How to create Printables to Sell or use as your Optin Freebie to grow your Email list
Have you wanted to start creating your own printables? This post will show you how to create Printables to sell or use as your Optin Freebie to grow your email list.
(If this post contains affiliate links please see our full disclosure policy although I have to say I tried really hard to make it interesting and even I struggled to write it so if you really must read it you can find it here)
Why Should you create Printables
Printables are one of the quickest items to create to get people to Opt-in to your email list or to sell.
If you are a Craft blogger and want a quick way to create an Optin ( depending on your design skills ) it can be a great way to entice readers to your list.
You can make your Optin look pretty as well when you create a small graphic of it to sit by your email subscribe box.
If you are thinking of starting a craft blog or have started a craft blog they are a great way to showcase your design skills but also grow your email list.
Your email list is yours so if anything were to happen to your blog say it was to go down you could still keep in touch with your list and let them know what is happening.
Similarly, if you are creating something to sell again you can ask your email list for advice and also beta test it with them on how it could be improved.
They can also let you know if it’s a good idea, to begin with!
What are Printables and what are popular Printables
If you don’t know what printables are they can be one page to a few pages of information that people can print out and refer to again and again.
That would be your idea printable!
Here are some ideas of what you can do with a printable:
- Yearly planners
- Monthly planners
- Daily planners – people can print these off and then add them to their individual binders to use.
You can tailor the sizes as well.
Workbooks, in fact, I am creating one just now to help beginners with Pinterest for my other Blog smartpennies.com
This gives you an example of what you can do with printables sign up for my list to get your FREE checklist to starting your first craft business.
Onward, other sorts of printables you can create:
- Calenders
- Checklists
- Colouring Pages – if you are super crafty
- Quick tutorials
- Reference guides
- Quotes
Just Google FREE printables and you will get an idea of just what you can do.
Tools for making your own Printables
They are various tools you can use to create your Printables and I would stick to something you know to begin with.
I have had a go before using Canva it can make great Printables but my only reservation is that if you need to add links to web pages for instance or affiliate links then you can only add one per text box which does get a bit trying if you have a bit of text.
I would stick with Canva for things that don’t contain too much text.
Google Docs
This is one of the easiest programs to use and best of all its FREE to use!
Its a bit like Excel spreadsheet but simpler. The best thing to do is get straight on it and give it a shot. Its great for construction To Do type lists or Planners.
If you want an in depth course on how to use Google Doc’s then Laura Smith’s course at Iheartplanners gives you a great grounding in how to use this and also how to use Excel spreadsheets to produce printables.
When you click the link you go first to her Op-tin page so Op-tin first to then find out more about the course. Most of the course is video but the great thing is its quick not fluff Laura gets straight to the point. Find out more about her Printables design course here.
Microsoft Powerpoint
I have used Powerpoint for work quite a lot but I have to admit I haven’t used the Smartart part of it that much. What can I say I love it! Its so simple to use and if you want a really great tutorial on how to use Powerpoint for creating Printables then I recommend the resources below. Best of all its part of Microsoft office so won’t cost you if you have it preinstalled in your computer. Suzi has a fabulous run through of Microsoft Powerpoint.
https://www.startamomblog.com/how-to-create-printables-grow-email-list/
Microsoft Publisher
Another FREE program a bit easier than Microsoft Work to create Printables because it lets you add images easily.
Lena at Whatmommydoes shows you how to use Microsoft Publisher step by step to create a simple first printable.
https://www.whatmommydoes.com/how-to-make-your-own-printables/
Picmonkey
This is a bit like Canva and can be tricky if you have a lot of text if you want a great run through on how to use Picmonkey then I recommend this post.
https://seasidesundays.com/make-free-printables/
Canva
I do like Canva – its FREE and I use to use it for my Pinterest Pins nowadays I use Adobe spark.
If you want a simple program that’s free and you don’t have much text to include or web links then checkout this post.
http://www.ahundredtinywishes.com/2016/08/how-to-create-printable-with-canva.html
Photoshop
If you want to upgrade to one of the top Illustrator programs then Photoshop is for you – I haven’t used this one and it sounds quite hard to get to grips and you have to buy it. I would stick with something FREE till you get use to designing your own printables. If you want information on how to use it then check this post out.
https://allaboutplanners.com.au/make-printables-photoshop-step-step-video-tutorials/
Dimensions to use –standard paper size which is 8.5×11 inches or 11×8.5 inches.
How to make money with your Printables
You can do lots of things with Printables once you make them you can consider selling them.
- You can add a shopping cart to your blog so people can buy your printables.
- What about selling them on Etsy
- You can also sell them on shopify – Sarahtitus.com has a complete course on just this thing
Can you use your Printables to grow your Email list
In fact, you can! It’s a great tool to use as an Opt-in, quick to make up and can look really great to sell as your Opt-in.
The great thing about Printables as Freebies is that you can make them very quickly they don’t need to wordy and can have lots of images so can be very quick to construct.
An Email list is great for any type of blog it can be yours! So if anything happens with your blog like it goes down for some reason you can still keep in touch with your subscribers and still make sure your income is secure.
What makes a great printable
Printables need to be useful to your Audience. They need to be referred to time and again. Not just looked at and discarded. Create something useful for your audience like a To do list or a Daily planner they need to print out and use each day to plan their day.
What are you waiting for you need to create your own Printable today if you haven’t started your craft blog today then get cracking so you can create your first Printable Optin FREEBIE.
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Great post and thank you for mentioning Seaside Sundays! Printables are a great way to promote your blog or make extra money on Etsy or other sites.
Hi Gemma,
Glad you enjoyed the post and well done with your blog too followed you for the last two years.
thanks
Lia