Top 5 Merch Mistakes

Merch is a great way for creators to build their brand, but it’s not always a success. We’ve seen many creators fail with their merch launch because of simple mistakes. Knowing what your brand and your audience are both key to making sales. 

You need to be confident in yourself and sales will follow. Here are five tips to help you make your merch launch a success:

Merch is a Powerful Tool

If you’re a creator, chances are you’ve thought about merch at some point. Merch is a great way to monetize your content and leverage your brand. The creator economy is booming, and merch is a big part of that. Brand deals, ads, and services are also key ways to make money online. 

Consumers looking for this niche content are willing to pay money to be a part of a community dedicated to their passion. A creator’s brand should feel like an experience and can exist outside of the normal social channels. 

If you have at least 1,000 subscribers, you can start making money from your channel. Feature your merch directly below your videos using YouTube Product Shelf! When you have these tools at your disposal, it’s important you don’t let them go to waste. You never know what’s going to get someone to buy your merch, but you should know who you are and what you want to say to your audience.

Have a Strong Identity

If you’re thinking about launching merch, it’s important to take some time to consider what you want your brand to represent. Who are you as a creator, and what do you want your content to say about you? It’s ok if you don’t have all the answers right away – this is something that can evolve over time. 

However, it’s important to have a general idea of the personal pillars of your brand before moving forward. This will help your audience connect with you and understand what you’re all about. Clueless Bushcraft is a great example of a creator who knows exactly who he is and what he stands for. When you enter his merch shop, there’s no doubt what his brand is all about. 

So if you’re ready to launch merch, start by defining the core values of your brand. Then, lean into those values to create content that is truly representative of who you are as a creator.

Put Your Followers First

If you want to be successful as a creator, it’s important to remember that all markets are conversations. That means you need to tap into the hearts and minds of your audience and create merch that speaks to their feelings and values. One way to do this is by asking your audience for input on designs. This way, you’ll have an idea about who will support you and buy your merch when it’s released.

Another tip is to focus on creating designs that are not only about you, but also appealing to the people who follow you. Remember, your personality is a big part of your channel, but it shouldn’t be the only thing! Make sure your merch reflects why people followed you in the first place.

Have Quality Designs

We get it. It can be tough creating merch designs when you’re not a professional artist. When coming up with merch designs, consider what message you want to communicate with your designs. Make sure that they are cohesive with the overall aesthetic of your brand. If you’re unsure where to start, take a look at some professional merch designs for inspiration. 

If you’re not a professional artist, don’t worry – there are still plenty of ways to create great merch designs. Canva is a fun tool for beginners, and has a large stock library of images and graphics you can use. Plus, you can upload your brand colors and logos to help get you started!

If you’re still struggling, find a designer through services like Fiverr who can help bring your vision to life. Or try finding someone local. Ask around colleges in your area to see if there are any graphic designers eager to build their portfolio and gain experience.

Drop Every Design At Once

Before you launch your merch shop, there’s one important thing to keep in mind: Don’t drop all of your designs at once. We see a lot of creators make this mistake. They drop all of their merch designs at once to generate interest in their shop. This might get you a lot of sales initially, but people will lose interest in your shop quickly. Spread out your merch drops to ensure people come back. Launching one to two new designs a month is perfect.

We also hear from a lot of people that they’re waiting for the right time to drop their merch. But the right time doesn’t exist. You’ll just be prolonging yourself from doing anything. Do some research, come up with a plan, and launch your merch store when you’re ready.

There’s no perfect time to launch your merch store. But these are definitely the top 5 mistakes among creators. We hope you keep this in mind for your next merch drop.

Open up your own Spreadshop and start selling your own merch – It’s FREE!