Etsy, the online marketplace for handmade and vintage sellers is taking some tips from the TikTok playbook. The two very different companies have recently established a working relationship and are partnering on some pretty big new features. Let’s take a look at what we know so far, with tips for using TikTok for Etsy.

Today, we’re taking a look at how Etsy is learning from TikTok, and what this means for the future of selling on Etsy.

What in the world is going on with Etsy and TikTok?

At the beginning of the year, Etsy announced a new partnership with TikTok. And ever since, they’ve been actively encouraging sellers to learn and use TikTok for their Etsy business.

So, if you think TikTok is just another passing social media fad, it might be time to think again. For your business at least.

Etsy recently put out a 40-minute webinar to prove to sellers that it’s a good idea to start using TikTok for their business. So if you’re not already using TikTok for Etsy, check out the webinar to see what you’re missing.

Why does Etsy care about TikTok?

So, why does Etsy care about TikTok? For starters, it’s quickly becoming one of the most popular social media platforms. And it’s undoubtedly the most popular platform strictly for short-form video content.

Just take a look at Facebook. They’re doing their best with Instagram Reels to try and catch up to the rising threat of TikTok and short-form video.

Now, video as a feature is nothing new for Etsy sellers. Since 2016, sellers have been able to upload listing videos to their shops. But 2021 has proven that short, digestible video content is the new normal for all social media platforms.

It’a guilty pleasure…

It’s kinda like most people’s guilty pleasure, right? After a long day of work, you can sit down on the couch, pull out your phone, and just endlessly scroll through video after video. And why not? It’s mindless content, mindless entertainment, but whatever. 

Using TikTok for inspiration

TikTok may be full of mindless entertainment. But it can also be pretty inspiring for someone who owns their own craft business. It can be a good way to see process videos and get a behind-the-scenes look at other crafty folks. And for sellers, these are exactly the types of videos Etsy wants you to create.

Etsy wants sellers to record their own behind-the-scenes videos of how they create their products. That way shoppers can get a feel for the person (and small business) that they’re buying from. This adds a whole new level of authenticity to help shoppers decide on what to buy.

Use these TikToks as a quick example:

@a_tall_glass_of_anxiety

He’s ✨Magic✨ally restored. #stuffedanimalrestoration #stuffedanimal #bestfriend #cleantok #materialgirl

♬ State Lines – Novo Amor

@amber_emmi Oh to be a bird at sea ✨ #oceanartist #seascapepainting #oceanpainting #oilpainter #fineartist ♬ Je te laisserai des mots – Patrick Watson

@blushcandles

Packaging our first order from Etsy! 🤍 #smallbusinesscheck #packagingorders #etsycandles

♬ Lofi – Domknowz

Why Etsy cares about authenticity

Etsy, in a way, has always been about small handmade businesses. They want to promote the little guy. The mom and pops. The regular everyday artists that excel in their craft.

With the rise in popularity of drop shippers and resellers, video is sort of a way for Etsy to continue promoting handmade artists over sellers that are just looking to make a quick buck.

And part of how Etsy wants to show this authenticity is through seller videos. Like the videos you’d find on TikTok.

How do we know this? Well, Etsy is currently in the process of rolling out a new video feature called Explore. And the features that will be available in Etsy Explore are gonna be very similar to what you would find on TikTok or Instagram reels.

We talked more about Etsy’s new seller app and these video features in a recent article. Make sure to check it out for yourself!

So, what has Etsy learned from TikTok?

Authenticity sells.

And it doesn’t just sell, authenticity is what creates a popular video.

In the webinar we mentioned above, Etsy invited TikTok to discuss what makes a good video on their platform.

Yes, TikTok used to be known for just teenagers dancing on camera. But according to TikTok, it’s so much bigger than that nowadays.

To make a popular TikTok video, you want to educate, inspire, and entertain.

So keep this in mind when creating a video on TikTok and Etsy Explore:

• Is my content educational?
• By showing viewers how to make the product, am I teaching them a new method or a new way to do something?
• Am I inspiring viewers to try something new? New products? A new hobby?
• In the short amount of time that I have viewer’s attention, am I entertaining them?
• Am I going to get their attention within the first three seconds of that video?
• Am I holding their attention throughout the entire 15-16 video?

Why should you care about what makes a good TikTok video?

Well, these are going to be important tips to remember when Etsy launches its new Etsy seller app this March.

With Etsy Explore, they could very well be creating their own version of TikTok. So now is the time to brush up on what makes a popular TikTok video.

And creating a good TikTok video isn’t about the new dance trend or a new sound. In your case, your goal is to create a video that promotes your product and you can get buyers to visit your shop.

Be yourself on Etsy Explore

When creating a video for TikTok or Etsy Explore, keep in mind that you need to be genuine. You need to be authentic. Just be yourself.

You need to talk about your craft. You need to talk about your products. But most importantly, you just need to express your full passion for your products and why it is you do what you do.

TikTok’s effects on the consumer market

Etsy shares that according to TikTok, it has fundamentally changed how people are getting excited and discovering new products.

74% of TikTok users said TikTok has helped them decide what to buy after seeing it promoted on the platform.

They’re using hashtags like #tiktokmademebuyit.

And the TikTok community, #smallbusiness, has over 45 billion views on TikTok as of January 2022.

So not only are people more likely to scroll through their phones watching short entertaining video content, but also more likely to buy a product from a creator that’s authentic and true to themselves as a person. A creator that’s showing the world what it means to be an Etsy seller and the passion that they put into making their product.

Etsy’s affiliate program for TikTok

TikTok recently introduced TikTok Shopping, which now gives Etsy sellers the ability to sell their own products directly from TikTok. They go into more detail about this on the webinar, so if you’re interested, make sure you check it out.

And for those of you that don’t know, Etsy now has an affiliate program for sellers that use TikTok. So Etsy will actually pay you to use TikTok for your business, and they may even boost your video on TikTok.

If you wanna learn more about Etsy’s affiliate program for TikTok, here’s how you can apply.

Etsy is going all-in on TikTok

So Etsy and TikTok, what does this all mean? Why are they establishing this new partnership? And what does this mean for the future?

Etsy is clearly going all-in on TikTok.

Everything that they’re learning about TikTok in terms of video, how it’s helping small businesses and commerce as a whole. They’re taking all that information and they’re re-packaging it into the Explore feature that’ll be available on their new app.

And that’s pretty big news for Etsy sellers.

Learn more about Etsy Explore

If you want to learn more about Etsy’s Explore feature, check out our recent article where we introduce it as an up-and-coming video feature for sellers.

As we continue to learn more about Explore and what’s new for Etsy, we’ll talk about it in more detail right here on our blog and in our weekly newsletter that we send every Wednesday. So make sure you check it out and subscribe if you haven’t already. That way you can stay up-to-date with Etsy’s changes and everything going on in eCommerce.

Let us know what you think about Etsy’s new partnership with TikTok. Do you think it will last? Do you think it’s just a fad? Talk to us in the comments down below, and we’ll make sure to respond.

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