Alexandra Sofen - CMX Summit East 2016 - Alexandra Sofen of Etsy talked about how Etsy has leveraged the power of in-person connections to keep their huge community of sellers happy and engaged.

1. The Power of Meaningful
In-person Connections
Alexandra Sofen
Forums Programming Manager, Etsy
#cmxsummit

2. Alexandra Sofen
Empowering Community
Through Meaningful
Connections
Etsy

3. Leanne Marshall
Leanimal in New York, NY
Etsy’s Holiday Party
Brooklyn Bowl, Photo by Avleen Vig

4. with your community both online
and in-person
Connect

5. Etsy is a marketplace where
people around the world connect,
both online and offline, to make,
sell and buy unique goods.

6. OUR MISSION
Reimagine commerce
in ways that build a more
fulfilling and lasting world

7. We
are a
mindf
ul,
trans
paren
t, and
huma
ne
busin
We
plan
and
build
for
the
long
term.
We
value
crafts
mans
hip in
all we
make.
We
believ
e fun
shoul
d be
part
of
every
thing
we
We
keep
it real,
alway
s.
OUR VALUES

8. 8
By the Numbers
1.6M
active sellers
AS OF MARCH 31, 2016
25M
active buyers
AS OF MARCH 31, 2016
$2.39B
annual GMS
IN 2015
35+M
items for sale
AS OF MARCH 31, 2015
Photo by Kirsty-Lyn Jameson
DISCLAIMER
The statistics included on the
following slides are updated
quarterly.

9. 9Photo by Emily Andrews
852
employees around
the world
AS OF MARCH 31, 2016
9
offices
AS OF MARCH 31, 2016
7
countries
AS OF MARCH 31, 2016
Work and Culture
DISCLAIMER
The statistics included on the
following slides are updated
quarterly.

10. 1.6 M ACTIVE BUYERS
AS OF MARCH 31, 2016
DISCLAIMER
The statistics included on
this slide is updated
quarterly.
25 MACTIVE SELLERS
AS OF MARCH 31, 2016
852EMPLOYEES AROUND THE WORLD
AS OF MARCH 31, 2016
++
=
Etsy Community

11. Why are these community
programs valuable?

12. Why are these community
programs valuable?
Community is our product.

13. “The more directly I interact with our sellers the more
satisfied I am with my job; the more I feel like the work
I do is making a real difference in someone's life.”

15. Etsy Forums Team
Noah Stitelman - Manager, Technical and
Community Support
Rob White - Senior Forums Moderator
Tess Duncan - Social Support Specialist
Leslie Olin - Forums Operations Manager
Regina Fogarty - Forums Moderator
Ali Sofen - Forums Programming Manager
Gabby Blinderman - Forums Moderator
Cale Parks - Forums Moderator

16. Etsy Forums

17. 1,680
total members
posting per day
163
new members
posting per day
Forums Metrics
(on average)

18. 5,491
posts per day
584,593
posts per month
Forums Metrics
(on average)

19. Provide a strong connection
between your community and
employees.

20. Engagement Forums Threads

21. Engagement Forums Threads

22. Engagement Forums Threads

23. Engagement Forums Threads

24. Forums Weekend Challenge

25. Vintage TG Green Spectrum Cheese Bell - TG Green
Church Gresley Cheese Dish - TG Green Covered
Cheese Dome Ceramic Typography Cheese Keeper
SOLDEightMileVintage
Weekend
Challenge: Sense
of Humor Edition
First Place Winner

26. Vintage TG Green Spectrum Cheese Bell - TG Green
Church Gresley Cheese Dish - TG Green Covered
Cheese Dome Ceramic Typography Cheese Keeper
SOLDEightMileVintage
Weekend
Challenge: Sense
of Humor Edition
First Place Winner

27. Vintage TG Green Spectrum Cheese Bell - TG Green
Church Gresley Cheese Dish - TG Green Covered
Cheese Dome Ceramic Typography Cheese Keeper
SOLDEightMileVintage
Weekend
Challenge: Sense
of Humor Edition
First Place Winner

28. Admin Q&As

29. Admin Q&As

30. Etsy Shipping Team
Etsy Shop Management Team

31. Etsy Shipping Team
Etsy Shop Management Team

32. Etsy Fireside Chats

34. In-person community initiatives

35. Etsy Craft Party
• A celebration of meeting and making
• Takes place across the world on 2
common dates
• Began in 2010 to celebrate Etsy’s 5th
birthday
• A day for Etsy sellers and lovers around
the world to celebrate creativity and
community together

36. Etsy Craft Party
• A celebration of meeting and making
• Takes place across the world on 2
common dates
• Began in 2010 to celebrate Etsy’s 5th
birthday
• A day for Etsy sellers and lovers around
the world to celebrate creativity and
community together

37. Etsy Craft Party
• A celebration of meeting and making
• Takes place across the world on 2
common dates
• Began in 2010 to celebrate Etsy’s 5th
birthday
• A day for Etsy sellers and lovers around
the world to celebrate creativity and
community together
Photo from wi_la_no Instagram Photo from dananikanpour Instagram
Photo from craftedbyfran Instagram Photo from thejourneyperson Instagram

38. Photo from Instagram @in_my_closet
Photo from Instagram @gratefulchicks
Photo from Instagram @jennifergrace

39. Leanne Marshall
Leanimal in New York, NY
Line to get into Etsy Craft party at CRAFTED, Port of LA
Photo by @CraftedPortLA

40. #craftparty Instagram feed from 2015

41. 2998 37,752Estimated Craft Parties
hosted since 2010
Estimated RSVPs since 2010
220+Craft Parties hosted in
2015

42. Leanne Marshall
Leanimal in New York, NY
Etsy’s Holiday Party
Brooklyn Bowl, Photo by Avleen Vig
Brooklyn Craft Party
Under the Brooklyn Bridge, Photo by Marina Robel

43. Etsy Captains’ Summit

44. Seller Studio Visits
Etsy Admin with Amy Madden, owner of Etsy shop
SweetOliveJewelry, in her Brooklyn studio
Michelle Osborne from, Petershams Millinery Supplies
shows Etsy Admin Shadi Jurdi the vintage fabric she
uses to make veils in her London studio.
Admin from Etsy’s Sydney office visited the workspace
and retail shop of Kate Brook & Kajsa Kvernmo, Etsy
shop owners of APOM

48. Etsy Admin & CEO, Chad Dickerson with Etsy seller, Tielor McBride from TM1985

49. “Your questions were all so pertinent and
got right to the heart of what it's like to be
an Etsy seller. You demonstrated a
genuine concern and eagerness to know
more, which was very encouraging and
reminded me that there's a whole Etsy
community there to look to for support.
Thanks to your visit, I will be going
forward with renewed enthusiasm and
confidence as a "business owner”.
-Amy Elks, from thePENandBRUSH

50. 4067Etsy Admin celebrating Etsy seller Jason Oliva’s birthday

51. Jason and Sophie Oliva from JasonOliva
Eatsy in the Brooklyn Etsy HQ

52. Jason and Sophie Oliva with Etsy CEO, Chad Dickerson

53. Eatsy with Sellers

54. Studio Visit with Freddie from MataraDesign Eatsy with Freddie from MataraDesign

55. Studio Visit with Elvina from NewMomDesigns Eatsy with Elvina from NewMomDesigns

56. Eatsy with Delia from DeliaLangan

57. "Through the Eatsy with Sellers program, I've
been able to connect with sellers from all over
and sell anything from greeting cards to
activewear to jewelry. These conversations really
inform our team's product decisions and allow us
to design better and more effective experiences
for our community."
-Jason Shen, Product Manager, Seller Experience

58. ”Eatsy really felt like being at someone's
elegant house party; cool, friendly,
super fun, brimming with creativity.
The homemade chili served that day
was delicious. The visit really made me
feel like I was truly part of a community
behind the website that actually cared
about what I do as an artist.”
-Jennifer Yi from JenniferYiJewelry

59. 49Etsy Made in Canada - Photo by Jean-Michael Seminaro
We obtain valuable market
research on site usability and
understanding of the internal
tools we use to support
members.
We gain a deeper
understanding of the
relationships between makers
and buyers.
We get insight into the pain
points our members have.

60. 50
Work and Culture
48
Driven by values Fueled by a common purpose Connected to community
Photo by Emily Andrews

62. What will make people want to be a
part of your community?

63. Why are they here in your community
and why should you care?
What will make people want to be a
part of your community?

65. Plan a meet-up

66. Plan a meet-up
Video chat

67. Plan a meet-up
Video chat
Connect on a human level

69. How can you encourage
collaboration?

70. What will make people feel
individually appreciated?
How can you encourage
collaboration?

71. THEY want a connection
YOU want a community