Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Friday Facts: tips for bloggers and sellers {on Wednesday this week!}

Well, my post last week on ways to help your TpT and blogging was a great success and it seems like everyone had something to contribute to how we can all support each other better through comments.

So, I think I am going to start posting new tips for bloggers and sellers each week... I'm thinking on Fridays.  This week it's Wednesday because I already have a post (and giveaway!) scheduled for Friday that you'll definitely want to check out!

This week I am going to focus on TpT feedback for purchased items.

This is another one that we've had lots of discussion about in some of my online teacher communities; what makes good feedback?

I think this image says it all...  I've got to get better at being concise!  I'm even long winded in my graphics making! 

The name of the game when it comes to feedback on TpT is CONSTRUCTIVE.  Don't just say you didn't like something- tell what worked for you and what didn't.  And, better yet, contact the seller first to see if there is something they can do to help you!  Most sellers include their e-mail addresses in their products so that they can help take care of anything that might leave a buyer scratching their head!

And if you liked something, that's GREAT!  Sellers love to hear happy things about their products.  As a seller, I SO don't mind short and simple feedback like "Thanks!  It's great!" or some other thing... but  leaving a period (which happens, folks!  Yes a period.  Like this- . ) isn't good feedback!  How about "My kids loved it!" or "The activity was really fun!" or "I got lots of compliments on the craftivity!".  No more periods for feedback!

I also think it's SO important that buyers take responsibility to know what they are buying.  As a buyer, I always read the description!  If there is a preview, I download it!  There's also info at the bottom of the listing for the grade-levels that the seller feels it is appropriate for.

Nothing is more sad to a TpT seller than receiving bad feedback- especially about something that could have been cleared up via e-mail or by a buyer carefully reading the listing... please use that Q&A section!  Ask questions before your commit to buy.  Ask questions before leaving feedback if you need help with something. 

Last... and this is a biggie... if you download a free product, please leave feedback!  I have a freebie on TpT with over 7,000 downloads and only 9 comments.  I'd love to know what the other 6,991 people think of my product.  Not only does it help me know what I should work on in the future, but it just feels good when someone thanks me for sharing a freebie that I spent time on and spent money purchasing graphics and fonts for!  We would never tolerate our students not thanking us for sharing treats with the class... freebies from other teachers are treats for us!

Alright- I think that's it!  I'd love for you to share your own feedback tips and also other things you'd like me to share as far as tips for bloggers and sellers goes!

You can check out Lisa at Learning is Something to Treasure too for her opinion on this if you're interested!

16 comments:

  1. Thanks so much, Christina :) I'm just starting out, and I really appreciate the advice you and several other bloggers have been giving over the past few weeks!

    Catherine
    The Brown Bag Teacher

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks a lot for your thoughts, I really agree with them. I think leaving feedback is as important as buying the product itself, it helps the seller to know if other people like the product or not, if they find it useful, or even fun. Besides as you pointed out, leaving feedback is a win win situation for everybody :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Just read last week's post along with this one. Yes...I am behind! Thanks for taking time to share what you have learned from blogging and selling! I couldn't agree more!
    Laura
    Peace, Love, and First Grade

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for the continued advice! What you are saying really makes sense....It is easy to get bogged down and not take the time to make comments but I will try harder in the future to leave comments for my freebie downloads:)

    Mrs. Lutton

    The Phonics Phenomenon

    ReplyDelete
  5. LOVE this post! The lack of freebie ratings always makes me sad! I do think that some TpT sellers get a little carried away with their marketing but I can see how it is very easy and tempting to do.

    Kelly
    Kindergarten Kel

    ReplyDelete
  6. What you are saying makes so much sense. I am just starting out and wish I had some feedback. I recently read/saw (here, maybe?) someone say they wished that TPT sellers had mentors as they started out- I think that's a great idea, especially since there are so many who have been through the system for so long and succeeded! I have tried to leave feedback about how I will use the product in my classroom, but I'll admit, sometimes I do a generic "Thanks, I love it!"

    -Maria
    Everyone deServes to Learn

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you for the insight. I will make a more conscious effort to rate products on TPT. As a newbie exploring the blogging world and tpt it is nice to have some guiding advice!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love your tip regarding Freebies. I absolutely agree that we work so hard to instill good manners in our students, but often don't follow through with them ourselves! Feedback on freebies is like a big, huge thank you hug!!

    Halle
    Across the Hall in 2nd Grade

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh, I am so going to my tPt account right now and leave feedback. I used to be so much better about it...no good excuses, just busy. I hadn't thought as much about the freebies (which I LOVE and use) but that seems maybe even more important. Sometimes, the thing I am looking for and use right away is a freebie that I find at 5am on a school day. So, my goal is to leave feedback every time. Here I go and thanks for the very insightful comments. I read your blog several times a week and have used lots of your stuff so a big THANKS to you for what you do and share. Mary in New Mexico

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks again for your very insightful words Christina! I so agree about the Q&A section...use it people! I am so saddened by negative feedback when it was something that I could have easily fixed with a question left in that section.
    Tori
    Tori's Teacher Tips

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love Maria's (#6) comment about new TPT sellers having a mentor of some sorts. Great idea! Just starting out is hard and filled with uncertainty. Am I pricing things appropriately? Are my descriptions good enough? Which grade levels should I market this for? etc, etc.

    Can you tell I've just started my store? Haha!

    Anyway, love the tips, Christina! Keep 'em coming!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Obviously I wasn't thinking....the suggestion to use the Q & A for information regarding the product before I purchase is a great idea! I have used the Q & A after the fact, but not before. Unfortunately I sometimes don't have time to wait for a response and want to use the product immediately. So many gracious sellers on TPT...they definitely deserve our thanks.
    Nancy

    ReplyDelete
  13. I really love these posts that you are doing every week. I think it should be mandatory for all bloggers to read etiquette tips like these as they continue to grow as bloggers...including myself! I especially appreciate you mentioning the TpT etiquette. I am so sad about lots of my freebies up there...literally thousands of downloads and maybe a handful of comments. It's a tad frustrating. I am getting much better about commenting on other blogs as well as the items that I download on TpT. I know we, as teachers, are pressed for time, but it should really be a priority to leave comments - especially since we all know how difficult it is to build up our blogs and our TpT sites! It's hard work! :) Thanks again - I really love this.

    ReplyDelete
  14. My motto is, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." If I purchase a product, and didn't like it, I don't leave negative feedback. I just don't leave feedback sometimes. With freebies, it is sad to not receive at least a thank you even. I feel the same way when offering freebies on my blog too though. If you stumble upon something that you can use, a thank you goes a long way! :)

    įƒ¦DeAnne
    First Grade and Fabulous

    ReplyDelete
  15. This was a great post. I'm new to all of this and it was helpful. Thank you for taking the time out to share with the blogging world ;o)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thank you for these tips, it was full of information. I just started a TpT store and I love if people would leave a comment with the freebie downloads - it wants me to make more freebies.

    Terri
    The First Grade Princess

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...