on your budget, how much involvement you want. The one thing I will say is this. Do not use a free place to host your podcast. So in order for you to have a podcast, you need to pay something like Podbean or Buzzsprout or Libsyn or something. So you can host your podcast the same way that, you know, if you have a website and you host it on Shopify or Wix or whatever, right? Like you need to pay the host. There are free things out there. Do not use them, okay? Because when something is free, you are the product. And if they want to cancel your show one day for whatever reason, they can, right? When you pay for your hosting, you're protected. So I recommend Podbean to my clients. And Podbean, if you pay the annual plan, it's 109 bucks a year.
Lizzie Smiley
Wow.
Juliana Barbati
Yeah. Super cheap. You know, there are other ones, right? But don't do the free stuff. Just pay. Pay the 109 bucks if you're gonna pay annual or like 14amonth if you want to go that route. But do a paid hosting provider. Don't. Don't do the free stuff. I was gonna say don't feel the pressure to do YouTube too, right? Like you're watching Lizzie and you're like, oh, man, I gotta start YouTube to. No, do the audio first. Do the audio. Everybody thinks that they on. On YouTube and you don't, right? Like, Lizzie has A proof concept with her, with her audio podcast. And then she moved to video, too, which is a smart thing to do. And it's what I recommend to my clients. Don't just go off and like, oh, yeah, all I have to do is put on the camera and do video too. And it's easy. It's not okay. YouTube is a different platform. It's a lot harder to rank and it's different SEO. You have to create thumbnails. There's a lot more work. You have to, you know, look presentable for the camera. So just start with audio. Like, audio is the way to go. And then later on, you can move to video. By the way, this is very different advice than what you'd hear if you spoke to other podcast coach. They will tell you, do it all. I'm like, no, don't. Okay. Like, we're going to do things differently around here. To answer your question, do they need a microphone? I will tell you what. If you're watching me on video right now, you see that I have my wired Apple headphones wired because we're hippies around here and we don't use anything with, you know, WI fi, with Bluetooth. Yeah, no EMF around here. So. So this is what I started with, actually. Right now, I do have a microphone, and it's a yeti microphone. It's the same microphone that Lizzy has. If you talk to any podcasting bro, they will tell you, do not use the yeti. No, no, no. And I'm like, I love the yeti. It looks great on photos and it works okay. That's really why I bought it, because it looks great on photos. You don't need to buy the expensive microphones. And honestly, I've even recorded podcasts on my phone. All you have to do is, like, have it a few inches below you and then have the microphone part facing you, and then you just speak into it. And I have to say, some of my best performing episodes were recorded on my phone. You know, we have the technology, so you can, you can start your podcast right now with as little as $109, which is the price of Podbean if you're going to go that route, right? And then if you want to buy a course, you know, that's up to you and all that, but everything else, you can get super scrappy. You can go listen to my podcast and you're. You're going to learn how to do this thing, you know? So 109 bucks is all it takes.
Lizzie Smiley
It's not bad. It's not bad at all. I didn't know about Podbean. Have you heard of rivers? Is it Riverside?
Juliana Barbati
Yes. Riverside. Is they. It's kind of like Zencaster, right? Like you use it to record, I do believe for having guests.
Lizzie Smiley
If you're going to have a guest, you've got to have somewhere to do it. You can do Zoom, but the quality isn't as good as what. But there's another hosting platform that I was thinking of moving to because they had more dynamic. I don't. I don't even remember. It was something that. I don't think. So I'll have to like email you about that. But it was like. It was something that was suggested because you can. The dine. The ads are super dynamic. Like you can have things put in and you can do. You can have like ads running to your whole series. Do you know what I'm talking about? So like right now what do I do? I individually put the ads in every time, but I could with a different one. I could have the ad spots marked and then I could switch out the ads on every episode whenever I wanted to. And that is crazy because when you really get into sponsorships, like the bigger time stuff where people are paying you, they'll pay for the entire catalog. Which means that every single episode that anyone listens to while that ad is running hears their ad as opposed to having it be pre recorded. That is wild to me. So I've got to. It's something I've got to look into for growth. But that is getting. That's just like, you know, I'm throwing you some sprinkles. Guys like you don't. In the beginning I didn't do any of that.
Juliana Barbati
Yeah, no, that's like super high level, next level kind of stuff that we, we don't have to worry about right now.
Lizzie Smiley
Yeah.
Juliana Barbati
I mean Podbean is what I really love because you know, for the average podcaster, it'll do. Another one that I am looking into more and more is called Captivate.
Lizzie Smiley
Okay.
Juliana Barbati
They also have a bunch of stuff but Captivate is more expensive too. So.
Lizzie Smiley
The Podbean is a great price.
Juliana Barbati
Yes, yes. And I'll be honest, I am because I have clients and they all host their podcasts in different places. I have basically been in every backend of every platform out there. Except for Red Circle. I have not had a Red Circle yet, but they basically do the same. The thing of it is is that they will charge you more depending on different features. Podbean tends to not do that. Which is why I love Podbean. Like, it's the most. Like, the price is great and you get so many different things. You can run your dynamic ads and all of that stuff. Don't spend too much time also here, like, because that's the next thing. Where do I host my podcast? Podbean, Buzzsprout, Lipson, whatever, Liana. Yeah, just start there. You can always move. Although I will say, if you ever do move, move to Captivate. Because you get to keep your data, your download numbers. Because if you hop from podbean to Buzzsprout to Lips into whatever, every time you move, you reset your downloads. So, like, let's say you have a million downloads, you move over and poof, they're gone. So you have to, like, take your screenshots and, like, prove, like, hey, I actually did have a million downloads. So Captivate allows you to move your data over, which is great.
Lizzie Smiley
I just had a visceral reaction to that. That is horrifying.
Juliana Barbati
Right? Exactly. So, yes.
Lizzie Smiley
Are you brand new to Etsy, about to get started, or struggling a bit to find your groove? What I'm about to say is just for you, okay? I can completely relate to where you're at because I think I can help you achieve success faster. When I first started my Etsy shop, it was not one of those success stories that we hear, you know, on the big YouTube channels, even on this podcast, where I just had crazy success. And it took off right away. I all but failed. Failed for my first six months, just like a lot of new sellers. And so it's very relatable. And the issue for me was I didn't understand demand, for one. I didn't understand SEO. I was way too broad in my search terms, and I didn't know how to position my product so that customers just couldn't help but click add to cart. And so once I learned those things, I went from making about $25 a month in sales to $6,000 a month and up. And in the holidays, I would even have $13,000 a month, like, at my shop. So peak. And the thing about me, if you've been here for a minute, you already know this. I'm a terrible gatekeeper, okay? When I figure something out, when I crack a code, when I get excited, I cannot help but tell everybody who wants to listen. It's like either my. My best asset or my toxic trait. I can't decide. But I put everything that you need to know to fill that beginner knowledge gap into a low ticket. Just under three hours beginner course that I have called Six Figure Secrets to getting started on Etsy. In it, I'm teaching you how to find what's in demand for for your niche, how to find and use trends, how to start your shop if you're worried about that part. SEO strategy to find the micro niches where the opportunity is, how to understand the Etsy algorithm, and a ton more. The whole thing is bite sized videos. Not long form, just small bite sized videos, zero fluff and to the point. You could get the course today, go through the less than three hours over the next couple days, launch your shop this weekend and have sales coming in as soon as Sunday. So let's get you the few missing pieces of the Etsy success puzzle, those little tweaks you need to make so you can start making the sales that you deserve. Because I have never been more convinced that there is room at this table on Etsy for everyone. And the opportunity is so ripe right now. I am in the numbers in the data every day and my mind just keeps expanding on the possibilities. Okay, so as a special treat, use the code save50 to save $50 on the six figure secrets course today. That's $50 off with a coupon. Save 50. And by all means DM me or shoot me an email when those sales start popping because I want to celebrate with you. So give us like, what are the first three steps for someone starting a podcast? If they want to move, you know, if they want to move in that direction, what are the first three things you think they should do?
Juliana Barbati
So get clarity on who your podcast is for. Okay, who, who am I talking to right now? Because, okay, your niche, right? Like who is the ideal person you're making this podcast for? Think about her or him and have the person in mind. We don't really care so much if they have three and a half kids and they drive a Ford. Like that's all we care about. Like we care about like the site, the psychological things, like that's what we want to know, right? So like first step is mapping out your person, your ideal person, which again, your ideal listener is your, your ideal buyer, right? And then after that you want to jot down some keywords, like what are they typing when they go on Google, what are they typing, right? Like you know, how to live a nontoxic life, how to clean your house with vinegar, whatever it is that they're typing, like just start typing. Or you know, if you're old school like me, start writing with pencil, pen and Paper. Okay, what are they searching for? Because, again, we want to optimize our podcast for searchability so that we can have that visibility. And then the third step. Don't get in your way. Just do the thing. Like, so if you don't want to spend money on the microphone, start with, you know, whatever headphones that you have or your phone. Start recording. Start doing the thing. Like, don't get in your way. Don't. There's this thing, this concept called Tomorrow Thinking, which is, you know, I want to write a book, right? But I don't want to just want our book. I want to get published. No, no, I don't want to just want to get published. I want to get on Oprah, right? So then this idea that you had about writing a book now suddenly becomes this crazy, crazy thing, and it's like, you never do it because, like, you went from, like, this idea we're excited about to perfectionism.
Lizzie Smiley
And this is my identity, Juliana, you. You've just. You've just outlined my identity, but. Okay, keep going.
Juliana Barbati
That's so funny. There's a podcast episode on this. And you know what? I will. I will email you the podcast episode so you can listen, because this isn't my idea. I heard it somewhere else, but that's what it is. Don't get in your way. Just do the thing. Do it imperfectly. Again, I have an accent. I am messy. Although I do own a podcast marketing and production agency. My episodes, they're not edited. So there is, like, you know, all the things in my episodes, and people listen. And in the five years I've been podcasting, I've had two bad reviews. One who basically called me out for saying, I'm like, you know, whatever. And I'm like, okay, whatever, bruh. Like, it's okay. And then the. The other one was more recently, and I kind of saw it by mistake, which was, like, the worst 13 minutes of my life. And I'm like, wow, man.
Lizzie Smiley
I'm sorry. Like, you've clearly never given birth, right?
Juliana Barbati
Oh, my gosh.
Lizzie Smiley
I attended a funeral.
Juliana Barbati
I know. And I'm like, you know, it's fine. You know, you. You kind of learn to, like, let the stuff go, right? That's the beauty about the online space. You. You start to grow a very special kind of thick skin. But don't get in your way. Just do it. If you're lit up about this idea, actually, in my own podcast, it's called Organic Marketing Simplified. I'm doing a series right now, which there are. I'm Doing once a month episodes because clients were coming to me and asking me like, what is the bare minimum I can do? And I'm like, I don't know, I don't have data. I'm a very data driven person. So I started doing monthly episodes to see, okay, what happens, does my income change or whatever. So I'm kind of running this experiment. But my podcast since January has been focused on one goal, right? So every month you tune in, an episode goes live on the 1st of every month, and it walks you from point A to point B. So the goal is from, from the beginning of the year until the end of the year, the goal is you're going to have increase your downloads, you're going to be monetizing your podcast. You know, like you're, you're actually going to see something tangible from listening to this podcast episodes. Because what has to happen is that we listen to a podcast episode and we get super inspired and then it dies down and life happens and we never do anything without that knowledge, right? So now we have a goal. We have, you know, we're going from point A to point B and you know, so I have that series too, but also my podcast, I'm close to 500 episodes. You're going to find something there that's gonna help people. Just do the thing.
Lizzie Smiley
I think that's so important. It's the, it's the starting, it's the. Don't talk yourself out of it. Talk to us more. Just like, tell us again if someone wants to explore podcasting for real? For real. What resources do you have that can help them do that and where can they find them?
Juliana Barbati
So number one, I have that freebie or, you know, it's a lesson that I grabbed from my program. So I'll give you the link so they can go over. It is julianabadi.com forward/lizzie exclusive, but I'm not sure. So I'll just give you the link. Yeah, it'll be linked. So, so that's number one. Number two, go listen to my podcast. Go binge, you know, grab a notebook and pen. I'm all about the notebook and pen. Write down the stuff so they can actually apply. Because if you apply what I teach, you're gonna see success. I also have a course, so if you're interested in a course, I have a course as well. So those are, you know, just a ways to, to get started. So wherever you are in your journey, there's something for everyone.
Lizzie Smiley
Say the name of the podcast again.
Juliana Barbati
Organic Marketing Simplified Perfection.
Lizzie Smiley
Okay. And then where are you online at all? Do you do Instagram or anything? Where can we find you and connect somewhere?
Juliana Barbati
So I just started running ads.
Lizzie Smiley
You're such a hippie.
Juliana Barbati
Yeah, I am such a hippie. I just started running ads. So I grew my business organically outside of social media. I've always been a social media rebel, but now I'm on Instagram and guys, I have 130 followers. Like you can message me and I will personally answer you. So you know, just, just being. Just don't expect me to show up in stories and show you my perfectly curated life because that's not real. Okay.
Lizzie Smiley
No, yeah, you've. I was gonna say you've never been on social media. That's so fun. Okay, we have to go follow you.
Juliana Barbati
What's Your handle @julianabarbati? Underscore.
Lizzie Smiley
Okay. It's all in the show notes, guys, as you know. Okay. Thank you so much. This was so fun and you've got my wheels turning. They're like things I definitely haven't thought about before. I think this is really a good fit for many of my listeners. We always talk about step one, start an Etsy shop, get organic sales, get proof of concept. Let Etsy teach. There's enough to learn right there. Once you've got that, start building an email list so you can capture so that if you Etsy goes anywhere, you've got your own. They're not Etsy's customers, they're yours. Then you can start working on social media so you can be driving your own traffic and build your own website. So we talk about legacy, we talk about building into legacy where you're, you're not putting all your eggs in one basket, but people get freaked out if they try to do it all at once. You're just going to get burned out. This is a really good step there. Right along that right about when you'd be starting an email list because now you're able to really find your ideal client. I promise you, if you start a podcast, you will create better products. You will have a better idea of what products to create. You will make more sales, you will get to know, you will make friends in your niche. There are so many things we didn't even talk about that'll be side benefits. So this is for you. If you're at that spot, it doesn't matter what the product is you're selling. So Julianna, thank you so much for encouraging me to be getting this message out again, for being willing to share of your time and Your. Your treasures. You're the best.
Juliana Barbati
Oh, thank you for having me. I love these conversations and like we were talking about before the call. I wish we were neighbors. We would be so fun.
Lizzie Smiley
I know we would be such a mess. It would be great. We've got some of that hippie stuff in common. I mean, I'm not quite there on the vegan yet, but I want recipes. I'm definitely like, I like to eat that. Like when I go to a restaurant, if they have like a vegan or vegetarian sandwich that's like often my go to. I really like it, especially if there's sprouts involved. Mmm.
Juliana Barbati
Yeah, yeah, I know. Those products are the best.
Lizzie Smiley
They're the best ever. Well, okay, you guys, thanks for hanging out with us. I love you so much. Until next week, Go make something awesome. Take care now. And that's a wrap on this episode of how to Sell youl Stuff on Etsy. Thanks so much for hanging out with me today. If you're looking for more resources, head on over to howtosellyourstuff.com where you'll find podcast, show notes, all the links from today's episode, the blog, courses, coaching, and more. If this episode was helpful to you, awesome. The greatest compliment I can receive from you is a rate, review and subscribe on this podcast. Not only will it allow us to connect again on a future episode, it lets me know I'm providing you with value and helps other people find this content more easily. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your support. Have a great day and see you next time.
Podcast Title: How to Sell Your Stuff on Etsy
Host: Lizzie Smiley
Guest: Juliana Barbati
Release Date: July 24, 2025
In this insightful episode of How to Sell Your Stuff on Etsy, host Lizzie Smiley welcomes back guest Juliana Barbati to delve into the transformative power of podcasting for Etsy sellers. The conversation explores how launching a podcast can enhance brand visibility, attract ideal customers, and drive sales, offering a fresh perspective beyond traditional marketing platforms like Pinterest and Instagram.
Lizzie kicks off the episode by introducing Juliana Barbati, a podcast studio strategist and consultant with a vibrant, hippie spirit. She emphasizes the rarity of Etsy sellers utilizing podcasting as a marketing tool, positioning it as a "backbone foundation of their business" that remains largely unexplored by peers.
Juliana Barbati [03:20]: "It's a strategy that I really don't see many people doing in general."
Juliana explains that while platforms like Pinterest are ubiquitous among Etsy sellers, podcasting offers a unique avenue to connect directly with ideal buyers by addressing their specific struggles and desires. This bespoke interaction can naturally integrate product promotions, fostering a more authentic and effective marketing approach.
A significant portion of the discussion centers on the parallels between Etsy SEO and podcast SEO. Juliana highlights the podcast app as a "search engine" where optimized content can increase discoverability.
Juliana Barbati [04:15]: "SEO, podcast is no different. Right. Like, you are using SEO so that you can rank higher in the algorithm."
She underscores that even with a basic understanding of SEO, Etsy sellers can optimize their podcasts to rank higher within podcast directories, thereby attracting a steady stream of potential customers. Juliana shares her personal experience, noting how her own podcast led to consistent sales by aligning content with her Etsy offerings.
Juliana Barbati [07:35]: "I had started my podcast for it and I was making sales because it was the same thing."
Juliana advocates for the creation of evergreen podcast content that remains relevant over time, contrasting it with the fleeting nature of social media posts. This approach ensures that even sporadic podcast releases continue to drive traffic and sales long after episodes are published.
Juliana Barbati [06:50]: "The content is evergreen, so like ... your content is still relevant, and they're going to come and find your shop and buy from you."
Lizzie echoes this sentiment, appreciating the idea of building a "library of episodes" that doesn't require constant maintenance, making podcasting an efficient marketing strategy for busy Etsy sellers.
A recurring theme is the importance of niching down to effectively reach and engage the target audience. Juliana advises Etsy sellers to clearly define who their ideal podcast listener is, ensuring that the content resonates deeply with those most likely to purchase their products.
Juliana Barbati [12:52]: "As long as there is like a general rhyme or reason to what you're selling and you're not selling, you know, I don't know, things that don't go together."
Lizzie reinforces the necessity of serving a specific niche, emphasizing that success on Etsy often correlates with the seller's commitment to a well-defined audience.
Lizzie Smiley [18:05]: "It doesn't matter what kind of seller you are. What matters is, are you serving a niche?"
When asked about the initial steps for Etsy sellers interested in starting a podcast, Juliana outlines a straightforward approach:
Define Your Ideal Listener: Identify who you are creating the podcast for, focusing on their psychological needs and desires rather than demographic specifics.
Keyword Research: Determine the terms your ideal audience is searching for, much like Etsy keyword research, to optimize your podcast's discoverability.
Take Action: Encourage launching the podcast without overcomplicating the process, advocating for starting imperfectly and refining over time.
Juliana Barbati [43:55]: "First step is mapping out your person, your ideal person... And then the third step. Don't get in your way. Just do the thing."
The conversation shifts to the technical aspects of podcasting, where Juliana provides budget-friendly advice. She stresses the importance of investing in a reliable paid hosting service rather than free platforms to ensure the longevity and stability of the podcast.
Juliana Barbati [35:58]: "Do not use a free place to host your podcast. So in order for you to have a podcast, you need to pay something like Podbean or Buzzsprout or Libsyn or something."
She recommends Podbean for its affordability and comprehensive features, making it an ideal choice for beginners.
Juliana Barbati [35:58]: "I recommend Podbean to my clients. And Podbean, if you pay the annual plan, it's $109 a year."
Additionally, Juliana touches on the expansion into video podcasts but advises focusing on audio first to avoid overwhelming new podcasters.
Juliana elaborates on seamlessly weaving product promotions into podcast episodes without overt advertising. By providing valuable content that aligns with product offerings, sellers can organically guide listeners toward their Etsy shops.
Juliana Barbati [21:33]: "You're organically weaving in your offer inside of the podcast episode, you know, so we're still targeting the homeschooling mom and then organically we're mentioning our offer."
She suggests using tools like Bitly for flexible link management, allowing sellers to update their shop links without disrupting existing podcast content.
Juliana Barbati [22:01]: "You can use Bitly links because now Bitly lets you switch, swap out links."
Addressing potential hurdles, Juliana reassures listeners that technical barriers can be minimized with the right approach. She emphasizes starting with simple equipment and gradually upgrading as needed, reinforcing that podcasting is accessible even for those new to the medium.
Juliana Barbati [37:00]: "You can buy the expensive microphones. And honestly, I've even recorded podcasts on my phone."
Towards the end of the episode, both Lizzie and Juliana discuss the broader advantages of podcasting beyond immediate sales, including brand authority, expanded network, and additional revenue streams through sponsorships and partnerships.
Lizzie Smiley [29:07]: "Having this kind of a... What's the word? I'm looking for an outlet to be able to talk through, to be able to draw in those perfect people and expose them to what you've got to offer that they're maybe not looking for yet."
Juliana adds that podcasting can open doors to various opportunities, such as book deals or high-profile interviews, further solidifying a seller's position in their niche.
The episode wraps up with Lizzie affirming the immense potential podcasting holds for Etsy sellers. She highlights how integrating a podcast can lead to better product development, increased sales, and a stronger connection with the target audience. Encouraging listeners to embrace this strategy, Lizzie and Juliana leave the audience with actionable insights and motivation to explore podcasting as a powerful tool to elevate their Etsy businesses.
Lizzie Smiley [51:10]: "If you're at that spot, it doesn't matter what the product is you're selling."
Notable Quotes:
Juliana Barbati [03:20]: "It's a strategy that I really don't see many people doing in general."
Juliana Barbati [07:35]: "I had started my podcast for it and I was making sales because it was the same thing."
Juliana Barbati [12:52]: "As long as there is like a general rhyme or reason to what you're selling and you're not selling, you know, I don't know, things that don't go together."
Juliana Barbati [35:58]: "Do not use a free place to host your podcast."
Juliana Barbati [43:55]: "First step is mapping out your person, your ideal person... And then the third step. Don't get in your way. Just do the thing."
This episode serves as a comprehensive guide for Etsy sellers considering podcasting as a means to enhance their business. Juliana Barbati’s expertise provides actionable strategies, while Lizzie Smiley’s relatable insights make the concept accessible and encouraging for entrepreneurs at all stages.