Etsy’s Activity Feed Serves up Some Sales

baby bib by SewnNatural

In this post, I questioned the power of social commerce to help artisans connect with our buyers. I wondered if this move was visionary or vastly stupid. Since then I've received several conversations from buyers that have moved me to take a stand. I now think that Etsy’s move towards social commerce is brilliant.

My first evidence was in my notes to seller from a buyer:

"Oh my, I nearly swooned! I came to Etsy looking a piece of sea glass when this delicious tidbit popped up on the opening page. I love it when I find exactly what I wasn't looking for. I have the perfect spot ready and waiting for this little beauty!"

photo by Raceytay

Exactly what I wasn’t looking for is precisely what most artists make! So this looked promising. Images that fit a person’s taste, but don’t exactly match what they are intentionally searching for, result in sales.

Next, I received a message from someone who added me to their Circle, so what I heart shows up in their Activity Feed. The message thanked me profusely for hearting something that she purchased instantly upon sight. It was a perfect gift for her husband.

Only a few days later, it happened to me. I saw something in my Activity Feed and had to have it! Sold. It was exactly what I wasn’t looking for. And I’ve been thinking that perhaps art is that which pulls us like a gravitational force, commanding our attention. How perfect that we find art in capricious and nonlinear ways.

Custom message fork by monkeysalwayslook

Have you bought or sold things online via treasuries, the Activity Feed, TumblR, Pinterest, etc? Are you encountering more buyers who discover your work without using a conventional search?

editorial by Lee Wolfe

Social Commerce - Does it Work for Us?

by BonjourPoupette

Etsy is on the social commerce bandwagon big time. In theory, this should help the buyer who wants fine art and indie artisan work to find what they are looking for, by following the tastemakers of their choice in Etsy’s circles and activity feeds. Although it is too early to tell if Etsy’s move is visionary or vastly stupid, it is not too early to form an opinion and duke it out in Etsy’s forums!

I decided to do a bit of research on how social shopping is doing in general. here’s what I've found.

1) Social commerce works by allowing shoppers access to advice and recommendations from past buyers. Etsy’s feedback system is quite effective in this regard. I’m less convinced that following a person’s favorites or treasury lists is as effective.

2) Although 72% of retailers plan to spend more on social media marketing, less than 2% of orders among the retailers surveyed were the result of shoppers coming from a social network, according to  The Purchase Path of Online Buyers report 2010, Forrester Research and GSI Commerce.

What does this tell us? That 98% of buyers are making up their own minds about what to buy, independent of what is posted on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. Maybe this is because we don’t essentially rely on what is posted on the internet. Or maybe this this trend is still new and will grow in time.

3) The big winners so far in the social shopping arena are Groupon and Facebook. Both of these depend largely on sharing info about “deals” and discounts. This isn’t useful for art or artisan work.

4) The upside of social shopping is that it is engaging. People may stay on Etsy’s site longer in order to channel surf through all the various links to circles and favorites. Unfortunately this is all  about as random as browsing new listings. Until our potential buyers are shown concentrated lists of the high quality artisan works that interest them, I’m not convinced that social shopping on Etsy is effective for us.

What do you think? Is social commerce working for you, as a buyer or seller? I’d love to know about your experience!

editorial by Lee Wolfe