Kiss Your Email List Goodbye - Do This Instead

If you are an Etsy seller, you already know the pains of "collecting emails" and shouting into the void of social media. You send a perfectly crafted newsletter and it lands in an inbox no one opens. You go live in a Facebook group and pray someone clicks. You dream of 50,000 followers but have no idea what to say to them if you ever get them. I get it. I was right there with you. Then I found a better way to stretch the buying experience beyond the checkout: build a community that actually wants to hang out with you.

Why building a community beats hoarding emails

Emails are like a microphone. You stand on a podium, shout, and hope people listen. It is a one-way relationship at scale. Social media can feel the same, except the algorithm is the bouncer deciding who gets in. Both are exhausting, and both rely on constant output to keep attention.

What transforms a one-time buyer into a repeat customer is not another coupon. It is a stretched-out experience: helpful resources, timely conversations, a place where your people can get answers, trade ideas, and feel seen. A community does that. It converts passive interest into active participation, and participation creates trust, authority, and yes, sales.

"Your job as an Etsy seller is to provide value. And that isn't just with your product itself, but from the buying experience."

Enter Skool: the platform that finally gets community right

Skool is a platform built for creators and small business owners who want to host meaningful communities without wrestling with social media noise or the limitations of an email list. It gives you a single, focused place where members come to connect — and that focus is exactly why engagement improves.

Here are the Skool features that made me move away from a bloated email list and even back away from my Facebook group:

• Simple, Facebook-like posting

  — Members can post, ask questions, share wins, and comment. Posts have clear titles, so people can quickly scan what matters to them.

• No algorithm distraction

  — When people open Skool, they are there for the group. No competing reels, no ad feed stealing attention. This drives genuinely higher engagement, even in small groups.

• Built-in calendar and events

  — Schedule live hangouts, webinars, or workshops and members see a countdown on the group home. Attendance improves because you can announce events and people can plan around them.

• Two styles of live sessions

  — You can host Zoom-like group calls where multiple people show on camera, or do a broadcast-style live. Better still, you can email everyone in the group to boost attendance before you go live.

• Classroom and library

  — Store tutorials, recordings, PDFs, and resources in organized topics. Members can access evergreen content, which makes your group a living vault of value.

• Gamification

  — Points, levels, and unlockable content motivate members to engage. Want people to comment, post, and help each other? Reward activity by unlocking content when they reach certain levels.

• Monetization & tiers

  — Free entry, monthly or yearly subscriptions, premium tiers, and one-time payments are supported. You can have free members and paid members side-by-side without forcing existing members to pay retroactively.

• Affiliate built-in

  — Empower your community to grow itself. Create referral percentages so members can earn by inviting new paid members.

How Skool solved the key problems I had

I used to push people to a Facebook group and to an email list. The Facebook group had thousands of members but engagement was low. The email list gave me reach, but it felt like shouting into emptiness. Skool replaced both for me in a single place that encourages real conversation.

Two practical wins I noticed quickly:

• Better show-up rates for live sessions

  — I no longer go live and wait nervously. I can post an event and toggle an "email everyone" switch. Skool sends the email and people show up. Open rates are strong because membership emails are expected and relevant.

• Useful, searchable library of resources

  — Calls are edited and saved to the classroom library. If someone asks about taxes, wholesale, or Etsy SEO, I can point them to a two-minute clip or a specific lesson. That solves questions faster than repeated emails ever could.

Specific features Etsy sellers will love

Not every seller is selling courses, but every seller has buyers who share the same interests. That overlap is the sweet spot for a Skool community.

• Use your lead magnet differently

  — Instead of gifting a PDF or a checklist via email, invite buyers to join a free Skool group and give them the magnet inside. They get a community too, not just a download.

• Organize by buyer interests

  — If you sell to nurses, build a group where nurses can swap shift tips, scrubs recommendations, and personalized gifts. If you sell beading supplies, create pattern swaps and monthly hangouts.

• Launch and promote products smoothly

  — Use the group to test ideas, gather feedback, and offer exclusive discounts. People who feel part of the process buy more and become advocates.

• Offer value beyond products

  — Think resources, coupons, seasonal launch previews, patterns, or how-to videos. These keep people engaged between purchases.

Monetization models and when to use them

Skool gives you flexible payment options. Picking the right model depends on your audience size and how active you will be.

1. Free group

   — Best for most sellers starting out. Put your lead magnet in the group, invite buyers, and let conversations build. Free lowers friction and grows community quickly.

2. Paid subscription (monthly/annual)

   — Good when you have consistent, high-value content, regular hangouts, or workshops. Charge only if your group delivers predictable, ongoing value.

3. Tiered premium model

   — Offer a free basic tier and paid tiers for VIP access, recordings, or exclusive lessons. This is a great step up because free members help the group feel lively while paid members unlock more value.

4. One-time payment

   — Consider this only if you are offering a high-ticket package or lifetime access to a valuable course or vault. One-time pays can be attractive but should be reserved for big, bundled offers.

Important operational note: if you convert future sign-ups to a paid tier, existing free members are not forced to pay. This makes it easy to start free, build trust, and then monetize newcomers without alienating early adopters.

Real-world examples

Here are a few ways Etsy sellers are successfully using Skool:

• Beaders

  — A maker with 400 to 500 members turned blog patterns into a free Skool group. She hosts weekly hangouts, monthly workshops, and shares patterns. Engagement grew and she plans to add a small monthly fee for new members because the community delivers consistent value.

• Crochet pattern sellers

  — Host Friday hangouts to show off projects, troubleshoot patterns, and swap tutorials. Use the classroom to store pattern PDFs and step-by-step videos.

• Niche product sellers

  — If you sell to nurses, laser hobbyists, dog owners, or a similarly defined group, create a niche community with targeted content, coupon codes, and buyer resources.

How to get started: a simple launch plan

Here is a step-by-step plan I recommend if you want to try this out and feel less overwhelmed than building a website or juggling three platforms.

1. Define your niche audience

   — Who are your buyers? What do they already care about besides your product? This will become your group theme.

2. Create one compelling lead magnet

   — A pattern, cheat sheet, coupon pack, or short video series. Put it inside the group as the instant reward for joining.

3. Set up your Skool community

   — Choose free membership to begin. Create key categories: Discussions, Wins, Questions, and a Classroom for your resource library.

4. Schedule a launch event

   — Use the calendar: a live hangout or Q and A session. Flip the email toggle to notify members and boost attendance.

5. Populate the classroom

   — Upload existing resources: PDF patterns, edited clips from previous calls, FAQs, and product care guides. Make it searchable and organized.

6. Encourage engagement with gamification

   — Set up points and unlocks to drive comments, posts, and helpful answers. Offer bonus content for active members.

7. Invite your Etsy buyers

   — Include an invite link in packaging, product descriptions, and follow-up messages. Treat Skool as your new lead magnet delivery channel.

8. Measure and monetize carefully

   — After a few months, see what members value most. Consider adding a paid tier for exclusive recordings, discounts, or VIP hangouts.

Tips, gotchas, and best practices

• Start free if you have little traffic

  — You need activity to attract activity. Give value first and monetize later.

• Be realistic about time commitment

  — A paid community requires consistent effort. If you can only post once a month, keep it free or set expectations accordingly.

• Use the classroom strategically

  — Store value there and tease content in the main feed so people click through to the classroom.

• Leverage members as affiliates

  — Use the built-in referral tools to reward members who bring in paid subscribers. Your audience will do your marketing for you.

• Keep your tone human

  — Be helpful and approachable. People join to connect with a real person, not a brand robot.

Why this might be the next big move for Etsy sellers

Skool takes the parts of a website, Facebook group, and email list that actually work and bundles them into one place that encourages human connection. When you use Skool well, you no longer need to play the algorithm game, or obsess over open rates and subject lines. You build a place your customers actually want to check, a place where your product becomes part of a larger lifestyle or interest.

If you currently feel stuck with an email list that never sings, or a social following that gives you cold shoulders, consider trading a noisy audience for a smaller, warmer community. Start with a free group, put your lead magnet inside, host a calendar event, and let the group grow with the traffic Etsy already sends you. Within months you can create ongoing sales opportunities, increase retention, and actually enjoy talking to your people again.

Final note

This is not a magic bullet. Communities still need care and intention. But if you want a way to turn one-off Etsy buyers into repeat customers, advocates, and collaborators, building a real community is one of the smartest plays you can make. Test it. Build it first. See what your audience values. Then give them more of that and watch your shop become something more than a storefront.

If you want help brainstorming a group theme based on your niche, or figuring out what lead magnet could pull buyers into a community, reach out and ask. I am in this with you — learning, tweaking, and cheering on the people who are ready to build something that lasts.

Work with me!

I offer one on one coaching