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Hey Zazzlepreneurs!
I've got a little anecdote to share with you that might just change the game for your Zazzle journey.
Before I get into it, I want to share with you that this post was inspired by a course feedback chat I was having with one of my members (shout out to Maria - thank you!). I value my course members' feedback tremendously for this very reason, it triggers 'teachable moments', things I may have overlooked or not considered, and the 'teachable moment ' that Maria inspired has the potential to be a game-changer for your Zazzle business journey.
So here we go!
Back in the day during my year of almost no sales, I was designing products with my own art, thinking they looked amazing and wondering why on earth no one was snatching them up. It was baffling! But then, one day, a light bulb went off.
I asked myself a simple question: "Would I buy this?" And guess what? The answer was a great big "No!"
No, I would NOT buy my own products - why the heck not?? They're amazing!
It was a reality check Zazzlepreneurs. I had to dig deep and figure out why I wouldn't buy my own creations.
Here's what I figured out:
The art I loved so much didn't match my home decor. It would've stuck out like a sore thumb. The pillows, the kitchen towels, the tablecloths... NOPE. And when I reflected on who would have this 'design aesthetic on their home' ... erm ... it's kinda too niche, as in ...no one.
And those fashion items? They were way off my style radar. I had to face the fact that the people that would 'wear that' wouldn't be browsing Zazzle for such things.
I knew right there and then I was coming at Zazzle all wrong. And while it is true that we are NOT designing products for ourselves, we DO need to be designing them for someone. We do have to have a target customer in mind.
This is what my chat with Maria was about because in Module 2 of the course material I talk about how to identify and create a profile for your target customer, learn about who they are (demographics), and what their passions, needs, and challenges are so that you can create products that they want!
My earlier creations and probably many of yours fall into the category of being created with 'no one' in mind. And that's a mistake.
Back to my anecdote, which of my designs DID I BUY?
I bought a personalized memorial plaque that I designed for a friend after her mother passed. I bought mugs with funny or sentimental quips for Mother's Day and my Stepdad's birthday. And a couple of years running I've bought personalized Christmas ornaments for myself.
The Take-Away from this
Fellow Zazzlepreneurs: Ask yourself the same question. Would you buy the products you're creating? And more importantly, what would you buy? And if you are designing 'trending items' for a wide audience (not yourself) you absolutely MUST work out WHO your customers are. Who exactly are you designing for?
If you're on my Zazzle Business Course, I have provided all the strategies, tools and resources you need to identify, research and create targetted products for your newly identified customer base. If you're a Level 1 Grad, level up soon so you can get cracking on the most important module on this course: nailing your niche.
Don't waste another moment designing products that neither YOU nor anyone else would buy!
Get to it!
