As TpT Sellers, we’ve all been there. You’ve spent a large chunk of time creating a new resource that you’re really excited about, you FINALLY get it posted to TpT and then… crickets.
The unfortunatel truth is that new products just take time to gain traction in TpT’s search algorithm. And since sales (and reviews) also impact how well a product shows up in the algorithm… it can be a bit of a catch 22.
While you can’t control how TpT shows your product in the search results, there are some other things you can do to plan a strong product launch and help your new product make some early sales.
“Post n’ Pray” is not a strategy
What most sellers do when they post a new product is they just post it. By the time we finish a product we are so anxious to just have it DONE that we end up rushing what is arguably one of the most important aspects of our TpT business. The product listing ends up being too short, rushed, and lacking in keywords. Maybe we even took the shortcut of replicating another product’s listing and then forgetting to fully customize it (#guilty)
But posting in a hurry this way doesn’t give us enough time to optimize our listings, and it certainly doesn’t provide a great impression to our best customers – our followers – who will likely be first to see the product listing.
Imagine having a whole group of customers that are ready and waiting to buy your new product
This is totally possible! But in order for it to work, you have to change your mindset about how and when you post your product. Instead of being the very last thing in a long to do list, think of it as your “grand finale”.
The trick is to slow down the posting process slightly so that you have time to build interest and curiosity in your product before it actually becomes available.
#1: Take a breather
Unless you have an urgent reason for getting the product posted (a scheduled installment of a growing bundle, for example) taking a break before you post will help make sure that you create a listing that is just as high quality as the product itself.
Go ahead and create the listing whenever you’re ready, but uncheck the box that makes it active. This way you can take your time to work on the listing, come back and add improvements later, and then post it when it’s looking great. This way your followers won’t see it until you’re ready.
A lot of the time, TpT sellers don’t take photos of products until after they are posted. By slowing this process down, you’ll have more time to produce photo and video, meaning a more complete product listing right from the get go.
#2: Build hype surrounding your product launch
Don’t wait until your product is done to tell everyone about it. Talking about a new product BEFORE it is available often sounds and feels less “salesy” because your customers couldn’t have it even if they wanted to. Use your social media and email list to generate buzz about the
#3: Generate engagement
Get your customers involved by getting feedback on some aspect of the product. They will pay more attention to something they feel they have had a hand in creating.
#4: Make sure your audience knows when they can buy the resource
Count down to your “launch day”. Mail your email list and create a series of posts on social media. (Only a small percentage of your audience will see your post – especially on Facebook – so a series of 3-5 posts will have a much better chance of getting seen.)
#5 Don’t expect search to bring in traffic right away
Search engine optimization is super important, but it takes time to take effect. So while optimization of your product page, and blog post, and pinterest pins are also super important, don’t consider them part of your “launch” process because it won’t take effect quickly enough.
Need more help launching your products?
The “New Product Launch Planner & Checklist” pages in The TpT Architect Planner will take you through every detail of this process.
Leave a Reply