My journey with Etsy print-on-demand began approximately six months ago, and it has been an incredible experience so far. When I first started, I had minimal knowledge about creating designs or how the Etsy platform worked. Surprisingly, for my initial 100 sales or so, I relied solely on organic traffic without running any ads. However, after hearing about the amazing performance of Etsy ads from other sellers in the print-on-demand and digital art space, I decided to give them a try.
In the beginning, I followed the advice of many and ran a simple short conversions campaign. To do this, I went to the marketing section on the left side of my shop, clicked on "Start Running Ads," and chose the option to drive orders short term. The problem with this approach was that it automatically selected all my designs and ran ads for all of them simultaneously. This could be a nightmare if you have a large number of listings, like me, with over a thousand. Managing this becomes challenging, and it often results in wasting a significant amount of money.
To overcome this issue, I developed a targeted ad strategy specifically for products that had already sold organically in the past. Since implementing this approach, my sales have remained consistent over the past few months, and I've observed a gradual increase in profits each month.
Here's how I execute this strategy: I go to the marketing section, select "Run Etsy Ads," and instead of choosing the "Drive Orders Short Term" option, I opt for promoting specific items. This allows me to set my budget, just like in the short-term campaign, and more importantly, handpick the products I want to run ads for.
To identify which products have recently sold organically, I go to my store page. Now, please note that the store I'm referencing here is not mine, as I'd rather not reveal my top-selling items. I scroll down to view my sales and start selecting the ones that have sold. I collect these listings and add them to my targeted ad campaign. I repeat this process, going page by page if needed, until I have selected all the relevant sold products.
In the beginning stages of your journey, you may not have many sales, and that's perfectly fine. If you're just starting out, chances are you won't have 82,000 sales like the example store mentioned earlier. You may already have your own ad strategy that works well or a few listings that are organically ranked and consistently sell. This approach primarily caters to sellers who have an established sales history.
Once I have gathered the listings that have sold, I return to my Etsy ad campaign and literally type in the keywords from the top of the URL bar to find them. For instance, if I see a listing for a "Disney Family Shirt," I would search for that term and select the corresponding product in my ad campaign. I repeat this process for each sold listing, ensuring that only those specific products are included in the ad campaign.
Furthermore, if a particular product starts to generate a significant number of conversions, I create a separate ad campaign exclusively for that product. This way, I can allocate all my ad spend to that specific item. If it continues to convert well, it translates into more profit for me. On the other hand, if certain products are consuming a considerable amount of ad spend without generating conversions, I remove them from the original campaign. This ensures that my ad budget is utilized effectively and maximizes opportunities for products with better conversion rates.
Implementing this targeted ad strategy has resulted in increased conversions, lower ad costs, and, hopefully, more profitable sales on Etsy. This approach is based on my personal experience of spending tens of thousands of dollars on Facebook ads, Google AdWords, and running Amazon PPC campaigns. However, please remember that this is my opinion and perspective based on my previous e-commerce experiences. While it has worked well for me, it's essential to adapt strategies to your unique business and continually evaluate their effectiveness.
In conclusion, my journey in Etsy print-on-demand has been a learning process, and I've discovered the importance of targeted advertising. Instead of running ads for all my listings, I focus on promoting products that have already sold organically. This approach allows me to allocate my ad budget effectively, increase conversions, and reduce unnecessary ad costs.
If you're starting your Etsy print-on-demand business, take the time to understand your platform, explore different ad strategies, and track the performance of your listings. Remember that success on Etsy requires a combination of factors, including high-quality designs, effective marketing, and a keen understanding of your target audience.
By implementing a targeted ad strategy and leveraging organic traffic, you can increase the visibility of your best-selling products, optimize your ad spend, and ultimately drive more sales and profitability on Etsy.
I hope that sharing my experience and insights has provided you with valuable information for your own Etsy print-on-demand journey. Remember, adaptability and continuous improvement are key to success in this ever-evolving e-commerce landscape. Good luck, and may your Etsy business thrive!
If you'd like to watch the complete video explanation of this, check it out below.