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How to Sell Your Art Online and Make Money

If you want to sell your art online AND make money, merch is the way to go.

Selling prints of your art is one thing, but people wearing your art takes it a whole new level. Merch gives you the opportunity to monetize your artwork while sharing your artistic vision with likeminded supporters.

The best part: IT’S COMPLETELY FREE. Yep, you read that right. Learn more about the perks of making custom merch to sell your art below.

Get Selling!

You can start selling from DAY ONE with Spreadshop! There’s no trial period or onboarding steps you need to complete before you can make and sell your merch. Upload your artwork onto hundreds of products and sell your art online in minutes (seriously).

Start with existing art and work your way up to creating an exclusive merch line. T-shirts, hoodies, tote bags, stickers…the options are endless! PRO TIP: If you want to sell your art, make sure you always have seasonal products front and center.

Branding is an Art

Merch is more than just a nice thing to have. It’s the first step into turning your passion for art into a bonafide brand. The best part: you can build your very own brand right from your bedroom!

Merch not only allows you to profit from your art, it turns you into a professional. It shows you’re serious about your art and have the intuitive to progress in your career.

Print On Demand Power

We’re a print on demand merch site, which means we only print when there’s demand. You won’t have to worry about storing boxes of T-shirts, shipping out orders, or dealing with customer service issues. That’s all on us!

We produce, fulfill, and ship at absolutely NO COST to you. All you have to do is upload some awesome designs and get the word out to your followers. Selling your art has never been easier.

Perks of Print On Demand with Spreadshop:

We store all your merch in our warehouse
We only print when an order is placed
We ship directly to your customer
It’s a more sustainable merch choice

Make Money on Your Own Time

DID YOU KNOW: You make a profit from every item you sell with Spreadshop. That’s right. Every product has a base price and anything you set beyond that goes directly into your pocket. You have the freedom set the prices and determine what your percentage is.

Plus, getting paid is super easy. Link your PayPal or bank account for monthly payouts. You can access all of this in your shop dashboard.

What are you waiting for? Start selling your art with Spreadshop!

Merch Designs That Will Sell

Having trouble making your merch designs? We get it. Designing merch isn’t as easy as it looks.

But you don’t need to be a professional designer to make quality merch! The main thing you need to think about when making merch designs: Your audience. That is, if you want to make money.

Check out some trending merch designs from successful shop owners for inspo…

Just Text

When in doubt, just use text! This simple, statement-making merch design works for all kinds of shops.

This is a great design tool for advocacy groups and nonprofits to get their message across. Or to use humor to speak to your niche with a phrase like: Sorry I have PLANTS this weekend. You can really with your merch this way.

Aside from being simple, this merch design is a guaranteed conversation starter.

Keep it Cutesy

You can’t go wrong with fun text and cure accents like sparkles, hearts, and stars in your merch designs. These small changes can really elevate an otherwise simple design. Make your merch look more “aesthetic” and appealing to a new demographic.

Your whole shop doesn’t need to have designs like this, though. It’s about having options! But having an aesthetic is a big draw for customers, like Sad Girls Club, who have carefully curated their merch offerings. Their designs all fit into the same soft, girly aesthetic, which makes sense for them.

Use Humor

People love quirky things. Mom and dad jokes have become the topic of trending memes and are more topical than ever. Just check out Middle Class Fancy on Instagram.

Think about how you can use puns and phrasing to your advantage with your merch. What’s funny about your passion or field? What would resonate with those that can relate?

Face Off Fifty Plus has found their niche and run with it. They’ve found a way to make funny designs that speak to their demographic of people age 50 and over. It might not be funny to people not in that group, but it doesn’t matter. You need to figure out how to make designs that appeal to your audience at the end of the day.

Don’t waste time creating a bunch of random merch designs. The more specific, the better. We hope these shop owner designs inspired you when it comes to creating designs for your merch line.

Use Spreadshop to make money from your custom merch designs at NO COST!

It’s always FREE. You don’t have to pay a website developer to run your merch site.
Spreadshop is a print-on-demand merch site. Your merch is only printed when it’s ordered. You don’t have to store any inventory!
Upload as many designs as you want. Feel free to experiment with as many design options as you want.
Make a profit from EVERY SALE! We have a base price for every product, and anything you set beyond that goes directly to you.

Start selling your merch TODAY with Spreadshop.

Your Ultimate Guide to Creating Captivating Designs

Are you an aspiring designer looking to make your mark? Or perhaps you’re a seasoned creator searching for fresh inspiration? Welcome to Spreadshop’s guide on how to create exceptional designs that resonate with your audience and leave a lasting impression. In this blog post, we’ll walk you through the key steps to craft designs that not only look great but also sell like hotcakes. Let’s dive in!

In the modern digital age, content creators have various avenues to monetize their creativity and engage with their audience. One popular money-making option is creating merchandise, commonly known as “merch.”

Whether you’re a YouTuber looking to expand your brand or an individual with a creative spark, producing and selling merchandise can be a rewarding endeavor. In this guide, we’ll explore the process of making your own merch and highlight the tools and resources that YouTubers and creators use to bring their merchandise ideas to life.

Understanding Merchandise and Its Appeal:

Merchandise refers to a range of products adorned with designs, logos, or slogans that represent a brand, concept, or personality. It’s a powerful way to strengthen the connection between content creators and their audience. When fans wear or use merchandise, they become walking billboards, essentially promoting that creator’s content to a wider audience.

Types of Merchandise You Can Create:

The possibilities are endless when it comes to creating merchandise. You can offer a variety of products, such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, stickers, hats, and more. Each item provides a unique canvas for your creative expression.

Generating Creative Ideas for Your Merchandise:

One of the first steps in creating successful merchandise is generating unique and appealing ideas. You can draw inspiration from your content theme, catchphrases, inside jokes, or iconic visuals. Brainstorming sessions and feedback from your audience can also spark innovative concepts.

The Essential Steps to Creating Your Merch:

Bringing your merchandise ideas to life involves several key steps, including design, production, and marketing. It’s essential to have a clear plan in place before you begin. Research reliable platforms that offer on-demand printing services to ensure a hassle-free production process.

Effective Merchandise Design:

Design is at the heart of great merchandise. You want your creations to stand out and resonate with your audience. Consider collaborating with professional designers or using design tools to craft eye-catching visuals that reflect your brand’s personality.

Producing Your Merchandise:

Platforms like Spreadshop offer convenient on-demand printing services, allowing you to upload your designs and have them printed on various products like T-shirts, sweatshirts, and stickers. This minimizes upfront costs and ensures that you only produce what you need.

Cost Considerations:

While creating your own merchandise can be financially rewarding, it’s important to consider costs. Expenses may include design work, production fees, and marketing expenses. However, many creators find the return on investment to be well worth it.

Promoting and Selling Your Merch:

Promotion is key to the success of your merchandise venture. Leverage your social media presence, website, and other platforms to showcase your products. Engage with your audience and create a sense of exclusivity and urgency to drive sales.

Challenges to Keep in Mind:

While creating merchandise is exciting, there are challenges to be aware of, such as ensuring product quality, managing inventory, and dealing with customer service inquiries. However, with careful planning and dedication, these challenges can be overcome.

Creating merchandise offers content creators a fantastic opportunity to expand their brand, connect with fans, and generate additional income. By following the steps outlined in this guide and utilizing the tools and resources available, such as on-demand printing platforms, you can turn your creative vision into tangible products that resonate with your audience. Remember, the key to successful merchandise lies in thoughtful design, effective promotion, and a genuine connection with your community.

Create merch for your audience TODAY with Spreadshop! There’s no cost. EVER.

5 Reason Your Merch Isn’t Selling

If your merch isn’t selling, you’re not the only one. We know how difficult it can be to connect with like-minded customers and monetize your passion. But it’s totally possible!

It all comes down to three factors: good merch designs, promoting your products and knowing your audience. These are essential to building a successful (and profitable) merch line.

Want to know what you’re doing wrong with your merch and how to fix it? Here are the 5 reasons why your merch isn’t selling.

You Don’t Know Your Audience

You can’t just make merch to make merch – you need to have an audience in mind. Otherwise, you’ll end up creating a bunch of random designs that don’t resonate with anyone.

So, what’s your niche? The thing that makes your merch standout. Take Plants with Krystal, for example. She’s passionate about helping beginner plant parents feel more confident. And she’s been able to take that same passion and sell custom, branded designs in her shop.

These designs appeal to her audience: plant parents. She uses plant puns and quirky images to connect her with followers. You need to use your niche/hobby to your advantage to grow your merch sales. Make designs that speak to that audience and you’ll find success.

You Aren’t Talking About It

T-shirts aren’t going to sell themselves. You’ve got to do some hustling if you want to make money from your merch line.

If you have a following online, of course it’s important to promote your merch. But a lot of shop owners make the mistake of forgetting about their family and friends. The people closest to you are the ones that most want to support you.

Let people know you just made merch because it’s a big deal! Merch is a tangible extension of your passion and should be treated as such. Your family and friends will be there to buy your merch.

Your Designs Aren’t That Great

We’re sorry to say, but your designs kinda suck. No offense. It’s tougher than it looks to make quality designs that sell.

Here are 3 things you can do to make profitable merch designs:

1. Don’t Do Too Much

You can’t, and really shouldn’t, try to be doing it all with your merch designs. We get that you want to be creative and share your passions with people, but it can be overwhelming. We’re saying it again, but it’s easier when you boil your merch designs down to a singular niche or interest.

2. Basic is Boring

Find your brand colors and use specific imagery that resonates with potential customers. Mila the Chi is an adorable chihuahua whose funny antics have gained her over 100K followers. She often contorts herself into positions where she’s upside down.

Her owner capitalized on this and decided to make a merch design out of it. That’s the kind of thinking you need to have when it comes to your merch designs.

3. Hire a Pro

You might just have to accept that you’re not a merch designer. Design tools like Canva make it easy for people to make designs, but even then your options are limited.

That’s why we recommend hiring a professional. You can connect with hundreds of designers through Fiverr. Search keywords like “T-Shirt design” or “podcast design” to find the right designer.

You Haven’t Customized Your Shop

Having great products is one thing, showing them off is another. Your clothing line deserves the star treatment, and you can give it that when you customize your Spreadshop.

Customizing your site is a great way to solidify your brand. Upload your brand colors and any associated imagery. The Kind Mind Co. has one of our favorite website designs. Emily, host of the podcast, used an image of herself in the banner for her shop. It’s welcoming and totally on brand. And her latest products/designs are available for purchase on her start page.

Taking the time to customize your site creates an immersive experience for your customers. They’ll feel more connected to you and your brand and sales will come naturally.

You Don’t Have Good Promotional Content

If your merch isn’t selling, you might just not be promoting it well enough. Letting your followers know about your latest merch drop is one thing, but using high quality photos and videos is another.

A lot of shop owners don’t know the best posting strategies and make common mistakes. Here are some dos and don’ts when promoting your merch on socials:

DON’T

Use screenshots of your merch or shop.

Rely on stock images to showcase your merch.

Copy and paste the link of your shop in captions.

Ignore comments or feedback from your followers.

DO

Take professional photos of your merch. Get family and friends to model your designs.

Direct people to a link in your bio to buy merch. Instagram now allows up to 5 links in your bio.

Respond to comments and repost positive feedback. Take any negative feedback and use it for your next merch drop!

Haven’t made merch yet? Make your own custom merch for FREE with Spreadshop.