3 Myths About Offsite Advertising Debunked

Advertising online in spaces shoppers are interacting everyday like Google search results and social media platforms can bring your listings increased exposure and attract new buyers.

Using Etsy’s Offsite Ads platform means your listings will be advertised across the web, with no upfront cost—you only pay an advertising fee when you make a sale. Here we’re discussing three common concerns we hear about Offsite Ads, along with information from Etsy’s advertising experts on best practices to help your listings stand out.

Myth #1: Offsite Ads won’t work for my shop because I can’t control which listings are being promoted.

Answer: Using Offsite Ads, Etsy pays the upfront costs to advertise your listings on Google, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Bing. You’re not paying for your listing to be shown in those places, so it’s a better deal for you— you’re only paying for ads that do convert into a sale.

Our team of advertising experts works directly with sites like Google and Facebook to promote Etsy sellers’ listings. We share all eligible listings with all platforms and they’re continually optimizing. Each platform’s algorithm needs time to collect information on which types of buyers are most likely to convert for various listings. Turning the ads on and off may be detrimental, because the learning and optimization process would have to start over again from scratch.

We also know that different listings work well for different types of buyers, so sharing all eligible listings with all platforms provides the best chance of appealing to a broader range of buyers based on their purchase intent, rather than limiting that pool with just a few listings from a given shop.

Myth #2: The return on investment (ROI) with Offsite Ads is too low.

Answer: The pricing model for online advertising often varies by platform, including models like cost per impression and cost per click. Offsite Ads uses a cost per conversion (sometimes called cost per acquisition) pricing model, which means you don’t pay for impressions or clicks on your ads unless they result in a sale. You only pay an advertising fee when you make a sale, since Etsy’s paying the upfront cost for impressions and clicks.

If a buyer clicks through an Offsite Ad promoting one of your listings and then purchases from your shop within 30 days, that order(s) will be attributed to the ad. If a shopper clicks on an ad for your item but doesn’t make a purchase, you don’t pay a fee.You only pay an advertising fee when you make a sale—reducing the risk you could pay for ads that don’t work for you.

Marketing costs like paid advertising are often accounted for in a small business budget as overhead. You can learn more about covering expenses and product pricing in Creating a Small Business Budget.

Myth #3: I don’t have control over how my listing is displayed in Offsite Ads.

Answer: Offsite Ads are generated using the information you’ve added to your listings, including:

Listing title
The first photo in your listing
Listing description
Listing availability (Only in-stock listings are promoted.)
Listing price
Your shipping settings (With Offsite Ads, your listings will only be shown to users in regions where you’ve indicated you’re able to ship the item to.)

The information you’ve added is then pulled into the advertising system for each platform. We’ve included some examples below of common placements.

Google

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

If you see a drop in traffic from your Offsite Ads to a specific listing, or similar group of listings, it may be the result of an advertising policy violation. Most advertising platforms, including Google, Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram, have strict policies of their own about what you can promote. Common advertising violations reported to us by external platforms include:

Healthcare and medicinal claims (Example: restricted pharmaceuticals)
Dangerous products (Example: Guns and parts)
Offensive or inappropriate content (Example: Capitalizing on sensitive events)

A few best practices for offsite advertising:

Keep titles short and sweet. Brief, clear listing titles are preferable over a long confusing jumble of keywords, because it helps shoppers understand exactly what you’re selling. Make sure your title is succinct—ideally 40 characters or less—and leads with your most relevant keywords. (For example, “Women’s red silk floral blouse” is much clearer than “Women’s blouse, red blouse, floral blouse, silk blouse, women’s clothing, girlfriend gift, red shirt.”) You should also avoid using all uppercase letters in titles.
Play by the rules. Most advertising platforms, including Google, Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram, have strict policies about what you can promote, so make sure your listings sparkle. Remove any items that may violate Etsy’s policies, including prohibited items or items that might use someone else’s intellectual property.
Watch out for watermarks and distractions. When it comes to your photos, make sure your product is the star, not your logo. Advertising platforms typically prohibit watermarks or other promotional text on images. It’s also recommended to avoid cluttered backgrounds or added borders that can distract from the item itself. Photos with square dimensions (i.e. 2000px x 2000px) also work well when appearing on both mobile and desktop devices.

Review our checklist on Getting Your Listings Ready to Advertise for more tips.