Why People Fail to Succeed on TpT

There are many sellers on Teachers Pay Teachers bringing home thousands of dollars each month.  The vast majority of sellers, however, do not achieve these lofty financial goals and even abandon their stores when they realize that they are not making adequate progress.  Why do these stores and sellers fail to succeed financially?

They do not make quality products – at the end of the day, teachers are spending their hard-earned money on TpT and expect the very best quality materials that they can get.  A store that does not sell quality products will not earn positive ratings and will not see returning customers.  Products that are inaccurate or riddled with typos show a lack of care that will turn buyers off.

They don’t adequately show buyers what they are getting – there are still sellers on TpT who do not provide previews for paid products.  Most buyers are not willing to take the risk with their hard-earned money, especially on sellers who have few followers and ratings.  A detailed description is another way for sellers to let buyers know exactly what they will be getting, yet some sellers fail to take the time to write quality descriptions.

They think that looks don’t matter – buyers DO judge a book (or product) by its cover.  A store that in uninviting and full of products with no covers (or unattractive ones) will turn away most buyers almost instantly.  Sellers who put time and care into creating appealing covers present themselves as being more put together and are associated with creating higher-quality products.  Learning simple design techniques and adding attractive backgrounds and fonts will go a long way in helping TpT sellers maximize their sales.

They create only inexpensive products – while many products on TpT cost just a buck or two, this is a really tough way to make millions. Creating longer, more robust products and bundles is a great way to move your store from pocket change to serious income.

They price their products incorrectly – pricing can be tricky business in TpT. Too low, and your buyers may assume that your products are poorly made and not give your store a chance. Too high, and you may offend buyers and lead them to another buyer’s store. Find the sweet spot for your products. Do not undervalue your work, but rather consider what YOU would pay for that product and how much time you are saving an educator.

They rely solely on the TpT search to get buyers to their store – the TpT search, while useful and in a state of constant improvement, will not guarantee traffic to an individual seller’s store.  Outside marketing through blogging, Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Periscope, Snapchat, etc. is essential to driving traffic directly to a store or product.  That is not to say that sellers need to be on (or rely on) every social media platform, but strategic marketing will get buyers in front of products that will best meet their needs.

They try to do it all alone – TpT sellers, like teachers, love to help and support one another.  Sellers who refuse to connect with other sellers miss out on a great opportunity to learn from the success and mistakes of others.  There are many ways that sellers can connect with like-minded individuals – the TpT forums, Facebook groups, mastermind groups, and local MeetUps are just a few ways to make connections.  Offering to help others is a great way to represent yourself and your store.

They become complacent – it’s easy to neglect your TpT store, especially when a few dollars start rolling in and things get busy in your personal or professional life.   As more and more sellers jump on board the TpT train, the competition will become even stiffer.  Adding new products, refreshing and revising old products, and learning new skills and social media platforms are great ways to keep your store’s momentum moving forward.

Making money on TpT is no easy task.  It takes time, patience, and a lot of hard work to make it happen.  Avoiding common pitfalls will bring you one step closer to financial success on TpT.