I Tried Making Money Selling AI-Generated pictures on Etsy (Unbelievable Results)

Buildapreneur
26 Jul 202309:29

TLDRIn this video, the creator explores the potential of using AI-generated art to make money on Etsy, an online marketplace for handmade and unique goods. Despite not having a traditional skill, they believe AI can level the playing field. After researching popular items on Etsy, they decide to focus on digital art prints, specifically in the niche of Bible art. Using AI to generate images and upscale them for clarity, they create listings with SEO-optimized descriptions. However, they encounter challenges with image quality and presentation. Despite not making significant sales, they receive a steady increase in visits, primarily from Etsy marketing and Google searches. After a month, they've made a small profit, indicating potential for growth with further optimization and learning.

Takeaways

  • 🤖 The author believes AI can democratize art creation, allowing those without traditional skills to generate and sell artwork.
  • 💡 Etsy is an online marketplace where people sell handmade or unique items, including digital art prints.
  • 🔍 The use of e-rank.com helped identify potential niche markets within Etsy, such as 'Bible art', which had less competition.
  • 🎨 The plan was to create AI-generated images in various styles, upload them to Etsy, and let the platform handle sales.
  • 📈 Etsy's marketing efforts, including Google search visibility, were crucial in driving traffic to the listings.
  • 🖼 The author faced challenges with image quality and presentation, using upscale.media to improve image resolution.
  • 📚 Researching art styles on Google helped in deciding the visual direction for the AI-generated images.
  • 💸 The final revenue from the experiment was $99.98, with most sales coming from Etsy's own advertising efforts.
  • 📈 There was an increase in daily visits to the listings, indicating potential growing interest in the AI-generated art.
  • 📉 Despite nearly 12,000 views, only eight orders were placed, suggesting a low conversion rate.
  • 🚗 The author humorously mentions buying a 'Lambo', referring to the common internet phrase for achieving significant financial success, which did not happen in this case.

Q & A

  • What is the main challenge the author faced when considering selling on Etsy?

    -The main challenge the author faced was the requirement to have an actual skill to sell on Etsy, which they felt they lacked.

  • How does the author believe AI can change the game for people like them in 2023?

    -The author believes AI can enable people with the skill of typing to create artistic masterpieces, which they can then sell on platforms like Etsy.

  • What is the author's plan for selling AI-generated images on Etsy?

    -The author plans to find opportunities on Etsy, use an AI generator to create images, upload those images to Etsy, let Etsy handle the selling process, and eventually buy a Lamborghini with the profits.

  • What is the significance of digital art prints in the context of the author's research on Etsy?

    -Digital art prints are significant because they are among the top five sellers on Etsy and can be offered as physical prints or digital downloads, which can save on logistics and shipping costs.

  • How does the author use e-rank.com to find a niche for their AI-generated art?

    -The author uses e-rank.com to identify what people are searching for on Etsy, particularly focusing on keywords related to art. They look for niches with high search volume and low competition, such as 'Bible art'.

  • What is the author's strategy for creating AI-generated images for their Etsy store?

    -The author plans to get a list of Bible stories, create images for these stories in two to three different styles using AI, and then focus on the style that performs better.

  • What are the two main issues the author encounters when preparing to upload images to Etsy?

    -The two main issues are the blurriness of the images, which may not look good when enlarged, and the lack of a visually appealing display to show how the picture would look in a room.

  • How does the author address the issue of blurry images?

    -The author uses upscale.media, an AI image upscaler, to make the images sharper and more refined.

  • What is the author's approach to creating a visually appealing display for their Etsy listings?

    -The author uses a site for Drop Shipping that allows creating mock-ups. They create a free Drop Shipping store, select a scene, add their photo, preview it, and then download the preview.

  • What are the costs associated with listing items on Etsy according to the author's findings?

    -Etsy charges 20 cents for each listing for every four months that the listing remains live.

  • What was the outcome of the author's experiment after 30 days of listing AI-generated art on Etsy?

    -After 30 days, the author received almost 12,000 views, had 7,500 visits, and made 8 orders, resulting in a total revenue of $99.98.

  • What did the author conclude about the potential of selling AI-generated art on Etsy?

    -The author concluded that there is potential in selling AI-generated art on Etsy, but it might require more work and optimization than initially expected.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Exploring AI Art on Etsy

The speaker discusses their lack of traditional skills for selling on Etsy but sees potential in using AI to create art. They plan to sell AI-generated digital art prints on Etsy, which can be offered as physical prints or digital downloads. The speaker uses e-rank.com to find niche opportunities within the Bible art category on Etsy, noting less competition and potential for sales. They decide to focus on simple Bible art and book of the Bible wall art, inspired by another store's success with similar products.

05:02

🖼️ Enhancing AI Art for Etsy Sale

The speaker addresses two main issues before uploading their AI-generated art to Etsy: image blurriness and the lack of a visual display for potential buyers. To solve the first problem, they use upscale.media, an AI image upscaler, to improve image quality. For the second issue, they find a solution on a dropshipping site that allows creating mock-ups to show how the art would look in a room. The speaker also mentions Etsy's listing fee and the use of AI, specifically chat GPT, to generate a detailed and SEO-optimized description for their listing. They monitor the listing's performance, noting an increase in visits over time, and attribute much of the traffic to Etsy marketing and Google searches. Despite the high number of views, the sales are low, leading to a reflection on the potential reasons and the need for further optimization and data collection.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Etsy

Etsy is an online marketplace that focuses on handmade or vintage items and craft supplies. It is a platform where artists and crafters can sell their products directly to consumers. In the video, the creator explores the possibility of selling AI-generated artwork on Etsy, highlighting its role as a marketplace for unique and creative goods.

💡AI-generated pictures

AI-generated pictures refer to images created using artificial intelligence algorithms. These algorithms can mimic various styles of art or generate new, unique designs. In the context of the video, the creator uses AI to produce artwork that they intend to sell on Etsy, showcasing the potential of AI in the art industry.

💡Digital art prints

Digital art prints are reproductions of artwork that exist in a digital format. They can be printed out by the buyer or shipped as physical prints by the seller. The video discusses digital art prints as a popular category on Etsy, where the creator considers selling AI-generated images in this format.

💡e-rank.com

e-rank.com is a website mentioned in the video that allows users to discover what people are searching for on Etsy. It provides data on search volume and competition, helping the creator identify potential niche markets for their AI-generated art. It's a tool for market research within the Etsy platform.

💡Moss wall art

Moss wall art is a type of wall decoration made with real moss. It is an example given in the video where the creator initially identifies a potential niche market on Etsy. However, they later clarify that creating such art with AI would not be feasible, as it involves physical materials.

💡Bible art

Bible art refers to artwork that is inspired by or depicts scenes, stories, or themes from the Bible. In the video, the creator finds a niche within the Bible art category on Etsy, which has less competition and could be an opportunity to sell AI-generated images of biblical stories.

💡Art styles

Art styles refer to the distinctive visual art practices, techniques, and methods that characterize types of art. The video's creator researches different art styles to determine how to generate AI artwork in various styles, aiming to appeal to a broader audience on Etsy.

💡AI image upscaler

An AI image upscaler is a tool that uses artificial intelligence to enhance the resolution and clarity of images without losing quality. In the video, the creator uses upscale.media to improve the sharpness of their AI-generated images, making them suitable for large prints.

💡Drop Shipping Store

A Drop Shipping Store is an online retail model where the seller does not keep the products in stock but instead forwards the customer orders to a third-party supplier who ships the goods directly to the customer. The video mentions a tool for creating mock-ups related to drop shipping, which the creator uses to visualize how their art prints would look in a room.

💡Etsy marketing

Etsy marketing refers to the promotional strategies used by Etsy as a platform to attract buyers to the site, which in turn can benefit sellers by increasing the visibility of their products. The video discusses how the creator's listings benefit from Etsy's marketing efforts, particularly through Google search results.

💡SEO optimized

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a product listing in search engine results. In the context of the video, the creator ensures their Etsy listings are SEO optimized to rank higher in search results and attract more potential buyers.

Highlights

The author attempts to make money by selling AI-generated pictures on Etsy, an online marketplace known for handmade and unique items.

The author believes that AI can democratize art creation, allowing those without traditional artistic skills to produce and sell artwork.

Etsy is identified as a platform where digital art prints are among the top sellers, with options to sell as physical prints or digital downloads.

The author uses e-rank.com to research popular search terms on Etsy and identify potential niche markets for AI-generated art.

Moss wall art is initially considered but dismissed due to the need for actual moss, which is not feasible with AI generation.

The author discovers a niche within Christian and Bible art, noting less competition and potential for sales.

The plan includes creating images of Bible stories in various styles and then focusing on the most successful style.

The author explores different art styles using Google to inform the AI generation process.

Issues with image clarity are addressed by using upscale.media, an AI image upscaler, to improve image quality.

Mock-up displays are created to show how the art would look in a room using a site intended for dropshipping.

Etsy's listing fees and the requirement for a detailed description are noted, with the use of AI to assist in writing the listing description.

The author monitors the Etsy store's performance, noting an increase in visits but no initial sales.

Most traffic to the listings comes from Etsy marketing, which includes visibility in Google searches.

After 30 days, the author reports nearly 12,000 views, 7,500 visits, and 8 orders, totaling a revenue of $99.98.

The author expresses disappointment with the conversion rate from views to sales but sees potential in the AI-generated art business model.

A full tutorial on the process and lessons learned will be provided in a future video.