Probably one of the most common ways to monetize your online presence when you have already built a loyal audience is introducing your own merch to the picture. I know it might sound like a bit of a hustle to you at this point, but in reality, it’s a fairly simple process. Let me take you through it.

To get things going, I highly recommend looking into a service you can use rather than taking care of the making & stocking the goods yourself. You see, these days there are plenty of great companies, such as Spreadshop, that can help you create products for you and take care of all the bits production process includes.

With the help of Spreadshop, you can sell custom t-shirts, hoodies, tank tops, tote bags or mugs without a need to worry about payments, production, fulfillment or shipping. Spreadshop has you covered at no cost to you. They buy and store all product inventory, so you don’t have to! This enables you to start your own merch shop without any overhead or risks. The quality of the products they produce is top-notch and you can even offer worldwide shopping to your audience this way.

Sounds pretty great, huh? Follow the steps below to get started.

#1 Register On Spreadshop

Luckily, Spreadshop made registration process fairly simple, all you need to do is follow the steps you will have a fully activated, ready-to-sell merch shop live in a few clicks. Follow this link to get started.

Simply fill out the form with your info, create a memorable password and click ‘Get Started Now’ button.

You will be taken to your dashboard straight away. This is where all the magic is going to happen! You see how easy the first step was? I told ya!

#2 Start Designing Your Products

Head over to the DESIGN area to get your creativity flow. We’re going to start creating those awesome products right now!

Here, you will be able to choose to upload your own logo/art piece or whatever you think your audience is going to love. Of course, to sell these products online you should make sure you own all the rights to the images/artwork used.

Once you upload your image, you will see a bunch of options to use it on straight away. For this example, I chose to create custom t-shirts. Let’s have a look!

As you can see I was able to choose from different product colors here, adjust the size and positioning of my logo, the options available helped me make sure my image is perfectly positioned etc. Go ahead and apply the settings that work for you and for your image.

Once your product is perfected, go ahead and click ‘apply changes’ button. You will be taken back to the DESIGNS area and you will have to choose a ‘NEXT’ option to continue.

In the next window, add a little bit more info about your design. Describe your logo/artwork in the best possible way, so your audience or perhaps even new fans can easily know what’s your product is about. Be creative, really go deep into what your brand/artwork stands for and make sure your audience knows it’s your voice rather than generated description.

Once you’re ready, click ‘NEXT>’.

In this next step, you will need to set the price that feels fair for your design. You will have to set a design price for each design you upload. The design price can range from $0 to $20 and is part of the final price a customer pays when buying a product with your design on it. The design price is credited to your account each time the design is sold.

Here you go! Once you create variations of your products, you’ll be ready to launch and start introducing your new merch to your audience.

Creating the beautiful products is one thing, but now it’s all in the hands of your marketing skills and the service you’re ready to provide.

#3 Get Ready To Sell

In the first few weeks of introducing your new products, you might need to spend some extra time on your e-mails, messages as your audience might have some questions regarding shipping/sizing etc.

If this is your first e-commerce experience, make sure to remember to put your customers first.

Let me tell you a little secret, I absolutely love my clients. However, when I feel overwhelmed with work, I don’t feel like I show them enough love and respect & that makes a huge impact on my business. You see, successful business owners spend enough time showing love to their clients & really go all in understanding their clients’ needs. We all know the saying ” the customer is always right ” and well…it makes a lot of sense!

Thus, if you want your merch shop to succeed, you have to be prepared to provide all the necessary information as well as just reply in a friendly manner whenever you get an inquiry.

Here are some questions you can expect to receive when selling your merch through Spreadshop and answers you’ll find handy:

• Is it safe to shop? Your Spreadshop is powered by Spreadshirt, a global e-commerce company with 15+ years of experience in merchandise. Your checkout includes a free SSL certificate. All transactions are protected by the same security level used by banks.
• Are the products well-made? Spreadshop’s printing technology is optimized to output print results of the highest quality. They want your customers to be happy, so you can rest assured that they are getting the best!
• What are the payment options available? Spreadshop accepts both PayPal payments and credit card payments the minute your shop is launched. All payments are handled by them, so you don’t have to worry about managing the payments yourself & you can just wait and enjoy the profit.
• Can I shop using my phone? Absolutely, Spreadshop’s platform adapts to any device. Your customers can browse and buy from your online shop using any mobile phone or tablet with ease.

Stick to these Q&As in case of emergency and make sure to always provide the best customer service possible.

#4 Start Promoting Your Merch Shop

If you’re thinking of starting your own merch shop, you probably have already built some kind of a following online. Luckily, Spreadshop allows you to easily link social media accounts with your shop, so starting a social media promotion for your products will only take you a few extra steps.

As much as just a simple link share can already get your audience excited, you might also wish to consider some more creative ideas that will help you sell more merch. You see, successful marketing campaigns invite potential customers to participate and here are some ways I personally believe would work very well on social media:

• Order a few products for yourself or your friends & organize a fun photoshoot. Not only this will help you display how products look in a real life, you will also create some content to upload for yourself. It’s a win-win situation. You can use this photoshoot as a teaser. Publish the images a day or two before you’re planning to launch to get your fans excited and make sure to share again once the products are ready to be sold!
• Host a giveaway! Giveaways can bring you a bunch of new followers as much as it’s sometimes nice to honor your fans and give them a little treat. Ask your audience to spread the word about the giveaway and choose a lucky winner after a week or so.
• Include a banner of your new shop straight into your blog/website. If you’re using WordPress, integration will be super easy as Spreadshop has a plugin ready for you over here.
• Promote your products in a video.
• Try your products on Instagram stories or IGTV.
• Don’t forget to occasionally include a link to your Twitter/Facebook feeds. I bet your audience will love to know about this new project of yours!

These are just to mention a few options tho. I bet you know best what works best for you & your brand, so promote your new merch just as how you’d promote other business’s products.

Conclusion

Spreadshop is the ultimate place to start at if you’re looking to start your own merch. It really takes all the hassle of the process and you can focus on what you’ve been doing best thus far- building that loyal following and creating wonderful content.

Plus it’s not only about the earnings, creating your own merch can help you build even stronger community, include your fans into the process of creating new designs, encourage them to express their likings and study what your audience is most interested in buying.

Just give it a go, really. It won’t cost you a penny, but your own merch can become a great source of income for your online presence.