I have been watching and reading a bunch of info about t-shirt business, and I think I'm ready to start. I'm planning to start with a print on demand model. But, I feel that I can't find enough or good information about marketing which probably is one of the most important things, right? I hope you could help me with a couple good sources.
Great you're interested in starting a business!
Since you're starting a t-shirt business there are loads of different options for marketing your company.
Many of the best e-commerce companies market on Instagram and Facebook. Instagram is great for t-shirts because someone can be browsing, they can see a shirt they like, buy it and stay in the app and continue browsing.
You'll want to make sure you have good pictures and that your e-commerce website is optimized for converting interested leads into customers.
Happy to chat more on the strategy.
Hi there,
I've sold marketing solutions to folks in the eCommerce space before and without knowing what type of marketing you want to do, there are several ways you can begin advertising your products.
You are absolutely correct in your statement that marketing is very important. What do you want your buyers to wear? Why should they buy your product? Who is your target audience? Which geography do you plan on kicking off your business? Having these questions answered will help you target the correct market and begin crafting your marketing strategy.
I am happy to jump on a call to go through your various channels/options in which you can begin marketing.
Best,
Kevin
There are plenty of guides out there on how to setup the Shopify store, pick a theme and all that. The entire part about adding a service like Printful etc can be challenging for a non-technical person, but it's not the most difficult part.
The toughest part is knowing how to craft a proper marketing strategy.
The basics are:
- Know your ideal customer. What they love, what they stand for, where they hang out, what other things they like
- What they're already buying
- Crafting an irresistable offer and upsells
- Creating marketing campaigns, a following on social etc.
I'd say the most important and critical part to any print on demand business is to rally a tribe around a central message / cause they'll all raise a glass to and waive a flag for. Anyone can sell cool looking t-shirt designs... but to really create a loyal audience, it has to have a central focus.
That makes the design picking easier, the FB/Google ads easier, the email writing easier, the product upsells - all because everything is directed to one group/audience.
Good that you're doing some research on the industry before launching your business.
If you're planning on using an existing platform like teespring, TeeChip or Viralstyle, there is no need to reinvent the wheel with your marketing. Review some of the most successful sellers on the platform and model their marketing efforts. Visit their websites, see their keywords and the niches they target. Also many of the platforms provide case studies. Another good source is YouTube and Udemy where entrepreneurs share practical info for cheap or free to get you going.
You can also find 3rd party marketing tools for fairly cheap that allow you to spy on successful campaigns. TeeSpy is tool (monthly subscription) that allows you to view winning t-shirt campaigns and the exact Facebook ads being used. The benefit is to save time, avoid frustration and make more money.
Good luck in your venture. If you decide to expand or want more specific guidance book a call and I'll share what I can for your success.
Cheers
Norm
