TeachersPayTeachers is such an amazing opportunity for teachers to make a little (or a lot) of extra money selling things that help other teachers! I’ve always been a creative person and enjoy challenging myself to create things, so when I found out about TeachersPayTeachers, I knew I wanted to eventually become a seller.
I’ve been selling for over a year now and I’ve learned so much about this side hustle. I am by no means an expert and there is still so much more that I have to learn as well, but I want to share 8 things that I find super helpful when starting out on TpT.
8 Super Helpful Tips When Starting Out on TpT
1. Create things you are passionate about.
Of course this sounds like a no-brainer but create things that 1. you’re passionate about and 2. you’re really going to use in your own classroom. When I was first starting out, I just wanted to create anything. So, I chose projects that would be helpful to my classroom but sometimes I wasn’t passionate about. After I had been selling for a few months, I noticed that the things I was more passionate about sold more, probably because I was putting my all into it.
2. Make products in Powerpoint.
If you haven’t heard this yet, this is one of the most important things you can do when creating resources. When I first started out, I used pages and it was a disaster trying to transfer things to Powerpoint, so do yourself a favor and just start with Powerpoint. Powerpoint makes it easier to move things around, duplicate, etc. I set up templates in Powerpoint for portrait resources, landscape resources, thumbnails and Pinterest pins. Check out my blog post below on how to create editable resources in Powerpoint.
Using PowerPoint to Create Editable Resources
3. Create square thumbnails.
Square thumbnails just look better! To make it easier on yourself, start making your square covers right from the start. I realized this after I had been selling for a while and then I had to go back and redo my thumbnails. Set up a template in Powerpoint that’s 12 x 12 to make them easy to create.
4. Use simple fonts/clip art.
I’ve found that my products look more cohesive when I stick to only a few clip artists and a few fonts. This makes it easier for my followers to recognize my products when they’re searching for something.
5. Make a thank you/credit page you use on every product.
Create a thank you/credit page to use on every product. I tweak this page a little depending on the clip art and fonts I used and who I need to give credit to. I also include a “Let’s Connect” section to link my social media and give my buyers a way to connect with me.
6. While you create the thumbnail, create a pin for Pinterest.
I admit I need to be better at this but it’s so helpful to create everything at once. So, when you create your thumbnail, design a pin for Pinterest, then pin it! I like using real photos as much as I can for my pins because buyers can see my product in action.
7. Use your teacher Instagram to post a picture of your product in action.
Speaking of product in action.. use your teacher Instagram to showcase your product! Also, you can use your story to give buyers a better idea of how to use your resource. If you don’t have a teacher Instagram read why you should here.
8. Product creation, product creation, product creation.
When you’re first starting out, it’s hard to want to continue because you may not see the dollar signs rolling in just yet. Keep creating! Once I had around 50 products I started seeing consistent money. The more products you have the more buyers can purchase!
Do you sell on TpT? Leave a comment with your best TpT tip below!
