So you’re going to start a Teachers Pay Teachers page and sell your products… that’s great! You are making an excellent decision that has so many benefits.
Here’s a list of 5 things you need to keep in mind as you are beginning this journey.
1 – Your Niche
What type of teachers will you be creating products for?
Try to be as specific as possible. So don’t just say “Science Teachers.” Dig deeper. Like “6th-grade science teachers.” Or “6th Grade Science teachers who have a large population of ESOL students.” Or “6th Grade Science teachers at Private Schools.”
That doesn’t mean that you have to only create products for this type of teacher. But the more specific you can be with your ideal customer, the easier everything else will be; like marketing, naming your business, and creating resources for your TpT.
2 – Business Name
Your TpT store will have a business name. So start thinking about what would be a good fit for you and your niche.
In my course, “Your first $1,000 on TpT,” where I walk teachers through how to start a TpT seller page, create products, and drive traffic to it, we actually have a worksheet with a series of questions to help teachers name their TpT Store.
But if you’re not in the online course, here are some things to keep in mind as you think about naming your store:
- Many store names consider their niche when it comes to naming their store
- Some TpT sellers use their personal name followed by the word “classroom”
- It is common to use words that describe what type of product is being sold, or what type of feeling the teacher will have after using their product
These are just some ideas to get your brain thinking about your business name. And don’t stress too much over it, you are allowed to change it after you start.
3 – Logo
Your TpT store will need a logo. You should start thinking about that now.
Some teachers are using their Bitmoji’s, which is an interesting idea.
If you are not good at graphic design, there are several websites that help with logo creation. They use stock images and graphics, with pre-laid out formats. So you won’t get something that truly encompasses your brand, but it will be good enough.
The website I recommend for this is Canva. It does have a free account, as well as a premium account. NOTE: the logo you see in the top left corner of the pages on this website (the one with the two sticks of chalk) was made with a free Canva account
Another great website that can help you with your logo design is Fiverr. On this website, you can find a wide range of freelancers who will design a custom logo for you at a very reasonable cost (typically between $5 and $20). I used Fiverr for my logo on my other website: Rethink Math Teacher. The logo cost me $5 and I am happy with it and the service I received.
4 – Bundles
As you start creating and uploading products. You want to start working towards bundles – where you can combine products together.
You want your products to go together, like a series of worksheets related to a certain standard. Or many similar activities that can be used in sequence.
Bundles help customers get more items for less money, and they help the seller generate more income.
5 – Marketing
How will you get people to find your products?
Once you have great stuff on your TpT store, you need to help people find it. But how?
Many people result to spamming – which involves leaving unsolicited links on blog posts and social media posts. This can have some success but is not a long term strategy. And can result in getting you banned from certain platforms or groups.
There are better ways such as starting a Facebook business page (or group) and posting content to grow your page and generate traffic. Another strategy is to start a Pinterest page and join Pinterest groups. Many TpT’ers are using Instagram with great effect.
All of these strategies are much more effective than just dropping links into Facebook groups and on YouTube videos, however, it does take some training to do them all effectively.
In the online course I mentioned above, we flesh out a strategy to help you market your resources without spending any money.
6 – Bonus
I know that this page was titled “5 Things to Consider as you Start your TpT Page,” but I am making an object lesson. When you sell something on TpT, you want to give your customers more than they asked for. Some type of bonus resource that will help your customer.
It can be related to the content you have sold, an extra worksheet, or even part of another resource that you hope they’ll consider purchasing later.
With your bonus, you should also include a little thank you letter that encourages your customers to follow you on Teachers Pay Teachers as well as on any other social media platforms you have.
Free eBook
All the information above, and so much more, is included in my free eBook – How to Start Selling on TpT.
Want to Go Deeper?
If you would like help starting and growing your TpT store, I have a course specifically designed for you. In it, we will walk through the process of creating a store (including doing all the things we talked about in this post), creating valuable content that people will want to purchase, and how to drive traffic to this page.
This class is only offered twice a year. To learn more about the course, and to get on the waiting list, click here.
