It's 2023! And while we are all excited to begin our best year and set on the right foot this January, let's remember to reflect on the year gone by, the new skills we acquired, the knowledge we gained, and the mistakes we made.
2022 was one of my best years physically, emotionally, mentally, and, most importantly, financially. But we're going to talk about that in my next blog post. Let's chat about the TPT mistakes I made last year, and I hope to avoid repeating them again in 2023.
Also: Click here to read my wins as a TPT seller in 2022.
TPT Mistake #1: Changing covers, thumbnails, and previews twice
Yes, not once, but twice. Here's my problem: I can be very indecisive and a perfectionist. "Is this the right color combination? What's the best font for this? Which mock-up should I use?" Those were the things that ran through my head while I was designing a new cover for my products.
In the TPT world, you know that the covers must be BIG and BOLD. So, what did I do? I bought a commercial license for this BIG and BOLD font I used for my covers for $15. I can buy a commercial font bundle on TPT for $5-$6, but I decided to spend $15 for a single font because I was not thinking.
I also changed the style of my preview, which was a waste of time. Because it doesn't matter what your preview looks like as long as it's detailed and informative to the buyers. But Ms. Perfectionist here is saying, "no, change that. I don't like it." There goes my life.
What I should have done: Stop being a perfectionist in the beginning. But the way I see it, how my covers have changed is what I see as growth and improvement. All the TPT things I do is a learning curve, and I'm here for it.
Also: Click here to see my TPT income report for Q4.
TPT Mistake #2: Having way too many seasonal products
If you are a TPT seller who loves creating seasonal products, let's be best friends! There are pros and cons to this, and unfortunately, even if there are many cons, I still create seasonal products.
Let's start with the pros. Seasonal products tend to sell A LOT. My Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Cinco de Mayo products sell like hotcakes! If your niche is elementary, then you are in for a treat!
Did you notice that I wrote pros above with s? I was thinking of other reasons why seasonal products are the best, but I can only think of one. Let's talk about the cons:
- They only sell at a particular time. They are not like evergreen products that sell all year round,
- Not everyone celebrates Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, or other holidays.
Having more evergreen products is one of my top goals in 2023. So, that's where I'll be focusing next year.
TPT Mistake #3: Spending way too much money on way too many fonts
I think this doesn't need an explanation. I have not bought any font bundle, and I will never purchase one because who needs thousands of fonts? I know some people will disagree with me, but it is what it is.
What I should have done: I should have been wiser about where to spend my money. Even if I am in a better position in 2022 than in 2021 regarding money, I should not use that as an excuse.
TPT Mistake #4: Not getting into product photography sooner
I love product photography, but it is A LOT OF WORK. No joke. I had to buy props, colored papers, pens, markers, a ring light, and a printer (I'm using an H.P. DeskJet 2376). It's too much work, but I enjoy it. Photos of your products give buyers an idea of what the actual product looks like before purchasing the resource. My sales increased a lot when I took pictures of my products, so if you can, invest your time in product photography, and you will see excellent results.
I also use the photos for my marketing, such as Pinterest, email list, and blog. So, product photography serves a double purpose.
And since I didn't dive deeper into it at the beginning of 2022, I purchased more mock-ups. I'm not saying mock-ups are bad. They save me more time since product photography is a lot of work. But I will choose product photography over mock-ups.
I also realized its importance while browsing 2023 planners on the Internet. I wanted to know how big the planner was in my hand. I wanted to see the texture of the paper they used. I wanted to feel like I was the one holding the planner. As a buyer, it's more convincing to see the actual look of the product.
TPT Mistake #5: Creating more digital resources than printables
I know digital resources are here to stay, but it's vital to offer varieties of your products. I have been creating products on Boom Cards and Google Slides, and while I enjoy it a lot, I realized the importance of printables. I kid you not, but my $3 Christmas worksheets have been sold 73 times! My $3 Thanksgiving worksheets have been sold 35 times. And my $2 Halloween worksheets have been sold 49 and 52 times. If I didn't offer printables in my store, I would not be able to increase my earnings!
Moral of the story: Add printables to your TPT store. Don't rely on digital resources only. Add color and B&W copies and answer keys to increase its value.
TPT is a long game. But we only have one goal: to be successful. I am not saying I am thriving on TPT, but I am already successful in my own way. And that's all that matters.
I hope you have the best year this 2023!
Talk soon.
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