I learned about Teachers Pay Teachers in July 2012 and finally got up the courage to start selling in October. I paid for a premium account after a couple weeks and I’m so glad that I did!
[Click here to sign up and start selling on TpT]
You really start to see your earnings add up when you’re making the higher percentage. It’s totally worth the fee.
While I’m still new to online selling, I’ve learned a TON in just a few short months. Here are some of the most important things I’ve learned about being a TpT seller:
1. Focus on creating quality products
The feedback system is one of the most intriguing features of TpT. Your goal should be to create the best product that you can so that your customers want to rate it with four stars! Quality products receive a lot of ratings and those ratings assure shoppers that your product is worth buying.
2. Set realistic, identifiable and measurable goals
Think about where your TpT store is right now. Are you a new seller with one priced product? Have you made it through your first quarter yet? Come up with goals for yourself that you can realistically meet, that you can describe specifically, and that you can track!
For example:
Good goal – sell $100 worth of products each month this quarter
Bad goal – sell more
3. Participate in the sellers forum
There are hundreds of sellers who actively participate in the forums. They’re readily willing and able to answer questions that you have with their opinions (and experiences) as teachers/customers AND as sellers. Don’t be afraid to offer your voice, too! Every response counts.
4. Use Pinterest to market your products
Pinterest is one of the best (if not THE best) marketing tool available to TpT sellers. Make sure you sign up for an account and get pinning! It exposes your products to thousands of teacher customers who pin and repin your materials for the world to see.
5. Join collaborative boards on Pinterest
The best way to get exposure on Pinterest is to join collaborative boards that are related to your products. There are tons of great boards you can join—check out the sellers forum regularly to see which boards are looking for contributors.
6. Create attractive product covers
Make your products stand out from the crowd by spending time on your product covers. You want them to be eye-catching! I suggest using 1-2 fonts, sticking with large text (for readability), 2-3 colors, and images that display the best features of your product.
7. Use descriptive product titles
I think this is one of the biggest mistakes that sellers make because I see tons of ambiguous product titles that don’t describe what the product is at all.
If you’re like me, you spend a lot of time making the best products you can. Put some thought into your titles so that they’re immediately recognizable! Choose something like “Abraham Lincoln Craftivity – Emancipation Proclamation, 1st Grade” over “Abe Lincoln Activity 1.”
8. Build keywords into your product copy
When you’re creating a product, think about what kind of terms you would search for in order to find your product.
Ask yourself: “What is your product?”, “What topics are covered?”, “What grades should it be used for?”, etc.
Try to work these answers into the paragraphs of your product copy. I think it works a lot better than including tags at the bottom of the page.
9. Respond to customer feedback, even if it’s to say “Thank you!”
Customers like to see that you’re responsive. They want to be assured that if they have a problem (Heaven forbid), you’ll be there to assist them. Providing great (and visible) customer service is key to online selling!
10. Appreciate each sale, no matter how small!
Remember that each penny that you earn is a penny that you didn’t have before. It’s all bonus on top of your [undoubtedly] wonderful teacher salary! Be thankful for the great opportunity that TpT is providing you, even if it your products aren’t selling as well as you’d hoped yet… “Yet” is the key word!
Visit my TpT Sellers Resources page for links to other great resources by veteran Teachers Pay Teachers sellers. I’ll update the page as I find new content, so, check back periodically!
What resources have you come across in your search for Teachers Pay Teachers seller tips? Leave links in the comments below!