How to Use and Make Money on Envato Elements (Beginners Guide 2024)

Unlocking the potential of Envato Elements can be daunting, especially for aspiring creative entrepreneurs. But worry not, beginners! This guide will equip you with the knowledge and strategies to utilize Elements effectively and start earning revenue through your creative skills.

1. Mastering the Platform

• Explore the Library: Envato Elements offers a vast library of creative assets, including WordPress themes, plugins, stock photos, videos, music, graphics, fonts, and more. Diving into this extensive collection can be likened to exploring a vast ocean of creative resources. It’s important to familiarize yourself with the different categories of assets available and learn how to effectively navigate the library. As you explore, you’ll likely discover hidden gems – unique or highly valuable assets that can greatly enhance your creative projects.
  
• Learn Licensing: Understanding the licensing terms for the assets on Envato Elements is crucial. The platform offers both commercial and non-commercial licenses, and it’s important to understand the difference between these and what they allow you to do with the assets. Commercial licenses typically allow you to use the assets in projects that you intend to monetize, while non-commercial licenses are usually restricted to personal or non-profit projects. By understanding these terms, you can ensure that you’re using the assets legally and avoid potential copyright issues.
  
• Community and Support: Envato Elements boasts a vibrant community of creators and users, as well as a wealth of support resources. Don’t hesitate to tap into these resources. The community forums can be a great place to connect with other users, share ideas, and learn from others’ experiences. Additionally, Envato Elements offers a range of tutorials that can help you learn how to use the platform and its assets more effectively. These resources can be invaluable in helping you maximize the potential of the platform and the assets it offers.

2. Finding Your Niche

• Identify Your Strengths: The first step is to determine your areas of expertise and passion within the creative realm. Are you a web designer who excels at creating user-friendly interfaces? Are you a graphic artist with a knack for creating visually stunning designs? Are you a video editor who knows how to tell a compelling story through film? Or are you a music composer who can create captivating melodies? Perhaps you’re a combination of these, or have other creative skills. Identifying your strengths can help you focus your efforts on what you do best and where you can provide the most value.
  
• Analyze Market Trends: Once you’ve identified your strengths, the next step is to research popular themes, styles, and formats within your niche. What are audiences searching for? What types of designs, videos, or music are currently trending? By aligning your creative output with market trends, you can increase the likelihood that your work will resonate with your target audience and meet their needs or preferences.
  
• Offer Unique Value: While it’s important to stay current with market trends, it’s equally important to offer unique value. Don’t simply copy what others are doing. Instead, identify what sets your work apart. What unique skills, perspectives, or ideas can you bring to the table? How can your work offer unique value to users within your chosen niche? By offering something that’s not only high-quality but also unique, you can differentiate yourself from others in the marketplace and attract a loyal following.

3. Creating High-Quality Assets

• Invest in Skills: It’s crucial to continually refine your existing skills and consider learning new ones that are relevant to your chosen niche. This could involve mastering software like Adobe Photoshop for graphic design, Premiere Pro for video editing, or After Effects for motion graphics and visual effects. These tools are industry standards in their respective fields and can significantly expand your creative possibilities. Additionally, learning new skills can help you adapt to changing trends and technologies, ensuring that your work remains relevant and competitive.
  
• Focus on Quality: While it might be tempting to prioritize quantity – creating as many assets as possible – it’s important to remember that quality is key. High-quality assets stand out for their originality, technical proficiency, and user-friendliness. They’re more likely to attract and retain users’ attention, and they can enhance your reputation as a creator. Therefore, it’s worth investing the time and effort to create assets that are not only visually appealing but also well-designed and easy to use.
  
• Pay Attention to Details: The details can make a big difference in the creative field. This includes everything from using the proper file format and naming conventions for your assets, to providing clear documentation for how to use them. Paying attention to these details can help build trust with users and convey a sense of professionalism. It shows that you care about your work and are committed to providing a positive user experience. Effective communication is also important, whether it’s responding to user feedback, answering questions, or providing updates about your work.

4. Building Your Portfolio

• Start Small: It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you’re starting out, especially given the vast array of possibilities in the creative field. A good strategy is to start small. Focus on creating a selection of high-quality assets within your chosen niche. This allows you to hone your skills and build your portfolio without spreading yourself too thin. Remember, it’s not about the quantity of work you produce, but the quality. Over time, as you become more comfortable and proficient, you can gradually expand your range and take on more complex projects.
  
• Get Feedback: Feedback is a crucial part of the creative process. It can provide valuable insights into your work and help you identify areas for improvement. Consider sharing your work with trusted peers or mentors who can provide constructive criticism. You can also join online communities related to your niche, where you can share your work and receive feedback from fellow creators. These communities can be a great source of inspiration and support, and can help you improve your work and grow as a creator.
  
• Showcase Your Creations: Once you’ve created your assets, it’s important to showcase them effectively. Building a portfolio website is a great way to do this. A well-designed portfolio can highlight your skills, showcase your style, and attract potential clients. You can also utilize platforms like Behance or Dribbble, which are popular among creative professionals. These platforms allow you to showcase your work to a large audience, receive feedback, and connect with potential clients or collaborators.

5. Monetizing Your Efforts

• Direct Sales: Envato Elements provides limited opportunities to sell specific items as individual licenses alongside your unlimited offerings.
  
• Affiliate Marketing: Promote other Envato products or services through affiliate links and earn commissions on generated sales.
  
• Build your Brand: Use Elements as a springboard to establish your own freelance business or brand, attracting clients who need custom creative solutions beyond the marketplace.

Remember:

• Consistency is Key: Regularly upload new, high-quality assets to stay relevant and build a loyal following within your niche.
  
• Engagement Matters: Interact with the Envato community, respond to user questions, and participate in forums to establish yourself as a valuable contributor.
  
• Never Stop Learning: Keep exploring new trends, honing your skills, and adapting to the evolving creative landscape.

Embracing Envato Elements as a springboard, combined with continuous learning, strategic focus, and high-quality creative output, can pave the way for your success journey. So, dive in, unleash your creativity, and start making money while doing what you love – creating!

Bonus Tips:

• Utilize SEO best practices to increase discoverability of your assets within the marketplace.
• Offer unique bundles or collections of your assets to provide increased value to users.
• Stay informed about Envato’s regular promotions and challenges to maximize your opportunities.