Etsy just launched a new feature for Etsy sellers. Now you can add a product video to your shop listings but is it worth your time?
Bring your Etsy products to life with a 5 to 15 minute video! Learn how easy it is to add and edit your video to your shop. Seeing a real time example can show the amazing benefits of adding a video. Learn how to showcase your product with clarity and style to make the sale.
Why Add A Video
Adding a video is the ultimate way to help your buyers shop online. Our potential buyers can’t hold the items in our shop. Without a video the viewer can only see the photos and read the item description. Seeing a video of an item is the next best thing to holding it. A video can also be about having a great customer experience. Having an online video for your items will make it one step closer to a sale.
Think of your video as a tool to help your potential buyer decide on purchasing items from your shop.
How to Start Uploading Videos Your Listings
Just as you upload your photos to a new listing uploading your video is just as easy. When adding a new listing you will find a list of required fields to enter to publish your items to your shop. Although adding a video is not a required field I have found it has been instrumental in selling a few of my vintage items already.
File Size and Type Accepted/ Oh The Rules!
Now that you’re in and ready to post your video let’s go over a few rules.
The maximum upload file size for your video is 150 MB. Honestly that is not a lot for a file size limit but these are short video clips. Read on to find a quick easy way to edit your video time once created.
Length of Video
You are allowed up to 15 seconds of video time and no more. If you try to upload a video that is 16 seconds you will get an error. Trust me here I know the rules. I have tried to upload a 16 second video and it has failed. Videos should be 5-15 seconds long.
How to Edit Your Video With A Free App
You will love this App! INSHOT. A friend of mine turned me on to this great free app. It is available for both the iPhone and Android users. This app installs quickly. Once installed you simply click on the “Video” icon in the create new section, find your video on your phone, and and begin to trim the video to the size needed. Click on the green check and the video is saved to your phone. Simple.
Sound
As of the time of this article your videos will not be posted with sound. Sound can not be added to your videos. Honestly, as an antique seller I hope this rule changes as I have some great vintage music boxes to list in my shop. I’m sure Etsy will be working on this feature in the near future.
Can I Upload More Than One Video To My Listings?
You can only upload one video per listing.
Can I Upload My Video Using My Phone?
YES! I just created my 15-second video on my Samsung 10 phone, and I could log in to Etsy.com and upload the video easily. Honestly, it was super easy to add a video to my listing. Please do note that you MUST go through Esty.com and then into your shop manager as this feature is not available yet on the “sell on Etsy app” as of the posting of this article.
Which Video Formats Are Accepted?
Etsy accepts most video formats. Here is a list of acceptable video file formats. If you are recording your video on a smartphone or a camera, It’ll most likely be in a format that is acceptable by the video tool.
- MP4
- MOV
- FLV
- AAC
- AVI
- 3GP
- MPG
Let See This Feature In Action!
As a beta user of this new video feature I was a bit skeptical about adding videos to my listing. Would it be difficult to upload and add it to my shop? No. Is it a lot of extra work to add a video? No. Did adding a video help my sales? Yes.
To get the full impact of what a video can do for your listing take a look at my last listing where I have added a video. As you can see a simple photograph is great for your listing. However, for the customer to have access to a video of the product seems to step it up a level.
Now take a look at the same product as a video. As you can see adding a video makes a large impact. In the photo above you can see the man and the lady clearly. However, once you click on the video of the item you can start to see the gold overlay, quality of the porcelain, and even the size ratio much clearer. Check out the amazing detail in her dress which was lost in the photo.
I like that Etsy does not charge you extra to add a video so why not try it. With photos and a video to enhance your customers buyers experience it’s a win/win.
In conclusion
Adding a video to my Etsy listing was easier that I thought it would be. As long as you follow the rules of file size and file format its pretty straightforward. You are right there with your phone or camera taking product shots so why not take a video as well? Although it takes a bit more time to incorporate the video into your listing your additional sales will make it all worth your time and effort.