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How to Make Your Merch Drop a Success

You want your merch drop to be a success. If you put the work in, it will be. A successful merch drop is dependent on you being authentic to your audience and brand. Your merch will connect with people if the designs are unique and resonate with your followers. Promote your products and have a strategy when you’re planning the rollout of your merch. It’s going to make it feel like an experience.

Here are some tips to help you have a successful merch drop:

1. Be authentic to your audience and brand

2. Have unique designs that resonate with your followers

3. Promote your products

4. Have a strategy when you’re planning the rollout of your merch

Read on for the full breakdown.

Make Designs That Resonate

If you want to sell merch, you need to make sure your designs are top-notch. After all, no one’s going to buy if the merch doesn’t look good! But don’t worry – you don’t have to be a professional graphic designer to create amazing designs. There are plenty of tools out there, like Canva and Pixlr, that make it easy to create quality designs in just 5 minutes.

When you’re creating your designs, it’s important to keep your audience in mind. Pick colors and graphics that will appeal to them, and involve them in the design process by asking them to vote on designs and pick their favorites. That way you’ll know what kind of merch they’re most likely to buy.

Make Your Products Look Their Best

Now that you have your merch designs ready to go, it’s time to promote them! One great way to do this is by taking professional-looking photos of you and your friends wearing your merch. This will help show potential customers how great your merch looks in real life.

Everyone has a great looking camera in their back pocket these days, so there’s no excuse not to take advantage of it! And you don’t need to overcomplicate things either – the photos above from the shop owners above show that you can keep things simple and still get great results.

If you want to go the extra mile, you could even create a theme for your photoshoot. This can help make your merch stand out even more. Whatever you do, make sure to have fun with it! Promoting your merch should be enjoyable.

Have a Merch Drop Strategy

You can’t expect your merch drop to be a success if you don’t put the work in. It’s important to have some kind of strategy, but it doesn’t have to involve a lot of moving parts. Tease out your merch drop with little sneak peeks. Utilize the countdown feature on your Instagram Stories. If you make videos or livestream on platforms like Twitch, wear your merch. If you want to drum up more excitement you can always do a giveaway. It’s going to get people intrigued. You don’t have to put in a lot of effort into your launch, but it helps when you have a plan.

Creating a merch drop can be a fun and easy way to get your fans involved with your brand. But, in order to make sure that your merch drop is successful, you need to put in some effort and develop a strategy. Here are a few tips:

1) Tease out your merch drop with little sneak peeks. Utilize the countdown feature on your Instagram stories or post about it on your other social media channels.

2) If you make videos or livestream on platforms like Twitch, wear your merch. This will get people interested and excited about what you have to offer.

3) You can also do a giveaway leading up to your merch drop. This will help generate interest and get people talking about your brand.

Stay on Brand

Building a brand is easier than you might think. Find your logo/brand imagery, identify what you want to say that’s going to make an impact. Incorporate these colors and styles not only in your merch, but in your social content when you promote your merch drop! Like Plants with Krystal does. They know their niche and reflect it with their designs and when they’re sharing to socials.

This is important to not only your followers, but the average customer. Everyone’s looking for something that’s different and feels special. And it’s totally doable for your brand.

When promoting your merch drop, stay true to your brand and incorporate your colors and style into your social media content. This will help create a cohesive and impactful merch experience for your followers and customers. Shoutout to Nephyrus for being the best!

Now that you know how to have a successful merch drop, it’s time to open your shop! Launch your own Spreadshop for FREE today!

Introducing the Spreadshop Creator Advisory Board

Announcing the formation of the first ever Spreadshop Creator Advisory Board. This is a huge step in our journey of empowering creators. Bringing top notch creators into our internal conversations will keep creators at the forefront of the Spreadshop decision making process.

Since the beginning in 2002, creators, influencers and entrepreneurs have partnered with the Spread Group family of brands. Promoting made to order merchandise helps creators diversify revenue streams and grow their brands. Putting out merchandise boosts your bottom line and helps deepen connections with your followers.

Perfecting the best merchandise platform for creators of all kinds has always been our goal.

In 2020 we became an official YouTube partner, allowing shop owners to connect their shop to the Youtube merch shelf, store tab, and more. And last year we took another step forward announcing the Spreadshop Brand Ambassador Program. Brand Ambassadors not only educate creators about how to use the platform, but also create content and workshops designed to help creators live a more sustainable creative life.

Our staff is beyond excited to add the Creator Advisory Board to our existing Brand Ambassador program. We’ve already seen so much success working with a few of these pros. We help smaller creators grow their channels or brands and monetize. Being able to scale that program with a wider variety of experts will be awesome. Our goal is to help even more creators in the future. We will shape the new creator economy.

Creators Lead the Way

Spreadshop’s Creator Advisory Board meets regularly to give feedback, discuss the creator economy, and demo upcoming platform features. One of the first topics of discussion will be new print on demand products. Our main focus will be on more sustainable clothing for all.

Millie Adrian of It’s Modern Millie and a founding member of the creator board says,

“It’s one thing to work with a brand on a one-off collaboration, it’s another to partner with a company that truly sees your value, and that you believe in. Together we can create a more significant impact. I love working with Spreadshop as a Brand Ambassador and am beyond thrilled to become a founding member of the Creator Advisory board. It’s exciting to see a company not only invest in their creators but create a space where they can hear direct feedback, thoughts, and opinions, to help guide their projects with a Creator perspective in mind. I hope other brands see these strides Spreadshop is making, and are inspired to take similar action.”

Meet Our Creator Board at VidSummit 2022

Many members our Creator Advisory Board will be on the ground and speaking from the stage at the 9th annual VidSummit September 27th-30th in Los Angeles. Spreadshop is the official merchandise sponsor for this event that brings the world’s top creators together to learn from each other.

Spreadshop welcomes the following members to our Creator Advisory Board:

Millie Adrian – Online Educator and YouTuber of It’s Modern Millie, who teaches aspiring Influencers how to turn their personal brand into a full-time business.

Daniel Batal– Content Creator & Professional Channel Consultant.

Roberto Blake – Creative Entrepreneur and Founder of Awesome Creator Academy.

Saul Colt – Creative Genius behind The Idea Integration Co., an award-winning boutique marketing and advertising agency made up of professionally creative and funny people.

Andrew Kan – Award winning Documentary Film Director. Skilled in Storytelling, YouTube Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Camera Operation, and all things film-making.

Desiree Martinez – Founder of Women of Video, YouTuber, Podcaster, Author, Award-Winning Social Media Creative Content Creator.

Jessica McCabe – American Actress, Writer, and Producer of How to ADHD on YouTube.

Nick Nimmin – YouTube Content Creator and Educator dedicated to helping other content creators
succeed.

Tom Phan – Content Creator of Clueless Bushcraft on TikTok and Youtube.

Jim Rugg – is an Eisner and Ignatz Award-winning cartoonist, designer, and YouTuber. His comics have been published by Marvel, DC, Image Comics, AdHouse Books, New York magazine, Dark Horse Comics, Titan Books, and Fantagraphics.

Renee Teeley – Creator Economy Executive with over 15 years of experience helping creators, brands, and enterprise companies grow their communities and build their businesses using video.

Creators! We want to hear from you!

If you’re interesting in learning more about how you can work with our Creator Board to help shape the future of creator commerce, drop a line.

5 Ways to Refuel During the Work Day

It’s important to refuel during the work day, no matter how busy you are. Your mental health and overall productivity will benefit from you taking some time to yourself. Go for a walk, eat a healthy snack, take a break to do one of your favorite hobbies. Refueling will help you stay focused and productive throughout the work day!

Here are 5 tips for you:

Snack Time

You can’t do your best work on an empty stomach. When you don’t have time for a proper meal, snacks are a great way to get your energy up. But they have to be the right ones. Ditch the greasy potato chips in favor of healthy, protein-packed options. Almonds are a great source of nutrition. Eat them by the handful or find them in a variety of protein bars. A good old apple is another great snack; we prefer ours smothered in peanut butter, even if that might not be the healthiest. Yogurt is another go-to option. Grab one with blueberries for an extra boost.

So next time you need a snack break, refuel with something healthy and delicious. Your body and mind will thank you.

Brighten Your Day

A 15-minute break might not seem like it’s worth it, but there are plenty of benefits. When you’re feeling run down, it’s important to take a break. Refuel yourself so you can continue working at your best. It’s also a great way for you to spend some time each day on your hobbies and the things that make you happy.

Try to resist the temptation of doom-scrolling your social media feeds and do something that will give you value. Read a chapter of a book you’re currently reading. Work on crocheting or some kind of art project. Adult coloring books are always a fun thing to do. This will heighten your work day and make it all the more enjoyable.

Catch Some Z’s

You’ve likely heard of the power nap before. While napping at work isn’t for everybody, it has many benefits for your overall health and wellbeing. Napping too long can make you feel sluggish and groggy, 15 minutes seems to be just the right amount of time. Napping after lunch is a great time and takes advantage of your body’s natural sleep/wake cycle.

Taking a nap will not only make you more focused, but it will also reduce your overall stress. Your motor skills will be more sharpened and you’ll develop that extra stamina to finish the day out strong. So next time you’re feeling tired at work, don’t reach for another coffee. Take a nap instead!

Jot Down Your Thoughts

Making lists throughout the day is a great way for you to see the progress you’re making. It may seem like a tedious thing, but it can help you stay on track, especially when you have so much to do. Use different colored markers or stickers to make your lists more approachable and so you’re eager to finish them. It always feels good to check things off!

Making a to-do list is easy, and a big time saver. You’ll know what needs the most of your attention and won’t waste time spent on unnecessary tasks. Check out more time-saving tips on our blog!

Show Your Gratitude By Journaling

Noting what each of us is grateful for is usually overlooked due to hectic work and family schedules, activities, stress, not living in the moment, etc. If asked, most of us probably couldn’t say what we’re grateful for in a typical day. Think about it. Could you easily remember small moments from the day that brought you the most joy? Reflecting on what you’re grateful for can lead to a happier, more content life and make your work days even more productive. All it takes is a few moments before bed each night, and a gratitude journal to record your thoughts.

A gratitude journal is not a diary, let’s start there. It’s not a collection of random thoughts about your day. It’s literally things you are grateful for in a day. Things that brought you joy – big or small. And everyone’s journal will be different! The most important part of this is being present and focusing on what brought you joy.

We hope you feel more confident to take on the workday with these 5 tips! When the work day is done, it’s time to focus on your passions. Maybe that’s building your brand, making video content, and connecting with your audience. You’re gonna need merch for that.

Open up your own merch shop for FREE!

The Benefits of Gratitude Journaling

When you think about it, there’s probably a lot for you to be grateful for. You woke up this morning with a roof over your head. If you’re like me, you started the day with a hot cup of coffee. You’re a self-starter, entrepreneur, creator, and influencer. You’re building a brand and selling Print-On-Demand! That’s a lot to be thankful for right there.

Noting what each of us is grateful for is usually overlooked due to hectic work and family schedules, activities, stress, not living in the moment, etc. If asked, most of us probably couldn’t say what we’re grateful for in a typical day. Think about it. Could you easily remember small moments from the day that brought you the most joy? Reflecting on what you’re grateful for can lead to a happier, more content life. All it takes is a few moments before bed each night, and a gratitude journal to record your thoughts.

As summer comes to an end and September begins, I challenge all our merchants, influencers, creators, or whatever you call yourself, to keep a Gratitude Journal for 30 days. Journal what it is you are thankful for each day!

So, what’s a Gratitude Journal?

Gratitude journaling is all about focusing on the positive things in your life, and it can be a great way to reflect on your day-to-day experiences. Plus, gratitude journaling has been shown to have numerous benefits, including improved mental well-being, increased happiness, and even better sleep! There are so many perks.

Step #1

Step one of this challenge is figuring out how you want to journal. Are you a pen and paper kind of person, or are you more comfortable using a digital platform? Some people are more comfortable jotting down their thoughts in a physical journal, whether its leather-bound or a cheaper option. I know I prefer the sensation of writing instead of typing. Here are some great options if you do, too.

If not, writing in the notes app on your fine or doing your entries using something like Google Drive works just fine! Your gratitude journaling isn’t dependent on the medium you choose.

Step #2

Set some time each day for your gratitude journaling. Commit to a certain time or amount of time you will write what you are grateful for each day. Could be 5 minutes or 30 minutes. In the morning or right before bedtime. Set these goals and commit to them. If you find that journaling before bed seems like a great idea but then realize that lunchtime is better, that’s ok! The point is to be present and be grateful for the things in your life that bring you joy.

You’ll learn what works best for you and your schedule after a couple days. Maybe you were too ambitious going into it and thought you had more time than you did. It’s ok to adapt and journal less or more depending on your schedule. Time management is a necessary skill when you’re a creator, small business owner, or someone who works from home. We have 5 time management tips to help you get the most out of your work day!

Step #3

Staring at a blank page can be overwhelming. What should you write? How do you start? You might think, am I thankful for this or am I writing just to write? It’s ok to be unsure! Here are a few gratitude journaling prompts to help you get started:

Prompt Ideas

What’s something that makes you unique and you’re thankful for?
Is there something in your life that you did not have a year ago and are thankful for?
Think of a mistake you made. What did you learn from it?
What’s something that made you laugh or cry today?
Why did you start your business?
Who is someone that helped shaped you to be the person you are?
Is there someone that you were able to help today?
What was something new that you learned today?
Name a tough situation and someone who helped you through it.
Write a thank you note to yourself.
Look outside and write about things that you see and are thankful for.
A musician, writer, or another talent that inspires you.
Activities that you enjoy.

Step #4

Find what works for you. Some people love lists, while others are more visual. Draw charts or create images that go along with your gratitude. There are no hard and fast rules to gratitude journaling. The point is to reflect and create!

The Final Step!

Look back at your progress and see what has made you happy. Things might be different today than when you started. Has your happiness improved? What about interactions with others? Has your inner dialogue improved and become more positive? Regardless of your answers to any of these questions, don’t get discouraged when trying to create a new habit. Good habits take time to learn. Focus on the positive and how you are becoming more grateful each day. It’s a different view that will take some time to get used to, but the sights are well worth the time it takes to get there. And the journaling will only get better!

Looking for another way to express gratitude in your life? You should consider making your own merch! It’s a fun way to grow your brand and connect with people.

Start selling your own merch today! It’s FREE!

Getting Started in Print On Demand

Everybody has a favorite T-shirt with a design, name, picture, quote, symbol, saying, or graphic on it. Hoodies, crewnecks, and golf shirts are just a few common types of apparel that can be customized for your niche/brand.

If you’re looking for a place to build a brand and sell your merch to your loyal fans, the print-on-demand business is a low-cost business opportunity. There is no limitation on how much you can earn from running a print-on-demand website. Done right, you can make $500 per month, $10k per month, or even more. The Print-On-Demand Custom T-shirt market will exceed 10 billion dollars by 2025.

However, like any good business model, it does require some homework and discovery. Take some time to build a brand strategy and put in the effort to develop a solid marketing strategy. Understand your product or service offering, who your potential customers are, and what print-on-demand companies/eCommerce platform is best for your business.

How do you get started?

#1 Pick Your Niche

Take some time, think about what you are passionate about, do some research to see if there’s a market for your niche. This shouldn’t be something that feels like a trend, necessarily; it needs to be sustainable. Ideally, this is something that you can see being passionate about for 5 years or more.

One piece of advice veteran SPOD (Spreadshop Print-On-Demand) seller Sean Ali gave to us in a recent interview was that new sellers should always try to find what sells when they first start. Focus on being specific and you will see greater success instead of trying to do multiple things. This simple piece of advice has led him to operating 3 shops (soon to be 4!).

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t just dismiss trends, though. Moment merch is an opportunity for you to jump on micro-trends and use them as a monetizing opportunity for your brand.

#2 Determine What You Want to Sell

T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, backpacks, notepads, keychains – there’s so many choices when it comes to merch! What are you interested in selling? What are the products that people in your niche would be more likely to purchase? Use your niche to your advantage! If you’re all about exploring the outdoors and nature, cinch backpacks and reusable water bottles are perfect merch offerings.

Ultimately, you don’t want to offer products that your audience isn’t going to be interested in. Having too many products can also be overwhelming for people. Take some cues from shop owner Nephyrus. Their shop feels curated thanks to a specific color scheme and selected offerings. It feels like an experience when you’re buying and even just browsing their shop.

#3 Make a Design

One of our favorite design tools is Canva. It’s easy to use and is great for people who don’t have any design experience. You can make a T-shirt design in just 5 minutes using Canva. With just a few clicks, you can create a design that’s uniquely yours. They have templates and design elements to help you create fun graphics and text-based designs. You can even upload your brand colors to make sure your merch feels authentic to your brand.

There’s a lot of great design apps out there that don’t have a huge learning curve. Here’s some other suggestions:

– Lunacy

– Pixlr

– DesignWizard

– GIMP

– PlaceIt

#4 Use an E-commerce Platform

When you use SPOD, you can easily integrate with Shopify or other marketplace apps like:

– Order Desk

– Woo Commerce

– Squarespace

– Magento

Or do a custom integration with the SPOD API. Set up the basic pages, and you can add more as you grow. Include a Homepage, Contact Us page, About Us page, Payment details page, and whatever else may be important to your site. This step can take time, but make sure to think it through the eyes of your user and do it properly. Test the site on different browsers and make sure it works on mobile. This really is one of the most essential steps in the success of your print-on-demand business.

If you don’t want to deal with other integrations or aren’t expecting a lot of orders, Spreadshop is a great place to start. It’s FREE to use and easy to personalize your shop. Upload your designs and pick what products you want to offer. We handle everything on the production side, you just have to get creative.

#6 Promote Your Site and Sell, Sell, Sell!

Your goal here is to get noticed and create sales! You want customers to come to your website and be motivated to make a purchase. With a developed marketing strategy be sure to tell your brand story. People love to hear about your why!

Share your business with friends and family and ask them to share it too. Create and maintain a presence with your target audience by consistently creating new content that will engage your users. Also – be sure to interact with other accounts related to yours and always leave positive comments and feedback on other accounts. Learn how to create a social media strategy.

Creating content is a great way to build trust and become an expert in your field. Regularly publish bogs, product reviews, unboxing videos, tips, tricks, and hacks. These are all great ways to interact and share with your target market. While video is more of a marketing tool than strategy, using video has become the best way to show authenticity and build trust. Let your customers know who you are, what you’re about, and why you’re doing what you’re doing. When creating content, think how it can be done in video form.

Plan Ahead

Take the time to think your POD business through. Do the research and speak with those who have been successful in creating a POD business. You can watch YouTube videos and read blogs. Researching the information that is key to your success. Make note of what has worked for others and what hasn’t worked so that you don’t make the same mistakes. Success truly does leave clues!

Create a business plan like you would with any other business and map things out. If you need help there are FREE resources out there that you can take full advantage of to help you get started. The more planning and research you do the better the overall outcome will be.

Don’t be afraid of failure or making mistakes. Remember, it only takes years of hard work, mistakes, and failure to become an overnight success.

Ready to join the print-on-demand market? Sign up for SPOD, Spreadshop, or both! Find the platform that works best for you.