I Tried The Easiest AI Side Hustle For 30 Days

Jensen Tung
22 Sept 202308:10

TLDRThe video script details an experiment of selling AI-generated art patterns on Etsy for 30 days. The creator uses Mid-Journey AI to generate patterns, focusing on those that can be seamlessly repeated for various products. Despite the challenges of competition and market saturation, the creator manages to sell two patterns, earning a total revenue of $7.47, which does not cover the expenses incurred. The experience highlights the difficulties of standing out in a crowded market and the need for strategic pricing and marketing to succeed.

Takeaways

  • 🎨 The venture is to sell AI-generated art patterns on Etsy, a platform for arts and crafts.
  • 🖌️ Mid-journey AI is chosen for its features to generate seamless, repeatable patterns.
  • 🥦 The first pattern created is a watercolor eggplant, targeting the need for patterns in various products.
  • 🔍 Market research is conducted using Etsy's search suggestions and a free keyword research tool.
  • 📈 The goal is to find niches with high demand and low competition, such as specific flowers, materials, and foods.
  • 📊 The AI-generated patterns need to be upscaled to meet Etsy's resolution requirements of 300 DPI and 3600x3600 pixels.
  • 💰 Etsy patterns are typically sold in packs, with the narrator choosing to sell in packs of eight.
  • 📝 The digital product listing on Etsy includes essential elements like uploading patterns, pricing, titles, and tags with SEO in mind.
  • 📈 Etsy's fees and a 50% discount are factored into the pricing strategy, resulting in a final sale price of $2.49 per pack.
  • 🚀 After launching the listings, the challenge is to wait for sales, which initially are slow due to Etsy's search algorithm.
  • 📉 Despite efforts like using Etsy ads, the final result of the challenge is a net loss of $61.79, highlighting the difficulty of selling AI patterns on Etsy.

Q & A

  • What is the main goal of the AI art pattern selling experiment?

    -The main goal of the experiment is to generate and sell AI art patterns on Etsy, aiming to see how much money can be made from this venture within a 30-day period.

  • Which AI art generator does the script's author choose and why?

    -The author chooses the AI art generator called Mid-Journey for its features, which are well-suited for generating seamless, repeatable patterns that can be used for various purposes like scrapbooks, cards, notebook covers, and print-on-demand products.

  • What is the significance of creating seamless, repeating patterns?

    -Seamless, repeating patterns are significant because they can be used in various creative projects without any visible breaks or discontinuities, making them ideal for products like scrapbooks, cards, notebook covers, packaging, and print-on-demand items like phone cases, pillows, and mugs.

  • How does the author plan to identify popular niches for AI patterns on Etsy?

    -The author plans to use Etsy's search suggestions and a free Etsy keyword research tool to find popular niches with less competition. They also consider certain types of flowers, materials, and food as potential niches.

  • What resolution and DPI does the author aim to achieve for the AI patterns?

    -The author aims to achieve a resolution of 3600 by 3600 pixels and a DPI of 300, which is the standard for patterns sold on Etsy. However, they decide to upscale to 6144 pixels using Gigapixel AI for a more premium product.

  • How does the author plan to overcome the limitation of Etsy's digital file upload limit?

    -The author plans to upload all AI patterns into a folder on Google Drive and include the link to this folder in a PDF document that is uploaded to Etsy, allowing buyers to download all eight patterns in a pack despite Etsy's limit of five digital files per listing.

  • What are the five essential elements of a digital product listing on Etsy according to the script?

    -The five essential elements are: 1) Uploading the AI patterns for buyers to download, 2) Using Photoshop to design templates for the thumbnail and full preview, 3) Pricing the patterns competitively while considering Etsy's fees, 4) Using popular keywords in the title and tags for better search visibility, and 5) Providing a free ebook on best practices for using AI in SEO and marketing.

  • How much did the author spend on Mid-Journey subscription and Etsy ads, and what was the final net income from the challenge?

    -The author spent $31.50 on a one-month Mid-Journey subscription and $15 on Etsy ads over 15 days. The net income from the challenge was negative, at -$61.79, after earning a total revenue of $7.47.

  • What challenges did the author face in selling AI patterns on Etsy?

    -The author faced challenges such as a saturated market with many sellers offering AI patterns, low prices per pattern, the need to convince multiple customers to make a profit, and the potential need for advertising to increase visibility and sales, which could further cut into already low profit margins.

  • What alternative business model does the author consider to increase sales and profits?

    -The author considers using the AI patterns to create and sell their own print-on-demand products, such as mugs, as a way to potentially increase both sales and profit per sale.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Exploring AI Art Patterns for Etsy Sales

The speaker embarks on a 30-day challenge to sell AI-generated art patterns, focusing on Mid-Journey as their chosen AI art generator. The goal is to create seamless, repeatable patterns suitable for various products like scrapbooks, cards, and phone cases. The speaker plans to sell these patterns on Etsy, using the platform's search suggestions and a keyword research tool to identify popular niches with less competition. The challenge includes overcoming technical limitations of the AI generator's output resolution and strategizing on Etsy's digital marketplace with elements like pricing, titles, tags, and listing optimization.

05:01

🚀 Launching the AI Pattern Business on Etsy

The speaker details the process of setting up their Etsy shop to sell AI-generated patterns. They discuss the importance of high-resolution images, the use of Gigapixel AI for image upscaling, and the strategy of selling pattern packs. The speaker also shares their approach to listing creation, including the use of Google Drive for file sharing, and the design of thumbnails and full previews using Photoshop. They delve into pricing strategies, considering Etsy's fees and potential discounts, and the use of keywords for SEO optimization. The speaker also mentions a free ebook on AI for SEO and marketing, sponsored by HubSpot, and reflects on the challenges of breaking into a saturated market.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡AI art patterns

AI art patterns refer to digital designs created using artificial intelligence, which can be used for various purposes such as scrapbooks, cards, notebook covers, and print-on-demand products. In the video, the creator aims to generate and sell these patterns on Etsy, highlighting the commercial potential of AI-generated content in the digital marketplace.

💡Mid-Journey

Mid-Journey is an AI art generator mentioned in the video that the creator uses to produce digital patterns. It is chosen for its features that allow the generation of seamless, repeatable art, which is essential for creating patterns that can be used across various products.

💡Etsy

Etsy is an online marketplace that focuses on arts and crafts, and it is a popular platform for selling digital products like patterns or digital paper. In the context of the video, the creator plans to sell AI-generated patterns on Etsy, leveraging its audience of craft enthusiasts and digital product buyers.

💡Upscaler

An upscaler is a tool or software that increases the resolution of an image without losing quality. In the video, the creator uses an AI image upscaler called Gigapixel AI to enhance the resolution of the AI-generated patterns from 72 DPI to 300 DPI and upscale them to six times the original size, to meet Etsy's requirements for pattern sales.

💡Digital product listing

A digital product listing refers to the online presentation of a digital item for sale, including elements such as file upload, pricing, title, tags, and descriptions. In the video, the creator discusses the essential elements of a digital product listing on Etsy, which are crucial for selling AI-generated patterns effectively.

💡SEO and keyword research

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and keyword research involve optimizing digital content to rank higher in search engine results and identifying popular terms that can increase visibility. In the video, the creator uses SEO and keyword research to enhance the discoverability of their Etsy listings, leveraging tools like eRank and ChatGPT for effective marketing.

💡Print-on-demand products

Print-on-demand products are items like phone cases, pillows, and mugs that are manufactured and customized only when an order is received, based on a design or pattern. In the video, the creator considers evolving their business model by using AI patterns to create and sell their own print-on-demand products, as a way to increase sales and profits.

💡Etsy ads

Etsy ads is a paid advertising service offered by Etsy that allows sellers to promote their listings and increase visibility among potential buyers. In the video, the creator uses Etsy ads in an attempt to boost sales of their AI-generated patterns by allocating a daily budget of one dollar.

💡Market saturation

Market saturation occurs when a market has too many sellers offering similar products, leading to intense competition and lower chances of success for new entrants. In the video, the creator acknowledges the difficulty of selling AI patterns on Etsy due to market saturation, where many sellers can easily generate patterns, reducing the uniqueness and value of individual listings.

💡Net income

Net income refers to the amount of money left over after all expenses have been deducted from the total revenue earned. In the video, the creator calculates their net income by accounting for the costs of Mid-Journey subscription, Etsy ads, transaction fees, processing fees, seller fees, and list fees, ultimately revealing a negative net income from their AI pattern sales challenge.

Highlights

The individual plans to sell AI-generated art patterns on Etsy, aiming to replicate the success of others who have reportedly made substantial income.

The chosen AI art generator is Mid-Journey for its features, and the first pattern created is a watercolor eggplant.

The goal is to create patterns that can be seamlessly repeated, which are used in various crafts and products, indicating a high demand and potential for sales.

To generate a seamless pattern, the command '---tile' is added to the prompt in Mid-Journey.

The plan is to sell on Etsy, an online marketplace popular for arts, crafts, and digital papers.

The individual uses Etsy's search suggestions and a free keyword research tool to find niches with less competition.

Patterns are typically sold as 300 DPI images measuring 3600 by 3600 pixels, but Mid-Journey's maximum output is 72 DPI and smaller dimensions.

To upscale the images, the individual uses a paid tool called Gigapixel AI, which can increase the resolution up to six times the original size.

The AI patterns are sold in packs of eight, and the individual has created over 100 listings with more than 800 individual AI patterns.

The essential elements of a digital product listing on Etsy include uploading patterns, photos, pricing, and using popular keywords in the title and tags.

A free ebook is mentioned that covers best practices for using AI in SEO and keyword research, with tips on marketing and a list of popular AI tools.

The individual has not made any sales after a week and decides to use Etsy ads to increase visibility.

By day 23, there are still no sales, leading the individual to consider the high competition and the need for more strategic marketing.

The individual contemplates evolving the business model by using the AI patterns to create and sell print-on-demand products directly.

At the end of the 30-day challenge, the individual sold only two AI patterns, resulting in a net income loss.

The conclusion is that selling AI patterns is not as easy as it seems due to market saturation and the need for effective marketing strategies.

The individual suggests a potential follow-up challenge of selling AI-generated mugs for 30 days.