Role Overview
Clients hire a Niche and Trend Research Expert to lead with data, not guesswork. Your work determines what gets made, listed, and sold—so accuracy and relevance are non-negotiable. This role exists to identify real, timely market demand on Etsy’s POD platform so that every product launched has a clear reason to exist. You’re not just handing over keywords or trend reports—you’re giving the client a confident, validated direction for profitable action.
This role is not about random Pinterest boards, chasing viral TikToks, or just compiling cute design ideas. Clients aren’t looking for a “creative consultant”—they expect revenue-focused insights they can act on immediately. A weak niche analysis leads to dead inventory. A well-researched opportunity can become an entire line or flagship product. The client’s time and inventory investment hinge on your calls—when your research is right, the store moves forward decisively; when it’s off, the entire funnel stalls.
Standards You Must Meet
• They expect fully validated niches with clear buyer intent — your research must show demand backed by data, not personal preferences.
• Trend reports should point to products they can list now — not vague seasonal guesses or future hypotheticals.
• Every top-performing competitor analysis must translate into actionable design or listing direction, not just links and screenshots.
• Clients will judge your picks by how easily they translate into profitable, on-brand designs — irrelevant or saturated ideas waste time.
• Keyword sets should align tightly with the niche theme and proven search intent — not generic terms pulled from free tools.
• Fluff won’t fly — your final output must have a clear “why this, why now?” rationale the client can bank a product on.
• You own the accuracy — outdated, trend-chasing, or misaligned themes will damage the launch path and erode trust fast.
• Above all, your work must shorten the distance between research and revenue — if clients can’t act on it, it’s not ready to deliver.
What You’ll Be Doing
• Research and confirm niches using search volume, buyer intent signals, and platform-specific demand — not opinions or assumptions.
• Build trend maps that directly inform new product listings with short-term urgency and clear design direction.
• Analyze top-performing Etsy competitors to extract positioning insights, pricing patterns, and replicable design angles.
• Create keyword sets that are laser-focused on actual buyer phrasing and commercially relevant variations.
• Scan for market saturation and seasonal risk before a niche enters production — call out red flags early.
• Structure every research report to include actionable product titles, design prompts, and clear listing priorities.
• Track post-launch performance of your niche calls and adjust future research based on live market response.
• Use automation tools where possible to speed up repetitive data pulls, alerts, or reporting workflows.
What You’ll Hand Over
• A Ranked Niche Validation Report showing high-intent keyword data, current demand signals, competition score, and saturation risks.
• A Trend-to-Product Summary translating seasonal or emerging themes into 3–5 POD-ready design angles with suggested tags and listing titles.
• A Competitor Gap Analysis with side-by-side comparisons and clear opportunities the client can fill or outperform.
• A Keyword Bundle aligned to the approved niche, including title formulas, tag sets, and SEO-ready phrases based on real Etsy search behavior.
• A Final Niche Rationale Sheet answering “why this niche, why now,” with data-backed decision clarity for the client’s launch roadmap.
Tools You’ll Need to Use
• Etsy Search Bar + Autocomplete – Essential for surfacing top-searched keywords, seasonal demand, and long-tail product trends directly from the platform.
• EtsyRank (eRank) – Core tool for analyzing keyword performance, SEO scoring, and competitor listings across Etsy.
• Marmalead – Used to validate keyword strength, customer engagement trends, and market saturation within Etsy search.
• Everbee – Provides data on product performance, estimated sales, and pricing benchmarks for bestsellers.
• Pinterest Trends – Tracks early-stage trend signals and rising visual aesthetics relevant to POD and seasonal niches.
• Google Trends – Critical for measuring trend momentum beyond Etsy and identifying niche breakout opportunities.
• Amazon Best Sellers – Offers insight into broader e-commerce demand patterns and product ideas adaptable to Etsy POD.
Why Work Smarter
As a Niche and Trend Research Expert, the ability to automate research workflows, content gathering, keyword alerts, or even report consolidation is increasingly expected. This doesn’t mean you’re required to be a developer — but you do need to know what’s possible and be proactive in reducing manual overhead. VAs who resist this shift are being passed over, often without knowing it.
At OES, we treat automation fluency as a moving line — not strictly required today, but quietly non-negotiable for the serious. The market is already setting this standard, and so do we.
Why Your Work Matters
In Etsy + POD, everything hinges on timing—and that timing starts with research. Clients are making product decisions daily, and if their niche direction is off by even a week or misaligned with real demand, it turns into wasted listings, dead stock, and missed momentum. This role exists to remove that risk. You are the frontline in deciding what products deserve to be made, and if your picks are solid, the whole funnel operates with confidence and speed.
This is not a background role. Your calls shape the brand’s offer, launch calendar, and revenue path. If your research is slow, vague, or trend-chasing, the client stalls—and stalls cost sales. When your insights are sharp, timely, and actionable, clients move faster, create better-fit designs, and convert sooner. At OES, that’s not a luxury—it’s the minimum needed to compete.
What We Expect From You
As a Specialist Niche and Trend Research Expert in Etsy + POD, you are expected to identify, validate, and defend market opportunities with commercial intent and platform compliance at the core. You’re not here to guess trends—you’re here to calculate, contextualize, and contextualize again. Your work drives the upstream of the entire product development timeline, so you carry direct responsibility for the viability, profitability, and risk exposure of every concept. You are expected to apply critical judgment with speed and consistency, relying on data, seasonal patterns, cultural pulses, and Etsy platform logic to make strategic calls.
OES is looking for someone who is disciplined in process and relentless about signal over noise. You recognize that poor judgment at your level can result in wasted design hours, listing costs, and brand damage. You are expected to document, explain, and benchmark your research so it can be executed cleanly by downstream roles—no fluff, no ambiguity. This is a Specialist role, which means you own the outcome of your research as much as the research itself. Your work either moves stores forward—or it doesn’t.
Login to Get Matched
To view salary standard, expectation based on experience level, or even request a customize or personalize version of this role, please log in.
$450 – $1,150
OES salary standards reflect real market benchmarks, tier and experience level, ensuring fair pay for VAs and realistic expectations for clients.
Can't find a client that fits?
You can get it here, we will match you based on your preferences - salary, set up, schedule and more. Just say the word, we got you covered!