Groups: Member
Joined: 6/19/2009
Posts: 26
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Interesting to see this thread, I have over 550 products in four stores which I opened to try and create some sort of "niche" outlets. I have sold very few items however although I have been told my art and designs are good.
I try to write a description which describes the products without repeating the zazzle description and I have up to 10 tags on all products, say between 6 and 10. I try to avoid tag spam.
I promote on Facebook and twitter and also on squidoo. All it seems to no avail.
I do take on board the comments about regular attention and I do try but feel it is so very pointless. There must be something that I am missing. If anybody could help by taking a quick peek at my store and suggest what I should do, I would be so grateful.
Hope that I am not in the wrong by posting this on this thread, but it does seem to be relevant.
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Groups: ProSeller
Joined: 10/15/2011
Posts: 470
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hi,
Here is my two cents. I am an artist more then a business man.
I actually tried promoting my work on websites, facebook, tweeter, and anywhere else.
I was making sales. Woo HOO!!!!!!!!!!!
but NONE came from my promoting but for people promoting me.
There are only two places I sell, here in the MP and 3rd party.
I was devasted when i found out that i spend hours, months promotinn promoting and not ONE sale.
So, with that said, here is my little advice.
Go to the promoting part of this forum and if people are asking for products to promote for you, give them your links.
Plus, just keep working on the art stuff and add tons of products to your zazzle shop.
I dont add much anymore to my blog or facebook or any site that i made trying to promote, it was just a waste of time wheen i could of been adding more products.
I know a lot will disagree with me, but this is how I got sales, and it had nothing to do with my own promoting im afraid.
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Groups: ProSeller
Joined: 12/23/2010
Posts: 369
Location: Scotland
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39designs wrote:
Go to the promoting part of this forum and if people are asking for products to promote for you, give them your links.
Plus, just keep working on the art stuff and add tons of products to your zazzle shop.
I tried promoting but I just don't get all that F.B/squidoo/twitter stuff. So I leave it to folk who do (THANKYOU!), I'd rather spend my time designing. I don't think there are many who can do both well, its probably a case of either spend time on one or the other. A few talented people can do both, and I take my hat off to them, I don't know how they do it. I guess it probably helps if you can use more than one finger to type.
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Groups: ProSeller
Joined: 3/28/2011
Posts: 672
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39designs wrote:I know a lot will disagree with me, but this is how I got sales, and it had nothing to do with my own promoting im afraid.
My experience is the same. I think I've had about two self-referrals in the whole time I've been here. I do auto-tweet (since that takes no time once it's set up), but other than that I focus on my building up my store and improving my design skills. And I really appreciate the people who refer my stuff  As for the OP, I don't have the right kind of personality to deal with people face to face.  But I can see how a stall could be a good sales outlet for those who do.
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Groups: ProSeller
Joined: 4/15/2010
Posts: 1,389
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I love that I have the ability to "hide" behind a computer screen and still sell my merchandise. People can choose to buy my work or not based on my work, not ME per se, and I don't have to face that rejection repeatedly. I lack the people skills and self confidence to deal with people face to face, and probably would blow every potential sale by opening my mouth.
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Groups: ProSeller
Joined: 8/4/2008
Posts: 2,165
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I look at it this way. I'm not a fan of marketing, but its a necessary evil. So, as much as I enjoy the art part, I'm also trying to learn as much as I can about the marketing part. It's been worth the effort
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Groups: ProSeller
Joined: 11/5/2009
Posts: 78
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I've just started Zazzling again after a lapse of few years. A couple of sales here and there. Nothing to shout about, but I'm in it for good this time. I'm seeing one similarity in Zazzlers who are making sales - they keep plugging on.
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Groups: ProSeller
Joined: 4/10/2011
Posts: 220
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I started here on zazzle a little over a year ago. I had absolutely no marketing experience, and detested even thinking about it. Since then, I have three shops here, and two in the works that are offsite. I did the facebook, twitter, etc., but as has been stated, for most, it isn't worth the effort.
There are people who make great money on zazzle, and many who don't make enough for a 6-pack in a 12-month period. I'm only a basic proseller, but over the last year, I've learned quite a bit about marketing. I just came back to zazzle after about a 5 month interval, and am now armed and ready to make some real money.
Although being an artist is awesome, you are not going to make much without some sort of promotion; even with others promoting for you. What I've learned in conversations with zazzlers who make quite a bit here, I've learned the following:
Keep a shop or 2 here on zazzle to showcase your art.
Get a mailing list. Write about once per week on a specific design and send it out. 1/10th of 1% of people receiving your email, generally, will buy. With an average of 26,000 potential customers reading each short article, do the math.
Spend a little money on your own website and domain, and promote other artists shops. This way, you can still create your own art, and make money without sacrificing it.
Get business cards and leave them wherever you go. You don't have to personally give them to people if you don't wish to; leave them at restaurants, libraries, campuses, etc.
Take money you've earned, and then open more and more referral shops.
I've been told time and again that if you want to make any real money online, you are eventually going to have to spend some. One zazzler I know makes an average of 4,000.00/mo. What I've written above is how she does it, and, now that I can afford it, is exactly what I'm going to do.
Anyway, I know it's depressing not making sales. I made less than 100.00 over a four month period. Now I make more than that, and with an email list and a .com website, I look forward to making a lot more.
Being an artist is great, but if you really do want to make a living at it, you're going to face the fact that you'll need some business/marketing experience as well. I don't like marketing, but if it keeps me away from the slavery of a 9-5...I'll market till I drop.
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Groups: ProSeller
Joined: 11/21/2004
Posts: 507
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Sean Parsons wrote:
Get a mailing list. Write about once per week on a specific design and send it out. 1/10th of 1% of people receiving your email, generally, will buy. With an average of 26,000 potential customers reading each short article, do the math.
Thanks for your useful post. When you say get a mailing list do you mean buy a mailing list?
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Groups: Member
Joined: 9/29/2010
Posts: 13
Location: Bath
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Hi everyone, Thank you so much for all your surprising encouragement, interesting and useful comments and suggestions! I'll definitely be looking in to acting on some of these points very soon and seeing how it goes, but at the moment I'm concentrating on my solo show of paintings next month. I'm also particularly interested in how you get a mailing list. Sorry I haven't responded sooner but my computer recently stopped working. After my show I'd like to get in touch, perhaps individually. Thanks, Mark www.starhead-designs.co.uk
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Groups: ProSeller
Joined: 3/12/2012
Posts: 20
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Starhead wrote:Hi everyone, Thank you so much for all your surprising encouragement, interesting and useful comments and suggestions! I'll definitely be looking in to acting on some of these points very soon and seeing how it goes, but at the moment I'm concentrating on my solo show of paintings next month. I'm also particularly interested in how you get a mailing list. Sorry I haven't responded sooner but my computer recently stopped working. After my show I'd like to get in touch, perhaps individually. Thanks, Mark www.starhead-designs.co.uk I am so glad you started this post! I am new to Zazzle and not selling can be so discouraging. Self promoting is almost painful. I love the concept of being able to see my pictures on products and not having to deal with customers. There are some very helpful posts here. Thank you
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Groups: Member
Joined: 4/9/2011
Posts: 19
Location: Charleston
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Hello, everyone. So appreciate all the tips here. Very helpful. Wonderful insight.
I used to sell quite a few shoes, when we had them. Can you please chime in with the items that you sell the most of? I have about 140 designs to put on items, so I want to start with the items that are most popular first.
Thanks for any help you might be able to give.
Lynne
ArtHauntsme
Alaskafilms
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Groups: ProSeller
Joined: 4/10/2011
Posts: 220
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Sorry, I haven't checked this thread in a while...
For those who aren't aware of mailing lists, basically you pay a certain amount of money to a site that has collected e-mails from people willing to receive offers from other sites. It isn't spam, as these people "opt-in". I use mail millions dot com. I think I paid around 30 dollars for a 26,000 email list.
The marketing theory is that 1/10 of 1% of people who receive this list will buy what one is selling; so, if you do the math, it's worth the money. The one I use is life-time membership, meaning I can send-out as many emails as I wish for as long as I like. It's a good idea to host your store on your own website and have a place for people to sign-up to your mailing list. Then not only will you have those who already opted-in, but your list will grow with future sign-ups.
Another thing that helps with sales is to write articles on some of your products. Squidoo and E-Zines are very popular sites for this. For example, if you have a design of a cute irish setter, you could write a 400 word article on irish terriers, and leave a link to your product with that design and/or to your Zazzle store. The idea is to connect all of your articles to your store.
What some Zazzlers also do is to sign-up for social bookmarking sites like redditt, pingler, twitter, etc. These can be used on a daily basis to promote your products/store.
I should say that although I'm a ProSeller, I'm only basic. However, these are tried-and-true methods that high-end zazzlers employ.
If you're more interested in making money than art (like myself, admittedly), then I would definitely consider opening as many referral websites as you can manage while still having the time to promote each one and make it as awesome as possible. For every sale, you earn at least 15%, and when you pull from the marketplace, you can have many more thousands of products than is possible to create on one's own.
Oh yea, and DEFINITELY get the Google Keyword Tool and learn how to use it! That might be the most important of all!!
My input to ArtHauntsMe's question: stickers and postcards are my best-sellers by far. It really differs from one person to another as to what they sell the most of, but those two I definitely sell the most of.
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Groups: ProSeller
Joined: 9/24/2009
Posts: 3,962
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ArtHauntsMe wrote:Hello, everyone. So appreciate all the tips here. Very helpful. Wonderful insight.
I used to sell quite a few shoes, when we had them. Can you please chime in with the items that you sell the most of? I have about 140 designs to put on items, so I want to start with the items that are most popular first.
Thanks for any help you might be able to give.
Lynne
ArtHauntsme
Alaskafilms From my wedding store - Invitations Buttons/Pins Keychains Thank You cards Stickers Shirts From my variety store - Business Cards Shirts Greeting Cards Posters Postage Stamps Party Invitations Stickers
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Groups: ProSeller
Joined: 5/24/2009
Posts: 1,325
Location: Garner
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Why do the products THAT I WANT TO SELL not sell & the products with lower royalties sell?
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Groups: Member
Joined: 10/10/2009
Posts: 45
Location: Cordova
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Starhead, I can so relate to your frustration. Like you I’ve had a lot of folks compliment my work, but then not buy. It makes me want to say something like, “Put your money where your mouth is!”, rather I just bite my lips, smile and thank them instead. I too am first and foremost an artist. My marketing skills are at best on a rookie level. That said, I do continue to strive, to learn, and to hope for more sales. I’m using Facebook, Pinterest, and a few other social networks, but so far those have only brought in some of the afore mentioned compliments without sales. It is great that you have found success in your stall sales. I’ve tried that too, with minimal good results. I’ve also been putting my art in the art show at a local annual convention in Memphis, TN, for several years. That too has had good results, sometimes. I create digital abstract and fractal art, as well as science fiction and fantasy art, and the ironic thing about that convention is that it is a Science Fiction and Fantasy convention, where the biggest part of my sales are not my science fiction and fantasy art, but my fractal art instead; go figure. Here at Zazzle my fractal and abstract art products have been well greeted, but sales are rather low. I’m working hard on my store, but it does seem that all my efforts at promoting are barely achieving anything. It does sometimes feel like I’m spinning my wheels in place and remaining stuck in some kind of holding pattern. I really want to get out of that particular state. Wow,  I’m exited about what 39designs says about the promoting part of this forum, where people are asking for products to promote for you when you give them your links. I was completely unaware of that. Obviously, I need to explore these forums more.  I will most definitely look for that and give it a try. However, meanwhile I must get back to work on my store. I’m in the process of correcting a little mistake I made with the “categories” in my store. Unfortunately, this may take a while to get it all straightened out, too. We live and learn. Once I get my category problem all fixed up, I will explore the forums more extensively, and especially check out this promoting part 39designs speaks of. Thank you 39designs. And thank you, Starhead for starting this discussion.
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Groups: ProSeller
Joined: 7/14/2009
Posts: 22
Location: Pearson
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So glad I found this topic. Now I know I am not alone regarding juggling my art and struggling to promote and market it. The irony for me is that I've been in the business of promoting/advertisng for an array of others' business long before I discovered my own creative abilites. Yet, I get shy about promoting my own endeavors.
Most of my earnings via Zazzle have gone toward promoting my store by gifts and giveaways using Facebook. Probably not going to add up to a lot of sales, but seeing as how I am there doing my activism bit so much, I figured I may as well use it as much as I can. My usual mode of working is to go with the flow..meaning my mind wanders a lot of territory during any given time span..with some periods of intense focus every now and then.
I post links to to FB of any sites which I come across that show my work. Also, I post the link to each sale which I make on Zazzle on FB.
My husband(the breadwinner of our household) and I are in the process of putting together a blog about our RV lifestyle which will include my art/Zazzle work along with other projects which he will be focusing on with which to aid our journey. When/if we make enough $ thru my Zazzle we will then be able to invest in inventory which we plan to sell at various stops(festivals, shows, conventions...or by the side of the road).
Main point for us is that if it were not for the possibilites offered thru Zazzle we don't see how we could even be thinking of taking my art further. Rome wasn't built in a day and we are taking it one day at a time, building on the resources which we have and without going into debt or taking risks which we can't afford.
We appreciate Zazzle each and every day!
Peace and Blessings,
Judy and Doug
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Groups: ProSeller
Joined: 6/13/2012
Posts: 105
Location: Minneapolis
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Thanks for such an inspirational and useful topic! I just started here a couple of months ago and working very hard at adding new items and making my shop even better!
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Groups:
Joined: 1/14/2007
Posts: 143
Location: Tampa
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I feel like the "magic formula" to selling well here is QUALITY and QUANTITY...
I've felt my designs have been of good quality and wondered why my sales weren't higher, but in the last couple of months I really put much more effort into increasing the shear Quantity of products in my shops... it's not easy because I need to create each product (no Quick Create for me, thanks) BUT I have definitely seen a rise in my sales for this increase in products
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Groups: Member
Joined: 4/5/2011
Posts: 201
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Can anyone tell me what the Google Keyword Tool is and how it will help my store? Thanks http://www.zazzle.com/aggelikis
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