5-Step Guide: Creating on IMVU
5-STEP GUIDE TO CREATING
Becoming a creator on IMVU has many perks, some of which are expressing your creativity and sharing it with your peers, as well as earning credits and real money. You are able to create unique furniture, clothing, pose packs, and rooms. This is a process that can be very rewarding over time as your shop grows. However, becoming a creator isn’t an easy task; you have to invest a lot of time, effort, and credits into building and branding your catalog products.
Are you interested in creating? Do you know where to start? Do you need any tips?
I have compiled a 5-step guide on how to set up shop, with some useful tips to follow!
1. Do your homework!
The first step that I would recommend is to check out the IMVU help center in browser. Many people tend to pay very little attention to this but it actually has a lot of useful information and even some tutorials for beginners. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of this resource and read up on the ins and outs of creating.
Another way to gain knowledge of creating with useful tips and tricks is by speaking to those with experience. Now if you happen to have a friend who has an impressive catalog with a decent tier level or at least a year's’ worth of experience, then you should probably seek their advice. See if they’d mind showing you the ropes, and if they’re generous enough to do a join me call or two. Just don’t forget to offer them compensation of some kind for all their time and efforts, and to show your appreciation, even if they don’t accept it. If you don’t know any creators personally then don’t fret, there are still ways of getting that first hand help. You can always check Instagram, Pulse, or the IMVU forums to see if any pro creators are offering dev classes or services of this sort.
Lastly, and most importantly, remember Google and YouTube are your best friends! When looking for tutorials the most important thing is to make sure that your search is correct. Make sure when searching for tutorials to always add in the editing software you have as well as the version, as the update may be significantly different. I would also recommend using DeviantArt since they will also have very useful and informative step-by-step guides for people who draw clothing. Don’t half-step on your tutorials; you have to fully commit to it! Follow the tutorials and even take notes when necessary because cutting corners and being sloppy will do nothing but bring down your brand that you’re trying to build up. Whenever you put your name on anything, you should want it done right and for it to be a direct reflection of you and your work ethic. We’ve all seen those sloppy shops with low quality and outdated products and icons, and we all know how fast we click out of them. Put your all into the learning process before you start creating!
2. Design your icon, logo, and banner.
Icon – To create your icons, you can use any type of photo editing software such as Gimp, Photoshop, etc. If you’re not good at editing then you can purchase your icons pre-made from many different dev groups and creators on IMVU. Many pro-creators have pre-made and will also do customs when asked but this can cost from 5k to 10k depending on what’s needed and who you ask. Whether you choose to make your own or get something made for you, make sure your icon is clean and welcoming because you want your products to stand out in a good way and attract the right kind of traffic to your shop.
Logo – The shop logo is your brand's main image. It represents you! It can be your name, your initials, or anything that describes you and the style of your shop. Make it creative and make sure it has your shop name on it. This logo will go on all your advertisements and you can use it as your signature in forums. This logo is you!
Banner – this can be in .gif or .jpg format and is normally used at the bottom of all of your product pages. You can have your face, your name or even a short clip. It’s not required upon starting up but it’s a nice touch to add in shop and it’ll help leave a lasting impression. It’s hard finding an artist who isn’t booked up, and the ones who are available tend to accept PayPal payments only and do not accept credits. So, again, if you don’t want to spend that money you have the option of doing it yourself, and there will always be tutorials on YouTube if you take that route.
3. Invest in your craft.
Creating isn’t cheap, especially for new creators who are at tier level 1. It costs 500cr plus the derivation fee (normally 400-600cr) to submit one product. To submit a couple of products, it’s going to run you about 5K. Not to mention, you may also need to invest in VIP to create if your account isn’t old enough. I suggest you get your credits, whether you purchase them or earn them, that you set aside at least 15K for creating purposes only. Don’t worry, the more you invest the more you’ll see back, as long as you keep pushing out products and promoting!
4. Promote your shop!
Promoting and getting your shop known is very important because this is where your bread and butter come from. At this point, if you’ve been following all the steps, your shop should be fully set up. You should have a good understanding of what kind of products you’re selling with an idea of the audience you are targeting. But
remember, just because you’re make things people want, it may not always guarantee the sale. To make sure your catalog is seen throughout the community, make a neat, clean, and vibrant advertisement that will attract customers. You should then post the ad and your catalog link to pulse, Instagram, forums, and whatever blog you may be signed up with. Don’t forget to help your fellow creators and share their shops so they will return the favor and share yours too!
5. Stay hungry and persistent.
Overtime, especially once you’ve been creating for a while, you may lose your drive to create, and your product submissions may slow down causing your tier levels to drop - that’s something you want to avoid!
The more you post hot new products, the more customers you’ll gain. You should set a goal for yourself based off your time and budget. You may aim to submit 20 products a month and do lots of peer reviews which would help build your creator points to improve your tier. Promo credits and peer reviews are two important factors - they can’t be skipped on your journey to becoming a pro creator!
Follow these steps and you should have everything you need to start up and get your shop up off the ground!. I hope this is helpful and aids all those who are new to creating. Just bear in mind, when it comes to creating, success won't come overnight. With time, you’ll see it can be a very
rewarding process!
