Lots of teachers upload their content onto platforms like TPT, in the hope of making some easy money on the side. While this was true in the early days of online platforms, today’s marketplace is far more competitive with lots of sellers vying for position in the search rankings. These days, showcasing your resources to attract attention and gain traction with potential buyers is key. Today we take a look at how to use your thumbnails (those little snapshot images on each resource page) to drive customers towards the purchase screen rather than scrolling on.
Updating thumbnails is a great strategy to help give your sales a boost and keep potential buyers’ eyes on your store for longer.
This is a thumbnail. It shows potential buyers what is included in the resource. The pull out box tells buyers what they can do with the resource - print and display. The header makes sure they know what they are getting when they click the BUY button.
Why do I need thumbnails?
Thumbnails tell your reader what your resource is all about. They are like tiny windows onto your resource, sharing a glimpse that is often only held for a moment or two. Readers are typically scrolling on a phone, so their eye movement is vertical and brief. This means you need to make sure your thumbnail catches their attention and holds it. Ideally they will view each thumbnail and continue on to the preview.
A header at the top and sub heading below the image works well for vertical scrolling on a phone.
Resource in action
Teachers are busy people – that’s why they are visiting your store! They want to see what your resource does and how it works, so they can imagine it in their own classroom. Take the hard work out of the buying process for them so they have a good picture of how they can use your resource with their students. You want them to continue to the preview thinking ‘Yep, I can see how that works with my grade!’
Showing what the activity looks like when it is completed by a student helps teachers picture how it will work in their own class.
Clear and accurate
If your resource only has one page for assessments or checklists and 90 pages of self directed activities, don’t focus on the one page in your thumbnails. By all means mention that an assessment is included, but avoid misleading a potential buyer into thinking your resource is all about something it is not. Make your thumbnails clear and accurate, so they showcase the content that is in your resource.
Use thumbnails that are a good reflection of what is included in the resource. These examples from a weighing and measuring resource for high school life skills numeracy activity shows what the worksheets look like when they have been filled out, so teachers can see what students need to do to experience success with the learning activity.
Switch out those templates
Lots of sellers are moving to templates as a time saving, but they do come with a potential downside - they can become a little stereotyped and repetitive. Lots of sellers are marketing templates for covers and thumbnails, and while these are great for branding they are often less effective at showcasing how a resource works. Remember the early days when the cute, round faced images of children on TPT still seemed unique and engaging?
Templates run the risk of becoming similar, with so many sellers using them that they lose their edge.
Chances are if you are buying a template because it’s caught your attention, there will already be hundreds of other sellers already using exactly the same one.
Instead, take the time to print, use and show your resource in action. Grab out those coloured pencils and pens, find an obliging young person and a mock up of a school desk or table and showcase what your resource really looks like in the hands of a student. While it probably won’t have the high quality production look of a template, it will be a clear, honest look at how the resource works. And that is what a thumbnail is really all about.
So if your TPT thumbnails are starting to look a little tired, maybe it’s time to devote a few hours to showcasing your best resources and increasing your views and sales. It takes some time and effort, but the end result will definitely be worthwhile!
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