Tips for sharing 3D files
Have you just published one or more of your 3D models on Cults? Congratulations!! It's super cool to share your ideas with our makers community and 3D printing enthusiasts.
In order to allow you to take full advantage of our platform, we have listed a small series of tips. It is about things you can do to maximize your profit.
By following these tips you will be sure to reach out the maximum of people who would likely to be interested by your creations.
1. Share your creations on social networks
Expand your Cults3D store and increase revenue by sharing your creations on social media. Tag @cults3d or use #cults3d
on social media for a shout-out. You can use the share buttons on your pages. Think about classic social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, but don't forget emerging networks like TikTok for example! Don't hesitate to include your Cults profile in your bios (or Linktree pages) on your social networks. For example, you can use a short link to your Cults profile like this: https://cults3d.com/@Username
2. Notify your followers when you publish a new design
On your design pages, you can click on the "Share" button and choose the "Notify your followers" option. You can then write them a short message introducing your new design and explaining why they should download it. All your followers will then receive an email notification inviting them to download your new creation. Be careful, however, not to abuse this feature, as you risk spamming your subscribers and dissuading them from following you.
3. Use specialized groups, forums and blogs
Many 3D printers owners are looking for new STLs to print, post your work in these specialized groups or on your blog (if you have one). Here is a list of the best forums, Facebook groups and communities that are 3D printing related, the Cults members Facebook group, the subreddit for Cults users and the Cults3D Discord server.
4. Make a video to show your talent
If you can show the entire making process to your customers it's great! Post your video on YouTube or Vimeo. Do not forget to quote the 3D file with a link in the description of the video. To inspire you here is a list of the best YouTube channels in the 3D printing world
By adding a link to your Youtube video in the description of your creation, the video will automatically appear at the end of your images, so your customers can watch it directly from your product page.
5. Upload a gif on your product page
Cults accepts the Gif and it is a super friendly, dynamic and educational format that explains a working process! You can for example use ezgif service to create or optimize your gifs.
6. Set pictures of the object when printed
The makers are more reassured and convinced if they see that the 3D model has already been 3D printed. Do not hesitate taking pictures of your achievements. You can even share photos of your makes in our dedicated section.
7. Adjust the price according to the results
If you see that your creation has trouble selling, do not hesitate to try another price. Look at the price of similar creations to yours and look at their number of downloads to see if it should be inspiring. Also check out the profiles of other designers to see the amount of their sales. Can be inspiring!
8. Make sure you describe your 3D model well
Do not skimp on descriptive texts, give as many details as possible and think of putting your keywords in the title. The majority of your customers used search engines like Google or specialized 3D models search engines like Yeggi or Mito3D to find you. The keywords and your text content are really important.
9. Make sure your description is well translated
On Cults pages are available in French, English and Spanish; the translations are automatic so do not hesitate to edit your creation by changing the language (buttons in the top right of the site) and translating more precisely. In this case you just have to press the Translate button.
10. Make yourself known in the Cults network
Follow community members, interact with other designers by commenting on their creations and send messages to the makers by visiting their profiles. For example, you can be inspired and follow the work of Cults top 100 designers.
11. Make sure your creations are as exclusive as possible on Cults
We regularly highlight on the home page, in our selection, on social networks or in our monthly newsletter our favorite 3D files. The more exclusive they are (only available on Cults), the more likely they are to be featured.
12. Get inspired by trending topics to create
For inspiration, you can check out our monthly summary of the 50 most searched keywords on our search engine. This will give you an idea of what people are looking for and what they need. At the bottom of our home page, you will find a list of "Trending Topics", which can give you ideas to create new designs that fit into these themes that are highly sought after by Cults members.
13. Make sure your description is well formatted
It is possible to format your product sheets to make them more attractive and easier to consult. We have made a list of available formats here, feel free to use what you think is appropriate! Enhance your 3D model's appeal by providing a detailed description in the range of 50-100 words (or more). Products with informative descriptions sell up to three times more frequently, offering valuable information to the end user.
14. Group your designs in collections
For more readability and a better display of your creations on your profile, it is important to create collections grouping your designs by theme. You will also be able to add a description in text format to each collection, which will optimize the referencing of this collection in search engines and therefore its visibility. Don't forget to click on "share" to viralize your collections!
15. Select the right category and add sub-categories
When uploading your 3D model it is very important to put it in the right category. You can also add up to 3 sub-categories. This will allow your design to be more visible to site visitors. Indeed, once well categorized, it will go up in the main pages of the subcategories and will gain in visibility. It is also possible to edit your old designs to integrate them in subcategories.
16. Optimize your design for possible selection on the slide at the top of the home page.
Every week we select a design to be featured at the very top of the site. In order to optimize your creations for this super visibility, here are a few criteria we take into account. Of course, the design has to look great, have download potential and be of interest to the community. If the model is shared exclusively on Cults, that's a big plus. We try to vary the designers we put forward, so never having been selected is quite an advantage. Finally, when uploading, adding a photo in horizontal format (ratio 2:1) is a plus that allows us to use this photo.
17. Optimize your profile picture and bio for credibility
Ensure your profile picture authentically reflects you, your work, or your company, boosting trust and credibility among members to your profile or designs. Avoid using images of celebrities, cartoons, or photos not owned by you to maintain authenticity and uniqueness. Craft a compelling bio to make a positive impression and share essential details about your experience, story, ideas, and more.
18. Connect your social media accounts to your Cults profile
Enhance your Cults3D account by linking your website, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube... profiles. This enables potential customers to follow your work, learn about your creative process, and facilitates tagging on our social media platforms, expanding the reach of your 3D models.
19. Upload your STL or OBJ files individually to enable their display in the 3D viewer
Upload your 3D models in the accepted file formats (stl, obj, 3ds, scad, gcode, 3mf, blend, sldprt, sldasm, amf, dae, eps, f3d, fcstd, mtl, pdf, ply, skp, step, dxf, dwg, svg, txt, bmp, ai, x3d, psd, zip). Only files in STL and OBJ format will appear in the Cults 3D viewer, allowing your customers to preview your design before downloading. If your model includes texture or multiple files (like About or 3D printing instructions in PDF) archive them into a ZIP file and upload for convenient processing.
20. Make sure your files are 3D printable
Ensure your 3D file is optimized for printing by creating a solid form with all constructive elements joined into a single entity. The model should be "watertight," with all panels closed from every side, considering the diverse techniques of 3D printing (FDM, SLA, SLS, DLP, etc.), each offering unique surface-building capabilities, precision, endurance, and capabilities.
21. Use tags wisely and Intelligently
Boost your 3D file's visibility on search engines by incorporating 10-20 specific tags. Focus on identifying the most relevant and fitting keywords for your model rather than relying on generic terms.
22. Carefully name your images to improve their ranking in search engines.
When you upload your photos and share them, remember to rename your JPG, PNG or GIF files. Thanks to the ALT tag, search engines will then be better able to find your files in their image engines. You can add keywords and the title of your design, for example. Relevant names make your work more accessible and attractive to makers.
Last but not least: boost your market presence and earnings by adding more models to your listing, maximizing your chances of reaching and attracting a larger audience, ultimately driving more sales.
We recommend that you follow all these good practices to boost the popularity of your STL files. You will be able to increase the number of downloads and likes, whether on paid or free 3D files. If you see other ideas or questions do not hesitate to write to us.
If you are still hesitating to share your models on Cults, feel free to read this article Why publish my designs on Cults? List of advantages and benefits to get an idea.
