Etsy’s New Social Media Tool

Etsy just released a new feature that will create & post on multiple social platforms for you all at the same time. They even suggest a caption for you with hashtags.

Sounds AMAZING, right?!

Spoiler Alert: It’s not. 

Oh hell. I’m sorry I just ruined the fun. I have a good explanation.

• Every social media platform has different image ratio requirements
  • Pinterest likes long and skinny
  • Facebook likes short and wide
  • Instagram is all about that square
    
• Hashtags works best on Instagram though they still work on Pinterest & Facebook, no one is really clicking those.
  • Pinterest changed its mind a few months ago about allowing the use of hashtags. Annoying. They allow it now but don’t go stuffing your descriptions with them bc it will get tagged as spam.
    
• The hashtags Etsy suggests are only going to get you spam accounts following you on Instagram.
  • They use the phrases in your title, which are usually very general, and the colors you choose under Attributes, again very general. Don’t use these hashtags. They will not get you seen by real customers.
    
• The link Etsy provides to be copied is their link.
  • You have no control over it. You need control over links you are posting online. You put in the work to market yourself. You should be able to profit from that without Etsy interfering.
  • For new sellers, this past summer Etsy took it upon themselves to show other shop’s listings on top of yours if the visitor arrived there by clicking a link (like links posted on Facebook, Pinterest, within your own description. Yea, people {me} were pissed)
    
• It doesn’t post for you. You still have to copy and paste a bunch of stuff on your phone.
  • What a pain! The image quality they give you is not all that great either. You might as well follow what I do when I post to multiple platforms.

What should you do instead? 

I have yet to find a tool that does everything for you in a few clicks. The best tool that saves me the most time is Adobe’s Express. If you are familiar with Canva, you will be excited to know Adobe is less frustrating and their Resizing tool blows Canva’s out of the water. Seriously. Drop Canva like a hot potato. If you already have an Adobe subscription, Spark is included.

I am able to create all my social media photos (which is honestly the most important), resize them, and load them onto my phone for quick posting. You can even make Instagram Stories.

Now, for an app that posts for you. I got nothing. I do love Schedugram but it’s $20/month. It’s on the expensive side if you don’t post very much but I love it for my busy seasons when I need to be working instead of getting sucked into playing on Facebook or Instagram. The catch: it only works for Instagram. It’s also kinda illegal in that it goes against IG’s terms but I have used it for a year and have never had a problem.

Tailwind also has an app for posting to Pinterest and Instagram but it doesn’t post to Instagram for you. Same copy & paste nonsense.

If I ever find the holy grail, I’ll let y’all know!