3 Things to do to Move Your TpT Store Forward

We'll be completely honest with you. We spent the first few weeks of this pandemic in a bit of panic mode which has the tendency to paralyze people from taking action. But we're coming out of that now and we want to share what we're doing to have some movement in our TpT business during this time.

Don't worry, we're not going to tell you to shift everything to digital products. And, we're not going to just focus on the coronavirus. The 3 things that we're going to share are things that can benefit your business right now in the midst of the pandemic but also at any other time.

1. Survey your audience

This is a tool that we've talked about before. This is a great time to be surveying your audience. A month ago, teachers felt like they needed everything.

There was no plan at that time. Everyone was in panic mode. Now, they have a better understanding of what's expected of them and what they need. So, it's a great time to survey your audience.

Here are some questions you could ask your audience:

How are you teaching right now? Are you using Google Classroom? Are you sending home packets?
What resources are you using?
What digital options are you interested in?
Is there training you would like to have?
What can I do to support you?

Think about what's been on the back burner

One of the first things that Angie did when this happened is thought about what resources teachers have asked for in the past that she hadn't worked on yet.

While something might not have been the right thing for you to create for your store in the past, it might be a better time now. If there is something your audience has asked for in the past, rethink if this is the right time to focus on it now.

Engage with your email list

Angie and I have both become more consistent with our email lists. I've been sending emails a few times a week. Teachers are overwhelmed right now and I don't think they're reading every email. But I'm being more active with my list and I'm getting more feedback.

In my emails I'm asking what teachers need, offering support, or making them aware of a resource that I have on sale. Teachers are responding with valuable feedback to let me know what they need.

Why this is so important

A lot of times, TpTers look to other TpTers to see what people want. But that's not necessarily what your audience wants. You need to find out what your specific audience is looking for.

For example, a lot of TpTers quickly started turning all their resources into digital resources, but that's not what all audiences want. You could be wasting your time doing this if your audience doesn't care about digital resources.

Think about the long-term

As you get feedback from your audience, think about how it fits into your long-term plans. You don't want to just focus on a short-term bandaid right now. You want your efforts to be something that can be good for your business for the long-haul.

As we move forward, more teachers will be more fluent with digital resources. But that doesn't mean they'll want to use them once they can get back in the classroom. That's why you need to carefully weigh what is beneficial for right now that will also be beneficial in the future.

Consider offering training sessions

I've been getting a lot of feedback by offering training sessions for teachers. I was getting a lot of questions about how to assign one of my writing assignments online. So, I ran a Facebook ad and held a one-hour training.

I got so many questions during that training that I've been able to use to create quick videos for teachers. I know a lot of people hate doing video, but it's a great way to connect with yo