My new "community" page here on YouTube is now live! You can start discussions, chat about video topics, share photos of your products, and more - right from my channel. As long as you're subscribed, you can now start posting. ❤️
63 - 3
During our 5 days or live critiques, you helped to raise $2,674 for @TheTrevorProject ! We're far from finished but I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who religiously showed up every single day for our live streams. We'll be back to our normal Friday live sessions starting next week!
132 - 1
Etsy Critique Week starts MONDAY!
Join us every single day at noon EST (same time as the Friday Bean) for random Etsy shop critiques in support of The Trevor Project! All live streams are now scheduled and you can set notifications here: youtube.com/@StarlaMoore/
33 - 0
Not going to toot my own horn by saying that our massive seller survey and our post-analysis video (which saw 16,708 in less then 3 weeks) had an impact on Etsy's new support announcement...
But with Etsy support (or lack of) being the number one complaint cited by our 3,600+ sellers, it DOES make you wonder.
This is why we make a fuss.
This is why we use our voice.
Be sure to tell Etsy how HAPPY you are that they are increasing their support for sellers in their latest survey. We want them to know that this is exactly what we want and encourage them to keep investing resources specifically into support: survey.alchemer.com/.../Etsy-Feedback-5983100716
96 - 5
This Thursday, I'm hanging out with Martin at @Printify during their live Clicks to Riches show! Be sure to set a reminder! watch video on watch page
9 - 0
I'm not sure if it matters to anyone else - but is matters to me.
Lately, I've been getting a lot of comments accusing me of only recommending certain X,Y,Z's under the assumption that I'm being paid by X,Y,Z companies. And while there is nothing wrong with creators accepting sponsorship deals with big companies, I want to be very clear that I am not one of them. I have always felt that maintaining my authenticity is important here and that my viewers come to my channel in order to learn about my genuine unbiased, non-financially-motivated opinions on marketplaces, tools, and services.
It's especially disheartening when I receive these aggressive comments, discrediting my work, because I literally pass up on thousands of dollars per month in sponsorship requests. And I do it because I know how absolutely important it is for you guys to hear genuine experiences and recommendations.
Yes - I am a manager at eRank. Yes, I am paid by eRank. But I'm making an hourly wage like any other job, not affiliate revenue that is attributed to traffic I send.
This is something that I feel many may not be aware of so I figured I'd clear the air a bit.
Being authentic is important to me because I know how important it is to you. ❤️ And I just hate being accused of making money that I'm not actually making. 😅
Anyway. Here's a glorious picture of Sugar Bear.
Hope everyone is just as smiley as she is on this beautiful Sunday. ☕️
497 - 44
The Friday Bean IS still taking place today. Marc and I tested positive for Influenza B earlier in the week (which explains why we've been so sick during our last few videos), but we are feeling well enough to stream, at least for a while.
Today, we're going to be comparing site reach for some of the biggest e-commerce platforms in 2025 in order to see if Etsy's traffic drop matches up to other big retailers. See you at noon, est!
➡️ youtube.com/live/k9HhrUu9f-w?si=0z0mQZgTg1YIeUnd
57 - 1
The official Etsy Success youtube channel posted a video today about the importance of seller feedback in shaping their decisions.
I commented to share some of the findings we've made through our mass seller survey, which we kicked off yesterday. Literally the definition of feedback. My comment was promptly removed.
My goal has always been to help shape a better Etsy. I've sold on the platform for 12 years. I've taught the Etsy community for nearly 8 years. I've been a manager at eRank for nearly 6 years.
I've worked in direct communication with their (now ex) head of customer support to help get shops with wrongful suspensions re-evaluated before losing all communication when he departed the company.
I have garnered the attention of thousands through the 2023 #KeepEtsyHuman movement, and we even saw several positive actions on Etsy's part after this movement.
I've educated sellers about Etsy's rules, copyright and trademark law, and have openly criticized companies who aid in the avoidance of Etsy's policies.
And I do this because I believe that sellers DESERVE a voice. That artists, crafters, and creatives need a home. And that, at it's core, Etsy is a great marketplace. They just need to listen to their sellers more and focus less on 7 million dollar super bowl ads and more on hiring an educated support staff who will actively work on support tickets to completion.
I'm not asking for anything other than an ear from Etsy. Even when sellers get riled up, I stay scientific, factual, and I try my best to source everything I teach with data - and when I don't have supporting data, I do everything I can to survey, panel, and collect as much information as possible in order to provide statistical significance before advising sellers or creating content.
The Etsy Seller independent survey I'm running is just one of many efforts taken over the last few years, not to attack Etsy, but to inform them and guide them. To help spread awareness for low seller morale and to encourage Etsy to improve their customer support so sellers feel empowered, educated, and valued.
Thankfully I was able to get a screenshot of the comment before it was removed.
There are a lot of shitty youtubers out there. We all know it. The ones who teach sellers how to skirt the rules, saturate the platform, dropship junk, and focus only on the almighty dollar.
I am not one of them. I've made helping creatives my entire life. From age 19 to now 33, I've spent my entire adult life teaching creative businesses essential skills to build sustainable incomes online. It is all I know. And I do it because I truly believe, with all my heart, that artists and creatives are IMPORTANT.
I don't know where I'm going with this, honestly. Myself and the family are locked in our house with Influenza B (hence why we've been sick during our last few videos), but I feel like this post needed to be made just so my comment can at least be seen within my own little bubble.
I love you guys. I'm always in your corner, doing my best to fight for you in every way I know how. Despite this, I still love Etsy. Not the big corporate side, but the soul of the platform. The hands that blister and bleed from a craft made with love and passion. The late nights spent trying to pull that packing tape quietly so as not to wake the sleeping baby in the next room. The days waiting for a spouse to return home with the car so orders can be taken to the post office on time. The excuses made when family comes over for dinner, only to have nowhere to sit because the dining room table has been made into a makeshift craft space. The sacrifices made so special requests from customers can be met at the last minute, even if it means you lose sleep over it.
THIS is the Etsy I love.
331 - 48
Have you noticed changes on Etsy lately?
Maybe your sales are up…maybe they’ve taken a hit.
Maybe you’re thriving…or maybe you’re questioning if Etsy is still the right place for your business.
I’m collecting real seller data to uncover the truth behind Etsy's current state. Take the survey & share your experience here: forms.gle/4wGz86GV7zzfAag26
49 - 8
Tomorrow's video will be covering the in's and out's of Etsy's recent article titled, The Anatomy of a Well-Crafted Etsy Listing" (link at the bottom). This article has been raising a lot of questions in the Etsy community, especially when it comes to my content specifically - because let's face it... When you think of "broad matching" and "exact matching", it's very likely that one of my own SEO videos probably comes to mind, simply because these topics are the bread and butter of Etsy's best practices when it comes to how the algorithm works.
Many YouTubers are using this new article as an opportunity to yell and scream about how "the algorithm has changed!!!" while sharing all of the "important steps you need to take asap!!!"
Spoiler Alert: This isn't the case.
In fact, Etsy's algorithm HASN'T changed in the last month. There are a lot of factors contributing to lower searches for many industries right now, with seasonality being #1 (followed high competition rates, political and economic stress, and an overall lull in consumer spending). But in a nutshell, this article is simply rehashing many of the same best practices that have been outlined within the Ultimate Guide to Search forever.
BUT - there are a few factors that impact our search ranking that Etsy has disclosed within this article for the first time ever. And this IS big news. But it's not something that "just hit us out of nowhere", nor are these factors that are suddenly going to tank your shop overnight.
Over the last year, sellers have been asking Etsy to be more transparent about their search algorithm and ranking criteria in order to help in competing within what is obviously a very saturated marketplace. And every few months, Etsy discloses a new little golden nugget of information that we can act on.
This is a GOOD thing!
It means that all of the scammy spammy sellers who don't pay attention to Etsy news and updates won't find these little golden nuggets. It means you can act quickly (if you choose to) in order to gain a small competitive edge. And it means that Etsy is sharing more and more about how sellers can appeal to the search factors that the algorithm uses in order to match queries to listings.
Remember - Etsy SEO isn't a black and white set of rules that fit into a nice square box.
SEO is messy.
Sometimes "1 + 1 = 3" in the world of SEO because, while data and numbers can serve as a compass, ultimately it is the consumer (your customer, scrolling through Etsy with a credit card in hand, in search of a gift) who decides whether or not your product is good, relevant to their need, and quality/price aligned with their expectations.
This is why you can spend hours on SEO and still end up with a listing that doesn't convert.
It's not up to "data" and "numbers" because data is just the compass. Success relies on the often-unpredictable human element, to which the algorithm will always take a back seat.
Here's the article we'll be discussing in tomorrow's upload: www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/1347574487014…
In the meantime, stay positive and keep your eyes focused on the horizon! Business only moves forward, so preparing for change and adapting quickly is the only surefire way to ensure you won't be left behind.
85 - 2
🐺 The Handmade Alphas - A Scientific Approach to Etsy Success
With over a decade of experience on Etsy, Starla Moore is a leading coach in the Etsy community, working as a manager at eRank.com to develop accurate and up-to-date Etsy SEO trainings, as well as helping the print on demand community as one of Printify's expert coaches.
Using psychology-based methodology, Starla's trainings are recognized worldwide and have helped set the foundation for thousands of handmade and Etsy sellers. This unique and casual approach to marketing has turned the tables, shifting hard topics like Etsy SEO, social media, and marketing into fun yet digestible videos to help Etsy sellers to make more sales and optimize their businesses.
The Handmade Alphas have been featured in Fox News, ABC, NBC, CBS, the CW, and more. Starla Moore has also been recognized as a leading Etsy Coach by Printify and Business Insider.
Learn more about Starla's paid coaching program at: www.handmadealphaacademy.com