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My Top 10 Tips for Becoming a Successful Seller on Teachers Pay Teachers

Hi there!

I’ve been selling on TPT for years and I’ve turned my lil teacher side hustle into a full blown business. Now I want to share some words of wisdom with you on how YOU can become a successful seller on TPT.

Quick side note: I’m hoping you’ll find these 10 tips useful, but sometimes a blog post just doesn’t cover it all! If you’re looking for MORE tips and advice for selling on TPT…

Top 10 Tips

Join the Terrific Selling Tactics community by signing up with your email HERE and get free tips straight to your inbox. If you’re a social media/visual person, check out my Instagram which is FULL of free tips and advice for selling on TPT. Follow along HERE.

Anyways, let’s get started! I am going to share 10 tips that transformed my growth.

Top 10 Tips
Your graph can be like this too.

1.) Spend time (and it takes time).

TPT is ALL about time. You have to spend time creating and marketing your resources and then sit about and be patient because it takes time to see success. If you think TPT is a get-rich-quick scheme or that it doesn’t require much effort, you’ll be disappointed. So, the no.1 reason I found success was that I started spending hours and hours working on TPT. Then I was patient.

2.) Create quality products.

You can spend all the time in the world on TPT, but if you’re not making good products, no-one will buy them. When I say quality I mean fun, engaging, interesting, or original products. Trust me, I’ve made products that are boring or over-done. Sometimes I just haven’t put much effort in. They didn’t sell. My good products have ensured my success, my poor quality ones have not.

3.) Make attractive products.

You can have the most original idea in the world, but if your product is unpleasant to look at, people will not buy it. I’m talking quality fonts, clip art, and visually appealing pages. The next tips about marketing will be impossible if you don’t do this step. It’s very hard to dress up an unattractive product.

4.) Create a stunning cover.

So you’ve got a perfect product, that’s great. But no-one will ever know about (let alone buy) it if they don’t click on it. They won’t click on it if the cover is unappealing. People judge books by covers, so they’ll judge a product by its cover. Create an eye catching product cover for every product. ASAP.

Top 10 Tips
My original covers were…(cry face).

5.) Make your product listing irresistible.

So, a fantastic cover gets people to click on your product but it does NOT make them buy it. I’m referring to thumbnails, previews, and descriptions. TPT is a business. You’re asking people for money for your product. You’ve got to sell it to them with an enticing product listing that makes them think ‘I NEED this product!’ So, write an amazing description and show the product well in thumbnails and previews. Get them interested.

Top 10 Tips
An example of a thumbnail I use.

6.) Photograph your product.

That bit on my graph where it suddenly went zooming upwards? A big contributor to that was product photography. One day, I printed one of my worksheets. I filled it out, colored it in, and photographed it (during and after completing it). It literally changed my business. I use ‘in-action’ product photography shots on covers, thumbnails, pins, and Instagram posts. People need to visualize what the activity will look like. Just do it, trust me.

Top 10 Tips
In-action shots are a game-changer. Goodbye screenshots!

7.) Have a lot of products.

I’m all for quality over quantity. In fact, tip no. 2 is ALL about quality. But it’s impossible to be successful on TPT without quantity too. Think about it statistically. You could have 20 or 30 great products, but I have 300. I come up more in the search engine and I’ve got products for every topic. Unfortunately, a teacher might not find something they like in your 20 products. But they might find something in my 300. It’s simple really. You need stock. Empty shelves don’t make sales. This ties in with tip no.1 – spend time creating!

8.) Pin, Pin Pin.

Pinterest is dear to me. It was my first form of marketing and it is still my biggest source of traffic outside of TPT. Create lots of quality pins for every product and you’re set. Remember that bit on my graph that shot up? Remember tip no. 6 about product photography? Well I took those pictures and plonked them on Pinterest. In fact, I sat down and did in action photos and pins for like 100 products over a few weeks/months. I had to play catch up.

Pin
Don’t pin product covers or screenshots of worksheets. Please! Do in action photos like this.

9.) Learn from others.

Research what other successful people are doing. Read blog posts, take courses, or join Facebook groups. Look at posts on Instagram (like mine!). Learn and grow. You’ll pick up tips from people who have been there, done that. They can make sure you don’t make the same mistakes that they did. But don’t do everything they do. Sometimes people pressure new sellers to do everything or spend lots of money (‘Write a blog, do email marketing, start social media, invest in this, invest in that’). Don’t end up broke and stressed. Check out my Instagram for free tips.

Insta
Follow me for free advice. And message me if you need help!

10.) Enjoy what you do.

I’ve made boring products or forced myself to do things I didn’t want to do. I just ended up resenting TPT and losing motivation. Make products that you enjoy making. Skip the boring bits and try to have fun. This ties in with tip no.9. Don’t feel pressured to do things you don’t want to do. I spent years creating products, pinning, and spending NO money. Only now do I blog, do email marketing, invest in lots of things. Because I have the money, time, and head space to handle it. Take things one step at a time. You got this.

So that’s it. My 10 tips for success. Everyone’s journey is different but some of those tips are a MUST for success on TPT. I bet you have a million more questions and you’re dying for more tips. Sign up to my email community HERE or follow me on Instagram. I’m here to help.

terrific teaching tactics

P.S, If you want all the answers in one place, check out my TPT Seller Course!

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TPT Seller Blog Posts 4

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Markela says

    December 4, 2020 at 5:29 pm

    Hey Alexandra! Very helpful tips, thank you! I’d love to read a post on how to take good photos of the products. Everytime I try, they’re just not good or visually appealing. :/

    Reply
    • Alex says

      December 7, 2020 at 8:02 am

      Hey Markela! Thank you, I’m so glad you enjoyed the post.
      That’s a great idea! I will definitely do a post on product photography 🙂

      Reply
  2. Jeff says

    July 12, 2022 at 8:04 pm

    Thanks! Good motivating infomation. Just getting started buy you gave me that confidence to keep going!

    Reply
    • Alex says

      July 13, 2022 at 5:32 am

      Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the post 🙂

      Reply

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Hi, my name is Alex! I love creating fun, colorful, and engaging resources for the early years. I’ve taught 3rd and 1st grade and I’m passionate about creating interactive activities that engage all learners Read More…

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If you’re looking for a cute writing craft, thes If you’re looking for a cute writing craft, these snow globe narrative writing prompts are perfect for bulletin boards and writing centers! ❄️ 

Comment below or message me if you’d like the link! I’ll also add a link to my bio and stories 🙂

 #Writingcurriculum #writingprompts #writingteachers #writingteacher #writingworkshop #writingworkshops #writersworkshop #writinglessons #writinglesson #writingcenter #writingcenters #bulletinboardideas #writingactivity #writingactivities #iteachwriting #kindergartenwriting #firstgradewriting #secondgradewriting #thirdgradewriting #literacycenters #literacycentres #literacycenter #bulletinboards #literacylearning #elateacher #elateachers #iteachela #iteachelementary #bulletinboard #winterbulletinboard
Bump is coming along 😬 I know this isn’t te Bump is coming along 😬 

I know this isn’t teaching or tpt related in anyway, but so many of you have been through this.

Any tips for 3rd trimester? Things to pack in hospital bag? Must buy things for baby? I’ve heard I should do batch cooking. 

Should I just try to enjoy my sleep while I can? 😂

 #Igteachers #igteacher #instateacher #instateachers #instagramteachers #instagramteacher #teachersofig #teachersofinsta #teachersofthegram #teacherig #teacherinsta #teacherinstagram #educatorsofig #educatorsofinsta #educatorsofinstagram  #teacherssupportingteachers #teachersoninstagram #iteachkindergarten #iteach1st #educatorsofinstagram #elementaryteacher #elementaryeducation #educatorsofinsta  #iteach2nd #edugram #educatorsofig #teachersconnect #iteachelementaryschool #teachertalk #teacherblogger #teacherbloggers
Just an FYI! Revising involves making major change Just an FYI! Revising involves making major changes to the content and editing is more sentence level changes.

For example, you might ask your students to edit their writing by checking for spelling and punctuation errors.

But for revision, they might add or remove ideas to their writing.

I hope you enjoy these writing tips! Double tap if you do 💗

 #Writingcurriculum #writingprompts #writingteachers #writingteacher #writingworkshop #writingworkshops #writersworkshop #writinglessons #writinglesson #writingcenter #writingcenters #writingforkids #writingactivity #writingactivities #iteachwriting #kindergartenwriting #firstgradewriting #secondgradewriting #thirdgradewriting #literacycenters  #literacycenter  #literacylearning #elateacher #elateachers #iteachela #iteachelementary #teachertips #teachertip #1stgradeteachers #2ndgradeteachers
You can grab these for free at the link in my bio! You can grab these for free at the link in my bio! Or you can comment below or message me if you like the link 🙂

 #Writingcurriculum #writingprompts #writingteachers #writingteacher #writingworkshop #writingworkshops #writersworkshop #writinglessons #writinglesson #writingcenter #writingcenters #writingforkids #writingactivity #writingactivities #iteachwriting #kindergartenwriting #firstgradewriting #secondgradewriting #thirdgradewriting #literacycenters #literacycentres #literacycenter #literacycentre #literacylearning #elateacher #elateachers #iteachela #iteachelementary #tptfreebie
I’ve been so quiet on this account lately! So ju I’ve been so quiet on this account lately! So just popping in to say hi 👋🏻 

Had my baby shower yesterday and it was great fun 👶🏻🎉

I’m having a girl in Feb and apparently unicorns is the theme for everything so I hope she likes it 😂

I’m 30 weeks this week and need to pack my hospital bag soon. Definitely give me any tips for things I’ll need! 

 #teacherssupportingteachers #teachersoninstagram #iteachkindergarten #iteach1st #educatorsofinstagram #elementaryteacher #educatorsofinsta  #igteacher #teacherlifestyle  #iteach2nd #igteachers #educatorsofig #teachersconnect #iteachelementaryschool #teachertalk #teachersofthegram #instateachers #instagramteacher #teachersofaustralia #teachersoninsta #teachersrock #teacherinstagram #teachergoals  #teacherinspo #teacherthoughts #teacherthings #teachersengaging #teachershare #teachersofigau #teachersonig
If so, it’s important to start doing some lesson If so, it’s important to start doing some lessons where you explicitly teach sentence structure! 

I remember teaching writing in my first year. I was teaching 3rd grade and it just never occurred to me that I need to explicitly teach students how to write a proper sentence.

But after seeing their first writing piece, I was shocked!

Do your students struggle with this too?

 #Writingcurriculum #writingprompts #writingteachers #writingteacher #writingworkshop #writingworkshops #writersworkshop #writinglessons #writinglesson #writingcenter #writingcenters #writingforkids #writingactivity #writingactivities #iteachwriting #kindergartenwriting #firstgradewriting #secondgradewriting #thirdgradewriting #literacycenters #literacycentres #literacycenter #literacycentre #literacylearning #elateacher #elateachers #iteachela #iteachelementary
Cute craft idea for December! (If you’re allowed Cute craft idea for December! (If you’re allowed to do Christmas themed activities in your school).

Just grab white, red, and skin colored paper that you have in beige/brown etc. and let the students create their own Santa!

With younger students, you could cut some strips of white paper out or red triangles to help them. 

For older students, they could do it on their own! 

All the cutting and gluing is great for fine motor and I think this would make a pretty cute bulletin board! 

You could also make this craft more educational by having students write math facts or words on the beard strips!

Save this post so you don’t forget to try it 🙂

#christmascrafts #christmascraft #christmascraftsforkids #lettertosanta #santaletters #xmascrafts #xmascraft #writingprompts #writingteachers #writingteacher #writingworkshop #writingworkshops #writersworkshop #writinglessons #writinglesson #writingcenter #writingcenters #writingforkids #writingactivity #writingactivities #iteachwriting  #firstgradewriting #secondgradewriting #thirdgradewriting #literacycenters #literacycenter  #literacylearning #elateacher #elateachers #iteachela
Are you looking for a cute bulletin board or door Are you looking for a cute bulletin board or door decor idea for December? This letter to Santa writing craft is super cute and  fun for students to complete! 

The best news? It’s 25% off at the moment! 

There’s a link in my bio 🙂

#christmascrafts #christmascraft #christmascraftsforkids #lettertosanta #santaletters #xmascrafts #xmascraft #writingprompts #writingteachers #writingteacher #writingworkshop #writingworkshops #writersworkshop #writinglessons #writinglesson #writingcenter #writingcenters #writingforkids #writingactivity #writingactivities #iteachwriting  #firstgradewriting #secondgradewriting #thirdgradewriting #literacycenters #literacycenter  #literacylearning #elateacher #elateachers #iteachela
Freebie Alert! I’m offering these cute sentenc Freebie Alert! 

I’m offering these cute sentence building worksheets for free, so grab them at the link in my bio 🙂

#freetpt #tptfreebie #tptfreebies #freelessonplans #freelesson #freelessons #freeteachingresources #freeteacherresources #freeactivitiesforkids #freeprintables #sentencebuilding #sentencescramble #sentencewriting #sentencestructure #writingteachers #writingteacher #iteachwriting #writinglessons #writinglesson #firstgradewriting #secondgradewriting #kindergartenwriting #literacylearning #kindergartenclassroom #kindergartenfun #kindergartenliteracy #kindergartenideas #firstgradeactivities #firstgradefun #firstgradetribe

Pinterest

TPT Seller Instagram

Unfollow the people who are making you feel bad! 📱

I mentioned this in my weekly email this week. It’s sooo depressing when you log on to social media and fall into the comparison trap with other sellers.

Honestly for me right now, it’s teacher IG influencers (like one who has a baby similar in age to mine and her life looks so glamorous all the time and I’m just sitting there wearing spit up and feeling less than)!

How to stop the comparison game is something that Maddy @livingnsunshine and I discuss this week on The Terrific Teacherpreneur podcast🎙

I really think that unfollowing people who make you feel bad is so important for your mental health. But also your business mindset.

If you’re always comparing yourself to other sellers, you’re less likely to thrive as a TPT seller because you’ll always be doubting yourself and holding yourself back 🥲

So I challenge you to unfollow someone this week! Comment below with an emoji when you’ve done it 👍🏻

#Iteachscience #spedteachers #iteachart #musicteachers #iteachela #mathteachers #iteachreading #socialstudiesteacher #iteachlanguagearts #eslteachers #iteachpe #middleschoolteachers #iteachhighschool #primaryschoolteachers #iteachprep #prekteachers #schoolslp  #scienceteachers #iteachsped #artteachers #iteachmusic #elateachers #iteachmath #readingteachers #iteachsocialstudies #languageartsteacher #iteachesl #peteachers #iteachmiddleschool
Just a reminder not to take on too many things! Just a reminder not to take on too many things! 

It’s tempting to do ‘all the things’ when it comes to TPT and marketing and it leads to burnout fast 🔥 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, step back from a few things.

Let me know in the comments if you’re feeling this way at the moment and what you plan on stepping back from!

 #Teachingtips #teachingtip #teachingadvice #teacheradvice #adviceforteachers #teachertips #teachertip  #tipsforteachers  #teacherhack #teacherhacks #teachinghacks #teachinghack #newteacher #newteachertips #teachertricks #teachertrick #newteachers #teacherhustle #teachersidehustle #teacherbusiness #teacherpreneurs #teacherpreneurship #teacherpreneurtribe #tptsellers #teacherauthors #tptauthor #tptauthors
Hot pink is my brand! Right? I bet you recognize m Hot pink is my brand! Right? I bet you recognize my posts as mine straight away when you see them on here.

Anyways, when it comes to making your brand stand out… 
Consistency is key!

It’s important to use the same fonts, colors, style of photos/mock-ups, layouts, or clip art.

That way, when your new resource is released to followers or you post something on social media, people instantly know it’s you!

It’s also important to ensure that your branding is eye catching, cohesive (and make sure your colors complement each other)!

This week on the podcast, Caileigh from @thedenniscrew joins me again and we chat about branding. Be sure to check it out 🙌🏻

Tell me below, what are your brand colors?

 #Igteachers #igteacher #instateacher #instateachers #instagramteachers #instagramteacher #teachersofig #teachersofinsta #teachersofthegram #teacherig #teacherinsta #teacherinstagram #educatorsofig #educatorsofinsta #educatorsofinstagram
Make 👏🏻 A 👏🏻 Great 👏🏻 Cover 👏 Make 👏🏻 A 👏🏻 Great 👏🏻 Cover 👏🏻

Your cover on TpT is so important when it comes to getting views and therefore securing sales.

I’m pretty passionate about the importance of a good cover and that’s why I’ve been sharing tips about them in my weekly emails and it was discussed a lot last week on the podcast with @thedenniscrew (thanks for joining me caileigh)!

👏🏻 Remember to have a big, bold, easy to read title.

👏🏻 Show the product through photography, mock-ups or screenshots.

Tell me in the comments, do you enjoy making covers or is it something you dread? 

P.S. You can sign up for my weekly emails through the link in my bio! You can grab my free Pinterest cheat sheet, prioritizing tasks doc, or email definitions guide. 

 #teacherspayteachersresources #teacherauthors #teachersidegig #teachersidehustle  #teacherentrepreneur #teacherpreneurs #tptauthors #teacherpreneurlife  #tpttips #teacherauthor  #teacherspayteachersstore #tptnewbie #teacherboss #teachertiptpt #teacherpreneurship  #teacherseller #teacherhustle #teacherbusiness #teacherbsn #teachercreator #tptsellers #tptauthor #teacherpreneurcommunity  #tptteachers #tptseller #tptteacher #tptstore #teachersoftpt #teacherpreneur #teacherpreneurtribe
Sometimes we chase new followers instead of nurtur Sometimes we chase new followers instead of nurturing the ones we already have. 

Sometimes we fixate on how many likes, comments, saves, and shares we have, instead of appreciating that a human somewhere took the time to do them.

Sometimes we make a half hearted attempt at sharing in stories or answering messages, because we’re obsessing over hashtags or impressions.

Sometimes we get so caught up in inauthentic engagement that we barely appreciate or notice when someone genuinely engages.

This is just a reminder that this is a social platform! It’s an amazing place for you to connect with other teachers, make friends, and build relationships! If you can sell some of your products along the way, that’s an awesome bonus. 

But don’t forget to relax and enjoy the amazing connections you can make on this platform.

Instagram is like a party! Sit back and chat with some new friends instead of throwing your business cards at people 🙌🏻

Relationships over reach. 🙌🏻 
Not only is this more fun, it will probably actually help you grow more. 

Connecting with your existing followers in a genuine way will help you grow more than chasing the next fake follower.

I heard the other day that not being authentic is one of the leading reasons people unfollow others.

So let’s work on this 💗

I know I need to hear this sometimes. Do you? 

#Teachingtips #teachingtip #teachingadvice  #tipsforteachers  #teacherhack  #teacherhacks #teachertip #teachertips #teachinghack #teachinghacks #teacherquote #teacherquotes #teachingquote #teachingquotes #teachertruth #teachertalk #teacheradvice  #teacherssupportteachers #teacherssupportingteachers  #teachersengaging  #igteachers #igteacher #instateacher #instateachers #instagramteachers #instagramteacher #teachersofig #teachersofinsta #teachersofthegram #teacherig
One month of sleep deprivation, endless diaper cha One month of sleep deprivation, endless diaper changes, and trying to figure out breastfeeding. 😴🤯😭

But also one month of newborn snuggles and falling in love with little Lily. 💗

Thanks for your patience when it comes to my diminished presence on here and thanks to everyone who has messaged helpful parenting tips.

As each day goes by I feel less overwhelmed and more myself and I can slowly see myself getting back to TPT stuff eventually. But I am enjoying the break honestly.

Running a business can be so all consuming and it’s important to take a break sometimes. I’m also learning it’s important to prioritize family.

I love how TPT is passive and I can make money in my sleep (or at times when a normal person would be sleeping 😅) so I’m trying to soak up the precious time while Lily is small.

Sorry for the long caption! Just wanted to share my thoughts for today 🙂

(Psst! Took like a million photos before I got one that didn’t include crying or a bow that fell in her eyes 😂 I’m baffled at how these people get such glamorous baby pics here on the gram and act like it’s effortless 😂)

Also fun fact I look AWFUL these days and that’s why you won’t see my face much on stories 😂 who has time for hair brushing?
I love using storytelling to start my emails. I th I love using storytelling to start my emails. I think it’s a great way to connect with my audience and let them get to know me 🙌🏻

Did you catch this week’s podcast episode? I chat to Melissa @notanotherva about email marketing and we discuss welcome sequences, email content, and making your list profitable.

#Iteachscience #spedteachers #iteachart #musicteachers #iteachela #mathteachers #iteachreading #socialstudiesteacher #iteachlanguagearts #eslteachers #iteachpe #middleschoolteachers #iteachhighschool #primaryschoolteachers #iteachprep #prekteachers #schoolslp #schoolcounselorsofinstagram #iteachk12 #iteach345 #iteach789 #teacherfollow
Just a reminder that TPT has emphasized the import Just a reminder that TPT has emphasized the importance of PDF previews so many times!

Two thirds of buyers won’t purchase a product if there’s no preview. That’s a lot of missed sales if 2/3 people who visit your listings leave because you don’t have a preview. 😱

It’s so hard to get products seen. Whether that’s because of ranking, an oversaturated market, or how tricky marketing is. When you finally get a buyer on your listing, you want them to buy! 

So a great question to ask yourself is - do all of your resources have previews? If not, make this a long term project at the top of your to-do list this quarter or this year.

Tell me in the comments, do you need to get to work and make some previews? 😅

 #Teachingtips #teachingtip #teachingadvice #teacheradvice #adviceforteachers #teachertips #teachertip  #tipsforteachers  #teacherhack #teacherhacks #teachinghacks #teachinghack #newteacher #newteachertips #teachertricks #teachertrick #newteachers  #teachertruth #teachertalk #teacheradvice #teacherssupportteachers #teacherssupportingteachers #teachersshare #teachersupport #teachersengaging #teachersknow #teacherproblems  #igteachers #igteacher #instateacher #instateachers
The scary truth is this…it’s probably the only The scary truth is this…it’s probably the only secure thing in your business that you own! 

With the exception of having a blog/website, so much of our marketing is done on rented land (for example, social media).

We don’t own these platforms and so they come with a bit of risk. Your account could be deleted, an algorithm could change etc

With the tpt algorithm debacle, my email list has become an even more precious asset in my business. 

This week’s podcast episode is all about this topic so be sure to check it out!

Let me know in the comments if you have any questions about email marketing 🙂

#Teacherhustle #teachersidehustle #teacherbusiness #teacherpreneurs #teacherpreneurship #teacherpreneurtribe #tptsellers #teacherauthors #tptauthor #tptauthors  #igteachers #igteacher #instateacher #instateachers #instagramteachers #instagramteacher #teachersofig #teachersofinsta #teachersofthegram #teacherig #teacherinsta #teacherinstagram #educatorsofig #educatorsofinsta #educatorsofinstagram

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