How I Made Over $100,000 Selling Printables on Etsy

I generated over $100,000 selling printables on Etsy items focusing on one key strategy. After having over 20,000 sales, it was clear that there were certain printables that made me the most money. Let me break it down.

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Selling Printables on Etsy

At the end of 2017, I decided to open my first shop on Etsy. My shop focused on creating printable signs for wedding, showers and really any special event. After spending a full year working through the kinks, by 2019 I was making more a year selling digital products through Etsy than I did in my first “real job” post college.

After having rose from nothing, the year 2020 destroyed my shop since my entire store was based on parties. That same month I found out I was pregnant with my first child. Unfortunately, with no one being allowed to gather and a new baby on the way I had to let my shop become less of a priority.

As you can see my shop revenue was climbing until 2020 hit when my income rapidly dropped off. With a new baby, I didn’t see the point to focus on anything other than my new biggest priority, being a mom. I let the shop run its course until there was no more revenue left to be made on what was left to sell.

I learned so much selling digital downloads on Etsy and if I wasn’t stressed and pregnant I would have tried to reimagine my shop and sell other types of digital products during that unpredictable time period. Read more about the 5 Mistakes I Made Selling Digital Products on Etsy.

Selling digital products on Etsy is a GREAT way to make passive income. With the world stabilizing again, new dreams can imagined and others can share in that same success that I had. With the public beginning to reconnect and socialize, I am reopening an Etsy shop and will update my progress starting over.

So, what did I sell that made me over $100,000 in sales?

What Printables Made Me Money on Etsy?

There were many different items that collectively made me a ton of passive income. I experimented with countless product ideas and styling, but I found one system that worked the best for me. Focus on niche products and then expand out from there.

What is a Niche Product?

A niche product is an item in the market that targets a specific audience. A niche would be something like “Printable Wedding Planners for City Venues“. The niche topic is city venues targeting a broader term like printable wedding planners. The printable planner industry is saturated so to compete you have to look to solve a problem for a specific customer. You then become the best in that niche which will then give you enough brand presence and customer trust to expand to other products.

I found that if I could become the go to seller in one specific category I would earn enough positive reviews ( Reviews = Customer Trust) that it would allow me to expand to different areas without customers wondering if I would have a good product.

Customers want to know they can trust their money to you in return for a great product. If you have positive customer feedback even in a small niche they will feel more confident to spend their money on your products even if you’ve just entered into another niche.

I dove deep into 3 areas where I felt the market wasn’t saturated with too many sellers back in 2017. Let’s break it down.

Gender Reveal Party Signs

In 2017, I noticed the Gender Reveal Party section of Etsy wasn’t as saturated as Weddings, Birthdays, and Showers. This is where I found my most profitable niche. Below are some of my best selling printable products. From holidays to generic blue and pink, I chose to create as many versions of the same few items as I could. This allowed me to capture almost anyone looking for gender reveal party printable products.

I started with just the classic pink and blue coloring, but with more customers purchasing I was able to gain the presence to expand to themes and holidays, See below!

Custom Printable Seating Charts

Another barely tapped market is Custom Seating Charts. There is a desperate need for custom graphic work. This one however is more labor intensive. There are nights where working until 2am is the norm especially working in the wedding market where last minute changes are always expected.

The custom work that I provided is something that could not be duplicated in a template therefore customers were willing to pay extra for the customization.

Staying Informed & Organized

The key to any success with Etsy is staying informed and organized. Trends will change and using certain key words will allow you to be visible to your target audience.

Find shops that you admire and see how they format their photos and listing details. Check out their reviews and see what customers are loving and buying.

To make money selling printables on Etsy you have to stay organized. Make a daily or weekly schedule. Updating listings, reaching out to customers, and enhancing your products is something that you have to stay up on to survive the competition.

Invest in a journal or planner. Brainstorm ideas, make a business plan and find a way to focus yourself to a schedule. Hold yourself accountable and realize its. a learning process even if you have done hours of research.

This is my favorite planner. It comes in a TON of colors and perfect for trying to plan out your Etsy success.