Unlock the Secret to Earning Over $10,000 Annually with Etsy’s Top-Selling Printables!

SIDE HUSTLES
Selling Printables on Etsy: The Key to Earning Over $10,000 Per Year?
Written by Julie Berninger
Last updated on January 26, 2023

Etsy lets you sell unique handmade items to its vast base of active buyers, quite a few of whom are interested in printables. From my experience of selling printables since 2017, I’ve been making over $10,000 a year! My shop, TheSwagElephant, houses everything from scavenger hunts for bachelorette parties, editable program templates, to printable holiday gifts.

I love this side hustle because while I’m occupied elsewhere, I keep getting sale notifications from my Etsy seller app. Now, let’s jump into what kinds of printables sell well on Etsy!

1. Seasonal Printables:
People love finding unique items for holidays, events, and special occasions on Etsy, so seasonal printables do well. My holiday printables, like gifts for teacher appreciation and holiday sticker sets, usually fly out the window starting November every year. You do have to stay on top of the seasonal cycle, but soon you’ll have a full inventory to sell all year round.

2. Fillable PDFs:
Planners sell like hot cakes on Etsy, especially during the new year and school season. Over the last few years, sellers started creating fillable planners where instead of customers printing and physically filling them in, they could directly type in their details on their computer.

3. Personalizable Products:
Customizable products are a big hit on Etsy. Instead of manually editing a product for each order, we create a template in a tool like Canva or Google Docs. Customers can then edit the printables themselves.

4. B2B Templates:
Business-to-business templates tend to have a higher average order value. These include social media templates, business forms, and marketing materials targeting specific business niches.

5. Bundles:
Bundled products not only make more money per sale but also encourage customers to buy more. Think of it like upselling via product groupings.

Starting and running an Etsy Printable business isn’t too complex. Start with identifying the right products to sell; not only ones you’d like to design but ones that generate good returns. Keyword research tools like eRank can help you pinpoint in-demand printables.

As for creating the printables, lay off expensive design software for now; most sellers, including me, love the convenience of Canva. It’s beginner-friendly and ever-evolving.

Currently, trending printable items on Etsy include digital planners, SVGs, budgeting spreadsheets, and printable kids’ games. Staying on top of current trends is crucial for maintaining and growing sales.

As far as earnings go, many, including me, have taken home around $10,000 per year. However, there are some who’ve earned multiple five or six-figure amounts per year! The trick? Understanding keyword research and figuring out in-demand products.

It’s a good idea to consider courses that teach you the nuances of running a printables business on Etsy, like my course at Gold City Ventures. Already, several of my students have seen considerable success.

In conclusion, remember to work based on data, not just intuition. Identifying the best-selling products on Etsy and creating those will give you a head start.