Why Etsy Ads are Dangerous but Powerful

If you’ve ever wondered about the value of Etsy ads or how much they cost, you’re not alone. I’ve personally delved into this topic and conducted some research and testing for my own Etsy shop. In this guide, I’ll share what I’ve discovered about paid advertising on Etsy, including real-life data from my my experiment with Etsy ads and budget management.

It’s really frustrating to accept the fact that we’ve become accustomed to a certain fee percentage when selling on Etsy. So, when that fee increases, it’s only natural for people to feel upset. However, we need to understand that this new fee is actually more in line with the true costs of selling online, whether it’s on Amazon, your own website, or through wholesale or consignment. Experienced etsy store managers can be helpful especially if you are new in ads management or etsy. Nevertheless, you can do it yourself if you have the time to master the current algorithm.

How can you adjust the ads and manage my budget?

• Inside Etsy Marketplace: To adjust the ads on Etsy, you have different options depending on whether they are onsite or offsite ads. For onsite ads, simply go to your Etsy dashboard, click on ‘Marketing’ and then ‘Etsy Ads’. From there, you can turn the ads on or off, change your budget, and select which listings you want to promote. It’s flexible and you can start or stop them whenever you like.

  

• Outside Etsy Marketplace: However, when it comes to offsite ads, you have less control. You cannot change the listings or the budget for these ads. If you earn less than US$10,000 a year, you can choose to opt out of offsite ads. But if you make over US$10,000 in the last year, opting out is not an option.

  

For the small percentage of Etsy sellers who are overwhelmed with orders and struggling to keep up, this policy will definitely have a negative impact. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do about it, and that’s the risk of giving someone else control over your business. You have to abide by their rules.