Okay, I'm sure using the "M" word got your attention. Let me start out by saying I have not yet become a millionaire using Zazzle, but I am 100% positive that it can be done.
Maybe not fast, but let's all take a moment to appreciate hard work and dedication. And also delayed gratification.
Done?
Cool.
So, WHY do I think it can be done? Because it's all in the numbers and how you perceive them.
Even if doesn't seem probable, you can read on and see that it is possible.
Maybe not fast, but let's all take a moment to appreciate hard work and dedication. And also delayed gratification.
Done?
Cool.
So, WHY do I think it can be done? Because it's all in the numbers and how you perceive them.
Even if doesn't seem probable, you can read on and see that it is possible.
I've read a lot of advice about selling on Zazzle. Everything from encouragement and success stories to people flat telling you that you can't "earn a living" on Zazzle (because most sales are small beans.)
But what if you aren't looking to earn a living (meaning a consistent monthly income) from this one source?
What if you just have a goal sum in mind? Instead of giving you advice on how to organize your store (which is different for everyone), how about I just show you how to look at your earnings in a new way?
First off, Zazzle, for as long as it stays as it is right now, is a source of passive income. That means you make some designs, post them once, and they sell over and over again.
That doesn't mean you don't have to do some work. You have to set up a store (or several), organize it, make a nice banner, research your keywords, make your designs, and play with the editing tools.
But one design can be used across thousands of products, and they call all be sold multiple times with no extra work from you (except the usual marketing.)
You only earn a commission from each sale. It might only be 20 cents for a small item (such as a postcard). But it's better than earning that 20 cents on a microtask site because you can keep earning from the same postcard. (Come on, when you fill out a survey, do you keep getting paid for it over and over? Nope.)
Is 20 cents even worth it?
Because I am an eternal financial optimist, I like to think that any cents are good cents. And passive cents are even better because they can trickle in while I'm doing bigger tasks.
Last month I made a joke to my husband that I was going to use Zazzle to pay off the remainder of our debt. Okay, so it was a sort of serious joke. It got me thinking. How much of X item would it take to pay off the mortgage? How about this product?
Heck. How much would it take to be a millionaire?
Well, here are the numbers.
But what if you aren't looking to earn a living (meaning a consistent monthly income) from this one source?
What if you just have a goal sum in mind? Instead of giving you advice on how to organize your store (which is different for everyone), how about I just show you how to look at your earnings in a new way?
First off, Zazzle, for as long as it stays as it is right now, is a source of passive income. That means you make some designs, post them once, and they sell over and over again.
That doesn't mean you don't have to do some work. You have to set up a store (or several), organize it, make a nice banner, research your keywords, make your designs, and play with the editing tools.
But one design can be used across thousands of products, and they call all be sold multiple times with no extra work from you (except the usual marketing.)
You only earn a commission from each sale. It might only be 20 cents for a small item (such as a postcard). But it's better than earning that 20 cents on a microtask site because you can keep earning from the same postcard. (Come on, when you fill out a survey, do you keep getting paid for it over and over? Nope.)
Is 20 cents even worth it?
Because I am an eternal financial optimist, I like to think that any cents are good cents. And passive cents are even better because they can trickle in while I'm doing bigger tasks.
Last month I made a joke to my husband that I was going to use Zazzle to pay off the remainder of our debt. Okay, so it was a sort of serious joke. It got me thinking. How much of X item would it take to pay off the mortgage? How about this product?
Heck. How much would it take to be a millionaire?
Well, here are the numbers.
How Many Would You Have to Sell to Make a Million Dollars?
Here are a few of the items you can sell on Zazzle. I picked these because these are some of the ones I have sold more than once.
To figure these, I use the lowest commission rate (5%) that you can set for each product. You can adjust yours higher, of course.
At the minimum rate, to become a millionaire, you would have to sell:
To figure these, I use the lowest commission rate (5%) that you can set for each product. You can adjust yours higher, of course.
At the minimum rate, to become a millionaire, you would have to sell:
A Different Perspective On Your Earnings
Those numbers seem kind of huge and daunting. But think of it this way. There are billions of people in the world.
1 million people is a "small city" in some instances. My state alone has a little over 3 million people living in it. Basically, if just one third of the people in my state bought one thing that earned me $1, I would be a millionaire. How many people live in your city or state or country?
And hey, you don't have to aim for a million. Write down a number, like I did for my mortgage. I would only have to sell 32,000 keychains to be debt free. That's equal to the population of our nearest "big town" (not even a city).
Of course, just because you are surrounded by thousands of people doesn't mean you can sell to them all. But looking at passive income and personal finance this way makes just about any goal seem more attainable.
Especially when you consider that some people will buy more than one item. Or they might be repeat buyers. Or you might be earning more than a few cents or a single dollar per sale.
1 million people is a "small city" in some instances. My state alone has a little over 3 million people living in it. Basically, if just one third of the people in my state bought one thing that earned me $1, I would be a millionaire. How many people live in your city or state or country?
And hey, you don't have to aim for a million. Write down a number, like I did for my mortgage. I would only have to sell 32,000 keychains to be debt free. That's equal to the population of our nearest "big town" (not even a city).
Of course, just because you are surrounded by thousands of people doesn't mean you can sell to them all. But looking at passive income and personal finance this way makes just about any goal seem more attainable.
Especially when you consider that some people will buy more than one item. Or they might be repeat buyers. Or you might be earning more than a few cents or a single dollar per sale.
Tips for Zazzle?
I admit that I have not taken my Zazzle seriously enough until recently, but here are a few things I've learned and observed:
You can learn a lot just from looking for sellers who have "Pro Seller" on their page. You can find them easily by browsing the Zazzle forum.
- Stationery and invitations are best sellers
- Wedding, baby shower and party supplies are big
- Consistent posting attracts more views
- Keep plenty of inventory made ahead for holidays/seasons
- Keywords are the thing (always)
- Graphic design and pop culture references are more popular than traditional art
- Shoppers like stuff they can personalize with their own name or photo.
- Once you DO take it seriously, you immediately start to see views and sales.
You can learn a lot just from looking for sellers who have "Pro Seller" on their page. You can find them easily by browsing the Zazzle forum.
What works for them? Some of them have one store and sell one type of products (like stationery). Or they might have one store that sells different products with one theme (chihuahua everything). Or they could have multiple stores organized by product OR theme.
It doesn't hurt to play around. Unlike Etsy, it's free to post your designs. So even if you don't make a million dollars, you haven't lost anything either. Along the way, you might just be able to pay off a few debts or save up for something you've been wanting.
Just remember, you don't always have to aim for exact monthly income goals. Picking a specific number and working towards it can be fun and motivational too!
What works for them? Some of them have one store and sell one type of products (like stationery). Or they might have one store that sells different products with one theme (chihuahua everything). Or they could have multiple stores organized by product OR theme.
It doesn't hurt to play around. Unlike Etsy, it's free to post your designs. So even if you don't make a million dollars, you haven't lost anything either. Along the way, you might just be able to pay off a few debts or save up for something you've been wanting.
Just remember, you don't always have to aim for exact monthly income goals. Picking a specific number and working towards it can be fun and motivational too!
A Zazzle Success Story
Need some inspiration? Check out this Zazzle seller!
Elke Clarke--According to her profile she is a Diamond Pro Seller on Zazzle, which is the highest level you can reach. It means she has earned over half a million dollars since she joined. (not bad, huh?)
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