Adding Etsy Seller Experience to My LinkedIn Profile
What are some of your best practices for adding Etsy/eBay/Amazon or any other eCommerce experience to your LinkedIn profile? Currently, I only have a link to my eCommerce shop, and I am debating the addition of a more detailed description of the skills needed to run a shop. Social selling experience is in high demand right now and we all should definitely leverage that experience in our professional network.
Excellent question! As you may know, my wife and I own and operate a few eCommerce sites. Some are physical products we create, others are digital products and services. Regardless of what product or service you provide, your LinkedIn profile can benefit from listing skills gained through operating your small business and/or hobby.
But before you do, ask yourself this question:
What is the purpose of your LinkedIn profile?
If you’re using the professional profile as a quasi-resume, there is much value in adding those skills and experiences (as long as they relate to the image you wish to project). If this is you and your profile’s purpose, then yes, adding your Etsy experience is a plus.
Running an eCommerce shop requires a bit of skill. You will likely have experience in logistics, shipping, customer service, networking with vendors, handling returns and exchanges, establishing a marketing plan, branding, and much more!
If it’s true that a picture is worth a thousand words, you may also showcase some of your skills and products/services by adding some visual aides to your LinkedIn profile. Check out Raquel Rosario‘s profile for some examples.
By comparison, your Etsy shop (or any other ecommerce store) may not be your full time job, or it may not align with the image you want to portray. My suggestion in this case is to NOT add your etsy shop experience on your LinkedIn profile.
Consider this hypothetical example:
Your current career is in retail (working as a store clerk at the mall), and you have commerce experience through your etsy shop. However, you want to leave the retail world and work in a different industry. Lets say you rather become a certified public accountant. Adding the Etsy experience and placing emphasis on sales, shipping, customer service, etc. may not directly align with your desired career as an accountant. Instead, I recommend adding the Etsy experience, but place emphasis accountant related experience (break even analysis, book keeping for your store, pricing, reports and analytics) that correlates with your desired role.
In closing
Add your eCommerce Seller Experience to your LinkedIn profile as long as the skills and accomplishments reinforce the image you want to project.
What say you? Do you have any tips, comments or questions? Comment below.
Editor’s Note: For those not familiar with Etsy.com, the public company is an online ecommerce marketplace specializing in handcrafted items. Although the question was asked on behalf of an etsy shop owner, the same applies to most ecommerce shop owners.