How to Market Your STL Files Online (From Free Methods to Paid Shortcuts) Build visibility, getting in front of the right audience, and growing your miniature business — without burning yourself out. Marketing your miniatures is just as important as sculpting them. You can upload the best model in the world, but if nobody ever sees it, it might as well be living inside your hard drive in a little digital cave wondering why adventurers never visit. And remember my previous post – most of the time on many of these platforms you’ll need to bring your own traffic. What follows is a deep dive into the most effective marketing methods available today — starting with free but high-effort approaches, and moving gradually toward paid shortcuts that save time at the cost of money. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ FREE / HIGH-EFFORT MARKETING METHODS These cost nothing but require consistency, patience, and a willingness to put yourself in front of an audience. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1) Build a Social Media Presence (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts) This is the foundation of modern miniature marketing. What to post: - Turntables of your finished models - Quick videos of ZBrush in action - Painting progress shots - 3D printed versions of your models - Before/after comparisons (concept to sculpt or sculpt to print, or print to paintjob) - Terrain builds, print tests, failed prints (people actually love these) Why it works: These platforms love visual content and push it hard through their algorithms. Miniatures are perfect short-form content: highly visual, easy to understand, and satisfying to watch. Effort level: High. You need to post 3–5 times a week for momentum and you’ll need to be resilient because growth will be slow but long term you’ll be rewarded for consistency. Results: Slow start, but exponential growth once a few posts hit the algorithm. The traffic quality is excellent — people who follow you for miniatures are likely to buy miniatures.

If I were starting my miniature-selling journey today with absolutely nothing — no audience, no platform, no clue where to upload anything — this is exactly the roadmap I wish someone had handed me. A friend messaged me yesterday asking how to make money from his sculpts, and as I walked him through the whole thing, it struck me that half the miniature community is trying to solve the same puzzle in the dark. So rather than repeat the advice one DM at a time, I thought I’d turn it into something useful for everyone here. This isn’t theory, guesswork, or “I watched a YouTube video so now I’m an expert” fluff. It’s what I’ve learned from years of selling minis, working across multiple platforms, getting things wrong, correcting course, and eventually figuring out what actually moves the needle. If I were starting again, this is the exact blueprint I’d follow — the platforms I’d prioritise, the ones I’d treat with caution, and the strategies that genuinely make a difference when you’re a one-person operation trying to get your sculpts out into the world. So grab a drink, settle in, and let’s get you selling your minis in all the places that matter. ***Before we start I want to make a note about SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). Get your preferred home page established early (a landing page on your own domain or your Patreon would be the best options). Any time you create a product, make sure you put a link back to that URL on there. Back Links (links from other websites to your own) are a big factor in SEO, and you shouldn't underestimate the power that a link on every product listing on every platform could possibly be for your home page!*** TIER 1 — HIGH TRAFFIC, HIGH VISIBILITY, HIGH POTENTIAL 1) Cults3D Traffic: roughly 8–10 million visits per month Commission: around 25% Why It’s Good: best traffic-to-sales ratio for miniatures and no monthly store fees My take:Cults is slightly chaotic behind the scenes, but it genuinely gets results. If you're going to sell STLs anywhere, this is the platform where most creators see their first real traction. Not the cheapest commission, but the visibility makes up for it. Bonus: it can import your models directly from Thingiverse, which saves a huge amount of time.

Following on from yesterdays post about where to sell your STL files, I wanted to do a bit of a deeper dive into SEO for miniature listings – getting your products discoverable by search engines and found by customers! Search engines aren’t magic, and marketplaces won’t automatically put your creations in front of the right people just because you’ve uploaded something cool. If you want your miniatures to be discoverable — both on Google and within platforms like Cults, Printables and CGTrader — then SEO becomes one of the most important tools in your arsenal. Good optimisation helps your work appear in searches, reach new audiences, and generate sales without relying on the platform’s algorithm deciding to bless you that day. To show you how this works in practice, here’s an example product listing built with SEO in mind, and afterwards I’ll break down exactly what’s happening and why it matters. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ **SEO-Optimised Example Product Listing** Human Female Wizard – 32mm Scale STL | Pre-Supported | Painter-Friendly Fantasy Miniature If you’re looking for a character who brings a bit of arcane menace to the tabletop, this Human Female Mage ticks all the boxes. She’s sculpted specifically for 32mm scale gaming, with exaggerated, painter-friendly detail that reads beautifully at arm’s length and prints cleanly even on modest resin printers. I’ve gone for a poised, mid-spellcasting stance — one hand crackling with magical energy while the other braces an ornate staff crowned with a runic crystal. The robes have layered fabric, deep cuts, and a clean silhouette that makes shading and highlighting an absolute breeze. Painters will get plenty of joy out of the crisp folds, subtle jewellery, and texture shifts from cloth to leather to metal. Everything has been sculpted with the usual care for printability: no unnecessary micro-detail, no nightmare thin bits, and nothing that will collapse into a sad puddle on the build plate of your 3D printer!

1. Only uploading to one platform If you only upload to one shop, you’re relying on one algorithm and one audience.Spread wide and let multiple platforms bring you traffic. Honestly, I went exclusive with MMF just prior to the Tribes launch (their insistence, not my own choice) and they pulled a U turn on me and it almost cost me my business! Don't make the same mistake! 2. Thinking “If I upload it, people will come” They won’t. Every platform has its own quirks and discovery systems. You still need attractive thumbnails, good keywords, and consistent uploads to stay visible and relevant on your chosen platforms! 3. Not offering anything for free Free models on Thingiverse, Printables, Cults etc act as funnels. People discover you, follow links and then end up buying your paid STLs. This doesn't work for every customer though as there are loads of people that will only ever go for the free stuff! And make sure that what you offer is representative of your range and the quality that you're capable of - no offering "duds" just because they're free! 4. Overpricing early models If you’re unknown, you need to earn trust. Start competitively, then raise prices as your quality and reputation grow. Don't rely on discounts to make your prices attractive or you'll only make a sale during Black Friday or other seasonal sales! 5. Not having a website Your own site adds legitimacy and becomes your long-term revenue engine. Even a simple Shopify store beats no home base at all. As a minimum, get yourself a linktree page to host links to all your other store fronts so sharing on socials and ads becomes easier! 6. Starting Patreon too early Monthly subscriptions sound amazing… until you’re chained to a sculpting treadmill. Start Patreon after you’ve built a small audience and a predictable workflow. Ideally you should aim for around 6 months of planned releases and then maintain that. I fell into this trap early on with 6 months of releases scheduled, but at the time I was part time and I couldn't sculpt fast enough to replace them in time so I ended up sculpting the months releases on the month in question! customers like to see what's coming up so they know they want to stick around, and it's always hard to keep the trust up when you're late delivering! I've been stuck in that cycle for many years and it's not fun!