Merchandise is a source of revenue that many YouTube channels often ignore and do not put enough effort into it.
Recently, Elliot Choy, a YouTuber with almost a million subscribers, revealed that he made $130,000+ in just 6 hours of launching his Merchandise.
Other examples would be channels like Linus Tech Tips; although they haven’t revealed any figures, assuming by how much they promote their merch, it is probably a good number.
Let’s jump into how you can launch your own merch in the best way possible.
Decide What you want to sell
No, you don’t need to just T-shirts like everyone else. If you think about it, a T-shirt would require a much larger commitment than something like stickers, so yeah, think creatively.
In the world of the internet, options are infinite.
Based on what your channel is about and what your audience is interested in, figure out the best thing to sell.
Although, if you are looking to do something quick, then options are limited.
One of the channels that got creative with Merchandise is Binging with Babish/ Babish Culinary Universe. In his case, the common thing to do is create some graphic T-shirts and why not? It would have worked. But he opted to sell his COOKWARE.
So be creative, be creative, consider your options, and decide.
How do you want to sell it?
This is vital, people.
You have the option to pack your own stuff, ship it yourself or dropship (print on demand websites) it.
If you are considering something like T-shirts, Stickers, etc., then you have those options.
If you are creating something really unique, you don’t have any options but to do it all yourself or hire a contractor.
We will focus more on the stuff you can do more efficiently.
If you do it all yourself, then you can provide your buyers with a much better experience with better shipping, better packaging and better quality overall.
If you decide to dropship, you don’t have to do much. The provider will take care of everything, and you will get cut off the revenue.
But, with this, you are limited with the options the provider has; there is no way around that.
What are the best Print on Demand Websites?
There are a good amount of options. Here is what we think you should consider, courtesy of mofluid.com.
- Printful
- Printify
- Zazzle
- Redbubble
- Fine Art America
- TeeSpring
- Society 6
- Sun Frog
- Teefury
- Threadless
- Design by Humans
Do you need a Website?
Yes and No.
If you want to do it all yourself, then you need a website. In the long run, it would add an extra layer of branding too.
If you want to dropship it, then for most platforms, you don’t need a website, but with providers like Printful, you can connect them to your own website. This would make it look more authentic and the halfway point between the 2 options mentioned before.
So, What’s best for you?
Well, it depends.
If you wish to do it all by yourself, you have a lot to worry about and, most importantly, quality and logistics.
But, if you wish otherwise, we think using a platform like Printful or Printify would be a happy medium.
Let us know how you would release your merch, and check our article on branding to get ahead of your competition.