I Tried Selling AI Art Prints On Etsy For 30 Days

Jensen Tung
11 May 202308:01

TLDRThe video documents a 30-day experiment of selling AI-generated art prints on Etsy, covering the entire process from creation to advertising. The creator uses AI art generators like MidJourney, NightCafe, and Stable Diffusion, focuses on niche research, and opts for print-on-demand services to avoid handling physical prints. Despite initial challenges, including a temporary account suspension and low traffic, the creator employs Etsy ads in the final week, resulting in one sale. The experience highlights the difficulty of selling AI art on the platform but suggests potential for success with more time and strategic adjustments.

Takeaways

  • ๐ŸŽจ The journey of selling AI-generated art involves multiple steps, including creation, printing, advertising, and selling on platforms like Etsy.
  • ๐Ÿ–ผ๏ธ AI art generators like MidJourney, NightCafe, and Stable Diffusion can produce unlimited images for free, which can be used for creating art prints.
  • ๐Ÿ›๏ธ Etsy is an online marketplace focused on arts and crafts, but it requires targeting specific niches with high demand to succeed.
  • ๐Ÿ’ฐ Selling physical prints rather than digital files can yield higher profits, as customers are willing to pay for the convenience of not handling printing themselves.
  • ๐Ÿ“ฆ Print-on-demand services like Printful simplify the process by handling printing, packaging, and shipping when an order is made.
  • ๐Ÿ” Conducting keyword research with tools like e-rec is crucial for identifying popular art niches and optimizing product listings for Etsy search.
  • ๐Ÿ“ˆ Upscoping AI-generated images with tools like Gigapixel AI is necessary to ensure high-quality prints at larger sizes.
  • ๐ŸŽญ Professional-looking photos, optimized titles, tags, and competitive pricing are essential for attracting customers and making sales on Etsy.
  • ๐Ÿšš Offering free shipping can boost a product's appeal, as Etsy prioritizes such listings and customers prefer not to pay for shipping.
  • ๐Ÿ’ธ Running Etsy ads can be a last-resort strategy to increase visibility and generate sales when organic traffic is insufficient.
  • ๐Ÿ”„ Persistence and adaptation are key in the face of challenges such as account suspensions, low traffic, and lack of sales.

Q & A

  • What is the main goal of the individual in the transcript?

    -The main goal of the individual is to sell physical AI-generated art prints on Etsy for 30 days and see how much money they can make.

  • Which AI art generators does the individual plan to use?

    -The individual plans to use MidJourney, NightCafe, and Stable Diffusion to generate AI art.

  • Why did the individual choose to sell physical prints instead of digital prints on Etsy?

    -The individual chose to sell physical prints because they typically sell for more and can generate more profit per sale, as customers are willing to pay for the convenience of not having to deal with printing themselves.

  • What is the print-on-demand service mentioned in the transcript?

    -Printful is the print-on-demand service mentioned, which handles custom art printing, packaging, and shipping for the individual.

  • How does the individual plan to upscale the AI-generated images for printing?

    -The individual plans to use Gigapixel AI, an AI image upscaler, to increase the resolution of the images up to six times their original size and fill in the missing details.

  • What were the five important elements the individual focused on to make their product sell on Etsy?

    -The five important elements are professional-looking photos, a title filled with keywords, tags that match the title's keywords, offering free shipping to certain regions, and pricing the products with a profit margin of 30 to 45 percent.

  • What challenge did the individual face with their Etsy account?

    -The individual's Etsy account got suspended, which is a common occurrence with new Etsy stores. The suspension was temporary, and the account was unsuspended after a week.

  • How did the individual attempt to increase visibility for their listings on Etsy?

    -The individual initially relied on organic search traffic but later decided to run Etsy ads, spending one dollar a day for five days, to boost visibility and potentially make sales.

  • What was the final outcome of the individual's 30-day challenge?

    -The individual made two sales, earning a total revenue of $45.98. However, after accounting for printing costs, shipping, Etsy fees, and ads costs, the net income was a loss of $4.29.

  • What is the individual's conclusion about selling AI art prints on Etsy?

    -The individual concluded that selling AI art prints on Etsy is not easy, especially in a short time frame, but with more time and potentially more sales, it could become profitable.

  • What was the most niche AI art print that sold during the challenge?

    -The most niche AI art print that sold was of a purple peacock.

Outlines

00:00

๐ŸŽจ Launching an AI Art Print Business on Etsy

The creator embarks on a 30-day challenge to sell AI-generated art prints on Etsy. They plan to cover the entire process from generation to printing and advertising. The AI art generators chosen are Midjourney, NightCafe, and Stable Diffusion. The goal is to sell physical prints, not digital, using a print-on-demand service called Printful. The creator also discusses the importance of researching art niches on Etsy and the strategy to generate and sell across various niches. They detail the process of setting up their Etsy shop, including choosing the right product sizes, pricing strategy, and the use of AI image upscalers to improve print quality.

05:02

๐Ÿš€ Overcoming Challenges and Learning from the AI Art Sale Experiment

The creator faces challenges with their Etsy account suspension and the struggle to get their AI art listings noticed. They discover that targeting smaller niches and using less competitive keywords might be the key to standing out. Despite the setback, they persist and eventually turn to Etsy ads as a last-ditch effort to make sales. The challenge concludes with one sale, resulting in a net loss, but the creator reflects on the valuable lessons learned about the difficulties of selling AI art prints on Etsy and the potential for improvement with more time and effort.

Mindmap

Keywords

๐Ÿ’กAI art

AI art refers to the use of artificial intelligence to create visual art. In the context of the video, the creator is using AI art generators like Mid-Journey, NightCafe, and Stable Diffusion to produce digital art. This form of art is characterized by its ability to generate unlimited images, often in various styles, which the creator plans to sell as physical prints.

๐Ÿ’กEtsy

Etsy is an online marketplace that focuses on arts, crafts, and unique items, often made by independent artists and crafters. In the video, the creator plans to sell their AI-generated art on Etsy as physical prints. The platform's niche focus and customer base are crucial for the creator's business model, as they aim to cater to buyers interested in unique art pieces.

๐Ÿ’กPrint on demand

Print on demand is a service where custom products, such as art prints, are manufactured and shipped only when an order is received. This allows creators to sell physical items without handling inventory or shipping themselves. In the video, the creator uses a print-on-demand service called Printful to produce and ship their AI art prints, which simplifies their selling process and reduces overhead costs.

๐Ÿ’กMock-ups

Mock-ups are visual representations of how a product could look in a real-world setting. In the context of the video, the creator uses free mock-up templates found on Google to showcase their AI art in a professional manner. These mock-ups help to attract customers by providing a realistic preview of the final product, which is essential for selling art online.

๐Ÿ’กSEO (Search Engine Optimization)

SEO refers to the practice of optimizing online content to improve its ranking in search engine results. In the video, the creator conducts keyword research using tools like e-rec to find popular art niches on Etsy. They then incorporate these keywords into their product titles and tags to increase the visibility of their listings in Etsy search, which is a form of SEO tailored to the platform.

๐Ÿ’กUpscaler

An upscaler is a tool or software that increases the resolution of images without losing quality. In the video, the creator uses an AI image upscaler called Gigapixel AI to enlarge their low-resolution AI art to a size suitable for printing as high-quality wall art. This process is crucial for transforming digital art into a marketable physical product.

๐Ÿ’กProfit margin

Profit margin is a financial metric that represents the percentage of revenue that exceeds the cost of goods sold. It indicates how much money is left over after covering all production and operating costs. In the video, the creator uses an e-rank profit calculator to set prices that provide a profit margin of 30 to 45 percent, except for the smallest size, which has a lower margin to attract price-sensitive customers.

๐Ÿ’กFree shipping

Free shipping is a selling strategy where the seller covers the shipping costs for the buyer. This is often seen as an attractive feature for customers, as it reduces their overall expenditure. In the video, the creator offers free shipping to customers in the US and Canada, hoping to make their listings more appealing and prioritized in Etsy's search results, which can lead to more sales.

๐Ÿ’กSales tactics

Sales tactics are strategies employed to increase the chances of making a sale. In the video, the creator uses a tactic of putting their listings on sale, by initially increasing the prices and then offering a discount. This creates a perception of a good deal for the customer, while maintaining the desired profit margin for the seller.

๐Ÿ’กBot traffic

Bot traffic refers to visits to a website or online store that are generated by automated software programs (bots) rather than real human users. In the video, the creator notices a high volume of traffic from the 'direct and other' channel, which they suspect to be bots. This is concerning because it indicates that the majority of views are not from potential customers, which can negatively impact sales.

๐Ÿ’กEtsy ads

Etsy ads is a paid advertising service offered by Etsy that allows sellers to promote their listings and increase their visibility in search results and on the platform. In the video, after struggling to make sales organically, the creator decides to use Etsy ads as a last-ditch effort to generate sales before the end of their 30-day challenge.

๐Ÿ’กNet income

Net income, also known as net profit, is the amount of money left over after all expenses, costs, and taxes have been deducted from the total revenue. In the video, the creator calculates their net income by accounting for printing costs, shipping, Etsy transaction fees, processing fees, seller fees, and listing fees. Despite the initial loss, the creator reflects on the learning experience and potential for improvement over time.

Highlights

The individual plans to sell AI-generated art prints on Etsy, an online marketplace for arts and crafts.

The AI art generators to be used are Midjourney, NightCafe, and Stable Diffusion, which can generate unlimited images for free.

The strategy includes researching popular art niches on Etsy to increase the chances of sales.

Physical prints are chosen over digital prints due to their higher profit margins.

Printful, a print-on-demand service, will be used to handle printing, packaging, and shipping.

AI image upscalers like Gigapixel AI are necessary to increase the resolution of AI-generated art for printing.

The Etsy listing process involves connecting accounts, choosing sizes, uploading AI art, and optimizing the product for search.

Professional-looking mock-ups, a keyword-rich title and tags, and free shipping are crucial for selling products on Etsy.

The pricing strategy involves using an e-rank profit calculator to determine prices with a profit margin of 30-45%.

The first challenge faced was an account suspension by Etsy, which was later resolved.

The initial lack of sales led to the realization that listings needed to target smaller niches with less competition.

Direct and other traffic channels were suspected to be bots, which affected the perceived success of the listings.

A last-ditch effort involved running Etsy ads, which eventually led to a sale.

The final outcome of the 30-day challenge was a net loss of $4.29, but with more time and optimization, profitability was possible.

The conclusion drawn from the challenge is that selling AI art prints on Etsy requires effort and is not guaranteed to be easy.

Despite the loss, the individual remains optimistic about the potential for selling AI art with more strategic adjustments.

The use of Etsy ads, even for a short period, can significantly impact the visibility and sales of listings.