fieldnotes 14
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Fieldnotes #14
Happy September - the 'ber Months are Here!
I know we’re still a few weeks from the official start of autumn, but I am ready NOW! The temps have started to cool off here and I already put out my fall decorations. π
QUICK REMINDER: If you subscribe to our mailing list, you will get a reminder each month when the new Fieldnotes are published (along with other cool things, when they come up). I usually only send out emails 1-2x per month.
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Alright, let’s get to it! Remember, as always, you’re free to just scroll down and snag this month’s freebie! You know I won’t judge! π
p.s. Remember, I’m joining an incredible lineup of experts for 30 Days of Digital Sales! No 47-module courses. No massive bundles. Just bite-sized wisdom you can actually use.
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p.s. Remember, I’m joining an incredible lineup of experts for 30 Days of Digital Sales! No 47-module courses. No massive bundles. Just bite-sized wisdom you can actually use.
The Best Laid Plans...
A couple of weeks ago, a friend of ours had a terrible accident at work. His body escaped major injuries, but his brain did not. He’s relatively stable now and breathing on his own, but remains in a coma with no clear timeline for waking or what lasting effects he may face when he does.
His wife and six kids are understandably devastated. Overnight, their world was permanently altered. In the days since, there’s been a whirlwind of activity: caring for the kids, handling his business responsibilities, and trying to plan for a future that suddenly feels impossible to define.
Watching this unfold has made me think about my own life. We truly never know what tomorrow may hold...or how quickly everything can change. And it isn’t always something catastrophic. If you had told me a year ago I’d be where I am today, I would’ve rolled my eyes. Some of what I’m doing was planned, yes. But so much of it was things I never dreamed of!
As Robert Burns put it, “The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men / Gang aft agley.” Or, in plain English: “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”
It’s a reminder that life rarely follows our carefully drawn maps, but that doesn’t mean the journey isn’t worth taking. In fact, it’s often the detours that bring the sweetest surprises.
But still, I’m learning not to cling too tightly to the perfect plan. Instead, I’m leaning into flexibility, gratitude, and the small steps forward that I can take today...
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Old Maps, New Roads: Why Your Zazzle Strategy Might Feel Off
Speaking of carefully drawn maps…I recently visited the town where I went to school in the 80s (shoutout to all my GenX friends!π€π»). Back then, the school was on the outskirts of town, with nothing around it for at least half a mile. When I visited the site recently, I tried to use my mental map of where things were back in the day, but I couldn’t find the school at all. The area had grown so much that it was now a very busy street with all manner of businesses, apartments, and restaurants! In fact, I didn’t even know I was on the right road, because they changed the name of it! But that wasn’t really why I couldn’t find it - I couldn’t find it because it was now a car dealership! Yep! The school had closed soon after we moved away, and the property was purchased by a car dealership. The basic shape of the main building was there, but they had added on and expanded a lot, and I really had to use my imagination to remember what it had looked like before.
Of course we can make a Zazzle analogy here (bc let’s face it, ya girl Kate can pretty much make a Zazzle analogy out of anything!π ). Some of us have been on Zazzle for many (many) years. But what “map“ are you using to navigate your journey? If you’re still using the same mental map you started with, or even the one that worked like a charm in 2020, you might be feeling a little lost these days.
That’s because the landscape has changed.
Zazzle isn’t the quiet little outpost it used to be. It’s grown up, gotten busier, and maybe even paved over some of the old landmarks you relied on. The products have changed, the algorithms have shifted, and the tools (and the competition) have evolved. And don’t get me started on the royalty/referral changes!
You might still be looking for your “school,“ but now there’s a flashy car dealership standing in its place. So if it feels like what used to work isn’t working anymore, you’re not crazy - you’re just working off an outdated map.
Now might be the time to pull over, re-calibrate, and get your bearings again. Maybe that means going back through Zazzle Unleashed, or finally finishing it (no judgment π ). Maybe it means checking in with your store to make sure your categories, titles, and branding still make sense in today’s marketplace. Maybe you need to ramp up your promotion game. Maybe it’s time to stop guessing and start testing that new (well-researched!) niche, or try something new, even if it feels weird or out of your comfort zone. Or maybe (and this is a hard one to swallow), it’s time to pivot away from Zazzle a bit (not all the way LOL) and see where else you can thrive in the world.
Whatever it looks like for you, just know this: updating your “map“ doesn’t mean everything you’ve done so far was wrong or useless. But if you keep trying to use that old map, you’ll continue to be frustrated. Use an updated map and the road ahead will be easier to travel with a fresh set of directions.
A Little Zazzle Myth Busting
I stumbled across a video this week where the creator claimed it’s against Zazzle’s rules to run paid ads. Spoiler alert: that’s not true. She either had outdated info or just misread the fine print. So let’s bust this myth together!
Myth: You can’t run paid ads for your Zazzle products.
Fact: You can…you just can’t use Zazzle’s name, logo, or trademarks in your ad content or targeting.
Here’s the exact wording from page 9 of the Ambassador Program FAQs (emphasis mine):
Q: Can I pay for advertising on Google, Pinterest or other ways to promote my Products without using Zazzle’s brand name?
A: Yes, you may engage in paid advertising to promote your products, provided that you do not bid on the keyword “Zazzle,” or any misspellings, variations, or similar terms or using the trademark “Zazzle.”
β‘The bottom line: YES you may run paid ads. NO, you may not use Zazzle’s name or trademarks in your ad content or keywords.
β What You Can Do
Run paid ads on Pinterest, Google, Facebook, etc.
Use your own graphics or product mockups.
Link directly to your Zazzle product page.
β What You Can’t Do
Use “Zazzle” in your ad copy, graphics, or targeting keywords.
Make it look like Zazzle endorses your ad.
Run an ad using Zazzle’s site banners or branded mockups.
And just so you know, this isn’t unique to Zazzle. Etsy, Canva, and most platforms have the same kind of restrictions. It’s basically a “don’t trade on our brand name” rule.
Real-Life Examples
Check out the image below where I pulled together some screenshots from Pinterest sponsored pins.
Left side: a Zazzle-run sponsored post (yep, Zazzle is still marketing our products for us!). Notice the Zazzle branding.
Right side: a seller-run sponsored pin. Instead of “Zazzle,” it shows the seller’s name. There’s no mention of Zazzle anywhere - the only way you know it’s a Zazzle product is if you click through, which takes you straight to that product page in her Zazzle store. This is the correct way to do an ad/sponsored post.
Fun fact for those of you stressing about whether you can use “Zazzle” on your social media: you absolutely can. Feel free to sprinkle Zazzle’s name all over your organic marketing. The only restriction is on paid ads - you can’t “trade” on their name or trademark there. (Again, see page 9 of the Ambassador Program FAQs.)
And now, wanna see something vintage? Remember when I said Zazzle isn’t the quiet little outpost it used to be? While digging through research for this section, I stumbled on a PDF from around 2008. If you weren’t on Zazzle back then, flipping through it will give you a wild sense of how much the platform has changed in 17 years. It’s giving total MySpace vibes. ππ Click here to see it. But REMEMBER: DON’T rely on any of this information for your current Zazzle store decisions. There is a lot of CLEARLY outdated info!
What should you be creating right now?
βοΈWinter Holidays: Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year, etc. We are hitting the spot where you really need to finish up those holiday designs!
πIt’s also time to finish up those Halloween and Thanksgiving products!
What should you be promoting right now?
πThanksgiving
π HalloweenπThanksgiving
π Fall Weddings (HUUUUGE right now - even if you don’t MAKE fall wedding stuff, you should at least be PROMOTING it!
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This month’s freebie your official nudge to dive into one of the best-selling holiday products on Zazzle (and Etsy, Shopify, you name it): ornaments.
Inside you’ll find: 8 quote SVGs and 7 placeholder photos - everything you need to get rolling. I’ve even thrown in some cute trendy stripe patterns if you want to ride that trend!
Here’s the thing: a lot of designers avoid holiday products because they don’t want to mess with stationery (they think they can’t compete). But ornaments are an easy entry point into the season, and they sell like crazy.
BUT… you’ve gotta promise me one thing.Every ornament you make from this pack must be personalized. Add a family name, a year, a special word - something that makes it unique to your customer. That’s why I gave you placeholders too, so you can drop in photo fields and remind yourself to set up those template options.
Seriously. Promise me. No “flat” designs without personalization.
Personalized = profitable.
And remember, these graphics don’t only work for ornaments. You could use them on mugs, shirts, cards, wall art, whatever fits your shop (just don’t forget the personalization). I’m giving them to you as an “ornament-making pack” because ornaments are such an easy, low-barrier way to get into holiday selling, but don’t be afraid to stretch these assets across multiple product types.
If you’re not already confident with template fields on Zazzle, this is your sign to brush up. It makes personalization quick and effortless for your customer, and it can make a huge difference in your sales. (Zazzle Unleashed walks you through it if you need help.)
You’ve got everything you need in this pack to design ornaments (and beyond) that people will actually buy. Now go make some magic…and keep your promise. πβ¨
Click here or on the image below to grab the pack and get started.
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No Field Tested Finds this month, but I do have a quick reminder: I’ll be presenting in the 30 Days of Digital Sales email summit! (affiliate link)
Remember - it is FREE!!
It’s simple: one email, one tactic, one day at a time. Each tip takes just 2 minutes to read over your morning coffee. β
I really hope you’ll join me (my email will hit mid-month) along with 20+ other amazing presenters. You’re guaranteed to walk away with fresh ideas and at least one game-changing strategy!
♥ That’s it for September! ♥
Thanks for being here - I appreciate you! ♥
Be sure to reach out if you have questions or just want to say hi!
Thanks for being here - I appreciate you! ♥
Be sure to reach out if you have questions or just want to say hi!
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