Before getting into our list of the best platforms for creating and selling influencer merchandise, let us ensure that we are well-versed in what merchandise is, and how selling it can benefit influencers. Before you get there, though, you are going to want to check out our list of the best influencer merch companies and platforms for selling influencer merch.
Influencers can sell merchandise by encouraging their followers to buy it. This can be as simple as recommending it to their viewers. Influencers may use the material in action, or they may appeal to their audience’s sense of sympathy and parasocial connection to guilt them into purchasing products.
While success is never guaranteed, plenty of influencers have seen tremendous success creating and selling merchandise that boosts their profiles and social media channels. Many influencers and content creators are using their brands to create and sell products that resonate with their target audiences.
Influencers Can Create Their Products
In this way, many influencers are creating merchandise that is topical and unique, while still speaking to the larger message their fans already associate with. Some content creators realized a good way to monetize themselves even further as online influencers is by creating branded merchandise and drawing additional attention to a brand. One of the most popular ways that influencers have been monetizing their following is with brand-related merchandise.
By far, apparel and accessories are the most popular types of custom-branded items that influencers market. There are a large number of types of merchandise you can add your custom branded items and sell to your followers. Curated products, products made by other companies, maybe another option to sell physical goods to your audience.
Depending on what kind of plan you opt for — free vs. paid — you may also sell physical, subscription, and digital products along with the merch. Just as you would for brand-owned merch, you can buy your inventory just like you would for a traditional online or brick-and-mortar retail store.
Last year, Instagram made it easier for creators to sell branded merch through the platform through Shops. Now, it is easier than ever to make and sell merch to influencers for a small investment, making merch an affordable marketing tactic for getting your brand in front of more eyes. Another reason why push-based merch is growing in popularity is that thanks to using platforms such as Moteefe, influencers can immediately start working on creating their merch operations.
Influencers Have Many Options Available to Them
This option is not limited only to Youtubers; Instagram influencers, bloggers, and up-and-coming Soundcloud musicians are all capable of finding out how to create merch; a beautifully designed item that gives back to Instagram influencer’s fans while also growing their brands. Choose from any of the merch platforms that we have shared here for creating quality products with interesting designs, and you are on the right path toward reaching your influencer goals.
See if you can collaborate with other designers and produce content together, or if you can convince influencers to wear your merch and post about it. You can use Instagram Stories to showcase your merch the same way as your posts and remember to include links so that people can scroll right to the top and shop it if they see something they like. You can get viewers to follow your Page to have a chance of winning, and this gives your Page more followers and more engagement, and you do not have to use influencers at the end of the day.
You do not need to do a continuous campaign with influencers, you can use them every time you release a new project or you have one project that you need to promote. Amazon Influencers can do YouTube videos to promote your products, do social media posts, and promote your designs on Twitch, and every other platform. Merch by Amazon has influencer and affiliate programs, and you can use those sources to find the right people to promote your designs.
Places for Influencers to Seek Marketplaces
If you are an influencer looking for somewhere to sell your merchandise, take a look at Crafts eCommerce platform for more details. If you are a creator with a significant following, the fastest and easiest way to sell is via an entirely hosted shop on an eCommerce platform such as Sellfy. As you can see, it is quite evident that selling products can be a highly efficient avenue for influencers, especially once they build up a perfect following.
Another reason influencers sell merchandise could be as a way of showing love to their fans, in the form of giving something back to them, that they can wear as a sign of support. If even their favorite influencers make merch, very loyal, passionate fan bases are likely to support it just like always, and thus, stock sells. This could lead to collaboration between an influencer and his fanbase, and together, the two could produce merchandise that is just right. If handled properly by an influencer, selling merchandise can also cement a relationship between an influencer and their fanbase.
Additional Suggestions for Merchandising
Starting to make and sell custom merchandise could be another way to greatly boost an influencer’s revenue. Selling merch can be extremely profitable for certain creators that have built up a specialty within a particular market. Selling merch is something that you can get started on any time, whether you just had a viral moment or are slowly building up your following. When you do release merch, prepare for it to sell out quickly — if your platform is not ready for demand, your website could crash.
Once you have got merchandise ready for sale, how are you going to get fans to buy it? First, you need to make sure they know it is out there. Once you create your merch, you can continue ordering samples so that you can show off your merch through photos and videos (note you will need to pay full price for the item).
Simply order whatever products you need, submit an icon with your design, and you will get your merch ready to ship out to all your followers. The benefit to making your merch is that you are in greater control over the creative process and quality of your end product, and can even put your spin on the way your merch is packaged and shipped.
