The Savvy Teacher Seller with Kristen Doyle

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One thing many TPT sellers need to prepare for is protecting their websites in order to prevent hacks. It's easy to assume nobody would try to hack your "small business”. But it is happening more and more lately, especially in the teacher-seller community. Fortunately, there are a lot of things that can be done to try and prevent hacks. It is not only crucial for protecting your valuable assets but also for protecting your customers and their data if you have a shop on your website.In today's episode, I'm sharing the best steps you can take today to secure your site and how to build a strong foundation when it comes to user accounts and website access. Plus, you’ll hear the importance of auditing your plugins and themes to prevent hackers from getting into your site, and the number one way to prepare yourself for the worst.01:49 - How to build a strong foundation for user accounts05:13 - The importance of choosing a reliable host for your website07:39 -  Why do you need to audit your current website plugins and themes13:25 - The best way to prepare yourself for the worst-case scenarioFor all resources, head to the show notes: https://kristendoyle.co/episode49Support the show

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Do you cringe when it comes to managing your business finances? Most TPT Sellers struggle in this area because it’s something they’ve never had to do before starting a business, and it might feel a bit scary.It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting your business or a veteran seller. This episode will clear up any confusion and lay a solid foundation to start feeling confident with your TPT finances. To continue our money series, I am diving into the importance of keeping your business finances separated from your personal, how to set up and maintain your business budget, and the importance of keeping your finances organized to stay profitable. Be sure to check out the first episode in this series to hear more about managing your money!01:15 - The importance of separating your personal and business finances 03:56 - How to use a budget to get your business finances in order06:20 - Guidelines for what to pay yourself and how much to save for taxes09:02 - My top recommendation for tools to use for business bookkeeping 11:30 - Why you should always keep money in your business accountGet one month of bookkeeping free with Bench Accounting - affiliate linkFor all resources, head to the show notes: https://kristendoyle.co/episode48

Do you ever feel like you can't afford something you want to invest in for your business, or do you need help to make ends meet with your TPT income and teaching salary? You're not alone! This episode will break it down for you.When you think about your business finances, your first thought is probably wondering how much to spend on ads or how much you should pay yourself. But the first step to achieving financial success is actually to get your personal finances in order before tackling your business finances. In today's episode, we are kicking off our money series by getting your personal finances under control. I'm diving into why it's critical to tackle your personal finances first, how to create a budget that prepares you for the high and low seasons, how to tackle paying off debt, and when is the best time to start investing for the future.00:39 - The first step to financial success in your business03:10 - How to create a budget to prepare for all seasons in your business06:59 - The importance of paying off debt first08:35 - When to start investing your money for retirement and future goalsFor all resources, head to the show notes: https://kristendoyle.co/episode47

I'm bringing back a guest speaker by popular request! Jarrett Vaucher is joining me for the second time on the podcast. We are covering the most critical topics regarding using TPT Data to make decisions.  Our guest Jarrett created Your Data Playbook, which helps TPT sellers understand and use our data to drive strategy and results for growing our TPT stores. He loves helping TPT sellers understand how to use data as a strategic tool to develop and optimize their stores. In today's episode, we discuss specific ways to use your TPT data to drive your decision-making and increase your sales. Jarrett explains how to price TPT items using data-driven decisions and shares all about the brand-new Your Data Playbook keyword research tool for TPT Data! 02:50 - Jarret shares how to use TPT data to increase sales and make data-driven decisions 06:38 - How to know when to raise your TPT product's prices and when to make adjustments to your existing products 15:47 -  The opportunity to implement seasonal pricing within your TPT Store 25:12 - Your Data Playbook’s brand new Keyword research tool and how we can use it to grow our TPT businesses Check out Your Data Playbook - affiliate linkFor all resources, head to the show notes: https://kristendoyle.co/episode46

Do you need help knowing what to believe regarding all the TPT SEO Myths? It can be hard to differentiate which SEO practices will help as a TPT seller and which will only waste your time and energy!SEO is my area of expertise, and I'm here to debunk some of the most common myths circulating the TPT world and break down what you need to know about each. We don't need to waste more time on unnecessary SEO tactics that won't benefit your TPT store. In this episode, I'm debunking five common TPT SEO myths, sharing why these tactics will not improve your TPT SEO, and how to avoid these common mistakes as a TPT seller. After this episode, you will confidently know which myths to ignore and save yourself time!00:58 - The effect of adding keywords to file names03:39 - What does changing the metadata on your PDF files actually do?04:46 - The truth about TPT Store categories and SEO Keywords06:24 - Best practices for changing your product titles on TPTFor all resources, head to the show notes: https://kristendoyle.co/episode45

As a TPT Seller, the right time management tips can make or break your daily success in juggling all the hats you wear. It's critical to have simple ways to save time in your business because we could all use more hours in the day.To successfully juggle it all, you must have planned ahead of time to make the most of the time you have, and I'm sharing the exact time-saving hacks I use in my own business to get more done!In this episode, I'm sharing my top four tips for saving time as a busy TPT seller, how to apply these tips based on your specific business season, and how to make the most of the time you have.00:58 - The importance of focusing on needle-moving tasks 02:37 - How to evaluate which marketing strategies are creating the most ROI04:42 - Using moments of waiting to complete simple tasks during busy days05:12 - How to put templates and SOPs in place to save time and mental energyFor all resources, head to the show notes: https://kristendoyle.co/episode44Support the show

Have you wondered if Pinterest is even worth your time as a TPT Seller? This episode will cover all you need to know about how Pinterest works in 2023!Today’s guest is Kate Ahl, the owner of Simple Pin Media, and she has nearly ten years of supporting clients with Pinterest for their businesses. Kate loves teaching others how to add Pinterest to their marketing strategy to see long-term growth without feeling overwhelmed.In today’s episode, Kate shares why Pinterest is worth our time in 2023, how to approach your marketing efforts as a TPT seller on Pinterest, the mindset shift needed to see success when using Pinterest, and what you need to know about the need to create new pins. 02:16 - Kate shares how she got started with Pinterest Marketing04:17 - Why Pinterest is worth your time in 2023 as a marketing tool9:35 - Tips for using Pinterest to see results as a TPT Seller15:45 - What you need to know about creating fresh pins17:47 - The mindset shift needed when approaching Pinterest as a marketing tool20:56 - Everything you need to know about Pinterest AdsFor all resources, head to the show notes: https://kristendoyle.co/episode43Support the show

Do you need help with managing multiple lead magnets in your TPT business? I'm sharing a four-step process for managing multiple email opt-ins for your list.Most teacher sellers have more lead magnets than other types of online business owners. As you may have already figured out, it can very quickly become overwhelming to try and balance them all. In today’s episode, I’ve got you covered with a four-step process to help you manage multiple lead magnets effectively. Plus, we'll dive into why generic email marketing advice just doesn’t cut it for teacher sellers and how to prioritize which lead magnets to promote so you can focus on the ones that will give you the best return on investment. Tune in to take control of your multiple lead magnets and streamline your email marketing strategy! 🚀01:20 - Why typical email marketing advice isn’t ideal for teacher sellers02:05 - How to evaluate and determine your most effective lead magnets04:07 - The purpose of identifying your primary focus for your lead magnets05:09 - The difference between primary and secondary lead magnets For all resources, head to the show notes: https://kristendoyle.co/episode42Get the free email marketing episode playlist: https://kristendoyle.co/free-email-marketing-playlist/Support the show

Are you tired of staring at a blank screen with a blinking cursor when it's time to write your emails? I've got you covered with this episode as we dive into how to take your email marketing to the next level.Today's guest is Kate Doster, the creator of the Love Your List 2.0 Email Marketing Mega Course and an all-around email marketing expert! Kate's approach is different from the usual "bro-tactics". Instead, her approach focuses on building trust and connection with her email list subscribers.In our conversation, Kate shares her best advice for beating writer's block, building an authentic connection and trust with your audience, converting your subscribers into paying customers, and learning how to apply your real-life teaching experience to your emails.04:07 - How to know what to write in your email marketing content10:58 - Tips for building trust and creating authentic connections with email subscribers17:44 - Kate shares her best tips for beating writer’s block when it comes to email marketing24:00 - How to get email subscribers to convert into paying customers32:15 - Kate answers my rapid-fire email marketing questionsFor all resources, head to the show notes: https://kristendoyle.co/episode41Get the email marketing episode playlist: https://kristendoyle.co/free-email-marketing-playlist/Support the show

Are you ready to start an email list for your TPT business but need help figuring out where to start? I'm breaking it down into three simple steps to start without feeling overwhelmed!As we all know, social media algorithms are constantly changing, and TPT needs to give us a way to contact our buyers. Creating an email list is essential for having a way to reach our audiences. In today's episode, we are diving into the three simple steps for starting your email list, how to choose your email marketing provider, how to select your opt-in lead magnet, the best ways to promote your lead magnet, and a step-by-step walkthrough of getting your opt-in to your email list.00:40 - The Power of email marketing as a TPT Seller01:28 - What to look for when choosing email providers04:34 - How to build a lead magnet that attracts the right audience06:01 - The best ways to share your lead magnet to grow your email list07:44 - How to deliver your lead magnet to subscribers using ConvertKit and FlodeskFor all resources, head to the show notes: https://kristendoyle.co/episode40Get the email marketing episode playlist: https://kristendoyle.co/free-email-marketing-playlist/Support the show

In many ways, as a TPT Seller, your website acts as your digital classroom. Just like our real classrooms, we need to dedicate time to giving it a thorough cleaning. What better time to do this than the season of renewal…spring! So, let’s do some spring cleaning, website style, and get our websites organized and decluttered.To keep your space tidy and your visitors engaged, you need to keep it fresh, organized, and up to date. By taking action in advance, you can be confident that your website and your visitors are safe.In this episode, I'll cover everything you need to know about website spring cleaning, from decluttering to organizing, and even checking up on your website's security. After following these simple steps, you'll be off to a fresh start!01:11 -  The importance of decluttering your website to improve your website's load time and boost security02:29 - How to use URL redirections when deleting old content and webpages04:51 - The biggest culprit for confusing navigation on most TPT websites06:02 - How to keep your website's security effective and up to dateSign up for my WordPress Care Plan.For all resources, head to the show notes: https://kristendoyle.co/episode39Support the show

As TPT Sellers, the ultimate goal is to attract more visitors and potential customers to our website, but how can we do it? By learning to use SEO best practices with our blog formatting strategy!When using good SEO, it’s like waving a magic wand to get more people to visit your website or your blog posts on their own, just from a search. Without it, your website is like a needle in a haystack…hard to find, and easy to forget!  In today’s episode, you’ll learn all about why SEO is critical to your visibility, the six steps for formatting your blog posts for better SEO and readability, how to find the right keywords for your content, and the most important factor of getting your content seen by potential customers.01:32 - How to capture visitor's attention in 202302:31 - The critical steps of outlining your blog posts for SEO purposes04:28 - Tools to find relevant keywords to use in your blog formatting06:45 - What makes a blog post engaging and captivating07:27 - Tips when using AI tools in your blog writing processJoin SEO for Teacher Authors For all resources, head to the show notes: https://kristendoyle.co/episode38Support the show

How can working on TPT SEO grow your teacher seller business and your website traffic? Our guest Linda Williams is sharing how even someone who isn't a digital native can excel when tweaking key components of her SEO practices.Today's guest is Linda Williams, the owner of Teaching Science with Linda R Williams. Linda has been a teacher for over 34 years, and she's been selling science resources on TPT since 2013. Linda has grown her TPT business by learning and implementing SEO strategies. In today's episode, Linda shares what she learned from taking SEO for Teacher Authors, how she's using SEO to grow her TPT business and her website traffic, what she is doing to optimize her products on TPT, how to optimize your website and the benefits that she's seen from improving her SEO over the years. 02:53 - Linda shares how she uses SEO for her TPT business and website04:11 - The changes you can make to improve TPT SEO 11:37 - How to approach SEO for Google and your website traffic13:31 - The go-to SEO plugins for WordPress blogs21:44 - Answering the big question - Where’s the best place to drive traffic to as a TPT seller?SEO for Teacher AuthorsFor all resources, head to the show notes: https://kristendoyle.co/episode37Support the show

In this bonus episode of the Savvy Teacher Seller podcast, I'm getting real about the recent acquisition of TeachersPayTeachers by IXL and how it's been causing stress within the teacher seller community (myself included). As a fellow teacher seller, I understand how unsettling this news can be, but I want to provide some reassurance and perspective on the situation.We talk about the three possible scenarios that may arise from the acquisition, and share our thoughts on how we can best cope with the changes that may come. Tune in for some honest conversation and practical advice on how to navigate this uncertain time as a teacher seller.➡ Press release about IXL acquiring TPT ➡ TPT Forum thread about the acquisition with Amy's comment sharing words from IXL's CEO➡ Register for the TPT Town Hall on Monday 3/6Join the Profit Booster Bootcamp - happening March 12-15 with a welcome party on March 11!Support the show

How can you make sense of your TPT dashboard and use the information to increase your earnings? There are certain data points that you should be focusing on, and I’m breaking them down for you inside this episode.This data can make or break your TPT business, so it's time to stop resisting the numbers and learn how to use the information to make the best data-driven decisions! There are three metrics in particular that I'm zoning in on today. You'll also hear how to adjust your strategies based on your metrics, and the most essential way to evaluate your TPT business’ progress.After listening to today's episode, you'll know exactly what to focus on when reviewing your TPT data. Your action step for this week is to review your TPT Dashboard, focusing on these 3 data points. Identifying where you can make improvements is the first step towards making exciting changes in your business. You never know...you just might find that analyzing your data can be fun!00:47 - The purpose of page views and data changes to look out for03:08 -  How to understand your TPT conversion rate 05:49 -  The essential metric to understand when making TPT decisions07:09 - How to use your TPT metrics to make data-driven decisionsRegister for the Profit Booster Bootcamp!For all resources, head to the show notes: https://kristendoyle.co/episode36Support the show

Are you constantly running out of time, trying to juggle motherhood and your TPT business? You're not alone! But, the good news is that it's possible to achieve a balance that you feel good about, and today's episode is about how one teacher seller is making it all happen.Today's guest is Melissa Martinez, the owner of That One Cheerful Classroom. Melissa started as an upper elementary teacher and is now a work-from-home mom, but only works a few hours a day. When she started taking her TPT store more seriously, she learned a lot about using her data to drive decision-making and leverage SEO to grow her sales. It can be challenging to balance your time between TPT and caring for your kids or between TPT and working full-time as a teacher! But Melissa shares how she can grow her business, be a present mom, and only work 2-3 hours per day. In this episode, you'll hear Melissa share how she fell into TPT, what made her leap into her TPT business full-time, and how she learned to use her audience's feedback to inform her business decisions.01:50 - Melissa’s journey from teacher to full-time TPT seller and stay-at-home mom05:58 -  How she prioritizes her time as a teacher seller with limited time07:45 - The power of tapping into your audience to know where to focus your efforts21:41 -  The most significant benefits of taking the Profit Booster Bootcamp four timesFor all resources, head to the show notes: https://kristendoyle.co/episode35Support the show

We all know how important data and SEO are to our business growth, but it's always fascinating to hear firsthand how a fellow teacher seller is finding success! Our guest Keira is sharing how she utilizes her TPT store data to grow her Spanish TPT store.The best part of Keira's journey is that she has seen massive growth by focusing on her existing products rather than constantly creating many new ones. Keira Lebrón has been selling on TPT since 2017, supporting middle and high school Spanish language arts teachers. She has found what works best for growth and how to cater to two different audiences.In today's episode, Keira shares how she uses data to improve her existing products, how to use the more important data metrics to grow on TPT, and how she's been able to increase her sales with her strategies, all while she is a full time public high school teacher.2:06 - Keira shares how she got started with TPT5:34 - How Keira's investments in her education helped her grow7:22 - The most important metrics to look at when analyzing your TPT store data12:58 - How to approach SEO when targeting multiple TPT audiences in various languages17:54 - Finding the balance between SEO friendly and being authentic to your audienceFor all resources, head to the show notes: https://kristendoyle.co/episode34Support the show

Do you need help choosing which TPT preview is best for your products? Why are previews so important, and how much time should you put into them? These are common questions among TPT sellers, for a good reason! As you've probably heard, your product preview is one of the most important parts of your listings. Data shows that customers are 60% more likely to purchase a product with a TPT preview than without, and that's not even factoring in using the optimal type. I'm diving into the three types of TPT preview options, how to determine which option is the best fit for each product in your store, and examples of resources for all three types. After listening to today's episode, you'll know the importance of using TPT previews and how to choose the best option. Your action step for this week is to ensure your current resources have previews and are the best preview type for that item.00:36 - Why TPT previews are an essential element of your product listings01:17 - The three types of TPT previews01:40 -  What video previews are, and when they should be used03:31 -  When to use PDF previews and best practices when using them 05:12 -  How to use single image previews effectively and when to avoid themFor all resources, head to the show notes: https://kristendoyle.co/episode33Support the show