How I Tripled My Extra Income With TpT
When I first started TpT 5 years ago, I had no idea what I was doing. Like, none.
But that’s ok because we all have to start somewhere.
All I knew was that I thought I made some cool stuff for my classroom, and I wanted to share it with others (and make some extra money on the side).
After a little thought about what activity my students like the most, I created a PDF document with some songs I used with corresponding journal prompts, made a 8.5 x 11 cover page, and posted it.
Sitting at the beach that week, I heard an exciting sound from my phone - Cha Ching! I looked down and saw a notification from the TpT app- I made my first sale! I was in complete shock and awe. Seriously. I couldn’t believe people were willing to give me money for stuff I was doing in my classroom. Like, is this real life?
And after my first payout of $38.60, I was hooked.
Over the next year I haphazardly added items to my store. Again, with the 8.5x11 covers and blurry screenshots for thumbnails. And again, I continued to make a little extra money. Not Gucci belt money, but enough where I could enjoy an occasional combo trip to TJ Maxx and Starbucks.
Fast forward a couple of years and even though I was thankful for the couple of hundred extra I made a month, I knew I could take this venture next level with a little bit of effort.
I browsed around some top seller’s stores, made notes about what I noticed and liked, and then took a hard look at my storefront. I saw mismatched cover images, random colors, and sparse product descriptions.
It was time to get serious!
To begin with, I changed five things that ended up tripling my extra income. Because you might be in the same newbie boat as I was, I am going to share the changes. Maybe it can help you, too!
Product Cover Images:
This is one of the largest changes I made. First thing I noticed after browsing the other stores was that I needed consistency. I was spending too much time trying to come up with different designs and all I accomplished was wasting precious mental energy.
I decided to make a consistent cover for all of my products so I could save time and start to build brand recognition.
In addition, I noticed all the top sellers had square images, so I did a little research in the HOW DO I DO THAT? department, and made my template 12x12.
This one change completely changed the look of my store! It’s more professional and looks like I have a serious brand going on. Even though I appreciate my beginnings and love the growth I have, these before and afters make me laugh!
2. Thumbnails:
This change is along the same lines as the product cover. Up until about 6 months ago, I just doing screenshots of some of the pages included in the product. I don’t know if you have ever done a screenshot, but when uploaded it ends up being blurry. Not only that, it is not the best use of the space given. I don’t want my teachers friends to have to squint at the screen and try to guess the quality of the product. TBH, if they were going off those blurry screenshots, it’s a miracle I sold anything at all.
To match the cover images, I made ended up making my thumbnails 12x12 with a constant design.
I combined screen shots of my images, large font describing the product, and pops of color. This change ended up showcasing the products and gives the seller more of an idea about what they are purchasing. The evolution:
3. Product Preview:
You want to check things out before you purchase, right? If you’re like me, you click every photo before you hit the purchase button. It’s the same with your products on TpT.
I really don’t know why I did screenshots all the time, but I did. I would screenshot half a page, throw it up as a product preview. All my potential buyers were seeing was blurry photos of worksheets (apparently that’s was my MO in the beginning). Even though I embrace where I started, I truly do not know how I sold anything doing this.
But we all learn and grow (which is why you’re here).
Now I copy different pages from my products, put them into one document for the product preview, export to a PDF, and upload it.
It is a much clearer picture (literally) of what you get when you purchase the product. I think it gives teachers a peace of mind and really gives them an opportunity to decide if the product is appropriate for their needs.
4. Product Title:
I have found the more specific I am with my title, the more views I get. When I come up with my product titles now, I just think about what teachers like you and me would be searching for.
I know I am not just looking for inference activities. I am looking for Engaging Middle School ELA Inference Activities. The takeaway: key words are great for titles. Think of it as a magnet for a Google search bar and you want to try to get as many matching words without being spam-y.
Also, if there is room I also include the standards the product aligns with.
5. Product Description:
Details, details, details! That’s what this section is all about!
In the first part I write directly to the buyer and identify why they need this product. It’s super easy since I created to product to fit a need in my classroom and I know why I created it.
In this section, I give a detailed description of what is included. Instead of just writing NOTES, now I write NOTES: key terms, definitions, images, and examples for inference, analyze, text evidence, and key concept.
Teachers want to know exactly what is included.
Also, if I have written about how I use the product in my classroom on the blog, I include a link to that as well so they can see an even more in-depth view.
And that’s it.
5 simple steps You can do today to increase your TpT sales.
If you’re like me and love printable checklists to keep next to you as you work, I made one for you! For FREE! It gives you exactly what you need to do for each of these five steps. #yay #getreadyformoremoney
If you want to take an even deeper dive into how you can increase your sales, check out my course Making a Profit with TpT. I give you everything I did to increase my sales so you don’t have to waste time figuring it out on your own. Check it out here!
As always, let me know if you have any questions!
Happy teaching and creating!
Savannah Kepley