So, you’re thinking about selling on TPT. Maybe you are creating resources for your own students, and you want to sell them to earn extra money. Or perhaps you see a hole in the market that you could fill in.
Whether you want extra money for a weekly massage (every teacher’s dream!) or to make a full-time career of selling on TPT, you probably have some burning questions about how to get started. In this blog, I’ve compiled the most asked questions about selling on TPT, and I’m giving you my honest, no-holds-barred answers!
Is TPT oversaturated?
TPT is stuffed to the brim with products and digital downloads. But, does that mean there isn’t room for you? I want you to think of all the clothing companies out there selling yoga pants. The market is drowning in yoga pants, but that doesn’t stop new companies from coming in. Why? Because not everyone sells the same kind of yoga pants.
Some yoga pants focus on athleisure. Others promote their sustainable fabrics and dyes. Others target hard-core gymgoers.
The same is true with TPT. It’s not about whether or not TPT is oversaturated, it’s about finding what makes you stand out from the crowd. How do your products differ from what is already out there? Why would someone choose your product over another store? That’s what you have to focus on!
How do people find your resources?
There is a common misconception out there that simply uploading your products to TPT will grow your bank account. Unfortunately, that’s rarely the case! The real money comes in when you market and promote your products.
There are lots of ways to promote the products you’re selling on TPT, but a few tried and true marketing techniques are social media (like Instagram), Pinterest, email marketing, and blogging.
When you first begin your marketing journey, I suggest starting with Pinterest. It’s an easy place to begin, and it can help drive traffic directly to your products. Using Canva, you want to create eye-catching Pins. Then, upload them to Pinterest with keyword-rich captions.
You can use websites like Tailwind to help you schedule Pins and help you collaborate with other TPT sellers to promote and spread each other’s pins.
I want to open a TPT store. What is the first thing I should do?
It can be tempting to jump right into uploading a product! However, I would start by nailing down your niche. A niche is a specific audience that you will be selling to. Your niche will probably change and evolve over time as your business grows (and that’s totally normal!), so don’t get stressed about having it 100% correct right now.
Here are a few questions you can ask yourself when exploring and defining your niche: What type of person would want to buy my products? What type of student am I making products for? What problems are teachers having that I can solve with my products?
As they say, when you speak to everyone, you speak to no one. Get clear on your audience, so you can directly speak to your ideal customer! Want to learn more about finding your ideal customer? Read this blog post.
Want a step-by-step guide to opening your TPT store? Grab the TPT Seller Game plan at the top of this page. I walk you through the first eight steps to selling on TPT and marketing your business.
Do I need a premium TPT membership?
The short answer? No. You don’t need it to sell on TPT. When you first start out, the free membership can give you time to test the waters, figure out your business, and begin marketing. However, when you start driving more traffic to your TPT store and your sales increase, it’s worthwhile to have the premium membership.
With the premium membership, TPT gets a smaller percentage of each sale – which means you take home more! Also, the premium membership is a yearly fee and is pretty affordable.
What should I create for my first free resource?
TPT requires that your first resource be free. This free resource becomes a sample of your work. You don’t need to create a brand new product for your freebie (actually, I highly recommend you don’t).
Instead, take part of a (future) paid resource and post it for free. Think of it like a sample you get at the grocery store! Give your buyers a little taste, but leave them wanting more. For example, you might have a division math unit with thirty pages. You could give them a worksheet and one page of task cards for free. Just be sure to link to the full product, so they know how to purchase more of that goodness.
How do I create a cover image?
Eye-catching and clear images are essential to selling on TPT. Think of your Amazon shopping habits. You likely read the reviews, check out the images, and read the product descriptions. You want to make sure it’s a worthwhile purchase. Your buyers are doing the same!
When creating a cover image, I recommend using Canva. Don’t get carried away with tons of clipart, crazy fonts, and loads of text. Your cover image should contain the key details of your product (the title, the skill, and maybe a key feature). Then, you can show an image of the product in action. You can take pictures of your products or create digital mock-ups!
If you want more guidance on getting started with selling TPT, grab the free TPT Seller Game Plan! This is a checklist of the eight things you need to start your TPT seller journey. This checklist will keep you focused on what’s important (so you can leave behind the overwhelm of starting a business).
*Affiliate links included in this blog post. I only share what I truly love and use.
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