Getting started on TPT and TES

I have been playing around with the idea of writing this blog post for quite a while and the basis for it was an email I sent to a friend way back in December. My friend asked me for help starting out selling so I threw together some of the bits I thought would be important to start her off.

Since then a few other people have asked me for my advice and each time I have found the previous emails and tweaked them with any new bits and sent them off. I realised I had a whole blog post sitting mostly already written, so here it is.

If you are considering starting to sell your resources online here are my thoughts and advice, good luck :) This really is just a very quick run through and if you would like to learn more please contact me through this blog or at thegingerteacher@gmail.com or sign up for TPT using my link to be mentored.

Dear Friends,

So here is a (very) brief intro to it all, if you are interested I can help you.

I’m assuming you already have an account on TES (if not get one here www.tes.com).

If you don’t have a seller’s account on teachers pay teachers (TPT) then please sign up for one with my link I get credit for signing people up J https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Signup/referral:charleei

Once you have an account think about a good name for your shop. Don’t stress about this too much at first you can use your own name or think one up. You can always change it later if you change your mind but it is a hassle to go back and change the name on all your products!

Ok now the first product you upload to TPT has to be free. When I signed up I uploaded a simple (and bit rubbish) worksheet just because it was the freebie and I didn’t want to ‘waste’ something great on a freebie. This is really the wrong way to look at it. Make your first freebie fab because it will drive business. Just this morning I sold 3 sets of activity cards because one of my freebies is a sample of the activities. If you give people free bits which are really, really good they will want to come back and buy the whole package!

So make your freebie product. Something you have used in the classroom is always a good idea because not only do you know it works already but you can also use pictures of it in progress or the finished work. (products with real life pictures really sell well.)

Right so you have made your product now turn it into a PDF and make a cover page. You can look at my cover pages https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Ginger-Teacher. Put yourself on the cover page somewhere, either your name or logo, so people know it’s you they are buying from.

Then in TPT click dashboard – add new product in TES click resources – new product. If you want more detailed advice on uploading to TES I have a video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQVY8YWKMvk

 (please don't laugh at my video I am painfully aware I sound like a chipmunk on speed)

They is really how you get started at first. You need to get some products in your store and you need to make sure they are good quality. Once you have done that you can start marketing them. There are loads of ways to market products – pinning parties, link ups, blog hops, forums, email, conferences. The list is endless but you need something to market before you get on with that part. So try to get about 15 to 20 products ready and uploaded and then start marketing. If you do sign up with my link above I send out regular advice to all the people signed up under me and I do linked promotions which really help sales but even if you don’t I’m happy to help. I will go over all of this (making products, cover pages, shop names , logos etc.) with you if you do decide to do it, so don't worry if it all sounds a bit difficult, it's really not.

Just a quick note about other websites – I only use TES and TPT if it were in my best interest I would only use one. At first it seems like a good idea to put your products everywhere but it just dilutes your brand and does not help sales. The only reason I use TES and TPT is because the TES American site is not as popular as I need it to be and the TPT English site isn’t as popular as I need it to be. So I cater for Americans on TPT and English on TES (change spellings and currency etc.) When TES Australia starts up I will be all over that because Australian Curriculum is very like ours so there will be loads of products ready to go!

This forum here is good too I started it and it was a bit slow at first but it is starting to catch on now :) https://community.tes.com/forums/tes-authors-group.2133/

All this is really a very fast intro to the whole thing and it is quite involved but you get a bit hooked on it and I love making extra cash! Like I said you don't have to use my links but if you do I can mentor you and it doesn't cost you anything.

Also if you are looking for some inspiration google Deanna Jump. She will make you want to get involved in this!

Let me know if you have any questions.

The Ginger Teacher