Etsy is taking its TV commercial national - which may give sellers hope for a more prosperous holiday selling season (you tell us!).
Here's what Etsy told us:
"On Nov 8, Etsy will roll out a national US TV ad featuring customer testimonials with individuals discussing their shopping journey through Etsy's differentiated experience. This national ad buy comes on the heels of local tests that Etsy recently ran using several creative concepts.
"We believe the testimonials tested the best due to the emotional, human element and the fact that they featured a wider range of products.
"The testimonials ran in Seattle, Minneapolis, and Baltimore. Brand awareness, visits, and purchase intent performed better in these three cities compared to their respective control markets."
The commercials will run nationally for four weeks across networks and cable. It will be mostly 30 second ad buys and Etsy will test some 15 slots as well. View here:
During the holiday shopping season, Etsy is making available
curated gift guides, personalized recommendations, and an easier way to have items customized. That may feel like a big win for sellers who want shoppers to understand many items are crafted by artisans. "Etsy has added a new feature on listing pages so that buyers can more effectively communicate item personalization requests to sellers. We believe this feature will be a valued addition for many Etsy buyers, and make it easier for sellers to deliver exactly what their buyers want."
Etsy is also emphasizing free shipping. "Millions of items now ship for free on Etsy. We are continuing to educate sellers on the importance of fair and competitive shipping. We are also making shipping times and estimated delivery dates clearer on our site, so that buyers can be confident that items will arrive in time for the holidays."
That's a double edged sword - the approach that makes some sellers uncomfortable since there's no such thing as free shipping and some fear it makes Etsy look more like commodity sites. On the other hand, some might say attracting shoppers is the name of the game during the final 2 months of holiday shopping.
Additional initiatives:
- Etsy will run ads on NYC subways on 575 subway cars for four weeks.
- On Small Business Saturday, Etsy sellers will host pop-up markets in San Francisco, Austin, D.C., and Boston, to provide destinations to shop locally crafted, one-of-a-kind items this holiday season.
- Brit & Co Shopping Destination: Brit + Co is hosting a curated that features over 1,000 handpicked items from Etsy. "Using an innovative shopping tool created by Brit.co, shoppers will discover the best one-of-a kind items created by Etsy's community of 2 million entrepreneurs."
An Etsy spokesperson told us the overall takeaway is as follows: "Etsy is working to bring magic to more buyers this holiday season. We are launching new marketing campaigns to remind shoppers that we are the best destination for unique and thoughtful holiday gifts."
More buyers is a worthy goal - let us know what you think of the TV commercial and Etsy's overall approach. Are you hopeful of having a successful holiday shopping season?
The AuctionBytes Blog has been giving a voice to online merchants since its launch in 2005. Named one of the world's top 30 blogs in 2008 by "Blogging Heroes." Weigh in with your thoughts on the joys and pitfalls of selling online.
Etsy Takes New TV Commercial to National Airwaves
by: The End 
by: Fly on the Wall