To create content online, you need to have an active following, and if you have, selling merchandise can be a great way to earn money. As a content creator, your fans follow you because they believe in your knowledge, opinions, and sharp taste. You only need a chance to find or make products that are only for them to turn your brand into an e-commerce site.
Today, many creators—online publishers, podcasters, influencers, video creators, and newsletter publishers—use different strategies to have an income stream. Some of these options include online courses, sponsorships and ads, memberships, info products, exclusive content, and professional services.
Merchandise or curated products can be a massive addition for creators, especially those with an enthusiastic following. Creators having an eCommerce site can integrate a fundraising plugin such as the donation plugin for WooCommerce into their website. This will help them get sales straight into their accounts.
Products That Content Creators Can Sell
If your fan base has an affinity for you or your brand, then branded merchandise is a decent option. You can sell mugs, hoodies, tees, bags, hats, and other commonly used items designed with catchphrases, logos, hashtags, or art.
You might be thinking in your head, “How do I make my own merchandise?” You have two primary ways to go about making and selling branded merchandise.
1. Order Inventory
While ordering inventory from a supplier, you need to choose from an expansive product catalog to put together your design. Then, you have to decide on sizes, colors, and quantities. Your merchandise will be shipped to you, and you will have to store it. You will also bear responsibility for order fulfillment. You can set up your own e-commerce store and feature your designed merchandise.
You can find hundreds of imprint suppliers online. Swag.com and Haberdash are a few options. Alternatively, your city probably has a local shop where you can see a few products, meet with a representative in-person, and support a local business.
The benefit of ordering inventory is that you can get more options and control than “print on demand” services. Also, you get the opportunity for more ROI. Furthermore, you can negotiate with your supplier to set your prices and manage delivery. The result is that you will have major control over your margins.
2. Print-on-Demand
Companies such as Teespring, Zazzle, Printful, Amplifier, and even Amazon offer print-on-demand merchandise. You bring your design, logo, and audience to print-on-demand apparel, and the print-on-demand supplier handles the rest. Also, you don’t need to worry about shipping, fulfillment, returns, or the design of the products for sale.
With the platforms mentioned above, you can set your sale price, but you need to consider what your audience is willing to pay for your goods. You don’t have wiggle room or control over the base price, so you work off tight margins. Still, print-on-demand offers a low barrier to entry to start selling merchandise to your fan base.
Some platforms make it easier for content creators to offer merch to their fans. Teespring has an integration in the works exclusively for TikTok to enable creators to sell to their fans without leaving TikTok directly.
3. Curated Products
Products made by other companies are called curated products. It can be another feasible option for selling physical goods to your fans. Some digital influencers did this with affiliate links and sponsored posts to gain a percentage of their sales. However, we are talking about opening up your online e-commerce store and offering products you know your audience would love. You can talk about these products in your content.
For instance, a blogger who discusses travel hacks may have travel goodies in their store. A lifestyle blogger can start selling t-shirts through an e-commerce store.
Like branded merchandise, you can buy inventories from traditional online or offline retailers. You can start with a service like Oberlo, where you can pick products from their partners; shipping is not your responsibility. You are responsible for marketing your store and bringing in customers. The drop shipper, with its partners, handles the fulfillment behind the scenes.
Your Own Product Line
Kylie Jenner presented Kylie Cosmetics and churned billions of dollars in no time. You might not have a famous family or a superhit reality TV show to capitalize on, but that doesn’t mean you cannot launch a product with your audience.
In the abovementioned example, we hinted at the idea of a productivity-focused content creator selling their favorite planner. However, the same creator can design and produce their own planner.
Depending on what you want to launch, this is likely the most complex and most expensive option among the options. Printing and designing a physical planner are simple, but launching a product line requires more work. You may have to source ingredients, manage inventory, seek a co-packer, etc.
Manufacturing products is tough. You will need to spend considerable time planning and researching the product you’d like to launch. However, there will be no looking back once you find a way.
Final Words
Don’t forget that it can take time for your audience to turn into your buyers, and you might not sell out right away. Frequency and repetition are two important ways to get your sales numbers to go up.
Running an e-commerce store on top of your content creation business requires time but can pay off in generating significant revenue. It boosts your bottom line and creates a deeper connection with your audience as they support your graphics and logo on items in their daily lives. Selling merchandise in the ways mentioned above can give you a strong connection, growth, and an eye-opening bottom line.