If you want a chance at Zazzle Editor's Pics for September, October create designs featuring Zazzle's latest color palette for their shopfront, teal, orange, lime green and movie title style font paired with handwritten script just as they have in their banner.

If using people photo placeholders on your products, diversity increases your chances of selection.

Hi all

I've been building my inventory on Redbubble and found some awesome resources that might be helpful for you too.

First off, check out this free online guide to Redbubble. It's super comprehensive and you can even download it as a PDF.

Second, this massive list of trending Instagram hashtags for 2024 is a goldmine for understanding what's hot right now. Knowing current trends can help you create new products that resonate with Redbubble's audience.

Redbubble is known for its pop culture memes, stickers, and t-shirts related to current events, so these trending hashtags should be especially useful. And the best part? They're completely free!"

If I find anything else, while I learn how to succeed on Redbuuble I'll share it here.

Please also feel free to share your resources in comments.

Hey Zazzlers!

Sorry for the extreme title ...but I do wonder sometimes if carrying on with Zazzle is good for my health and I know others are similarly conflicted or in a 'we can't manage without it' situation. Victims of our own success?

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So let's talk about something a little more serious than design trends and sales strategies. As passionate Zazzle creators, we often get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of our creative pursuits that we forget to take care of ourselves. 

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Sleep... What 's that? 

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Here's a few ways we are not helping ourselves as self-employed entrepreneurs.


Sedentary Lifestyle: Sitting at a computer for long hours which can contribute to various health problems such as obesity, heart disease, and back pain. This is serious stuff.

Eye Strain: Staring at screens for extended periods can cause eye strain, headaches, and blurred vision. I now need glasses full-time as my previously perfect distance vision is now lap-top limited!

Stress and Burnout: The pressure to constantly create new designs and meet sales goals, twist ourselves into knots complying with the latest Zazzle platform changes. Dips in sales we have no control over. All this can lead to stress, burnout, and even depression and anxiety. We've all been there and more so now than ever.

Sleep Deprivation: The excitement of creating and the desire to maximize sales and optimize products can sometimes interfere with sleep, leading to fatigue and decreased productivity. 

Financial Insecurity: As self-employed individuals, we face dealing with unpredictable income, no sick pay, and no holidays. This financial uncertainty can contribute to stress and anxiety.

Isolation and Loneliness: Working alone can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness, especially as friends and family don't understand the challenges of being a Zazzler or know what we do most of the time! They can't share in our wins or sympathize with our losses.

Competition and Copycats: Dealing with competition and copycats can be stressful and demoralizing. Many feel like quitting in the face of this 'whack-a-mole' game.

I'm not the best example of self-care. I often skip meals, have nowhere near enough sleep, and my muscles are wasting. My health conditions are multiplying. Something needs to be done! And I know many of you are in this same boat.

So, what can we do to prioritize our health while maintaining our Zazzle passion? We can start by sharing a little more ... and encouraging each other to get off the damn computer and go take a walk, drink some water, eat!

Feel free to share your high, lows, wins, losses, grumps and groans because no one 'gets it' better than a fellow Zazzle Creator.

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And any ideas you have re how we can support eachother, motivate each other to take better care of ourselves is welcomed.

Zazzler's if you haven't seen this yet take a look https://community.zazzle.com/t5/technical-issues/what-does-it-mean-when-a-store-page-has-no-index-in-the-source/m-p/162468

This situation presents me as your mentor with a huge dilemma.

Should I continue to encourage you to keep churning out products focusing on niches, seo, and great design when there is a chance your store is or will be hidden from Google and/or the Zazzle marketplace itself?

Should the focus be more on marketing ... other PODS, alternative income streams?

Up till recently 'fairly passively' I have been generating around $5000 a month on Zazzle, but I can see that dropping pretty rapidly with lack of activity and the recent development of an 'invisibility cloak' for want of a better expression.

I see no point in adding 'many more' products to Zazzle beyond what is needed to keep the account active as all efforts should perhaps now be focused on 'self marketing' of those products I already have.

How do you feel about how you might address this latest challenge. Do you have a 'no index tag' on your store and product pages?

How to check for a no index tag

1.Right click on your public store page

2. Select Products Tab

3. Select 'View Page Source'.

4. Around line 140 you might see this text (hopefully you won't!)

And that's it!

So what to do?

I do feel like it's kinda pointless for those of us with these 'no index' tags  plugging away as we always have done. Zazzle will not confirm or deny if this is harmful but technical Zazzlers appear to think it is resulting in us being 'invisible' to Google. 

• We can wait it out? 
• We can see if it reverts back to being visible
• We can go all out with self-marketing

Or ... 

Let me know!

Meanwhile in Sept. I can create materials focused on marketing if that's what you'd like to see?

Let me know your thoughts.

I recently recieved this wonderful review from a fellow Platinum Seller which (sorry for being mushy) brought me to tears. 

I don't think community members who utilize the services of people like myself realise just how much words of confirmation mean to us. I've had other wonderful comments of course for which I am also immeasurably grateful.

We all have our trials and challenges to live through that are going on behind the scenes that few know about, and sometimes when one is close to throwing in the towel, words like this are the much needed boost that make it worth while and keep you going.

I try to be peppy and upbeat because of course as a Zazzle mentor that's my job, to keep you afloat, pushing forward and feeling optimistic about what you're doing. But in reality I am battling health issues, mental and physical and sometimes the fatigue I feel is like swimming in unprocessed vegatable soup. I falter, I am fallible, I make mistakes, I am over sensitive. 

I am not picture perfect.

So thank you , all of you of keep me going when I stop believing in myself and the value I can give to the Zazzle community.

Don't let the lack of a VIP Grafixdeals membership hold you back!

GrafixDeals offers invaluable resources to help you thrive on Zazzle.

As a pro Platinum Zazzlepreneur myself (over $420,000 in earnings and millions in sales), I've created a treasure trove of tools as an off shoot of my popular free courses which ran for close to a year benefiting over 750 fellow Zazzlers who signed up for them. You can see the feedback here

Included in those courses were a ton of Free Resources not least of which was a massive list of 750 print-on-demand niches, event calendars, workflow templates, how-to-guides you name it. All FREE to compliment what I have been providing in terms of tips and advice via this forum for years.

I am not new out the gate with a product to sell, I have been helping freely for years. But that has a cost Zazzlers, in that while I'm doing this I am not Zazzling and as I've always said, passive income dwindles due to inactivity! Which is why I have introduced minimal costs to cover some of my overheads at least as this is my passion.

So what can you expect from grafixdeals without a subscription?

• Amazing resources, courses, bundles for (in most cases) under $8!
• High-quality graphics for print-on-demand products - commercial POD use
• Background covers and mockups tailored for Zazzlecovers, collection banners, Pinterest
• Social Media Templates specifically designed for Zazzle Products
• Courses and Guides on Niches, research, trend spotting, tagging, keywords, seo, design, wording and more
• Done for you - Trending Niche Power Packs that include Niche Guides and Graphics and everything you need to hit the ground running in a new niche!

Dive in and take advantage of the low fees, discounts and free advice via the blog

Access FREE Image background remover tool HERE

Transform your Zazzle designs into captivating visuals with our professional mockup templates. Whether you're crafting eye-catching cover images, creating engaging collections, or producing dynamic video and media content, these templates are your secret weapon.

To truly bring your designs to life, you'll need to remove backgrounds from your Zazzle products. We recommend using Adobe's background removal tool, which offers impressive results and appears to be free for commercial use. Please verify the terms of service yourself to confirm.

With our mockup templates and a reliable background removal tool, you'll have everything you need to:

Showcase your Zazzle products in the best possible light.
Create professional-quality marketing materials.
Increase engagement and sales on your Zazzle store.

Don't let subpar visuals hold your Zazzle success back. Elevate your brand and captivate your audience with stunning mockups that truly represent your creative vision.

Start creating today!

The emergence of sales analytics tools, particularly those developed by fellow Zazzle sellers, presents a complex and multifaceted issue. While the allure of data-driven insights is undeniable, the potential repercussions for fair competition and individual seller success cannot be overlooked.

A few Zazzlers have raised concerns re developers on the forum and off it, so I thought we could take a closer look as this is fairly new arena for Zazzle.

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Previously, a clear divide existed between Zazzle, possessing comprehensive seller data, and individual sellers operating in relative isolation. The advent of third-party analytics tools, especially those created by fellow sellers, blurs this line. Granting these tools access to sensitive sales information could inadvertently tilt the competitive playing field in favor of the tool developers as well as posing risks to that data getting into the wrong hands. Hacking etc.

PROS

A compelling argument in favor of these tools is the potential for rapid validation. If a tool developer is also a successful Zazzle seller, their own sales performance can serve as a testament to their tool's effectiveness. This can help reassure Zazzlers wishing to take the plunge that they can reap rewards with this system. If however they lack any evidence of themselves having succeeded on Zazzle (or any other platform) using these tools, proceed with caution.

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Two providers I have noted thus far offering data analytics services for Zazzle are no greater than pro basic sellers. Thus their tools are not being used to good effect regarding their own Zazzle products and given they both have access to other sellers data (with one service having full sales reports) one can't guarantee any increase they experience in sales is due to their tools effecting a change or their ability to access other seller data.

Do you see the conundrum?

Accessing other seller data being MUCH more valuable to any Zazzle creator, hence why Lynanlytics was so popular when it emerged and they have very limited access to what data is available regarding other sellers.

Not disputing any developers 'honesty' I just know from a psychological perspective, data seen cannot be unseen and knowingly or unknowingly, it will likely have an influence .... how can it not? This is my opinion and I stand by it. Sharing data with fellow Zazzlers is sharing data with your competitor. 

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Credibility on the platform is essential when accessing tools which claim to help raise your profits. 

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CONS

An obvious con is that if you don't have a great many sales, you don't have much data to analyze? As such are these types of analytics tools only viable for larger sellers who want to deep dive into their data with greater insights than Zazzle and Google analytics tools are able to provide.

In this instance for Zazzle sellers with less data an analytics tool that looks at the data of other sellers ( more profitable sellers) has the edge?

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Coming  back to data analytics tools created by fellow Zazzlers whereby you upload your data to their site. Is there a conflict of interest here? 

The ability to aggregate data from hundreds or even thousands of sellers enables tool developers to gain an unprecedented level of market intelligence. This knowledge could be exploited to identify profitable niches and methodology for their own Zazzle presence. While assurances against data misuse may be included in tool agreements, the psychological impact of accessing such sensitive information cannot be underestimated. Things seen cannot be unseen.

" I trust this data analytics provider" is not a testimonial I value. 

Guarantees and protections must be in place.

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Page down for details of alternative data analytics tools that do NOT require sharing your data with 3rd parties.

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One way to safeguard yourself, regarding your data held by a developer who may also be a Zazzle seller (or may become one in the future when armed with all this intelligence) is to confirm that the developer is able to offer solid assurances they cannot access/view the data you submit when you sign up to use a data analytics tool. This is the only guarantee the data won't be used for the developers own benefit.

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This isn't doable with systems that don't automate the data analytics providing meaningful results ... the developer has to have a hand in translating the results for you. It is possible such automated data anlaytics tools do not yet exist. As such ensure you know what type of analytics you're being provided with.

A further consideration is how secure is your data which you have transferred to the developers from hackers. Zazzle as a multi-million dollar company can afford the best level of security, what about a small-time developer? 

You also want a solid assurance ALL your data will be removed from their system should you decide to unsubscribe from their service. Check your contract details carefully in this regard.

While the promise of increased sales is enticing, sellers must carefully weigh the potential benefits against the risks to their business and the overall Zazzle marketplace.

Data analytics tools for other print on demands have been around a long time and so having them available for Zazzle is inevitable and on the rise. Discerning which is the optimal data analytics tools for your Zazzle store is one for you to consider carefully.

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Safeguards In summary:

1. Read contract details carefully to confirm WHO has access to your highly valuable sales data. 
2. How robust is the developers security system in protecting this data.
3. Will your data be deleted in whole when the subscription ends.
4. Consider trialling a service and seeing if you are able to convert your insights into sales.
5. Ensure your data is removed upon terminination of the service.
6. Consider the implcations of sharing your sales data with fellow Zazzlers.

I would be interested to hear Zazzler experiences and perspectives on data analytics tools for Zazzlers.

• Have you used data or sales analytics tools?
• What were your impressions?
• What safeguards would you like to see in place?

Please leave your thoughts in comments.

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Data Analytics tools where the Data is NOT shared with the developer

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One such tool as reccomended by Elke Clarke Diamond Zazzler is Zazzle Designer Earner Analytics - developed around 2018

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I am NOT an affiliate for this product Elke Clarke however is.

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This is possibly the earliest of the Zazzle data analytics tools available to users and can be used without uploading your data to a 3rd party.- Youtube Tutorial 

This tool is currently $89.99 as a one off fee.

The benefits of a one-off-fee is that it is substantially cheaper than a tool reliant upon a subscription especially when you nolonger have access to that tool after your subscription ends. So while intially the fee may seem high it quickly pays for itself in terms of savings.

And there is no 3rd party access to your data and you and only you are resonsible for the safe storage of that data.

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Disclaimer:

I myself do not use subscription or fee paying Data Analytics tools as there are enough FREE tools available to analyze data for print-on-demand and I believe the best data is from the global maketplace not our individual stores.

I'm also wary when Zazzlers with no signficant track record for success on the Zazzle platform introduce tools designed to ensure your success! This for me is a no brainer. Credibility is everything when it comes to making money on any platform not just Zazzle. 

As someone who has a lot of people immitating my offerings I urge you to be discerning when parting with your hard earned cash.

Food for thought Zazzlepreneurs.

With all that said, I could be missing a trick! So do what you feel is right for you and your store, and as long as you apply due diligance, you only have $'s to lose or $'s to gain!

🔗 For a deeper dive into the value of data analytics head over HERE.

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Next up:

🔗Are you thinking of bying the services of those who claim to increase your Zazzle product views? read this first

FREE Beginners Guide to Zazzle, Business Plan and POD Directory 

If you value this content, sign up  for more!

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I will add to this, some services you may be familiar with I do not mention either because their inflated claims and lack of Zazzle, sales, marketing experience mean they do not merit mention or because there are too many 'pop-up's for this type of service. Note latest article on those who 'sell' you the idea they can bring your Zazzle products a ton of views and how to discern the fake traffic from the 'value' traffic.

Hi all, we don't have a forum here on Grafixdeals as the platform doesn't support it but feel free to ask questions on any blog post and I'll start a new specific post for you to discuss.

This post is for Pinterest specific questions related to Zazzle.

Some of you have noted on the Zazzle community forum that some Pins are reverting to Zazzle's generic descriptions.

This doesn't appear to be within Zazzle's control based on the various comments posted via the Zazzle community. Manually created pins shouldn't revert but I haven't been following up on this topic as it appears out of our hands but do let us know your thoughts and findings. 

VIPS!! Just a heads up now we're in August of what your first FREE Zazzle Resource will be! A comprehensive guide on creating 'situational cover images' complete with some cover mockup images for you to get started! I'm quite excited about this Zazzlepreneurs as I believe you'll find it super useful!!

Bingo Card Creation Kit - Your Zazzle Goldmine

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Hey Zazzlepreneurs!

While I haven’t yet taken any steps to use TikTok as part of my promotional efforts (though that's something I'm considering), I’m excited to share how this dynamic platform can be a game-changer for your Zazzle business.

According to Nieman Lab, nearly 40% of Gen Z prefers TikTok and Instagram for search over Google. 

That’s a massive audience we Zazzlers can’t afford to ignore! And with Google incorporating more videos, including TikTok posts, into its search results, it’s clear that TikTok is the future of discovery.

How to Use TikTok to Boost Your Zazzle Sales

1. Create Engaging Content

Showcase Your Products:

Don’t just show off your designs, show how they look in real life. Use your products in fun and creative ways.

Behind-the-Scenes:

Give your audience a peek into your creative process. Show them how you come up with your designs, or share time-lapses of you creating products.


Customer Testimonials:

Nothing speaks louder than happy customers. Feature their reviews or photos using your products.

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2. Optimize Your TikTok Videos

Video Length:

Keep it short and sweet. TikTok’s algorithm favors shorter videos, so aim for 15-30 seconds.

Video Size:

TikTok’s recommended video size is 1080 x 1920 pixels.
Sound:

Use catchy music or trending sounds to increase engagement. You can also add your own voice-over for a personal touch. I personally prefer videos without sound!!

Hashtags:

Use relevant hashtags to help your video reach a wider audience.

Captions:

Add captions to your videos to make them accessible to everyone, even when the sound is off.

3. Build a Community

Engage with Your Audience:

Respond to comments and messages. Show your audience that you care about their opinions.

Collaborate with Others:

Partner with other creators in your niche for cross-promotion.

Run Contests and Giveaways:

Encourage user-generated content and build excitement around your brand.

4. Drive Traffic to Your Zazzle Store

Include Your Zazzle Link:

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Add your Zazzle store link in your bio or in the video description.

Use Call-to-Actions:

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Encourage viewers to visit your store by using clear and compelling calls-to-action.

Track Your Results:

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Use TikTok analytics to see which videos are performing best and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Consistency here is key. Post regularly, experiment with different content formats, and don’t be afraid to have fun!

TikTok is a platform for creativity, so let your personality shine through.

Bonus Tips:

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• Tap into the TikTok Pulse: Stay ahead of the curve by monitoring trending content and audience behavior.
• Unlock Hidden Gems: Utilize TikTok's keyword research tool to identify popular subjects relevant to your designs.
• Create Content That Converts: When you spot a trend that aligns with your business, jump on it! Produce engaging content that showcases your products in a fresh, exciting way.

By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to harnessing the power of TikTok for your Zazzle business. So what are you waiting for?

Start creating!

Let me know if you have any experiences to share re TIKTOK for Zazzle Videos.

Leahg
Zazzle Print-on-Demand Mentor