THIS is how I built a 6 figure Etsy shop 🚀 (How to make money on Etsy 2024)

About this video

Kate Hayes says she has been an Etsy seller since 2015 and claims she grew her shop to six figures and into the top 1 percent of all Etsy shops. She shares five factors she believes contributed, plus two closing tips. Factor 1: choose a profitable product niche — research what specifically sells on Etsy versus eBay/Amazon using tools she names such as Sales Samurai, EverBee and Pinterest, before opening a shop. Factor 2: base designs on trending, popular styles — a profitable category can still fail in an outdated pattern, colour scheme or font, so shift with trends. She adds that a couple of years in she leaned into seasonal and gifting items because Etsy buyers often seek thoughtful, personalized gifts unavailable on Amazon/eBay. A sponsored segment pitches Creative Fabrica for fonts, SVGs, mockups, logos, backgrounds and print-on-demand assets so sellers do not start from scratch. Factor 4: buy materials from true wholesalers instead of retail stores like Walmart, Target, Hobby Lobby and Michaels to improve margins — noting wholesalers typically require an EIN/tax ID and minimum orders (examples given: $100 or $500), and suggesting trade-show exhibitor lists to find genuine wholesalers. Factor 5: do not rely on the Etsy algorithm at the start, because ranking is driven heavily by sales volume; instead drive external traffic via Facebook, Instagram and email with flash sales and giveaways until sales create algorithm momentum. The two tips are: always try new promotional strategies (Facebook page/group/live, giveaways, in-person fairs, email, collaborations, influencers/brand ambassadors, pivoting when things flop) and always keep improving the product through tutorials, testing products in the niche, SEO learning, and product/competitor analysis.

Key takeaways

• Validate two layers before listing: the broad product niche must be profitable on Etsy specifically, and the specific style (pattern, colours, font) must be currently trending.
• Lean into seasonal and personalized/gifting angles, which she says are a distinctive reason buyers come to Etsy over Amazon or eBay.
• Move from retail suppliers to true wholesalers for bulk discounts once established — expect EIN/tax ID requirements and order minimums, and use trade-show exhibitor lists to find them.
• Do not rely on Etsy search early: the algorithm rewards existing sales volume, so drive initial traffic yourself from Facebook, Instagram and email via sales and giveaways.
• Keep experimenting with promotion channels and continuously improving product, SEO and competitor analysis rather than opening the shop and waiting.

Episode details: published June 16, 2022 · 13:46 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Kate Hayes’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

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