Podcast Episode Summary

Podcast: How to Sell Your Stuff on Etsy

Host: Lizzie Smiley
Episode: 203: Scale Your Digital Product Etsy Shop Into Multiple Income Streams – with Bailey Vann
Date: October 16, 2025

Episode Overview

In this insightful episode, Lizzie Smiley welcomes back Bailey Vann—an Etsy digital products powerhouse—who shares her journey and expert strategies for not only scaling an Etsy shop with digital products, but also for building multiple income streams beyond Etsy. Bailey reveals detailed tactics for growing revenue, automating and diversifying income, and protecting your business from platform dependence. The conversation is particularly valuable for digital product creators looking to work smarter, not harder, and for anyone envisioning an evolution from hobby shop to scalable digital empire.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Current Shifts in the Etsy Marketplace

• Algorithm & Policy Changes:

  • Bailey notes a recent shift in Etsy's algorithm and policies, now heavily prioritizing the buyer's perspective in search and discovery.

    “The algorithm is really prioritizing the buyer and we need to be thinking about that when we are putting up our designs… think like a buyer, not like a seller.” – Bailey (08:00)

  • Instead of keyword stuffing, sellers should use language customers actually search for.

• Importance of Current Data and Trends:

  • Utilizing tools like Profit Tree and Etsy Radar for real-time, actionable research.

    “You can do your research if you have a keyword in mind in literally under seven minutes.” – Bailey (09:36)

  • Trending data helps sellers pivot quickly for seasonal and event-driven demand.

2. Research Tools and Efficient Workflow

• Favorite Tools:

  • Profit Tree with Etsy Radar extension is cited by both Lizzie and Bailey for product and keyword research.
  • Bailey’s workflow: Spend no more than 7 minutes per product researching before moving straight into creation.

• Avoid Analysis Paralysis:

  • Focus on three listing data points: listing age, sales activity, and real-time performance.

    “Just look for the numbers is what I tell my people. Three numbers is all you're really looking at…” – Bailey (09:36)

3. Trend-Driven Design and Seasonal Strategy

• Trend Adaptation Across Niches/Holidays:
  • Bailey encourages leveraging popular trends (e.g., ghosts, Highland cows, postage stamp styles) and adapting them for different seasons and niches.

    “...the ghost. I actually have a post about this in my group that says ghosts are becoming more of an evergreen design style…” – Bailey (11:50)

  • Look for visual styles performing well for one holiday and apply them to another.

4. Testing Product Types & Shop Expansion

• Testing Print on Demand (POD) versus Digital:

  • Bailey advises testing new POD products within your current digital shop before opening a separate one.

    “I would test them on my current shop… because you might not end up liking it.” – Bailey (15:34)

  • Avoid investing too much upfront in business models you may not enjoy.

• Listing Volume & Rapid Iteration:

  • Consistency is key: new sellers should focus on uploading a significant number of quality listings to find their niche and best-sellers.

    “If you're not doing five to seven a day… you know.” – Bailey (18:08)

  • Bailey’s new “One Hour Listing Sprint” workshop helps sellers list 20 items in an hour using a simple, accessible workflow.

5. Building Multiple Streams of Income

• Moving Beyond Etsy: The Stackable Approach

  • Bailey grew her digital shop to $15k/month (later tripling it) by stacking strategies:

    • Grew a 20,000+ person email list for direct marketing.
    • Created a Facebook group to reach and nurture buyers.
    • Launched a paid membership site off Etsy for recurring income (now 800+ members).
    • Diversified with educational YouTube content and community coaching.

    “I didn’t do all of these at once… Take one thing at a time and you just build on top of it.” – Bailey (22:06)

• Email List Is Essential:

  • Used opt-in PDFs in Etsy product downloads to grow an email list legally.

    “You can, you just have to do it the legal way by having them actually opt in.” – Bailey (22:06)

  • Email marketing directly boosted launch sales and supported her off-Etsy membership.

• Membership Model Mechanics:

  • Off-Etsy membership offers thousands of designs for a recurring fee.
    • Hosted via Everbee Store for ease and cost efficiency.
    • Members access all current and future designs through a searchable, organized portal.

6. Realistic Revenue Benchmarks and Plateau Points

• Etsy-only Shop Plateau:

  • Without an external list or group, her shop capped at about $15,000/month gross ($9-10k/month after fees and ads).
  • Adding email and Facebook group marketing increased sales dramatically; recurring revenue from the membership further protected and scaled her income.

    “Without an email list and without the Facebook group, it capped at 15k and that was like three months in a row.” – Bailey (30:18)

• Importance of External Traffic:

  • All the top digital shops bring buyers in via weekly email marketing and external communities.

    “We don’t get to these numbers without external Etsy traffic… That’s how you get to 45k a month is because I went out and got them.” – Bailey (31:11)

7. Protecting Your Business & Intellectual Property

• Combatting Copycats:

  • Driving your own traffic (via email) helps insulate against copycats and algorithm changes.

    “That’s a way to take your power back.” – Lizzie (32:14)

• Membership Security & Platform Choices:

  • Hosting on Everbee Store offers cost-effective, secure distribution of digital products, with enhanced organization and member access control (vs. Google Drive).

8. Additional Advice and AI Design Tools

• Resource Recommendations:

  • Bailey recommends:
    • Profit Tree for keyword research
    • Canva and Kittl for AI-powered design creation and editing
    • MyDesigns for consolidated digital design and AI functions

• For Beginners:

  • Start with free educational content on Bailey’s YouTube channel.
  • Her coaching community offers comprehensive guidance for digital and hybrid product sellers.

    “YouTube is the best place just because I answer all of the comments on there still.” – Bailey (46:27)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Avoiding Perfectionism and Moving Fast:

  “You should have a workflow that works for you, that you can get 20 listings up a day and sell with one tool and not, you know, 10 of them.” – Bailey (19:37)

• On Building One Step at a Time:

  “I didn’t do all of these at once… Take one thing at a time and you just build on top of it.” – Bailey (22:06)

• On the Membership Model:

  “They get access to all of my designs… there’s over 12,000 designs that they get access to.” – Bailey (40:02)

• On Protecting Your Business:

  “We don’t get to these numbers… without external Etsy traffic. Just because Etsy’s traffic is capped at whatever the amount of people are actively searching…” – Bailey (31:11)

• Practical Freebie Advice:

  “They didn’t even know what designs they were getting… Just free designs in my space works because it’s just a customer that needs hundreds of designs on average…” – Bailey (33:01)

• Bailey’s Secret to Etsy Dominance:

  “I didn’t wait for my products to rank, because I could just send an email and 20,000 people would see it.” – Bailey (22:06)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Etsy algorithm and buyer-focused strategy: 08:00 – 10:40
• Profit Tree and research tool workflow: 09:19 – 10:40
• Design trend adaptation (ghosts, postage stamps): 11:41 – 15:08
• Testing new products (POD vs. Digital): 15:34 – 18:08
• Rapid listing workflow & volume for growth: 18:08 – 21:10
• Bailey's multi-stream journey and membership stack: 22:06 – 25:17
• Revenue limitations Etsy-only vs. diversified: 26:32 – 32:14
• Building and utilizing an email list: 32:14 – 35:26
• Facebook group pros/cons and share group risk: 37:50 – 39:38
• Mechanics of the off-Etsy membership model: 39:38 – 43:33
• Favorite research and AI design tools: 44:02 – 45:26
• Where to learn more from Bailey: 45:32 – 46:45

Conclusion & Takeaways

• Start by mastering Etsy, but aim for multi-channel resilience: Build email and community-marketing systems early.
• Use rapid, focused research and trend adaptation to stay ahead of the market.
• Memberships, email marketing, and creating off-Etsy platforms provide both income scalability and business protection.
• Focus on workflow, repeatable systems, and leveraging the latest tools to maximize efficiency and results.

Bailey Vann’s roadmap offers practical, actionable steps—grounded in rich personal experience—for anyone ready to turn their Etsy digital products shop into a diverse, thriving business ecosystem.

For additional resources and links, check the show notes or search for Bailey Vann’s YouTube channel.