Our marketplace research survey is the first step towards building a program to recommend and support the good online marketplaces – the ones that treat their sellers right. The goal is to determine – definitively – what sellers really need from online marketplaces, not just what corporations decide will make the most profit. We will use the data from the survey to create a standard for marketplaces, so that both buyers and sellers can do business with marketplaces that treat their sellers well. The more people we reach during this important first step, the more accurate and valuable our data will be. Let’s get this project off to the best possible start!
Our all-volunteer team has prepared an awesome set of images and copy-paste-able text for you to help us spread the word about this project. This is the online version, which we’re able to update with new information and new links. If you create something that should be a part of this kit, by all means, please send it to us!
There is also a downloadable zip-file version of this kit available here.
Here you’ll find a selection of ready-made images to share the survey on social media, along with the Canva templates we used to create them. Feel free to edit the template and use your own branding and colors, if you wish.
We’ve also included the text blurbs from each image that you can copy-paste for convenience. If you have time to write something out in your own words, that’s always better!
“Have your voice heard”
Have your voice heard about what creative small business owners really need from online marketplaces... Not just what Big Tech decides will make the most profit! Complete our research survey to help the Indie Sellers Guild create a program to recommend and support good vintage and crafting marketplaces. Visit the website to find out more information about this research study by Samantha Close, Ph.D. in cooperation with the Indie Sellers Guild. https://indiesellersguild.org/survey
“A favor to ask”
I have a favor to ask. Can you spare 20m to fill out a research survey? My guild (the Indie Sellers Guild) is conducting research on what people want from online marketplaces. It’s our first step towards building a program to support ethical alternatives to platforms like Etsy and Amazon. We want opinions from both sellers AND shoppers on what’s important! https://indiesellersguild.org/survey
“Calling all creative people”
Calling all creative people! Got 20 minutes to fill out a research survey? Our grassroots guild wants to find out what people REALLY want from online craft goods marketplaces, not just what Big Tech decides will make the most profit! So in collaboration with Dr. Samantha Close of DePaul University, we're conducting a large scale research study. https://indiesellersguild.org/survey
Etsy Strike Edition
Last year, I joined the Etsy Strike, along with nearly 30,000 creative small business owners. We put our shops on vacation mode to protest a slew of recent anti-creator policies, and fees that had more than doubled in less than 4 years. The strike was just the beginning. We formed the Indie Sellers Guild to act as a union for creative small business owners. Our next big project is underway, and we could use your help! Can you spare 20m for a research survey? This research project is our first step towards creating a program to support marketplaces that treat their sellers right, and hold them accountable as they grow. The survey takes about 20 minutes to complete. This research study is done in collaboration with Dr. Samantha Close at DePaul University. Responses are completely anonymous. Thank you for your participation! https://indiesellersguild.org/survey
Version targeted at Sellers
Canva template link (square, three pages)
Calling all Makers, Creators, and Curators of handmade, vintage, and craft goods! Got 20 minutes to fill out a research survey? Our grassroots guild wants to find out what creative people REALLY WANT from online marketplaces, not just what Big Tech thinks will make the most profit! So in collaboration with Dr. Samantha Close of DePaul University, we're conducting a large scale research study. We will use this research to create a Marketplace Accreditation Program to recommend and support the best vintage and crafting marketplaces. We believe a better internet is possible, and with your help, we can build it! https://indiesellersguild.org/survey
More Images for Social Media
This gallery contains a few additional styles of images, including the set we made for the open-ended version of the survey. If you create something that we should include here, please send it to us!
More Text Blurbs
Calling all creative people! Got 20 minutes to fill out a research survey? My guild is doing this epic research project - we’re going to find out what sellers and buyers really need from an online craft goods marketplace, not just what Big Tech decides will make the most profit! The survey is the first step in the Marketplace Accreditation Project - our plan to build a better internet for creative people. I hope you’ll fill out the survey - and if you know anyone with a creative business, please share!
https://indiesellersguild.org/survey
I know there are a lot of crafty creative types in my friends list so I had to share this! My guild is doing a research survey in cooperation with DePaul University and our head of research Dr. Samantha Close, and it’s pretty cool! Apparently existing research into online marketplaces for creative goods has been about the investors and the profits, and our project is the first research that’s about the people who actually use the marketplace, the sellers and the shoppers! If you’ve got 20 minutes, it would be epic if you could fill out the survey - your voice matters! https://indiesellersguild.org/survey
Here are a couple one-sentence explanations of what we do at the Indie Sellers Guild, in case you wish to add that to your post.
The Indie Sellers Guild is a nonprofit organization advocating for creative small business owners, whose needs and rights as workers have been erased in the online platform economy.
The Indie Sellers Guild fights for a better, fairer internet–where makers, artists, designers and other creative small business owners can earn a sustainable living.
We created a quick Canva video to share the open-ended version of the survey, and it works for the multiple choice version too! Here it is:
If you’re on Tiktok or Instagram and you would like to create and post a video about this, first – WE LOVE YOU! Second, make sure to follow the steps to signal boost it (instructions on the “Other Info” tab above) so your fellow creative indie sellers can help your video get some algorithmic love!
We’ve prepared some scripts you’re welcome to adapt, or we would love to hear what you have to say about this project in your own words too! At the end of each script is a reminder to show the URL or link to the survey at the end of your video.
Video Script 1 (1m)
I have a quick favor to ask. Do you have 20 minutes to fill out a research survey? My guild – the Indie Sellers Guild – is creating a Marketplace Accreditation Program to help creative small business owners like myself. It’ll be a standard we can hold online marketplaces to, and a list of marketplaces that treat their sellers right that we can rally around to help them grow.
The first step to create a standard for marketplaces is getting detailed research on what sellers and shoppers really want! DePaul University is helping us out with our study – and Dr Samantha Close is heading it up. I hope you’ll fill it out! And if you have any friends who are creative business owners, please share this video with them!
Thank you so much!
https://indiesellersguild.org/survey
Video Script 2 (1.5m)
Hello! I’m part of a movement of creative small business owners who are organizing to fight for a fairer deal from the online platform economy. My guild – the Indie Sellers Guild – is creating a Marketplace Accreditation Program. It’ll be a standard we can hold marketplaces to, and a list of marketplaces that treat their sellers right that we can rally around to help them grow. Once we have more volunteers and funding, we even have a plan to make things super convenient for shoppers – by creating a search engine kinda like google shopping that you can use to search all the good marketplaces all at once.
Right now though, we need your help! The first step to create a standard for marketplaces is getting detailed research on what sellers and shoppers really want! DePaul University is helping us out with our study – and Dr Samantha Close is heading it up. If you have 20 minutes to spare, I hope you’ll fill it out! And if you have any friends who are creative business owners, please share this video with them!
Thank you so much for your support!
https://indiesellersguild.org/survey
Assets
Here you’ll find a few clear background PNG images for use in creating videos about the project. We’ve also included the QR codes we made for use in flyers, just in case!
Here you’ll find images designed to be printed – either alone, or as an insert to a packing slip (thanks to ISG member Accordion Bruce for this suggestion!)
Printable Business Cards
We have business cards already printed and ready to mail to you, and we’ve even got some grant money to help pay for the postage, so please don’t hesitate to reach out and request some! Or if you’re short on time, here are the files to print them yourself:
Flyer Version 1
Flyer Version 2
Square Packing Slip Insert
Hashtags
There is a continually growing database of hashtags, color coded by popularity on Instagram, available in our Social Media Reference spreadsheet.
Signal Boost Discord Channel
We’ve set up a channel in our Discord server that’s specifically designed to signal boost ISG projects. If you create a video or a post spreading the word about our Marketplace Research Survey, you can share that post to the #signal-boost channel to get some engagement from your fellow guild members. Then, please be sure to go like, comment, and share posts others have made in return.
Influencer/Media/Forum Pitches
Do you listen to or watch shows, podcasts, or other content that’s specifically geared towards creative indie sellers? Are you a member of any online spaces that tend to contain lots of creative indie sellers? Please reach out! Feel free to adapt one of these pitches, or use your own words.
Influencer/Media Pitch
Hi (name), I’m a huge fan of your (podcast/show/work)! I’m part of this grassroots online movement - the Indie Sellers Guild - and we’re working on a project I think your audience would love, and I wanted to let you know about it!
We are conducting a large-scale research study with Dr. Samantha Close from DePaul University on what creative small business owners and their shoppers really need and want from online marketplaces, not just what big tech decides will make the most profit.
We would love to hear from you and any of your audience on this issue! Would you be willing to collaborate with us on a social media post to share the survey?
The survey is multiple choice and will take about 20 minutes to complete:
https://indiesellersguild.org/survey
This research project is our first step towards creating a program to recommend and support marketplaces that treat creative small business owners right, and hold them accountable to their promises as they grow. You can find out more about the program at https://indiesellersguild.org/accredit.
Thank you so much for all the awesome ___ you create!
(Your Name)
Forum/Community Pitch
Hi everyone! My guild, the Indie Sellers Guild, is looking for creative types to help us out with a research project! Can you spare 20m for a research survey? We’re working on a program to support marketplaces that treat their sellers right, and hold them accountable as they grow. The first step is a large scale research study to find out exactly what sellers and the shoppers who support us really want and need from online marketplaces. I took the survey, and I would love it if you filled it out too! Responses are anonymous, and it’s conducted by Dr. Samantha Close from DePaul University: https://indiesellersguild.org/survey This link explains a bit about the end goals and process: https://indiesellersguild.org/accredit/
