I Tried Selling AI Art Prints On Etsy For 30 Days

Jensen Tung
11 May 202308:01

TLDRThe video documents a 30-day experiment to sell AI-generated art prints on Etsy. The creator uses AI art generators like Mid-Journey Night Cafe and Stable Diffusion to produce images, then selects popular niches on Etsy to target. They opt for physical prints over digital ones, using Printful for print-on-demand services. The creator focuses on professional photos, SEO-optimized titles and tags, free shipping for US and Canada, and competitive pricing. After facing an initial account suspension and low traffic, they resort to Etsy ads, which eventually lead to two sales. However, after accounting for costs and fees, the net income is a loss. The takeaway is that selling AI art prints on Etsy is challenging and requires more time and strategic marketing to be profitable.

Takeaways

  • 🎨 The experiment involved selling AI-generated art prints on Etsy for 30 days to gauge profitability.
  • 🖼️ AI art generators like Midjourney and Stable Diffusion were used to create unlimited images for free.
  • 💡 Research into popular art niches on Etsy was crucial for identifying what types of art to generate and sell.
  • 📈 Etsy's search suggestions and keyword research tools were utilized to find art niches with high search volumes.
  • 🖨 The decision to sell physical prints over digital files was based on higher profit margins from physical sales.
  • 🚫 Print-on-demand service, Printful, was chosen to handle printing, packaging, and shipping, eliminating the need for the seller to manage these processes.
  • 📊 Image resolution was a concern; Gigapixel AI was used to upscale images for higher quality prints.
  • 📷 Professional-looking photos and effective use of keywords in titles and tags were essential for product visibility on Etsy.
  • 📦 Offering free shipping to US and Canada was a strategy to attract customers and improve listing rankings.
  • 📉 Despite good preparation, initial sales were disappointing, suggesting the need for more niche-specific art and targeted keywords.
  • 📈 After implementing Etsy ads, there was a significant increase in views and the first sale was made, indicating the potential effectiveness of advertising.

Q & A

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

    -The main goal was to sell physical AI art prints on Etsy for 30 days and see how much money could be made from this venture.

  • Which AI art generators were used to create the art?

    -The AI art generators used were Mid-Journey Night Cafe and Stable Diffusion.

  • Why did the individual choose to sell physical prints over digital prints?

    -Physical prints typically sell for more and can generate more profit per sale compared to digital prints.

  • What is 'print on demand' and how does it work?

    -Print on demand is a process where a company prints custom art and products for you only when an order is made, handling printing, packaging, and shipping without the need for the seller to manage these processes.

  • Which print-on-demand service was used and what products did it offer?

    -Printful was used as the print-on-demand service, offering a variety of wall art products such as canvases, metal prints, and framed posters.

  • What were the five important elements to consider for a product to sell on Etsy?

    -The five important elements are photos, title, tags, shipping, and pricing.

  • Why did the individual decide to put their listings on sale?

    -To give customers the perception of a good deal without affecting the bottom line, thus making the listing more attractive.

  • What happened to the individual's Etsy account during the challenge?

    -The individual's Etsy account was suspended, which is a common occurrence with new Etsy stores, and was later unsuspended.

  • Why did the listings not perform well initially?

    -The listings were not niche enough, resulting in too much competition and difficulty in showing up in search results.

  • What was the final outcome of the 30-day challenge in terms of sales and revenue?

    -After running Etsy ads, two AI art prints were sold, resulting in a total revenue of $45.98. However, after accounting for expenses, the net income was a loss of $4.29.

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

    -The individual concluded that selling AI art prints on Etsy is not easy and requires more time and targeted niches to be successful.

  • What was the individual's strategy to overcome the lack of sales?

    -The individual decided to run Etsy ads, targeting smaller niches with specific keywords to increase visibility and potentially attract more customers.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 AI Art Sales Challenge: From Creation to Marketplace

The speaker embarks on a 30-day challenge to sell AI-generated art prints. They choose to use AI art generators like Mid-Journey Night Cafe and Stable Diffusion to create unlimited images for free. The plan includes selling on Etsy, an online marketplace for arts and crafts. The speaker conducts research to find popular art niches using tools like e-rec and decides to sell physical prints over digital ones due to higher profit margins. They opt for print-on-demand services like Printful to handle printing, packaging, and shipping. The process involves listing products on Etsy, upscaling low-resolution images using AI, and editing listings with professional photos, titles, tags, and offering free shipping. Despite careful planning, the speaker faces an account suspension on Etsy but later resumes operations. The challenge concludes with a focus on targeting smaller niches and using specific keywords to increase visibility.

05:02

📉 Challenges and Learnings in Selling AI Art on Etsy

After generating AI art and creating 36 listings on Etsy, the speaker struggles with low visibility and no sales. They suspect the listings are not niche enough and decide to target smaller niches with more specific keywords. Despite the lack of organic traffic, the speaker's listings receive a surge in visits, but they suspect most are from bots. With no sales after 26 days, the speaker decides to run Etsy ads, which eventually leads to a sale of an AI art print of a purple peacock. The challenge ends with a total of two sales, but after accounting for expenses, the net income is a loss. The speaker concludes that selling AI art prints on Etsy is not easy and emphasizes the need for more time and possibly more targeted advertising for better results.

Mindmap

Keywords

AI Art Generator

An AI art generator is a software program that uses artificial intelligence to create artworks. In the video, the creator uses 'mid-journey night Cafe' and 'stable diffusion' to generate unlimited images for free. These tools are crucial for the experiment of selling AI art prints, as they allow the creation of a wide variety of art pieces without the need for human artistic skill.

Etsy

Etsy is an online marketplace focused on handmade, vintage items, and craft supplies. It is chosen as the platform to sell AI art prints because it caters to a community that appreciates art and crafts. The video discusses the process of setting up a shop, listing products, and the challenges faced when selling on Etsy, including the suspension of the account and the need for niche targeting.

Print on Demand

Print on demand (POD) is a service used for printing custom products only when an order is received, eliminating the need for inventory. In the context of the video, the creator uses a POD service called Printful to produce physical prints of the AI art. This service is important as it allows the creator to offer physical products without handling the printing, packaging, or shipping process.

AI Image Upscalers

AI image upscalers are tools that use artificial intelligence to increase the resolution of images without losing quality. The video mentions using 'Gigapixel AI' to upscale images up to six times their original resolution. This is essential because the AI art generators typically produce low-resolution images, and upscalers help in preparing these images for high-quality print production.

Etsy Search and Algorithm

Etsy's search function and algorithm are critical for the visibility of listings on the platform. The video discusses the importance of using keywords and tags that align with popular search terms to increase the chances of a listing being found. The creator uses tools like e-rec to research popular art niches and optimizes the listing for searchability.

Free Shipping

Offering free shipping is a strategy used to attract customers and can also influence Etsy's algorithm to prioritize listings. In the video, the creator decides to offer free shipping to customers in the US and Canada to make the listings more appealing and competitive within the marketplace.

Profit Margin

Profit margin is the percentage of sales that represents the profit after all costs have been deducted. The video details how the creator uses an e-rank profit calculator to determine pricing that would yield a profit margin of 30 to 45 percent, except for the smallest size, which has a lower margin to attract customers.

Sales Tactics

Sales tactics refer to the strategies used to increase the appeal of a product and encourage purchases. The video mentions a tactic of initially setting a higher price and then offering a discount to create a perception of a good deal. This approach is aimed at attracting customers without significantly reducing the profit.

Etsy Ads

Etsy ads are a form of paid advertising on the platform that can increase the visibility of a listing. Despite initially aiming for organic traffic, the creator resorts to using Etsy ads after experiencing low sales. The ads lead to an increase in views and eventually result in a sale, demonstrating their effectiveness in boosting exposure.

Niche Markets

A niche market is a targeted, specialized segment of the market with specific needs or interests. The video emphasizes the importance of identifying and creating art for niche markets on Etsy. The creator finds that targeting smaller niches with less competition can lead to better visibility and sales.

Net Income

Net income is the final amount of profit after all expenses, costs, taxes, and fees have been deducted from the revenue. At the end of the 30-day challenge, the creator calculates the net income, which turns out to be negative due to the costs of advertising, production, and platform fees outweighing the revenue from sales.

Highlights

The experiment involves selling AI-generated art prints on Etsy for 30 days to gauge profitability.

AI art generators like Midjourney and Stable Diffusion are used to create unlimited images for free.

The plan is to focus on popular art niches on Etsy, such as mid-century modern and abstract art.

Physical prints are chosen over digital prints for higher sales and profit margins.

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

Gigapixel AI is utilized to upscale low-resolution images for high-quality printing.

Professional-looking photos and effective use of keywords in titles and tags are crucial for visibility on Etsy.

Free shipping is offered to the US and Canada to attract customers and improve search ranking.

The pricing strategy includes a range of sizes with a profit margin of 30-45%, except for the smallest size.

A sale tactic involves initially increasing prices and then offering a discount to create a perception of value.

The account faced a suspension, which is common for new Etsy stores, but was later resolved.

Despite good artwork and competitive pricing, initial sales were disappointing with minimal views and visits.

The realization that listings need to target smaller niches and use less competitive keywords for better visibility.

Direct and other traffic channels, suspected to be bots, skewed the actual visitor count.

After 26 days without sales, a last-ditch effort with Etsy ads was initiated.

Etsy ads resulted in 1,765 views, 16 clicks, and one sale, indicating their effectiveness.

The net income for the challenge was a loss of $4.29 after accounting for all expenses and fees.

The conclusion is that selling AI art prints on Etsy is challenging and may require more time and strategic advertising.