TpT Forward 2021 - Simply WOW!

I am blown away!  This year's TpT Forward conference is/was amazing.  I say "is" because I am still working my way through it! I want to see it all!  

I should tell you, I did the TpT Forward conference in 2020, but was so overwhelmed by the end I was just frozen. I truly have not done anything, other than have ideas, but I just could not bring myself to act, in any capacity. It was a truly terrible year for teachers, inventing teaching from home via Zoom, to hybrid models, etc. I did return to the classroom as a teacher teaching on call (TTOC) but in a very limited capacity. I took my health very seriously, and even managed to lose 65 pounds! That was MY big WIN! 

Fast forward to TpT Forward 2021.  I am taking the conference in smaller increments - only a few each day.  I have reconfigured my office with the two-monitor model, and I must say, I like it!  

I am mastering Airtable!  I am able to import the TpT stats with the click of a button!  If you haven't tried it, here is a link: Airtable.com.  It is so far beyond a spreadsheet, and free! 

I also learned more tips from Chandra Martin (TpT - Teacher Game Room) about PowerPoint.  I was pretty proficient before, but she had a few tips and tricks I did not know. 

I am also confident that I can now convert my PowerPoint presentations and PDFs into Google slides and TpT Easel products. I am motivated to create better products for teachers.  

Even though it is summer, and I have put new batteries into my motorhome, ($740!) I am deciding to stay home.  We have fires all around us here in B.C. and my piece of the province is considered under a state of emergency.  I am safe, but can see smoke and flames in the hills to the east of me from my livingroom window. The show of helicopters lifting "bags" of water at the airport is mesmerizing, all from the comfort of my home. I took in displaced evacuees while the evacuation orders where implemented. What a crazy year 2020-21 has been.  

What I would like to tell you is that I am putting my entire store on sale for two days, before I update my products and potentially increase my prices, as was recommended at the conference. Know that once you own a product, and changes and/or improvements are made, you simply download the newest version. Score!  If you have a wish list of products you would like to see improved or changed, please drop me a line via artskillsforlife@gmail.com.  I am truly in a working head space, finally!  Click the image to go to my store.     

Remember to work smarter, not harder.  Have a great summer!   

  

  

Product Previews

I thought I was pretty tech saavy, as I wrote in the TpT forum of how I make my previews.  I was gently told that what I was creating were thumbnails, not previews.  She was right!

And with that, I have promptly created my first video preview.  I already see a few improvements I could make, but as my first attempt, I think it worked out well enough.  Now I have a YouTube Channel!

URL Building

There is SO much to learn!

On my TpT journey, it started with creating products (lessons).
Then came the creation of a blog, facebook page, twitter account, instagram, pinterest . . . and so on!
These often seem like a time consuming exercises, but as driving viewers (potential customers) to your TpT store is the goal, it is a necessary exercise.

My latest learning curve includes the creation of URL and UTM codes.  Have I lost you yet?  I'm getting there!  Tomorrow night is the TpT Webinar about UTM codes, so I've poured myself into it for the last week to get a better understanding of it, and so I would be part of the conversation.  I am also taking a UDEMY digital marketing course, and I have certainly gained some valuable insight about how to do many new things. More to come on that topic when I'm done the course.

So, the URL is the web address of your product, blog, site, etc.  This is pretty straight forward, and often very long!  For example:  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Interactive-Puzzles-Hummingbird-3070919  There are URL shorteners, such as Bitly.com and Goo.gl which will shorten your URL, for example, bitly.com created http://bit.ly/2nuHzHA, and goo.gl created https://goo.gl/rc7sws.  Both links will direct you to the TpT website, where hopefully someone will want to buy it for classroom or personal use.  That is part one.

If you go back to the bitly.com page, you will see statistics - how many clicks and where they came from.  They more bitly URL codes, the more data you will receive.

The easiest QR Reader app I have found is this one.  I use it on my iPhone and iPad, and it works like a charm.

From the goo.gl page, you will also see statistics - clicks, browsers, platforms and countries.  It will also create a QR code for the link:

 

The easiest QR Reader app I have found is this one.  I use it on my iPhone and iPad, and it works like a charm. So far so good?  If you have it, try the QR Code above and see what happens.    

Now comes the TpT URL code builder. Start here. This will explain what it is all about. Once you've done that, go here.   

I created a spreadsheet to keep track of all the various codes, as there will be a different one for Pinterest (no shortened codes work here),Twitter, Facebook, BlogSpot, and so on.  It looks something like this:  

This takes me the better part of the evening to complete and then post to each site.  Tonight, this blog is taking up the most time, but I feel it important to share what I am learning, as many TpT authors have been very generous with me.  

When I go to my TpT Dashboard, and view Traffic, I can see where the clicks came from, very specifically, such as Pinterest, facebook, etc.  My digital marketing course is telling me that this information is very valuable.  It will tell me where I need to spend the most time with promotion as the traffic is driven from very specific places.  

I often go to http://tpt.naujok.com to see my own TpT growth.  Check out your own TpT store here.  I have personal goals of where I want to be with my store, and the growth curve keeps me motivated.  I am coming up to my second anniversary as a TpT seller and am very happy with how things are going.  

What I am learning will be useful for the TpT marketing, but also for the two web-sites I manage for others.  It has been worth my time and trouble and I hope I have laid this out for others to follow and understand.  Please feel free to share a link to this blog if you think it was useful.  

Thanks,

Doris 

Custom TpT Categories

I have been asked how I created my emoji icons in my custom categories list.  Here's how!

Go to the My Product Listings page from your dashboard.  See mine: Custom Categories

Select Manage Your Categories at the bottom of the list.  The edit view is this:

   

Go to your emoji keyboard, on your iPad, and try some out.  Once you commit, you will see if it worked or not by seeing the saved visual after you click.   

If it did not, the category will be empty of all text, but still indicate how many projects are in the category.  I suggest only changing one category at a time!  

This will require some trial and error time, as some emojis do not work. 

I hope this helps!  Thanks for checking in, and check out a category which may be useful to you while you are at it!  

All the best in customizing your page!   

TPT Featured Author - Me!

Advertising Works!  

This TpT newsletter feature has resulted in breaking my best month's sales record, has added many new followers, has moved me up almost 1000 spots in TpT ranking, and it is only the middle of January!  The bigger change is that I am inspired again!  I have already created two new items and am working hard on a very comprehensive course presentation, which I may be teaching for semester two! I should know by the end of this week. I hope it all falls into place.  So much for retirement!

TPT Newsletter #392

One month

These graphs are created by The Colorado Classroom, and allows viewers to see their own stats, and those of other TpT stores.  I check here frequently!  I learn so much here!  If you like this link, do let Brittany know you where there!

One year

I became a premier seller in April 2015, and my store growth has been steady, but I see how promotion is crucial to growth.  Even though I have a facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, WordPress, Blogger, Pinterest, and Google+, I have not utilized these very well, at all!  Looking at the TpT traffic stats they lead me to believe most views are directly from TpT, with Pinterest a distant second and Facebook third.  So, where should I devote my time?  I still think it is in creating new lessons.  I enjoy that much more than posting, here, there and everywhere.  I don't know how some sellers do it all!  Anyway, slow and steady is how I work, and so, I will happily carry on.  Sales and feedback tell me I am doing something good.  Yeah!    

2017

Happy New Year!  Do you have a New Year's resolution?  I do . . .

I have not be very good at writing a blog; terrible, in fact.  I spend SO much time on the computer, it really is nearing addiction level.  Between TpT, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and a Blog, I just can't do it all!  Did I forget one?  Oh yes, Instagram!  That one I'm even worse at!

And so January started with Teacher Pay Teachers putting me as the feature Teacher-Author in their newsletter!  How exciting!

Well, talk about renewed energy and inspiration!  I've already added two new products, reached record sales (and am only halfway through January!), and have new followers.  I needed this!  Spring cleaning will have to wait!  

I promise I will try harder with my blog!  Will bloglovin help?

Thanks!

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TpT Newsletter - My Freebie!

TpT Connection

What a lovely day today was!  I got to meet another TpT Teacher-Author!
To talk in person was wonderful.  We shared ideas, links, tips, tricks and planted seeds of new lessons.  The biggest seed planted was to consider attending the TpT conference in July.
Click the logo to check it out.  Stay tuned!

TpT Conference

Camera ready today!

I was so glad I had my camera along today.  In the morning I saw coyotes and deer, but on the way home, when not in a rush, I could stop the capture the beauty around me.  I feel blessed. 

Mountain Goat

Young White-Tailed Deer

Mountain Sheep

I was enjoying swan photography last week, but they are gone now. 

Trumpeter Swan

This is why the photographer in me always carries a camera! 

What a great day!  

   

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog - established January 2016!