We’ve long talked about how merch sales will make the most money for your band in the Internet Era. Not only does merch have a bigger profit margin than CD’s or MP3’s, but it also allows you to keep offering new stuff to your fans on a regular basis — even in the absence of new music or touring.
Naturally, you should know how to sell more merch — but how???
Well, below are a few tips we gleaned from our brilliant friends at Unified Manufacturing.
- Fan participation: Invite your fans to submit designs, or vote on what your next shirt should look like. If they feel like they’ve contributed something to it, there’s a better chance they’ll buy it!
. - Models: Lots of times, clothing looks better on people instead of just a stock photo of a t-shirt print. So, be sure to take photos of yourselves or your friends rocking your gear and use them for your online merch store.
. - Good descriptions: When putting merch online, take the time to give details about each item — how it fits, what it feels like, what it’s inspired by, etc. Many fans can get “hooked” on a piece by a cool product description, so don’t neglect writing them!
. - Don’t be “cash only:” At your shows, make sure you accept credit cards at your merch booth, or else you’ll miss out on sales from people who don’t carry cash. On your web site, make sure you accept PayPal since a lot of people trust it as their preferred mode of paying for stuff online.
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For more tips, click over to the original post on the Unified Mfg. blog.
Also, you can check out another blogpost with merch-selling tips from TAXI.