Selling on TPT 101: Making Catchy Covers and Using Thumbnails

Welcome to TPT 101: Part 8! We're getting ready to wrap up the series; only two more posts after this one. (Click on these links to find Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, and Part 7). 

 

So, you've created your unique, quality product, made sure you followed copyright and trademark guidelines, flattened and secured your work--time to finally list it, right?!

 

Not quite yet, but you're getting close! Now you need to make covers and thumbnails for your product. 

 

Your cover is the image that will show up in search results and be prominent when someone clicks on your product. The thumbnails are the three other images buyers can click on when perusing your product.

Here's an example of a cover image from one of my latest products.

The space TPT gives you for covers and thumbnails is square, so I recommend making your images square, as well, to use all of the space and also give the impression you are familiar with the platform and care enough to make your products look neat. I create in PowerPoint and simply make my slide size square, add in my elements, then save the slides as JPG images. There are other programs you can use to create, too; many sellers like Canva. Anything that works for you and allows commercial use is fine.

When making your covers, don't try to show everything; that's what your preview is for (we'll talk about previews in Part 9). Just show enough to catch the eye and pique buyers' interest. There are millions of products on TPT, you want yours to stand out! Use big text and minimal information.

I have found that I have the best results when I use photographs (when possible), so I highly recommend it. Shots of your resource in action can help buyers visualize the product in their own classroom and showcase how awesome your resource is. However, when utilizing photos, do NOT show students or their work! (That's a huge FERPA violation, not to mention a poor ethical decision to use your time in the classroom to work on commercial endeavors. All TPT work should occur off the clock). Most in-action photos you see are staged, with sellers completing any "work" themselves. I've even been known to write with my left hand on a paper to make it look more childlike--whatever works! Sellers also frequently use their own children to stage photographs.

Thumbnails from the same product I showed above

After your cover, create your three thumbnails. These are your advertising space! Highlight what makes your product unique and valuable. Again, don't try to show everything! Just pick a few important things you want your buyers to know. The rest will be in your product description and preview.

Once you create your cover and thumbnails, you are only one step away from being able to list your product! Keep an aye out for TPT 101: Part 9, coming soon!

Keep teaching (and creating) with heart and passion!