February 23, 2025 • 29 mins
What is trending? This topic is one that I love to touch base about every year because the crafting world is constantly changing..... well in some ways. Have you noticed over the last year how many different machines there have been or the updates they are making to some of the current machines?
EPISODE NOTES: https://kaseyclin.com/blogs/podcast/why-digital-downloads-for-crafting-are-exploding-and-why-this-isnt-going-to-change-stats-included
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, hello, welcome to this week's episode.
Today we're going to talk aboutwhy digital downloads for
crafting are exploding,especially over on Etsy.
We're going to go over statsfrom the industry and why this
is going to be the case foryears to come.
That's why I'm staying in thisarea, that's why I'm teaching in
(00:21):
this area, that's why mybusiness is in this area,
because I know it's going to behere and all of my time putting
into this isn't going to bewasted.
So stay tuned after the introand we're going to dig right
into this.
As natural creatives, we loveour projects, we love our craft
time and we'll never say no to aquick trip to Michael's.
Although running a handmadebusiness is rewarding, it can
(00:45):
also be overwhelming.
Hey, creative mamas.
Casey here, and as a mother oftwo feisty toddlers and a
business owner myself, I get thenap time hustle and live it
daily.
Managing the house, jugglingthe kids and getting those
orders out on time can train thelife right out of us.
But what if there was a way toconvert that business of yours
(01:05):
into an online passive incomegenerating machine?
Well, I'm here to tell you it'snot only possible, but
completely yours for the taking.
I'm on a mission to give all ofthe nap time hustling crafty
moms out there the right tools,systems and strategies needed to
convert your own businessesinto consistent yet flexible
(01:26):
income online, all while doingwhat you do best creating.
So put those kiddos down fortheir nap, pop in some earbuds
and kick back.
This is where you stop tradingtime for dollars.
This is where you claim yourlife back.
This is the Naptime HustlePodcast.
You claim your life back.
This is the Naptime HustlePodcast.
Okay, so why are digitaldownloads for crafting?
(01:50):
Why are they exploding rightnow?
If you've been around for longerthan like two seconds, you've
heard me talk about this.
But if you're new here and Iknow we have new people
listening into the podcasthere's the dealio I always
recommend when you're looking atentering a space.
(02:10):
It makes it a whole lot easierto enter a space that is
trending and that there is astrong need for.
And how do you know if there'sa need for it?
Well, there's proof.
There's proof that we look forand find in the market on these
platforms just being in theindustry and walking the walk,
(02:31):
talking the talk, hearing yourpeers and people in that space
and what is going on with it,what they're gravitating to.
So one thing that I always tellmy students is go a step back
in the supply chain, go as farback in the supply chain as you
can, and that is what I havefound really helps me succeed,
(02:55):
and not only generate sales, butwhat really helps is predicting
and being able to predict thetrend and the direction of the
industry before it's headed thatway.
And so when you're on theforefront of this trend and
you're selling a product evenbefore it gets huge, that's the
(03:19):
sweet spot to be.
Like that's the sweet spot tobe, and it helps make starting a
business a lot easier.
Okay.
So if you're able to get here,great.
If you're not able to find thisunicorn product, as I'm sure it
(03:43):
feels like a unicorn productjust talking about this, it
doesn't mean that you aren'table to succeed.
I'm just saying it makes iteasier.
So, looking at the evidence,let's go through this.
The reason that, why digitaldownloads are exploding right
now, specifically in thecrafting space, is because of
these new crafting machines thathave either come out recently
(04:05):
or more recently, or that haveimproved their technology so
that they are allowing us tofurther our use with our digital
downloads.
You know, so you can use yourSVG files and these you know,
the Cricut machines, theSilhouette machines.
(04:26):
That's been the case for likefive years, right, plus five
plus years.
But more recently we've beenseeing Glowforge gain a lot of
momentum I'll talk about numberswith them in a bit and just
like the projections that we'reseeing in that space in the
laser cutting industry, but justin crafting machines, I mean,
(04:53):
as I was going out and lookingand gathering all of my
materials for this episode, Iwas surprised, like how many
different types of craftmachines there are.
So one thing to look at whenyou are going out and I'm going
to share my process, likesharing my process with you, so
that you can go out and do yourown research, so that you can
(05:16):
make the most educated decisiontoo.
Michaels Went over to Michaelswebsite and one thing to look at
are their categories.
Michaels, hobby Lobby theyaren't at Well, Hobby Lobby
isn't as big with their onlineretail space, yet Michaels is,
(05:38):
I've noticed they definitelyhave upped their eCommerce,
especially with COVID, like manycompanies did.
But you also look at Etsy, too,and Etsy is the number one
sales driver for us custom SVGdesigners, right, but again,
you're going a step back in thesupply chain.
(05:59):
So you're looking.
You want to be looking.
If you're looking at digitalsales and selling digital files,
you want to be looking at themachines in the space.
And the reason that you go ontothese sites such as Michaels and
Etsy and look at theircategories is because when they
make a category for this productor this machine, it means they
(06:23):
are segmenting it and groupingit together, grouping everything
around this machine togetherbecause it's gotten so big,
because there's a need for it,because it has to, all of a
sudden, have a designated spaceon their e-commerce site.
(06:43):
Now one argument that you couldmake is well, maybe there's
just isn't a place to put it.
Okay, I hear you, but moreoften than not, when they make
its own category like, they'rechanging the structural makeup
of their cart, of their grid,their product grid, which is
(07:07):
like the skeleton of their site.
So it's not like an easy thingthat you can just go in and do
and add.
And I used to work on a backend internet marketing agency
years ago on a website that usesMagento, and just in changing
these categories on that sitewith hundreds and thousands of
(07:31):
products was a huge deal.
So watching these retailersmake a space, not even a
subcategory, but one of theirmain categories and that's
another component to watch foris, if it's a main category on
their site stars that should bea billboard.
(07:54):
This is needed.
This is big.
So another factor, thoughwalking into Michaels, you are
seeing that the rows change.
Maybe this is just somethinglike I noticed now that I'm in
this space and I'm watching forthese changes, like I never
(08:15):
noticed this back in the day.
But next time that you'recreate with your SVG files,
products that you can create forsublimation, you know.
(08:35):
So there's like t-shirts,there's all of these different
like materials just forGlowforge even you're seeing
that they are.
You know it first started outthat their Glowforge materials,
the materials that you can cuton a Glowforge, were just like
this little like end cap at mylocal Michaels.
(08:58):
Now we're seeing that it's likehalf of the row Okay, and
they're just growing and they'veoutsourced to a third party
company to fulfill that glow,those glow forge materials.
So we're seeing morefulfillment companies come in
too.
That's another indicator.
You know it's not just onesupplier.
(09:19):
There's a few differentsuppliers, like look at just the
vinyl.
You know they have a fewdifferent suppliers.
Look at just the vinyl.
They have a few differentsuppliers, but look at how much
space that vinyl takes up inthese stores, and so it's like
both sides of the aisle all theway down.
And so all of those materialsuse SVG files.
(09:41):
This is huge.
It makes me so happy walkinginto these craft stores and
seeing how many products relateback to my business in one way
or another.
That is why this is huge for us.
This is not something that isgetting oversaturated.
(10:02):
I'm done with that.
Every area you could argue isoversaturated, or every area you
can say that oh, I started fiveyears ago or whatever, and it
was so much easier.
It doesn't mean that you can'tcompete now, it's just that.
Okay, yeah, you have to nichedown and use a little bit
(10:27):
smarter strategy, like what istaught in Etsy Digital Success.
That is the whole phase.
One is the pre-launch phasedoing your research and making
sure that you can find the rightproduct that fits you.
That isn't going to feel like aheavy burden.
It's not going to feel likework.
(10:48):
If you choose the right productthat aligns with your passions,
what you enjoy doing, somethingthat you just come back to over
and over again through theyears, that's a great indicator
that you love that area.
You love it so much it keeps onresurfacing again and again.
(11:09):
That was graphic design for me.
I would take a break for awhile from designing my
invitations back before Idiscovered SVGs, but then I
would always come back and maybeit was like posters this time.
So it was just like graphicdesign for me and creating
products, these digital productsfor, like other people not
(11:30):
products, but you know what Imean like creating imitations
for other people or posters for,like my brother's sports events
.
So look at what aligns with you, you know, and that's where
you're going to start.
That's one thing that we reallydive into inside EDS.
(11:50):
But back to my point here.
So Etsy also came out with theircraft machine categories in May
of 2022.
And so what are those craftmachine categories?
I talked about these in thesummer.
So, going back through them,ones that they added, and
(12:11):
they've updated this as wellthey're continuing to add
subcategories to these now too.
So 3D printer files you guysknow, if you listen to my
beginning of the yearpredictions for SVG designers,
like I actually talked aboutthis in 2021, how I thought 3D
(12:32):
was going to take off.
Maybe it was 2020 actually, andit has in light, or well, it
has started.
I should say it's starting, solike we're seeing the beginning
stages of it.
Another one is cutting machinefiles Yep, cricut, silhouette,
all there Embroidery machinefiles and knitting files, okay.
(12:55):
And so those are just the onesthat Etsy made a place for.
Now some of those they couldjust be testing the waters in.
We'll see.
But what I thought wasinteresting was that, michaels,
when I went onto their site, oneof their main categories, like
I mentioned, is all is craftmachines, just craft machines,
(13:16):
and then you click on it and itsays all craft machines and
these are the differentsubcategories that they have
under all craft machines.
So there's die cuttingmaterials, die cutting machines,
die cutting tools andaccessories, cricut, scissor,
sizer I always want to sayscissor, I think people say
(13:38):
sisser Anyways, 3d printers,cameras and accessories, heat
presses, label makers, lightpads and tablets, sewing
machines, sublimation sorry,glow forge, silhouette, art
technology.
So the reason that I kind ofgot weird with the sublimation
(14:01):
I've been talking a lot aboutthat in our private Facebook
group and with my students.
Like we've really been touchingon that and I've done a few
trainings.
There is a training coming out.
It's gotten pushed back.
So so sorry, but in 2023, I,you there will be a sublimation
course coming out over here atCasey Clin.
(14:24):
I have just learned by mistakethat I need to give myself more
time, especially as a newersingle mom.
I am over what's the right word, over what's the right word.
I am pretty much notguesstimating how much time it's
going to take, which is,coincidentally, a ADHD issue,
(14:52):
like you always think that youhave more time than what you
have.
Well, yeah, that's me.
So I'm trying to scoot thisback out.
Make sure that it's readybefore I roll it out to all of
you guys, because it's going tobe amazing.
It's going to be in Photoshop.
I'm going to share just allsorts of fun stuff.
Anyways, glowforge, of course,is one of them.
(15:12):
So we see, like Glowforge, wesee sublimation, we see
silhouette, like we also see thecricket and the sizer scissor.
We see 3houette, like we alsosee the Cricut and the Sizer
Sisser.
We see 3D printers Like all ofthese can use SVGs or PNGs or
JPEGs, like digital productsthat we go and sell on Etsy, and
(15:36):
so, as these machines, you knowsublimation, we're seeing a lot
of growth in there.
We're seeing a lot of growth inGlowforge Actually, I shouldn't
say Glowforge Laser cuttingmachine market is projected to
grow $1.26 billion in the nextfive years.
That's what they're predictingand so technology isn't going
(15:56):
anywhere.
We're going to continue to seethe crafting industry just like
swallow up these machines.
We're seeing, you know, thesemillennials enter the crafting
scene, as we have been, and youknow us people who had, like
computers, like the like dial,dial up tone growing up, and
(16:20):
where that first generation likeI'm in my 30s and our
generation is more tech savvy,you know.
And another thing is how muchand and I was more curious about
this than anything but thegross like revenue of michaels,
of Michaels, of Hobby Lobby, ofJoann's Michaels they have seen
(16:47):
a gross revenue of $5.27 billion.
Hobby Lobby has seen $5 billionand I believe this is from 2021
, 2022.
From 2021-2022.
You know, also these storeslike Michael's and Hobby Lobby,
(17:08):
they're seeing growth as well.
More people are liking thatthey can make stuff more easily
because of this technologythemselves from home and it's
just more readily available.
You know, you can go out andfind somebody to.
I mean, just about everybodyknows somebody that can make
custom t-shirts, right.
So Michaels in 2021, they had5.27.
(17:30):
Sorry, 5.27 billion in revenue.
Hobby Lobby saw 5 billion, andso these stores saw 5 billion,
and so these stores be watchingthem.
Be watching what they'reselling, what products they're
(17:50):
selling, what categories they'readding to their website, and be
watching the growth as youenter their stores.
Next time you can do productresearch, write off all of those
fun things that you bought foryour business.
Okay, so we went over.
Why putting these intocategories is a big deal?
Why even look at this?
(18:12):
One thing that I thought that Iwould say, too, is over on Etsy,
we can use the search bar.
One thing that I'm going to doin that free live masterclass,
that Etsy masterclass I havecoming up you guys I'll talk
about that in just a second butone thing that we're going to do
in there is Etsy bar searchchallenge, and I'm going to show
(18:34):
you how to find frequentlysearched products, the products
that are searched most often onEtsy, and specifically digital
products.
Okay, and so be sure to go signup for that.
You can go and sign up over atpinandposhcom forward slash free
(18:56):
masterclass, but over on Etsy.
Slash free masterclass, butover on Etsy.
That is one tool that we canuse to find out what is being
searched the most, so whatpeople are buying the most over
on Etsy, okay.
So one other thing that is goingto continue and I guess this
(19:16):
gosh, this episode could be myprediction episode that I do in
January but one thing that Ithink we'll continue to see
improvement and progress in isthe sublimation area.
I don't think sublimationitself is going to stick per
sublimation.
I think it's going to be moreheat transfer.
(19:37):
I think that there's just goingto be improvements made in that
area in the application process.
So instead of printing andwe're already seeing it right
but instead of printing to paper, that adhesive paper, we're
going to continue to see moreadvancements in those printers
and direct to garment printing.
(19:57):
I think it's my guesstimate,that's my prediction.
Okay, I think that that isgoing to continue to grow and
improve.
That doesn't change per se.
Well, I shouldn't say that.
I think it will increase thedemand for files like ours,
(20:18):
because it's going to make morepeople gravitate to that when
you can print directly to agarment and it's going to be
your at-home printer, a moreaffordable printing, and that is
one thing.
I know that you can printdirect to garment, but I think
it's going to just like the GlowForge.
(20:39):
I also think this is going tohappen with the Glowforge.
We're going to eventually seethat price go down and down and
down, like we have seen withthese die cutting machines.
So I mean they're stillexpensive, but the Glowforge,
right now it's a few thousanddollars.
I think that with the directgarment printing, we're going to
(21:01):
see that price go down as well.
I think that we're going to seejust like a major and continues
to see a major shift with thisat-home crafting hobby slash
business.
You'll also see in these storesthat they sell equipment for
business owners, these storesthat they sell equipment for
business owners, equipment forrecording equipment to take
(21:30):
photos of your products, likelight boxes.
You'll see, that's because itis going to continue to be a
profitable area and business formany people, and so why isn't
this going to change?
So let's answer that.
So I believe you know I meanfor one like technology isn't
going anywhere.
Maybe that's a silly question,but technology is here to stay.
(21:51):
But I believe maybe even herein five years, we will start
seeing the shift of like 3Dgraphic design.
You're already seeing thevirtual reality.
You know headsets like you canlike move your hands around.
You know you hold those remotesin your hands and you feel like
you're actually there.
(22:11):
It's hard to explain on apodcast I'm just now realizing,
but if you know what I'm talkingabout, these virtual reality
headsets and gaming consolesthey are shifting and they've
just come out with graphicdesign programs for this virtual
(22:34):
reality and in these graphicdesign programs you can actually
sculpt as if you're there inperson.
You're sculpting a statue withyour own hands and you can hear
just the sounds and everything.
So it's really kind of a neatnewer area that is going to
(22:56):
continue to grow and grow, andin the graphic design arena too.
So I think that we'll see that.
That's another indicator, likeAdobe came out with a graphic
app that you can use on thisvirtual reality gaming console
where you can sculpt, and so Ithink that in the early stages
(23:18):
it's like, okay, it doesn'treally take off, but then
eventually, with time and aswe've seen in other areas, it
does get traction and there's atechnology breakthrough that
happens and then we start seeingpeople flock to it.
Okay, and so another thing islike 3D printing.
(23:40):
The whole reason you knowyou're creating that 3D
sculpture in the VR, the virtualreality, is because you're
making a 3D file that can beprinted on that 3D sculpture.
In the VR, the virtual realityis because you're making a 3D
file that can be printed on a 3Dprinter, and so all of this,
what I'm trying to tell you ismeaning and showing us that
(24:03):
digital products are justreshaping the crafting industry,
that digital products are justreshaping the crafting industry,
and this is going to be thecase for years to come, and it
is especially a good area forthese reasons.
It's a great area to be in as aperson who wants to make a
flexible, more passive incomethat is more automated, that you
(24:28):
don't have to hurry andscramble together to produce
your products and create yourhandmade products and get them
shipped out.
I'm actually digressing anddoing this right now, just as a
test.
During this holiday season,we're producing some Christmas
ornaments and testing those out,we're sending them to people,
(24:50):
shipping them to people and, tobe completely honest, it's kind
of been difficult for me to takea step back in the automated
income world, whatever, andstart shipping products out
again and meeting up with peopleand dropping it off to them.
Like I'm still figuring out away to offload that.
(25:12):
So having that type of you know, a little bit more tied down
type of business and going backto that has been a little bit
hard for me.
Talking about making thosehandmade products and shipping
(25:33):
them out, I think that therestill is a lot of individuals
out there who feel like theycan't learn this digital space,
who have never been a graphicdesigner, who don't feel like
they could actually do that partof it.
But here's the thing handmadecreatives, they already are
artistic, you all already makebeautiful artwork.
(25:57):
It's just not on the computer,right?
It's just not a graphic design,it's just not digital.
So we're taking those sameskills, that same skill set,
that same passion to create andputting it into a digital
product, a more passive productthat can give you at least a
(26:20):
little bit, even a portion ofyour income, and automated
income gives you so much.
It's like a breath of fresh air, like okay, sales are going to
continue to come in, even if I'mnot hustling and busting my
butt getting those orders outthe door.
So I think that that is a bigreason why digital creatives or
(26:45):
handmade creatives convert overto the digital side, or at least
a portion of their income overto the digital side.
So, like I was saying, december15th and December 19th, that
free masterclass about Etsy.
So I'm going to go over thefour ways to dominate Etsy
selling digital downloads Brandnew masterclass.
(27:07):
I've never done this before.
We're doing it live.
I'm going to talk about howselling digital products
compares to the strategy ofselling handmade products, and
so, as I said, these digitalproducts are reshaping not only
Etsy but the crafting scene ingeneral and the way that we do
(27:29):
business.
So I want you to join me tolearn how adding these digital
downloads to your business cangive you the relief from
overwhelm that you're feeling,from feeling tied down.
It can give you the freedom tolive the life that you've always
wanted to live, and that's whatit's done for me.
(27:53):
Once I got a taste in this areayears ago, I was hooked, and so
many of my students say thesame thing.
It's like the past threeepisodes with Whitney, the two
episodes with Whitney and thenMarie.
They have been able to add thisdigital product business or
(28:14):
just depend solely on thisdigital product business to give
them the life that they havealways wanted, so that they're
able to go out and do otherthings that they enjoy doing.
And another thing is I thinkeach of us has that squirrel
syndrome Well, not each of us,but it's very common in this
(28:37):
space, I'm finding, withcrafters and handmade artists,
is that we don't like doing justone thing, we like doing a few
different things or a coupledifferent things.
And so having a digital productbusiness in addition to being a
mom, or in addition to doinglike a side venture, like
(29:00):
Whitney is doing, or like Mariesaid, she works another job and
then does this on the side, andso you have those options, or
you can be like Jonathan, whothat's like his main income for
him and his family is sellingthese digital products and these
(29:21):
digital designs.
So I'll be sure to link to eachof those episodes in the show
notes, but be sure to go andsign up for that free live
masterclass.
We have two different days, twodifferent times readily
available for you to go rightnow and sign up for
penandposhcom forward slash freemasterclass, to sign up for the
(29:44):
four ways to dominate Etsyselling digital products.
I hope that this episode hasbeen beneficial and that you've
enjoyed it, and have a greatrest of your week.
Bye.
Hello, hello, welcome to this week's episode.
Today we're going to talk aboutwhy digital downloads for
crafting are exploding,especially over on Etsy.
We're going to go over statsfrom the industry and why this
is going to be the case foryears to come.
That's why I'm staying in thisarea, that's why I'm teaching in
(00:21):
this area, that's why mybusiness is in this area,
because I know it's going to behere and all of my time putting
into this isn't going to bewasted.
So stay tuned after the introand we're going to dig right
into this.
As natural creatives, we loveour projects, we love our craft
time and we'll never say no to aquick trip to Michael's.
Although running a handmadebusiness is rewarding, it can
(00:45):
also be overwhelming.
Hey, creative mamas.
Casey here, and as a mother oftwo feisty toddlers and a
business owner myself, I get thenap time hustle and live it
daily.
Managing the house, jugglingthe kids and getting those
orders out on time can train thelife right out of us.
But what if there was a way toconvert that business of yours
(01:05):
into an online passive incomegenerating machine?
Well, I'm here to tell you it'snot only possible, but
completely yours for the taking.
I'm on a mission to give all ofthe nap time hustling crafty
moms out there the right tools,systems and strategies needed to
convert your own businessesinto consistent yet flexible
(01:26):
income online, all while doingwhat you do best creating.
So put those kiddos down fortheir nap, pop in some earbuds
and kick back.
This is where you stop tradingtime for dollars.
This is where you claim yourlife back.
This is the Naptime HustlePodcast.
You claim your life back.
This is the Naptime HustlePodcast.
Okay, so why are digitaldownloads for crafting?
(01:50):
Why are they exploding rightnow?
If you've been around for longerthan like two seconds, you've
heard me talk about this.
But if you're new here and Iknow we have new people
listening into the podcasthere's the dealio I always
recommend when you're looking atentering a space.
(02:10):
It makes it a whole lot easierto enter a space that is
trending and that there is astrong need for.
And how do you know if there'sa need for it?
Well, there's proof.
There's proof that we look forand find in the market on these
platforms just being in theindustry and walking the walk,
(02:31):
talking the talk, hearing yourpeers and people in that space
and what is going on with it,what they're gravitating to.
So one thing that I always tellmy students is go a step back
in the supply chain, go as farback in the supply chain as you
can, and that is what I havefound really helps me succeed,
(02:55):
and not only generate sales, butwhat really helps is predicting
and being able to predict thetrend and the direction of the
industry before it's headed thatway.
And so when you're on theforefront of this trend and
you're selling a product evenbefore it gets huge, that's the
(03:19):
sweet spot to be.
Like that's the sweet spot tobe, and it helps make starting a
business a lot easier.
Okay.
So if you're able to get here,great.
If you're not able to find thisunicorn product, as I'm sure it
(03:43):
feels like a unicorn productjust talking about this, it
doesn't mean that you aren'table to succeed.
I'm just saying it makes iteasier.
So, looking at the evidence,let's go through this.
The reason that, why digitaldownloads are exploding right
now, specifically in thecrafting space, is because of
these new crafting machines thathave either come out recently
(04:05):
or more recently, or that haveimproved their technology so
that they are allowing us tofurther our use with our digital
downloads.
You know, so you can use yourSVG files and these you know,
the Cricut machines, theSilhouette machines.
(04:26):
That's been the case for likefive years, right, plus five
plus years.
But more recently we've beenseeing Glowforge gain a lot of
momentum I'll talk about numberswith them in a bit and just
like the projections that we'reseeing in that space in the
laser cutting industry, but justin crafting machines, I mean,
(04:53):
as I was going out and lookingand gathering all of my
materials for this episode, Iwas surprised, like how many
different types of craftmachines there are.
So one thing to look at whenyou are going out and I'm going
to share my process, likesharing my process with you, so
that you can go out and do yourown research, so that you can
(05:16):
make the most educated decisiontoo.
Michaels Went over to Michaelswebsite and one thing to look at
are their categories.
Michaels, hobby Lobby theyaren't at Well, Hobby Lobby
isn't as big with their onlineretail space, yet Michaels is,
(05:38):
I've noticed they definitelyhave upped their eCommerce,
especially with COVID, like manycompanies did.
But you also look at Etsy, too,and Etsy is the number one
sales driver for us custom SVGdesigners, right, but again,
you're going a step back in thesupply chain.
(05:59):
So you're looking.
You want to be looking.
If you're looking at digitalsales and selling digital files,
you want to be looking at themachines in the space.
And the reason that you go ontothese sites such as Michaels and
Etsy and look at theircategories is because when they
make a category for this productor this machine, it means they
(06:23):
are segmenting it and groupingit together, grouping everything
around this machine togetherbecause it's gotten so big,
because there's a need for it,because it has to, all of a
sudden, have a designated spaceon their e-commerce site.
(06:43):
Now one argument that you couldmake is well, maybe there's
just isn't a place to put it.
Okay, I hear you, but moreoften than not, when they make
its own category like, they'rechanging the structural makeup
of their cart, of their grid,their product grid, which is
(07:07):
like the skeleton of their site.
So it's not like an easy thingthat you can just go in and do
and add.
And I used to work on a backend internet marketing agency
years ago on a website that usesMagento, and just in changing
these categories on that sitewith hundreds and thousands of
(07:31):
products was a huge deal.
So watching these retailersmake a space, not even a
subcategory, but one of theirmain categories and that's
another component to watch foris, if it's a main category on
their site stars that should bea billboard.
(07:54):
This is needed.
This is big.
So another factor, thoughwalking into Michaels, you are
seeing that the rows change.
Maybe this is just somethinglike I noticed now that I'm in
this space and I'm watching forthese changes, like I never
(08:15):
noticed this back in the day.
But next time that you'recreate with your SVG files,
products that you can create forsublimation, you know.
(08:35):
So there's like t-shirts,there's all of these different
like materials just forGlowforge even you're seeing
that they are.
You know it first started outthat their Glowforge materials,
the materials that you can cuton a Glowforge, were just like
this little like end cap at mylocal Michaels.
(08:58):
Now we're seeing that it's likehalf of the row Okay, and
they're just growing and they'veoutsourced to a third party
company to fulfill that glow,those glow forge materials.
So we're seeing morefulfillment companies come in
too.
That's another indicator.
You know it's not just onesupplier.
(09:19):
There's a few differentsuppliers, like look at just the
vinyl.
You know they have a fewdifferent suppliers.
Look at just the vinyl.
They have a few differentsuppliers, but look at how much
space that vinyl takes up inthese stores, and so it's like
both sides of the aisle all theway down.
And so all of those materialsuse SVG files.
(09:41):
This is huge.
It makes me so happy walkinginto these craft stores and
seeing how many products relateback to my business in one way
or another.
That is why this is huge for us.
This is not something that isgetting oversaturated.
(10:02):
I'm done with that.
Every area you could argue isoversaturated, or every area you
can say that oh, I started fiveyears ago or whatever, and it
was so much easier.
It doesn't mean that you can'tcompete now, it's just that.
Okay, yeah, you have to nichedown and use a little bit
(10:27):
smarter strategy, like what istaught in Etsy Digital Success.
That is the whole phase.
One is the pre-launch phasedoing your research and making
sure that you can find the rightproduct that fits you.
That isn't going to feel like aheavy burden.
It's not going to feel likework.
(10:48):
If you choose the right productthat aligns with your passions,
what you enjoy doing, somethingthat you just come back to over
and over again through theyears, that's a great indicator
that you love that area.
You love it so much it keeps onresurfacing again and again.
(11:09):
That was graphic design for me.
I would take a break for awhile from designing my
invitations back before Idiscovered SVGs, but then I
would always come back and maybeit was like posters this time.
So it was just like graphicdesign for me and creating
products, these digital productsfor, like other people not
(11:30):
products, but you know what Imean like creating imitations
for other people or posters for,like my brother's sports events
.
So look at what aligns with you, you know, and that's where
you're going to start.
That's one thing that we reallydive into inside EDS.
(11:50):
But back to my point here.
So Etsy also came out with theircraft machine categories in May
of 2022.
And so what are those craftmachine categories?
I talked about these in thesummer.
So, going back through them,ones that they added, and
(12:11):
they've updated this as wellthey're continuing to add
subcategories to these now too.
So 3D printer files you guysknow, if you listen to my
beginning of the yearpredictions for SVG designers,
like I actually talked aboutthis in 2021, how I thought 3D
(12:32):
was going to take off.
Maybe it was 2020 actually, andit has in light, or well, it
has started.
I should say it's starting, solike we're seeing the beginning
stages of it.
Another one is cutting machinefiles Yep, cricut, silhouette,
all there Embroidery machinefiles and knitting files, okay.
(12:55):
And so those are just the onesthat Etsy made a place for.
Now some of those they couldjust be testing the waters in.
We'll see.
But what I thought wasinteresting was that, michaels,
when I went onto their site, oneof their main categories, like
I mentioned, is all is craftmachines, just craft machines,
(13:16):
and then you click on it and itsays all craft machines and
these are the differentsubcategories that they have
under all craft machines.
So there's die cuttingmaterials, die cutting machines,
die cutting tools andaccessories, cricut, scissor,
sizer I always want to sayscissor, I think people say
(13:38):
sisser Anyways, 3d printers,cameras and accessories, heat
presses, label makers, lightpads and tablets, sewing
machines, sublimation sorry,glow forge, silhouette, art
technology.
So the reason that I kind ofgot weird with the sublimation
(14:01):
I've been talking a lot aboutthat in our private Facebook
group and with my students.
Like we've really been touchingon that and I've done a few
trainings.
There is a training coming out.
It's gotten pushed back.
So so sorry, but in 2023, I,you there will be a sublimation
course coming out over here atCasey Clin.
(14:24):
I have just learned by mistakethat I need to give myself more
time, especially as a newersingle mom.
I am over what's the right word, over what's the right word.
I am pretty much notguesstimating how much time it's
going to take, which is,coincidentally, a ADHD issue,
(14:52):
like you always think that youhave more time than what you
have.
Well, yeah, that's me.
So I'm trying to scoot thisback out.
Make sure that it's readybefore I roll it out to all of
you guys, because it's going tobe amazing.
It's going to be in Photoshop.
I'm going to share just allsorts of fun stuff.
Anyways, glowforge, of course,is one of them.
(15:12):
So we see, like Glowforge, wesee sublimation, we see
silhouette, like we also see thecricket and the sizer scissor.
We see 3houette, like we alsosee the Cricut and the Sizer
Sisser.
We see 3D printers Like all ofthese can use SVGs or PNGs or
JPEGs, like digital productsthat we go and sell on Etsy, and
(15:36):
so, as these machines, you knowsublimation, we're seeing a lot
of growth in there.
We're seeing a lot of growth inGlowforge Actually, I shouldn't
say Glowforge Laser cuttingmachine market is projected to
grow $1.26 billion in the nextfive years.
That's what they're predictingand so technology isn't going
(15:56):
anywhere.
We're going to continue to seethe crafting industry just like
swallow up these machines.
We're seeing, you know, thesemillennials enter the crafting
scene, as we have been, and youknow us people who had, like
computers, like the like dial,dial up tone growing up, and
(16:20):
where that first generation likeI'm in my 30s and our
generation is more tech savvy,you know.
And another thing is how muchand and I was more curious about
this than anything but thegross like revenue of michaels,
of Michaels, of Hobby Lobby, ofJoann's Michaels they have seen
(16:47):
a gross revenue of $5.27 billion.
Hobby Lobby has seen $5 billionand I believe this is from 2021
, 2022.
From 2021-2022.
You know, also these storeslike Michael's and Hobby Lobby,
(17:08):
they're seeing growth as well.
More people are liking thatthey can make stuff more easily
because of this technologythemselves from home and it's
just more readily available.
You know, you can go out andfind somebody to.
I mean, just about everybodyknows somebody that can make
custom t-shirts, right.
So Michaels in 2021, they had5.27.
(17:30):
Sorry, 5.27 billion in revenue.
Hobby Lobby saw 5 billion, andso these stores saw 5 billion,
and so these stores be watchingthem.
Be watching what they'reselling, what products they're
(17:50):
selling, what categories they'readding to their website, and be
watching the growth as youenter their stores.
Next time you can do productresearch, write off all of those
fun things that you bought foryour business.
Okay, so we went over.
Why putting these intocategories is a big deal?
Why even look at this?
(18:12):
One thing that I thought that Iwould say, too, is over on Etsy,
we can use the search bar.
One thing that I'm going to doin that free live masterclass,
that Etsy masterclass I havecoming up you guys I'll talk
about that in just a second butone thing that we're going to do
in there is Etsy bar searchchallenge, and I'm going to show
(18:34):
you how to find frequentlysearched products, the products
that are searched most often onEtsy, and specifically digital
products.
Okay, and so be sure to go signup for that.
You can go and sign up over atpinandposhcom forward slash free
(18:56):
masterclass, but over on Etsy.
Slash free masterclass, butover on Etsy.
That is one tool that we canuse to find out what is being
searched the most, so whatpeople are buying the most over
on Etsy, okay.
So one other thing that is goingto continue and I guess this
(19:16):
gosh, this episode could be myprediction episode that I do in
January but one thing that Ithink we'll continue to see
improvement and progress in isthe sublimation area.
I don't think sublimationitself is going to stick per
sublimation.
I think it's going to be moreheat transfer.
(19:37):
I think that there's just goingto be improvements made in that
area in the application process.
So instead of printing andwe're already seeing it right
but instead of printing to paper, that adhesive paper, we're
going to continue to see moreadvancements in those printers
and direct to garment printing.
(19:57):
I think it's my guesstimate,that's my prediction.
Okay, I think that that isgoing to continue to grow and
improve.
That doesn't change per se.
Well, I shouldn't say that.
I think it will increase thedemand for files like ours,
(20:18):
because it's going to make morepeople gravitate to that when
you can print directly to agarment and it's going to be
your at-home printer, a moreaffordable printing, and that is
one thing.
I know that you can printdirect to garment, but I think
it's going to just like the GlowForge.
(20:39):
I also think this is going tohappen with the Glowforge.
We're going to eventually seethat price go down and down and
down, like we have seen withthese die cutting machines.
So I mean they're stillexpensive, but the Glowforge,
right now it's a few thousanddollars.
I think that with the directgarment printing, we're going to
(21:01):
see that price go down as well.
I think that we're going to seejust like a major and continues
to see a major shift with thisat-home crafting hobby slash
business.
You'll also see in these storesthat they sell equipment for
business owners, these storesthat they sell equipment for
business owners, equipment forrecording equipment to take
(21:30):
photos of your products, likelight boxes.
You'll see, that's because itis going to continue to be a
profitable area and business formany people, and so why isn't
this going to change?
So let's answer that.
So I believe you know I meanfor one like technology isn't
going anywhere.
Maybe that's a silly question,but technology is here to stay.
(21:51):
But I believe maybe even herein five years, we will start
seeing the shift of like 3Dgraphic design.
You're already seeing thevirtual reality.
You know headsets like you canlike move your hands around.
You know you hold those remotesin your hands and you feel like
you're actually there.
(22:11):
It's hard to explain on apodcast I'm just now realizing,
but if you know what I'm talkingabout, these virtual reality
headsets and gaming consolesthey are shifting and they've
just come out with graphicdesign programs for this virtual
(22:34):
reality and in these graphicdesign programs you can actually
sculpt as if you're there inperson.
You're sculpting a statue withyour own hands and you can hear
just the sounds and everything.
So it's really kind of a neatnewer area that is going to
(22:56):
continue to grow and grow, andin the graphic design arena too.
So I think that we'll see that.
That's another indicator, likeAdobe came out with a graphic
app that you can use on thisvirtual reality gaming console
where you can sculpt, and so Ithink that in the early stages
(23:18):
it's like, okay, it doesn'treally take off, but then
eventually, with time and aswe've seen in other areas, it
does get traction and there's atechnology breakthrough that
happens and then we start seeingpeople flock to it.
Okay, and so another thing islike 3D printing.
(23:40):
The whole reason you knowyou're creating that 3D
sculpture in the VR, the virtualreality, is because you're
making a 3D file that can beprinted on that 3D sculpture.
In the VR, the virtual realityis because you're making a 3D
file that can be printed on a 3Dprinter, and so all of this,
what I'm trying to tell you ismeaning and showing us that
(24:03):
digital products are justreshaping the crafting industry,
that digital products are justreshaping the crafting industry,
and this is going to be thecase for years to come, and it
is especially a good area forthese reasons.
It's a great area to be in as aperson who wants to make a
flexible, more passive incomethat is more automated, that you
(24:28):
don't have to hurry andscramble together to produce
your products and create yourhandmade products and get them
shipped out.
I'm actually digressing anddoing this right now, just as a
test.
During this holiday season,we're producing some Christmas
ornaments and testing those out,we're sending them to people,
(24:50):
shipping them to people and, tobe completely honest, it's kind
of been difficult for me to takea step back in the automated
income world, whatever, andstart shipping products out
again and meeting up with peopleand dropping it off to them.
Like I'm still figuring out away to offload that.
(25:12):
So having that type of you know, a little bit more tied down
type of business and going backto that has been a little bit
hard for me.
Talking about making thosehandmade products and shipping
(25:33):
them out, I think that therestill is a lot of individuals
out there who feel like theycan't learn this digital space,
who have never been a graphicdesigner, who don't feel like
they could actually do that partof it.
But here's the thing handmadecreatives, they already are
artistic, you all already makebeautiful artwork.
(25:57):
It's just not on the computer,right?
It's just not a graphic design,it's just not digital.
So we're taking those sameskills, that same skill set,
that same passion to create andputting it into a digital
product, a more passive productthat can give you at least a
(26:20):
little bit, even a portion ofyour income, and automated
income gives you so much.
It's like a breath of fresh air, like okay, sales are going to
continue to come in, even if I'mnot hustling and busting my
butt getting those orders outthe door.
So I think that that is a bigreason why digital creatives or
(26:45):
handmade creatives convert overto the digital side, or at least
a portion of their income overto the digital side.
So, like I was saying, december15th and December 19th, that
free masterclass about Etsy.
So I'm going to go over thefour ways to dominate Etsy
selling digital downloads Brandnew masterclass.
(27:07):
I've never done this before.
We're doing it live.
I'm going to talk about howselling digital products
compares to the strategy ofselling handmade products, and
so, as I said, these digitalproducts are reshaping not only
Etsy but the crafting scene ingeneral and the way that we do
(27:29):
business.
So I want you to join me tolearn how adding these digital
downloads to your business cangive you the relief from
overwhelm that you're feeling,from feeling tied down.
It can give you the freedom tolive the life that you've always
wanted to live, and that's whatit's done for me.
(27:53):
Once I got a taste in this areayears ago, I was hooked, and so
many of my students say thesame thing.
It's like the past threeepisodes with Whitney, the two
episodes with Whitney and thenMarie.
They have been able to add thisdigital product business or
(28:14):
just depend solely on thisdigital product business to give
them the life that they havealways wanted, so that they're
able to go out and do otherthings that they enjoy doing.
And another thing is I thinkeach of us has that squirrel
syndrome Well, not each of us,but it's very common in this
(28:37):
space, I'm finding, withcrafters and handmade artists,
is that we don't like doing justone thing, we like doing a few
different things or a coupledifferent things.
And so having a digital productbusiness in addition to being a
mom, or in addition to doinglike a side venture, like
(29:00):
Whitney is doing, or like Mariesaid, she works another job and
then does this on the side, andso you have those options, or
you can be like Jonathan, whothat's like his main income for
him and his family is sellingthese digital products and these
(29:21):
digital designs.
So I'll be sure to link to eachof those episodes in the show
notes, but be sure to go andsign up for that free live
masterclass.
We have two different days, twodifferent times readily
available for you to go rightnow and sign up for
penandposhcom forward slash freemasterclass, to sign up for the
(29:44):
four ways to dominate Etsyselling digital products.
I hope that this episode hasbeen beneficial and that you've
enjoyed it, and have a greatrest of your week.
Bye.
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