I recently saw the movie Bright Star at the Heartland Film Festival which depicts the romance of Romantic poet, John Keats, with fashion designer Fanny Brawne. Early on, she asked him to teach her poetry which she could never seem to “work out” or understand. Keats’ answer for her was:

“A poem needs understanding through the senses. The point of diving in a lake is not immediately to swim to the shore; but to be in the lake, to luxuriate in the sensation of water. You do not work the lake out. It is an experience beyond thought. Poetry soothes and emboldens the soul to accept mystery.”

It’s a compelling thought, to simply luxuriate in the water – not one that we are prone to do. We are usually concerned with the quickest and least painless way to get from point A to point B. Yet in the era of an experience economy there’s something to be said about adding a little poetry to the products and services we’re trying to sell. We talk often about engaging the customer with a meaningful experience, but are we getting them to stay in the water, to swim around in that brand experience? Ultimately you want them to make it to the shore, and complete the transaction – but if you can immerse them in your brand at multiple touch points, expose them to new opportunities or details they wouldn’t otherwise find, all while making a personal connection – that is when you are creating the most meaning.

Etsy is an online marketplace to “buy and sell all things handmade.” The meta goal of all of this, is to recreate a micro-economy, where buyers connect directly with sellers that are making their products, as Etsy founders and retailers explain in the video below:

What separates Etsy from the monoliths (e.g. Ebay) and other indie marketplaces (e.g. Indiepublic or Artfire) is the experience. Etsy has merged a hyper designed retail platform with an interconnected community. They not only facilitate the exchange of goods, but they’ve made an environment that spurs exploration by allowing users to luxuriate in the process. One of the best ways they encourage this exploration, is through the multiple ways to shop and browse for products. You can shop globally, locally, or by most recently listed; you can view handpicked treasuries of items, or gift guides based on events and personality type; you can “pounce” on items from shops that just had a sale or are waiting for their first sale; you can even shop by color, through connections, or the traditional way by categories. Whatever route you choose, you ultimately “make it to shore” and purchase a product, which is why this experience works. It completes the circle of the transaction, while increasing the benefit to the user (assisting their search) and the seller (increasing their odds of being discovered). Etsy has been able to transcend the marketplace and become a place for inspired interaction and true community.

Whether by reducing the degrees of separation from your buyer and your production team, or providing varied venues of contact – finding your own way to encourage customers to luxuriate in the process can leave you with more brand exposure, and the possibility for deeper relationships.