How to Make Merch
(From Idea to Design, to Shipping)
Let’s talk about how to make merch.
In most industries, fans are far more valuable than followers. Fans are those who sing your praises, make return purchases, and are loyal to you and your brand. They speak highly of you to others, send referrals your way, and value your opinions and expertise. These devoted supporters would gladly wear a t-shirt with your name on it.
Creators all over the world are curating and selling merchandise for their loyal fans to purchase. Keep reading to find out how you can turn your fans into walking, talking brand ambassadors using merch.
Why Should You Sell Merch?
You may think that selling merch is just another revenue stream for creators. However, there are several reasons why you can and should sell merchandise!
- Increase brand recognition. Merchandise is a great way to make your logo, style, or slogan more recognizable. Studies have shown that it takes 5 to 7 impressions for people to remember your brand. Creating personalized merch provides more opportunities for people to see your logo and become aware of your brand, especially in the world of social media.
- Promote your very own product. In most instances, influencers, podcasters, YouTubers, and other creators make money by promoting sponsored products from other companies. When you sell customized products that feature your brand, you are selling something tangible of your very own.
- Increase revenue. Everyone wants to make more money. With options such as dropshipping, you don’t have to invest a large amount of money to create and store merchandise. Several companies will do all of the work for you! This creates little upfront costs when it comes to the financial decision of selling merch.
Types of Merch
T-shirts are undoubtedly the most common and popular type of merchandise. They are versatile and travel as far as the person wearing them. Plus, graphic tees are consistently an extremely popular style trend.
If you’re ready to branch out from tees, consider creating custom beanies, pins, drink koozies, stickers, Pop Sockets, reusable water bottles, and more. The options are truly endless when it comes to what you can slap your face or logo on.
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Our Step-by-Step Guide for Creating Must-Buy Merch
No matter what type of merch you choose to sell, the design should be eye-catching and spark conversation. Here are the steps for creating merchandise that is too good to say no to:
Brainstorm Ideas
The fact that you are entertaining the thought of selling your own merch means you are in the idea stage of the creation process. In this step, you will think about what products and designs will best capture the attention of your audience.
You likely know a bit about what piques your fans’ interest. If you’re not sure, why not ask them? Create a poll on your social media accounts teasing at the idea of selling merch and asking them what type of products they’d be interested in purchasing. This creates hype and excitement while giving you useful information directly from your potential purchasers.
Keep in mind, the merchandise doesn’t have to only feature your brand name or logo. Your merch can feature any elements that make your brand YOU. Your unique merchandise can feature a catchphrase that you use, an image that represents you, or designs themed around your industry. For example, a beauty blogger may create their own merchandise that flows with their aesthetic and matches their style.
Design your Merch
Now that you know what types of products your fans want, it is time to mock up your designs. Your design should include all of the unique characteristics that make you and your branding recognizable. When having your merch designed, provide context, be clear about what you want to be incorporated into your design, and provide plenty of examples and inspiration.
Whether you’re needing a one-time design for your merchandise or an unlimited graphics package for merch, social posts, advertisements, packaging, email content, and much, much more, No Limit Creative has an option that best suits your needs.
It may take a hundred revisions to get your design just right. Luckily, NLC provides unlimited revisions at no additional cost. We aren’t happy until you’re completely satisfied with your custom graphics.
Plus, NLC is more affordable than hiring an in-house designer or a freelancer, allowing you to stretch your marketing budget even further.
Create and Ship
When it comes to creating your merchandise, there are two main options that you can choose from:
- Print on demand. With this option, you work directly with a print-on-demand company to automate your merchandise’s production, shipping, and fulfillment. Some benefits of this low-risk option are that you have minimal upfront costs, you are not required to store inventory, and you won’t have to hire a team to manually fulfill orders. However, working with a dropshipping service can limit your product, design, and customization options.
- Private manufacturing. With this option, you can find a manufacturer to produce the specific product you want to sell. From there, you would hold an inventory of your product and fulfill orders yourself or using a third-party company. This gives you more creative freedom but requires more upfront costs.
Are you ready to find a private manufacturing company to create the merch of your dreams? Appliq gives you the option to either print on demand or private label your merchandise and manage your own inventory. You could also seek out a private manufacturing company that is local to you.
Leverage Your Merch
Now that you’ve created eye-catching merchandise, it’s time to leverage your merch. Before your merch launch date, create a lot of hype about your new line of products by sharing teasers and counting down to launch. Then, use your platform and social media to promote your new products. Once your product is launched, work with top fans or influencers to place your products in front of a larger audience.
A giveaway is a cost-effective way to create a buzz about your merch and increase engagement on your social channels. One option is to give free products to those who like, share, and comment on your posts. Another option is to give away a larger prize or discount to those who tag you in photos of them wearing or using your merchandise.
Let's Get Started
Branded merchandise creates an opportunity for your biggest fans to represent your brand. When you create high-quality products that feature a memorable design, you’re spreading brand awareness, increasing brand recognition, and creating an additional stream of revenue.
If you are ready to start creating your very own merch, book a call with us today. You’ll speak with real designers who will answer your questions and help you create the merchandise of your dreams.