What etsy considers spam
@schulmanArt, Miriam Schulman
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| 8×10 Fine Art Photograph by Alison Uher |
One aspect that I love about etsy is the community building aspects of the site, especially the treasuries. I carried this aspect of community over to this blog and for the past year or so have been featuring a different treasury at the end of every post. The treasury related to my post and encouraged etsians to further promote their items through my comment section. To let them know that their item was on my blog I always sent them a convo with a link to the blog, a suggested question to comment on to help facilitate discussion and tips for promotion.
Unfortunately, yesterday I got an email from etsy’s trust and safety team. Apparently sending convos to sellers letting them know that they are featured on my blog is considered spam, and against the etsy rules. I still want to continue to help other sellers– I firmly believe that helping others is the best way to help yourself. I am at a loss right now how to efficiently do this. Today is my first post where I can not convo featured sellers. I will be trying to let them know through the facebook system for those sellers who have facebook fan pages. I am still trying to clarify the rules. The trust and safety team did say you can contact sellers if you have featured them in a treasury so perhaps as long as I use a treasury I created to feature on the blog I can let them now. We shall see…
What do you think of etsy’s rule?
I, for one, am always VERY pleased when people who blog my photos let me know that they have used them. Especially when they note that I have the option to tell them to take the photo down if I prefer. I don't know why etsy would have an issue with this. In fact, as a photographer, I would prefer that this is the rule, not the exception, when somebody blogs my photos.
Thank you for letting me know I'm featured here today.
I've always appreciated people letting me know when I've been featured in a blog. I'll think twice about who I notify and how next time I do a blog feature (which isn't very often. ;))
Hi Miriam,
I have certainly not heard that before and I do get convos from time to time about being featured in a blog. According to wikipedia "spam is the use of electronic messaging systems to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately". I don't believe you are doing this in bulk, or indiscriminately. As long as it is not pushing something and you do not contact people who request to not be contacted anymore (an unsubscribe policy of sorts), I can't possibly imagine anyone in their right mind thinking that promotion of their shop is spam. I have heard of people who request samples in order to include a seller on a blog as a covert way to get freebies. Now that I completely agree is spam.
My three cents (with inflation)
Victoria
Wow! That's pretty "over the top."
Also, I LOVE your spam treasury!
🙂
further clarification– You can't make a treasury and then tell the member it is featured on your blog or that will also be considered spam– here is email I got from Nick:
Miriam,
I can't predict what members will report as spam. However, if a treasury message is reported with blog information we would consider that spam.
Thanks.
Best,
Nick
Etsy Trust & Safety
Miriam, so sorry they did this… seems like overreach and there are other, blatant issues (dare I say 'resellers'?) that need Etsy's attention instead. Glad they didn't close your shop — and THANK you for the heads up!
You are welcome Kelly– btw, the craftcult widget above is "dynamic" which means if you want to add one of your own items to that empty spot at the end of the treasury, your item will show up here in my blog!
Nick did say you can still let sellers know if you put their item in a treasury–just not if it is featured elsewhere– which is more absurd because I have a way on etsy of finding out when my items are included in treasuries with out the treasury maker telling me but I would have no way of finding out if my etsy item is featured elsewhere!
That's an absolutely absurd rule! I would love to know when my treasuries or items are featured. I can't believe they would restrict that. I also want to tell people I've used their items in a treasury. I would want to know as a seller!! ARGH! I hope Etsy can sort this out.
I appreciate you working with sellers like that!! 🙂 We'll find a way to make it work I hope!
And thank you for featuring my treasury! 🙂
Kelly
Bri- Actually I sent a follow up to Nick to see if I can let them know the treasury is on the blog if I create my own treasury– not sure yet!
I think it is a shame not to be able to continue to feature…and unfortunately there were a few in the above treasury NOT on facebook that don;t know they are featured– like the artist of that lovely catsup bottle
I hate that "Conversations were designed to handle transaction arrangements. " What about just telling someone you admire their item. How the heck do you do that if they're not on FB? grrr
I suppose you'll just have to feature your own treasuries. One less way to promote others. In a way THAT is more spam than using someone else's T. Because now you're saying "look at my blog I made a T and you're in it and on there" Not as cool as "Hey your cute T is on my blog!"
I'm sorry they're thinking you're spamming.
Xo,
Bri
Here is one of the followup emails I got when I asked for clarification, because I still couldn't believe they wouldn't want to encourage sellers to feature others on their blogs….
Hi Miriam,
To answer your questions, you may send Conversations to sellers who are included in treasuries that you make, however, doing so to alert sellers about you featuring them on your blog is considered spam.
As I mentioned, Conversations were designed to handle transaction arrangements. Thanks for your understanding.
Best,
Nick
Etsy Trust & Safety
I had no idea this was a rule! If I had kept count of the number of times I've been contacted by someone on Etsy about being featured on their blog, it would be a pretty high number. People do it ALL the time! I think it's a rule that only shoots Etsy in it's own foot. Why would they object to bloggers featuring treasuries and letting the artists know about it?
sounds like the ebay fascists