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If You Want a Chance at Editor's Picks - Aim for Zazzle's latest color palette

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.

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How To Sell On Redbubble - FREE Resources

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.

It is official - I am retiring from all things Zazzle - Thank You for being part of this journey

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The Zazzle Hustle: Balancing Creativity and Health - Is Zazzling gonna be the death of us?

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.

Behind the Scenes: About My Work, My Challenges, and My Readers

A Note to My Readers

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I've been receiving some feedback about my content lately, particularly regarding my editing practices and the perceived shift from free to paid resources. I want to take a moment to address these concerns and clarify my position.

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It's true that I do edit my content after it's published. I often find that I can improve my explanations or provide additional context based on the feedback I receive from my readers. This is why I value your comments and suggestions.

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Regarding the shift to paid resources, I want to clarify that I've been providing insights into my strategies for free for over 14 years through the Zazzle forum and my various blogs and websites. The minimal fees I now charge for some of my resources are primarily to cover the costs of maintaining my sites and deter content theft.

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I'm passionate about sharing my knowledge with the Zazzle community, and I'm not motivated by profit. If I were being paid by the hour, I would likely be operating at a loss, considering the time I invest in creating and maintaining my resources. And indeed I do see losses on Zazzle because I am here and not there! My time is being spent on a passion to assist the Zazzle community not to line my own pockets as was hinted at.

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Unfortunately, content theft has been a growing problem within the Zazzle community. Some individuals are accessing my resources and repackaging them for their own gain, which is both frustrating and unfair. The small fees I charge are intended to deter these individuals, but it seems they are willing to pay for low-cost content too for 'research' purposes.

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Due to these challenges, I've considered closing my website and halting my services to the Zazzle community. However, I've been encouraged to continue my efforts. I'm committed to helping Zazzlers on the Zazzle platform and ensuring that my resources are not exploited by those who wish to deceive them.

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I hope that this clarification helps to address any ongoing concerns. I value your support and appreciate your understanding.

Back-to-School: A Zazzle and print-on-Demand Creator's Guide to Success 2024

Zazzlepreneurs and other print-on-demand creators!

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The back-to-school season is a bustling time forprint-on-demand creators like us. With the influx of students, parents, and teachers seeking new products, this period offers a prime opportunity to showcase your designs and boost your sales.

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Leveraging Zazzle's Platform Zazzle provides a unique platform for creators to turn their designs into a wide range of products. To maximize your potential during the back-to-school season, consider the following:

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  • Product Diversity: Explore Zazzle's extensive product catalog to find items that align with the back-to-school theme. Consider designs for backpacks, notebooks, t-shirts, phone cases, and more.
  • Seasonal Themes: Incorporate back-to-school-specific themes into your designs, such as apple motifs, graduation caps, or inspirational quotes.
  • Customization Options: Offer personalization options, such as allowing customers to add names or initials to their products.
  • Keyword Optimization: Use relevant keywords in your product titles and descriptions to improve search engine visibility.
  • Social Media Marketing: Promote your Zazzle store on social media platforms, using relevant hashtags and engaging content.

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Understanding Your Audience To create designs that resonate with your target audience, consider the following:

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  • Age Groups: Identify the specific age groups you want to target (e.g., elementary, middle, high school, college).
  • Interests: Research popular trends and interests among students to incorporate into your designs.
  • School Spirit: Create designs that celebrate school spirit, mascots, or school colors.

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Example Designs

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  • Backpack Designs: Create eye-catching backpack designs with fun patterns, inspirational quotes, or school-themed illustrations.
  • Notebook Covers: Design unique notebook covers featuring custom artwork, motivational messages, or organizational tools.
  • T-Shirt Designs: Create trendy t-shirt designs with funny slogans, inspirational quotes, or popular characters.
  • Phone Case Designs: Design phone cases with custom artwork, school logos, or personalized messages.

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The back-to-school season offers a wealth of opportunities for Zazzle creators. By understanding your audience, leveraging Zazzle's platform, and creating engaging designs, you can position yourself for success for this season.

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Marketing Ready-Made Products for the Back-to-School Season

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If you have ready-made products for the back-to-school season, it's crucial to start marketing them well in advance to maximize your reach and sales. Here are some effective strategies:

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1. Early Promotion:

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  • Social Media Campaigns: Create engaging social media posts featuring your products. Use relevant hashtags like #backtoschool, #schoolsupplies, and #education.

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2. Partnerships and Collaborations:

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  • Influencer Marketing: Partner with influencers in the education or parenting niche to promote your products to their followers.
  • Retail Partnerships: Explore opportunities to sell your products through local retailers or online marketplaces.

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3. Limited-Time Offers:

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  • Discounts and Promotions: Highlight Zazzle's exclusive discounts or promotions to encourage early purchases.

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4. Content Marketing:

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  • Blog Posts: Create informative blog posts related to back-to-school topics, such as "Top Tips for Organizing Your Backpack" or "Essential Study Supplies for College Students."
  • Product Demonstrations: Share videos or images demonstrating the features and benefits of your products.

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5. Customer Engagement:

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  • Customer Reviews: Encourage customers to leave reviews of your products on your website and social media platforms.

Start marketing now Zazzlepreneurs!

How to move forward with an Invisibility Cloak on Zazzle

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.

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Review of GrafixDeals - A Boost When I Needed It Most

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.

Subscription FREE Zazzle Tools, Resources, Trends, Guides, Product Ideas and More from Platinum LeahG

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

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FREE Background Image Remover Tool for Creating Zazzle Mockups and Cover Images for Collections and Products

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!