I Tried Selling AI Art For 30 Days (Realistic Results)
TLDRThe video shares the journey of selling AI-generated wall art on Etsy, highlighting the challenges faced such as initial suspension, underestimating product value, and inefficient workflows. The creator transitions from digital to print-on-demand, emphasizes the importance of regular listing updates, and plans to diversify product offerings to target a broader audience, aiming for profitability by the end of the year.
Takeaways
- π¨ The art pieces are generated using AI from Mid-Journey, a text-to-image AI platform.
- πΈ The AI-generated art is sold as digital files, allowing buyers to print and frame them locally.
- π The shop initially faced a suspension from Etsy but was reactivated after three weeks.
- π The seller made a series of mistakes including underestimating the time to prepare listings and overestimating the value of initial products.
- π‘ The seller expanded the product range to include abstract art, contemporary art, and oil paintings after initial pop art posters failed to sell.
- π οΈ The seller utilized three key tools to streamline the process of uploading listings: Topaz AI for upscaling images, Mock City for mock-ups, and X and Convert for resizing images.
- π The process of manual resizing and mock-up creation was time-consuming and led to the discovery of more efficient tools.
- π Despite efforts to increase sales through discounts and Etsy ads, the shop ultimately operated at a loss.
- π The seller plans to pivot the business model to print-on-demand and regularly upload new products to target a wider audience.
- π― The goal is to turn the shop into a profitable business by the end of the year as a stable source of income.
Q & A
What type of artwork is the speaker selling in their Etsy shop?
-The speaker is selling AI-generated wall art in digital format, specifically as digital files that customers can take to their local printing service for printing and framing.
Which AI tool does the speaker use to generate the artwork?
-The speaker uses a text-to-image AI called Mid-Journey to generate the artwork.
What was the initial issue the speaker faced with their Etsy shop?
-The speaker's Etsy shop was immediately suspended after opening, without any violation of Etsy's policies or a specific reason provided.
How did the speaker expand their product offerings after realizing their initial products were not selling well?
-The speaker expanded their offerings by adding abstract art, contemporary art, and oil paintings to their shop.
What were the three tools that helped the speaker upload 75 listings in just a couple of days?
-The three tools were Topaz AI for upscaling images, a script or plugin for placing art into mock-ups (though the specific successful tool was not mentioned), and X and Convert for resizing images into different aspect ratios.
What was the total revenue and loss the speaker experienced in the first 30 days of operation?
-The speaker made $27 in 30 days, but after deducting fees, they were at a $15 loss.
What changes does the speaker plan to make to improve their business?
-The speaker plans to turn the shop into a print-on-demand business, regularly upload new listings, and expand their product offerings to target a wider audience.
How did the speaker attempt to attract buyers to their shop?
-The speaker set up summer sale discounts and started running Etsy ads for one dollar a day to attract buyers.
What was the speaker's initial mistake during the shop suspension?
-The speaker's initial mistake was not using the suspension period to create products and prepare listings for when the shop would be reactivated.
Why does the speaker believe offering art in digital format was not a good idea?
-The speaker believes offering art in digital format is not a good idea because it limits the audience and the potential for sales compared to offering physical products.
What was the main challenge the speaker faced with the mock-up process?
-The main challenge was the time-consuming manual process of resizing and placing the art into mock-ups, which was inefficient and required a lot of manual work.
Outlines
π Launching an AI Art Etsy Shop: Initial Struggles and Analytics
The creator discusses launching an Etsy shop to sell AI-generated digital artwork, specifically wall art created with Mid-Journey AI. They share their first-month earnings and the challenges faced, including the shop's suspension, the learning curve of pricing digital products, and the process of listing 75 items in a few days. The creator also highlights the limitations of digital art sales compared to physical prints and their strategy to overcome these challenges.
π¨ Evolving the Business Model and Overcoming Technical Hurdles
The artist reflects on the initial mistakes made inδ½δΌ° the value of their products and the subsequent pivot to expand their product offerings. They discuss the technical difficulties in scaling their operations, including the inefficient manual processes for upscaling and mock-up creation. The artist then introduces tools that significantly improved their workflow, such as an online mock-up generator and a resizing tool, which allowed for rapid listing uploads. However, despite these improvements, the artist faced a lack of sales and the eventual realization of the need to shift towards a print-on-demand model.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘AI-generated artwork
π‘Etsy shop
π‘Analytics
π‘Commercial rights
π‘Print-on-demand
π‘Mock-ups
π‘Upscaler
π‘Digital file
π‘Listing
π‘Marketplace challenges
π‘Profit margin
Highlights
Opened an Etsy shop to sell AI-generated digital artwork.
Shop was immediately suspended upon opening without a clear reason.
Used appeal and support tickets to successfully reactivate the shop after three weeks.
Initial mistake of not preparing listings during the suspension period.
Overestimated the value of initial pop art poster products.
Expanded product offerings to include abstract, contemporary, and oil paintings, leading to the first sale.
Purchased abstract shapes for art creation, but faced a financial loss initially.
Implemented tools to speed up the process of upscaling, mock-up placement, and resizing of art.
Utilized an online mock-up generator to automate the placement of art into mock-ups.
Faced challenges with manual resizing and placement of art into specific aspect ratios.
Discovered a tool for resizing images to fit different aspect ratios without stretching the image.
Managed to upload 75 listings in a few days using streamlined processes.
Initial silence in the shop despite increased listings and visits.
Initiated a summer sale and Etsy ads, which eventually led to a few orders.
Concluded a net loss but identified areas for improvement and expansion for future success.
Plans to convert the shop into a print-on-demand service and expand product types to increase audience and sales.