As a teacher, business owner, wife, friend and more, I have much I have to do in my life as I’m sure you do as well. This is why, I’m always looking for time savers that will keep productivity high without sucking all the time from my day. To save time on creating products, I create templates in Powerpoint for all my series of products. These are products that I know will look the same but will have a different theme or concept. Making templates in all aspects of your business can save so much time plus it gives you a cohesive look to your store and products.
How to Create a Template in Powerpoint
Open Powerpoint and create your template.
Name your template by saving it.
Click File –> Save as Template –> Save
Your template has been created!
To create a new product using your template, you’ll open Powerpoint, then click File –> New From Template. Find your template and begin creating!
Template Ideas for Your TpT Business
Pinterest pin and long pin
thumbnail
task cards
clip cards
cards for games
board games
Tips When Creating Templates
Make sure everything is centered. An easy way to do this is to click on whatever it is you want centered then click Arrange –> Align and whatever alignment you want.
Use tables to create boxes that are the same size. I use tables when creating cards, clip cards, task cards basically any type of card!
Put in text boxes and type something in them in the font you’ll use so you don’t have to enter new ones each time.
TeachersPayTeachers has become a big part of my professional life. I’ve had my TpT store for a couple of years, however I only really got serious a little over a year ago. When I decided to get serious, I researched and tried to learn everything I could about product creation, marketing, and everything TpT. I want to share what I’ve learned throughout this journey of selling on TeacherspayTeachers.
What I’ve Learned About Selling on TeachersPayTeachers for One Year
Use Powerpoint
I learned this the hard way, after making an entire bundle on pages (Macs version of word). Before I knew that PowerPoint was the way to go for product creation, I used pages and struggled with formatting things exactly how I wanted it. It was never perfect and it really bugged me. It also took tons of time. Then, I learned that most TpTers use PowerPoint because it’s way easier to format and move things around! Since I learned this, I’ve never looked back and I ONLY use PowerPoint when creating a product.
One thing I kept hearing when listening to podcasts or researching online is to invest in your business. From the day you open a TpT store, treat it as your business, not just a hobby. When you look at it as a business, you take more seriously and so does your potential buyers.
When I started a store, I knew I wanted to start a blog to have a platform to market my products. I invested in a blogging course, Elite Blog Academy. With this course, I learned how to start my blog, what’s important in blogging and how to get my posts seen. I’ve also invested in my business by buying quality clip art. Yes, there are a lot of cute free clip art sets online, however if you want to create quality products, you must purchase some quality clip art. Although I’ve sort of become clip art obsessed, especially for Creating4theClassroom‘s clip art, I know it’ll pay off in the long run because my products have that professional look.
Learn How You Can Best Market
When you first start out on TpT, there’s so much to do and you already feel like your behind when looking at all the other TpT authors out there. I know that marketing is important for business because how are your buyers going to find you if you don’t market? What I learned was to focus on one or two platforms. I learned what platforms I was best at and enjoyed most. Those platforms are Instagram, Pinterest and blogging. I have a Facebook as well but haven’t put any time into it because I just haven’t had the time to figure it out yet, and that’s okay! Facebook isn’t something I use in my personal life, so it just didn’t call me the way the other platforms did.
Of course I probably don’t need to tell you this, but it’s so important to take your time on your products. I’ll be honest, sometimes (especially when I’m making a big bundle) I’ll get bored with it and want to just finish it and throw it up, so that I can be done and can work on something new and more exciting. When I feel this way, I know that I’m not in my best creating mood. Instead of creating, I’ll focus on a different aspect of my business like the marketing or blogging. Then, when I’m feeling inspired or energized, I’ll work on creating or finishing a product.
Only Make What You’re Going to Use in Your Classroom
You know your grade level best which means you’re an expert in what your students are learning, what they struggle with and how to best engage them. It just doesn’t make sense for a kinder teacher like me to create fifth grade content. It also wouldn’t be helpful to me, my students or my classroom. When you make things you’re going to use in your classroom, you’re more enthusiastic and believe in your products more.
Test Out Your Products
When you create resources for the classroom, you also need to test them out. I cannot tell you how many times I’ll make something, have my students use it and they’ll say something like “it’s hard to read” or “what do we do?”. Sometimes, I even catch a spelling mistake, oops! When you test out your products with your own class, you’re able to see what works and what you need to change, before you put it up on TpT. This eliminates some not so good reviews that you could receive from having these problems.
TpT is Not a Get Rich Quick Situation
I’ve been selling for a little over a year on TeachersPayTeachers and although I have seen a ton of growth, I’m no where near a top seller or making what I want to make. It takes a ton of time and lots of energy to earn money on TpT. My advice to new sellers is to keep on making quality products and do not give up. Once I had about 50 products in my store, I saw more sales. Now that I have this blog, I’m seeing even more sales. Keep on chugging along and you will make it!
Until recently, I would create a new Thank You and Credits page every time I made a resource to put in my TpT store. I always hated this part of adding a resource because I would make it after already creating the new product. At that point, I would be tired and ready to just throw it up on TpT.
I knew that this was not the right way to go about it. I also knew that a Thank You page could be very beneficial if I included the right things. What I didn’t know was how to go about making one that I could use for each resource. So, I started researching how I could have a beneficial Thank You page that I wouldn’t have to create from scratch each time I created a new product. Here’s what I learned about how to create a thank you and credits page for all your TpT products.
How to Create a Thank You and Credits Page for All Your TpT Products
There are two ways (that I know of) to create a Thank You and Credits page with links that you can use over and over with every TpT product. You can use Adobe (which I pay for monthly) or you can use Canva which is free (you can upgrade to Canva for Work – not necessary for this).
How to Use with Adobe
First create your Thank You and Credits page in PowerPoint. PowerPoint is my go to, whenever I create any PDF (including all my products on TpT). PowerPoint makes it really easy to move around images and text boxes so you can make it look exactly how you want.
Once you’re happy with how it looks, export it to a PDF. Then, when you open the PDF document it’ll open in Adobe Acrobat. From there, you can add links by clicking “Edit PDF”, “Link” and “Add/Edit Web or Document Link”. Insert the link by drawing an invisible square around what you want to be linked and then type in the URL. Done and done!
When I created my Thank You and Credits page this way, I created a general Thank You page on one page and then a Credits page on another. That way, I can edit to incorporate each clip/font artist depending on what I used for that product. You edit the links and pictures the same way, by clicking edit and either adding or deleting an image/link.
How to Create on Canva
To create your Thank You and Credits page in Canva, you go to “Create a Design” and choose “US Letter”. Then, design your page however you want with images and text boxes. Once you’re happy with how your page looks, you can add links to the images (or text boxes) by clicking on the image and then, on the upper right hand side, there’ll be an image of a link. Click that link and then it’ll prompt you to put in your URL. The coolest part about this is that when you save it as a PDF, the links are still there!
I mainly use Adobe for my Thank You and Credits page but my advice for creating a Credits page in Canva would be to create both pages in the same design. On your credits page, put all the clip artists/font artists logos that you use and then just delete the ones that aren’t used when you add the credits to your resource. This will save you time instead of adding the clip/font artists that you do use for the resource.
What You Should Include on Your Thank You Page
Here’s a list of things I include on my Thank You page that I think would be beneficial for your Thank You page as well:
Simple/General thank you message to the customer for purchasing the product
Picture of you (it personalizes the product!)
Image/Link to social media platforms you have – for example: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Blog
Image/Link to TpT store
Way to sign up for your email list – if you have one
Your email address for customers to contact you with questions/concerns
Reminder about giving feedback for TpT credits
How do you create your Thank You and Credits page? What would you add to the list of things you should include? Comment below!
Before I dive into how to create a growing bundle on TpT, let me define what this is. A bundle is multiple products that go together to create a larger product. A growing bundle is an unfinished product that buyers can purchase for a discount. TpT creators sell growing bundles at a discount because they’re not finished when the buyer purchases. As the seller adds more to the growing bundle, the price increases. Once the growing bundle is finished, the price will be the full price, however I always set my bundles up to be 20% off what buyers would pay if they purchased the products individually.
When I first started selling on TpT I noticed that other sellers use this tactic to draw buyers in. How can someone say no to a discount? I know I can’t! So when I noticed other sellers using growing bundles, I wanted to as well. My first growing bundle I created was my jungle decor pack. When I put up this growing bundle, I had no clue what I was doing but I learned along the way. Every growing bundle since, I’ve learned a little more. Here are the six steps you need to take to create a growing bundle on TpT!
1. Outline what your finished product will look like.
First, you need to determine what your finished bundle will look like. How many components will be in your bundle? What is your theme? What type of activities will it have?
You need to write out what your pricing will be as your growing bundle grows. Like I mentioned above, start out with the lowest price your bundle will be and as you add products to the bundle, increase your pricing. My bundles are always 20% off what buyers would pay if they purchased the products individually.
Check out a few of my growing bundles below. (Some of them are finished growing now.)
Some TpT creators put up a growing bundle without anything in it. I haven’t done this because I like giving the buyer something right away. You can navigate your growing bundle however you feel works for you and your store.
When I put up a growing bundle, I give part of the bundle. You’ll need to create this first part if you’re like me and want to give your buyer something right away.
3. Create a description for what is already in your growing bundle and what is to come.
It’s important to make your buyer aware of everything that your growing bundle will have when completed and what your bundle already has in it. For example, I have a seasonal write the room bundle. In my description of the product, I include what Write the Room themes already included and what will be included in the future. Buyers will only purchase your growing bundle if they trust you and know exactly what to expect from this product.
4. Tell your buyers when they can expect each part of your growing bundle.
I like to include dates for when buyers can expect to receive certain parts of the growing bundle. For example, I have a projects for the year bundle for monthly projects students can complete in class or at home. When setting up this bundle, I wanted buyers to know that they’ll receive a new project every first of the month. It’s good to set a timeline for yourself (to keep you accountable) and for your buyers so they can plan when they’ll use the different parts of your bundle.
5. Upload your product.
Now that you’ve planned all the logistics, it’s time to upload your growing bundle! I like to use the term “growing bundle” in both my product title and description because I believe it catches a buyer’s eye. Once your bundle is complete, you might want to take the growing out of the title/description because it’s fully grown.
How to Upload: The way you upload a bundle with multiple parts is by putting everything into a folder, right clicking and press compress. This will turn your folder into a zip file and you upload the zip file on TpT. If you need more step by step instructions for this, don’t be afraid to reach out in the comments or my contact me section.
6. Upload future parts of your bundle until complete.
Make sure you’re hitting your deadlines, when you told buyers they’d be completed. I always check the box when re-uploading, that tells my buyers when I’ve updated a resource and in the text box I explain what they can find in the newly updated bundle.
I love both creating and purchasing growing bundles! They’re an awesome way to draw in buyers for more sales and purchase at a discount. Let me know your experience with growing bundles in the comments below.
When you look for resources on TeachersPayTeachers, what catches your eye? Usually, I end up buying products that have cute fonts and clip art. These resources sell better because they are visually appealing, to both teachers and students!
Since I started creating for TpT, I’ve found some super amazing clip artists and font creators. To make your products visually appealing, it’s important to use fonts that stand out, borders and clip art (but not too much of any because clutter is not eye-catching).
Before we get started, I have a quick tip. Create your products in Powerpoint! There’s probably a million reasons to use Powerpoint but my favorite is how easy it is to move things around.
How to Make Your Product Visually Appealing
Use Cute Fonts
I am absolutely obsessed with fonts! When I was in middle school, I would practice my handwriting and try to create my own styles and fonts. Little did I know that it’s now something called lettering (which I’m starting to get into!) None-the-less, fonts can make or break your product. A font has to stand out but also needs to be easy to read. Keep this in mind when creating your resources.
Recommendations
There are many font creators out there but the three I use the most are the TpTer’s below.
Since becoming a TpT author, I’ve become obsessed with clip art as well. There is nothing better than finding the perfect clip art to accent your page and add that extra little umph! It’s probably embarrassing how much money I’ve spent on clip art but what can I say, it’s a weakness. I’ve found some fantastic clip artists that I love and will continue to use and purchase from!
Recommendations
There are loads and loads of clip artists but my top three artists are these below.
Free downloads are so appreciated by many teachers and are super important to have in your store but are often under-utilized by many TpT sellers. Now, I know what you’re thinking: how is a FREE download going to make me money on TpT? And, why is it beneficial to have free resources in my store? It’s actually more important than you might think. Read on to find out why.
The Importance of Free Resources on TpT
Showcases the Quality of Your Work
When you offer a free resource you’re able to show buyers what kind of work you do and the quality of it. Don’t just slap up a half put together product and call it a day.. make sure you put the same amount of effort into the free resources as you do your paid resources. Buyers are going to notice the quality and will more likely purchase from you in the future.
Gets Your Name Out
Let’s face it, more people are probably going to click download on a free resource than a paid. If that’s true then make your free resources worth it. At the end of all my resources, I have a thank you and credits page. This page links to my store and to my social media accounts as well as my blog. The idea is that if a buyer likes a product, they’ll search more of my products and my name is remembered for future buys.
Can Lead to Bigger Sales
You can also utilize free resources by making them a sample or a portion of a larger paid resource. A lot of TpT sellers will put a free sample of a larger bundle or big product so buyers can test out if they like the product before purchasing. This is similar to companies sending samples of a curriculum to help teachers and administrators decide if they want to purchase. I’ve utilized this in my Guided Reading Bundle. I put a portion of this resource (the reading strategy bookmarks) for free.
Since I started selling on TpT, I’ve learned a TON about creating products, designing covers, writing descriptions and marketing. I’ve used YouTubes, Pinterest and other teacher blogs to figure out everything that goes into putting a resource up on TpT. Though the most valuable research I’ve done was looking at well known TpT author’s stores and seeing what they do. Why reinvent the wheel right? Here’s what I’ve learned throughout all my research about how to get your products noticed on TpT.
Tips to Get Your Product Noticed
Square Thumbnails
Many well known TpT authors use square thumbnails. A thumbnail is the little picture that comes up when you search for a product. The square design seems to be much more appealing to the eye. Check out Lucky Little Learners page to see some eye catching thumbnails.
Tip – To create square thumbnails, set your powerpoint slide up to be 12 in x 12 in. Also remember to use a large, bold font so it’s easily read when buyers are browsing their search.
Detailed Description
Once your product is ready, all you want to do is put it up on TpT as soon as possible to start seeing the $$ roll in. Don’t forget to take the time to write a detailed description that explains exactly what is in the resource. Check out Tara West’s resource to see a good example of a detailed description.
Tip – Add a “Let’s Connect” section that is clickable to your social media to add a personable touch and let your buyers find you on other platforms.
You’ll find this at the bottom of every one of my product descriptions!
Add a Preview
It’s important to add a preview so buyers can get a sneak peak of the product and feel more comfortable purchasing.
For big resources – convert your resource to images and in a separate powerpoint layer the images so parts of the pages can be seen. See Deanna Jump’s resource here for a good example of this!
For small resources – create a preview from your original resource by duplicating the file and delete some of the pages (so buyers aren’t seeing your entire product) and write “PREVIEW” over the pages so they are protected. Turn this document into a pdf and upload.
Market on Instagram
One way to show off your awesome resources is to post on Instagram. I created an Instagram account for only my teacher things. On there, I post my products in action and share sneak peaks of new products through my Instagram stories.
Tip – Use a program like Link in Profile to have a way for your buyers to click through to your product.
Pin them on Pinterest
Another way to share your products are to post them on Pinterest. I created a business Pinterest account for my One Kreative Kindergarten brand to share only teaching things with followers. Pinterest is such a great tool and search engine for buyers to search for your key terms and find your products.
Tip – Make a separate photo using Canva pinterest dimensions for your pins.
Tip – Join group boards on Pinterest or Tribes on Tailwind and post in those groups to hopefully get your pin re-pinned.
Post on Facebook
Now I have to admit, Facebook is the platform I know the least about because I’m just getting into it myself. However, I have joined many Facebook groups and liked different teacher pages, so I’ve noticed that many TpT authors promote on there too. I’ve seen Teach Create Motivate use Facebook lives to showcase her products. I also notice other authors posting links to their products to get the word out. Facebook can be a great marketing tool to share your resource to the teaching community.
What do you do to get your perfect product noticed?
Buyers are always looking for editable resources or a chance to tweak certain aspects of your product to make it work best for their classroom. When you are able to market your resource as having an editable option, buyers are much happier and more willing to purchase. Creating editable resources is easier than you might think! Here’s how I use PowerPoint to create editable resources.
How to Create Editable Resources Using PowerPoint
Most clipart and font artists want you to secure their clipart and font so others don’t steal their work. So, you can’t just create a resource on PowerPoint, add text boxes and upload it to TpT. The way I secure the clipart and fonts is through saving each slide as a PNG and then uploading it as a background on a separate PowerPoint.
Step by Step Directions
Create your resource on PowerPoint. Leave out any editable text boxes at this point (that will come later.)
Save the slides as PNG images. These will show up in a folder as individual slides.
Open up a NEW PowerPoint document. I label my new one as the title and editable. For example – Newsletters Editable. I do this so I know which one I’ll be uploading to TpT and there’s no confusion.
Add blank slides and add each PNG image as a background.
Insert text boxes that say edit here.
Finally, upload your awesome editable resource to TpT and watch the $$ roll in! Leave a comment below if you try this out and let me know how it worked out. Happy creating!
1. Outline what your finished product will look like.
