How to Make Merch That Will Actually Sell
by Alec Plowman
If you’re an unsigned or emerging artist, having good merchandise is a must. In the days before record contracts, AR people and tour managers, those t-shirts, CDs, beanie hats and badges are your lifeblood. Often quite literally - as many a touring act will tell you, merch sales are what pay the rent.
In short, merch is important. But, for one reason or another, there are countless acts that get it spectacularly wrong. Either they don’t give their merchandise enough attention, or focus all their energy in the wrong places.
As a result, they don’t get any sales, and end up with a wardrobe full of branded paraphernalia for years to come.
It doesn’t have to be this way though. Today, I’m telling you the most important things I’ve learned about merch for musicians and the right way to get fans to buy your products.
Spend Money to Make Money (Within Reason)
Here’s the thing. I get that, when you’re an aspiring musician, money is tight. But, when you cheap out on your merchandise, you’re only hurting yourself in the long run.
The thing with cheap merch is that it looks… well… cheap. And cheap merchandise doesn’t go over too well with prospective buyers.
It isn’t particularly enticing for one. A CD in a plastic wallet doesn’t exactly scream, “buy me” does it?
When you’re producing merch, make products of a high enough quality that your fans will actually want to buy them. That doesn’t mean you need to break the bank doing it; on the contrary, a product that you don’t see a return on isn’t worth selling. What it does mean though, is avoiding the ultra cheap options, and creating the kind of swag you’d be happy to put your name on.
Price for Success
So you’ve spent some money getting some quality merch. How do you start making a return on it?
Some of you out there are probably thinking, “price cheap and sell fast.” You’re wrong, but don’t feel too bad, because you’re not the only ones. I know plenty of musicians who’ve fallen into this trap, only for it to come back and bite them later on.
When you charge a cheap price for your merch, it tells the consumer that your merch is cheap. And, as we’ve established already established, cheap isn’t always a good thing. A cheap t-shirt screams “low quality.” It says to the customer “I’ll fade after two washes.” A cheap CD betrays a cheap production – it doesn’t speak much to the quality of the music contained with in.
Consumers don’t mind paying premium prices if they feel like they’re buying a premium product. Have confidence in your wares and charge what the pros charge.
Know Your Audience
There is a lot of generic merch out there. But, that doesn’t mean you’ve got to follow the template set by everyone else. If you can tap into the tastes of your fans, then you can create really targeted products that speak to their interests.
Doing this is advantageous for two reasons.
Number one: it makes your merchandise unique. You’re not just selling run-of-the-mill t-shirts and hoodies; you’re selling something with individual flare that stands out from the crowd.
Number two: It connects with your prospective buyer straight away. When they see a product that they identify with, they feel like you know them, that you understand their interests and share those interests. That sense of connectivity is very powerful when it comes to driving sales.
Aren’t sure what sort of merchandise your audience wants? Ask them. Post a survey on your social media channels and see what they come up with. Half of the time, they’ll end up doing the work for you; coming up with brilliant leftfield merchandise ideas that you’d never even thought of.
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