AWeber and Etsy Integration Termination
👋 Hi Etsy seller and new friend! You’ve probably heard about the "termination" of the AWeber integration in Etsy. Whether you’ve used this service in the past or not, you likely have questions about what this means and why it matters. This post will break down what’s happening and provide actionable steps to help you find new ways to grow your email list in the aftermath of this change.
What's Happening
The Short Version: Etsy has ceased sharing certain information—including email addresses—with third-party services, such as AWeber, that many Etsy sellers used to help grow their email lists and connect with customers.
Termination Communication from Etsy
To better understand what is happening, let’s start by looking at the communication Etsy sent to their sellers who have recently used AWeber services.
In this email, Etsy cites the reason for termination of certain third-party integrations is due to their commitment to keeping the marketplace safe and protecting the privacy of all the people who shop and sell on Etsy.
Why this is a Problem for Etsy Sellers: This announcement was not only unexpected to many sellers, but to AWeber as well!
This change throws a wrench in many sellers' marketing strategies. Sellers like you could use the previously-Etsy-approved AWeber integration to grow their email lists. Previously, the AWeber integration sent an Etsy-approved opt-in email to shoppers post-purchase that gave them the option to join a shop's email list. (Want more history? You can see how things were "before" in our post here).
It can be difficult to make sure Etsy shoppers see your newsletter signup in your profile, so this integration was a big help. Without the ability to email customers externally, you know how hard it can be to encourage repeat purchases. And without an email list, you can't effectively share promotions or encourage purchases from your own website.
What Other Etsy Sellers Are Saying
After these emails from Etsy and AWeber, there was a lot of chatter on Etsy forums and Reddit threads about why this is happening and what it will mean for Etsy sellers. Reading through them, it is interesting to hear both how strongly some Etsy sellers feel about not being marketed to, and also how frustrated Etsy sellers are about losing the connection to their customers.
Here is one comment that we thought captures the situation particularly well:
“I didn't use AWeber myself, though I know of sellers who do. There is nothing really untoward about how the extension worked, it was completely legit. However, my main point is, I do feel Etsy is kind of being a bit disingenuous about their stated reasons for doing this, especially as at one point, they actively encouraged the use of services like AWeber, in order for sellers to build a customer base!
The problem is for Etsy, now it is easier than ever to have your own website, and they feel are losing out to creators’ own platforms now. Their traffic is down, their sales are down, they aren't attracting new buyers to the marketplace. Instead of looking at why that might be (swarmed by drop shippers, loss of google visibility, not able to pay for google ads as much anymore cough cough) so this is the low hanging fruit they have chosen to go after instead.
However, personally I'm not looking at what is best for Etsy, I'm looking at what is best for my business, as any business should. To build a sustainable business, focusing solely on keeping buyers only on Etsy is not so great for long-term sustainability, considering we have no control over the way Etsy runs its platform or the fees it decides to charge. None of us should have our eggs entirely in one basket. Having your own website means small businesses have increased autonomy, profitability, and long-term stability and what Etsy are trying to do with this move, is simply make it harder for sellers to do that. As I said though, it's Etsy's playground, they set the rules, so fair enough.”
Knowing what you’re up against as a seller is crucial to knowing what steps to take next. While this situation is certainly not ideal, there are ways you can pivot to continue growing your email lists regardless of this change.
What Actions to Take Next
1. Incentivize Sign Ups with a New Offer in Your Shop
Incentive customers to sign up BEFORE their purchase on Etsy.
Create a coupon code in your Etsy shop to save on the first order. The code should be different than others that are currently active, so it is easily trackable. It should be a compelling offer—and something you can easily fulfill without cutting margins too thin. Some offers we've seen:
- A percent off the first order
- A dollar amount off the first order
- Free gift with purchase
- Free shipping on the first order
- Free download with first order
If you also sell through your own website, be sure to add a matching code there as well—just in case shoppers make their way to your website, you want to welcome them with the same great offer you promoted on Etsy!
You'll be using this offer all throughout your Etsy shop and product listings, so make sure it's something you are excited to offer year-round.
Etsy Seller To Dos:
🔲 Create a compelling offer (discount code, shipping discount, free gift with purchase) you can use to incentivize sign ups.
🔲 Make sure the code or offer is set up in both Etsy and your own website (like Shopify or WooCommerce).
2. Create a Custom Landing Page and Customer Journey
After your offer is created, you’ll need to create a custom landing page you can direct customers to where they can sign up for your email list. If your customers are text-savvy, you could do a signup for SMS in addition to, or in lieu of, email.
Once that landing page is complete, you'll want an automated email that delivers the sign-up incentive (coupon, gift, or freebie) to new subscribers right away.
Etsy Seller To Dos:
🔲 Create a sign-up landing page in your email platform (here are step-by-step instructions for AWeber).
🔲 Create a welcome email (or email series) that delivers the incentive.
🔲 Make a bitly link or short link for the incentive.
We'll be putting this link all over your Etsy page to encourage sign ups (more on that in the next section!)
Your exact steps will look a little different for each shop depending on your website and email platforms, but these three action items are really important!
Does this feel like...a lot?
We love working with brands with 🖤 and a story to tell. Need some help getting your offers, landing pages, and welcome emails up and running? We've got you!
Schedule a free 30-minute chat to ask questions, start planning, and see if we're a good fit.
3. Update Your Etsy Shop with Your New Offer Email Sign-Up Incentive Everywhere Possible!
There are a lot of opportunities to advertise your new offer and email sign-up in your Etsy shop! We'll guide you through each one to maximize visibility and help that email list grow.
Placement: Shop Announcement
First and foremost, update the Shop Announcement so it's right there like a welcome mat for new shoppers, advertising your offer for new customers when they sign up! If you already have a shop announcement, keep your offer line at the top so it’s above the ‘Read more’ fold on Etsy.
Example: Save 10% on your first order in our Etsy shop! [shortened link]
Placement: About Shop Story + Image Carousel
Add the same text somewhere in the "About" story in your shop. Another great place to encourage email sign-ups is through the About image carousel. Some buyers may not read all the text in the story, but an eye-catching graphic announcing a discount incentive may grab their attention. Plus, it's a great opportunity to list your website.
Etsy Seller To Do:
🔲 Update the text in the Etsy shop announcement.
🔲 Update the text in the About story.
🔲 Create new image(s) and add to the About image carousel.
Placement: Shop Links
When it comes to Etsy links, there aren’t really any “subscribe” fields available, but there are shop-website and shop-blog fields. There may be some value in updating the shop-website or shop-blog link to your sign-up form, if these aren't already linked to your website or blog.
Settings > About Your Shop > Story > Shop Links
Etsy Seller To Do (Optional):
🔲 Update the shop-blog link to the sign-up form link.
Placement: FAQ Section
You can also update a question in the FAQ section to include the sign-up link. Choose an existing one that is relevant and update the answer, or add a new one.
Example:
Q: “Do you ever have sales?”
A: “Yes, we do! Stay in the know, and save 10% on your first order in our Etsy shop too: [shortened link]
Etsy Seller To Do:
🔲 Update the FAQ section to include a an answer about how to subscribe for savings.
Placement: Individual Product Listing Photos
Add a photo to individual product listings advertising the 10% off discount when they sign up. As shoppers are scrolling through product listing photos, they'll see your offer after a few clicks - place the image in somewhere in the 3rd - 5th image slot.
If you have many products in your shop, start by updating the top best-sellers first (you could start with the top 15-25 best-selling products, and then work through the rest of the listings over time). Incorporate this new image into your new product workflow going forward, too! add it to new products going forward.
Placement: Individual Product Listing Descriptions
Similar to the Shop Announcement and About, add a small text blurb to the product listing descriptions for each item.
Example: Save 10% on this item (and your whole order in our shop!) when you sign up: [shortened link]
Again, start with the top 15-25 best-selling products and continue to add it to new products going forward.
Etsy Seller To Do:
🔲 Update your top 15-25 best-selling product listings with new graphic.
🔲 Update your top 15-25 best-selling product listing text descriptions.
🎉 Now, pat yourself on the back and take a little break—you made it through Section 3 and now have your sign-up link listed in all the right pre-purchase locations!
4. Advertise Your Email Sign-Up Incentive on Etsy Post-Purchase Communications
Now that we’ve covered all of the places you can place your link to encourage pre-purchase sign-ups, let’s talk about post-purchase communications.
Placement: Message to Buyers
This message sends from Etsy after customers place their orders. Update it to include your email sign-up incentive to stay in touch and encourage future orders.
Found in Settings > Info & Appearance > Message to Buyers
Example: Want to stay up to date on new arrivals and special sales in our shop? Sign up today and you'll get a coupon for 10% off your next order, too! [shortened link]
Etsy Seller To Do:
🔲 Update Message to Buyers in Etsy shop.
Placement: Postcard Inside Orders
Another great place to engage with buyers after a sale is by sending a postcard inside their order.
Now that they have already purchased and seen first-hand how awesome your products are, it’s a great time to ask them to subscribe to your email list so they can stay up to date on new products and promotions.
Beyond including the original discount incentive for email sign-up, there are many other creative ways to catch their attention, too.
Some other ideas include:
- Free gift with next purchase
- Free shipping on next order
- Free upgrades or add-ons
- If it’s a digital product, free best-selling digital download.
- Early access to new products
It’s important to make sure the postcard is eye-catching and on-brand, so the customer instantly recognizes who you are and what you’re offering. This can be a major opportunity to build trust and turn a one-time purchase into a loyal customer!
Etsy Seller To Do:
🔲 Design & print a post-purchase thank-you postcard to include inside orders, advertising your email list and sign-up incentive.
Get Started!
Even after the unfortunate changes to the Etsy and AWeber integration, there are still plenty of opportunities for Etsy sellers to continue growing their email lists and establish a connection with their buyers outside of the Etsy platform.
And don't forget, with the AWeber integration you can still:
- Build custom, on-brand sign-up forms and landing pages
- Grow your list using the sign-up incentive steps in this post
- Send emails to your opted-in subscribers
- Pull products from your Etsy shop directly into AWeber email templates
- Set up an Etsy Automation!
With Etsy Automation, shop owners can automatically send an email highlighting newest products. This feature is a one-time setup that takes less than 15 minutes, then the email will automatically send subscribers the newest products that have been listed in your shop!
Download the Etsy Seller Email List Growth Checklist!
Ready to get started? Get all the steps in this post, organized into an interactive 1-page checklist.
We'd Love to Help You Grow!
If you want some help setting up your landing pages, automated email flows, and in-shop graphics to advertise and deliver your custom incentives, Briar Rose Consulting can help. We specialize in email marketing and graphic design that creates meaningful connections between your customer and your brand.
Schedule your free 30-minute consultation and let us help you continue to grow your Etsy business.
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