I’m approaching my one year anniversary on Merch in a few weeks and MerchTools revealed that I just reached 6,000 shirts sold!
Whooo hoooooo!
I thought I’d share some lessons I’ve learned on the journey thus far.
Don’t Get Locked Into One Strategy
In one podcast you might hear me mention a strategy I use and then mention the complete opposite strategy in a later show.
That’s because my strategy changes and I go back and forth.
When I first started with Merch, I went after Holidays and hot topics only. Now I go after evergreen and less competitive topics in addition to Holidays.
I now have a nice mix of hot, lukewarm and low competition shirts.
When I was new to Merch, I attempted to “out design” the popular designs by just changing it up a bit. That worked. But now I am getting better at coming with unique ideas using rhymes, jokes, puns, cartoons, etc.
I rely a lot more on completely original ideas compared to when I started.
The bottom line is, once I tiered up, I started trying a variety of different ideas, so my strategy is always changing and I keep experimenting.
I also have more text designs than I did on lower tiers. I still prefer image and text, however.
Just be careful of only doing what someone else suggests. Think outside the box. Experiment.
I Don’t Always Go After Hot or Lukewarm Keywords
While I typically prefer to choose keywords that are at least lukewarm to hot (200K BSR or lower with lots of shirts selling), I have been know to tackle keywords that are not very hot at all.
As long as I see a few shirts are selling, I’ll compete.
I may not sell as many of those shirts, but the shirts will sell quickly due to less competition.
For example, in the last week I have targeted a keyword with less than 40 shirts. Only 7 of them have sold, and 2 of them are mine. The average BSR is 400K for the 7 shirts.
I’ve only sold 1 of each, but they sold immediately and have only been live for 5 days.
Also, these shirts will become relevant again for a future Holiday so I have tagged them accordingly.
One thing I’ve learned is you really have to think ahead and outside the box when it comes to your keywords and strategy.
Some people ONLY go after hot keywords. I prefer to mix it up.
Parallel Topics Are Your Friend
I like going after topics that have a lot of synonyms and parallel topics.
For example, if you target “vegan shirt” that might seem like a very saturated topic if you focus on total number of shirts. But there are so many keywords that fit that one topic.
You can mention herbivores, vegetarians, veganista, health nut, kale, and so many different keywords when you describe who the shirt is for.
That will help the shirt rank for a variety of different keywords.
When writing your descriptions, use a Thesaurus if you have to!
That’s why I like choosing topics I’m familiar with because you are more familiar with keywords people might use to search.
Holiday Sales Are In The Niches
If you are trying to compete for the keyword “Halloween Shirt” then you are approaching this all wrong.
There are over 1 million “Halloween shirt” results.
Yikes!
Dig deep. Create a Halloween shirt for a specific person, group or niche. And if it does well, you might end up ranking for a more generic term.
I’ve made it to the first page for [Holiday] shirt several times, but I always target a niche. A lot of people think you have to target “[Holiday] tshirt” to rank on page 1.
No, if you have a top seller in a given niche, you can still rank for the generic shirt term.
For example, “Halloween shirt for a police officer” can rank for “Halloween shirt” if it sells enough.
Niche down! I can’t say this enough.
Holidays account for a very large portion of my sales. My lowest months are typically months with no major Holidays. August was the exception thanks to The Eclipse and other seasonal topics.
Just to give you an idea, I sold almost 1,000 shirts in August, but I’m estimating about 700 for September with a few days left.
That will still make September my 3rd highest month (behind February and August).
And just in case you’re wondering, Merch is far from saturated. I did my best to shut that down in this podcast.
Make Your Characters Active
I like creating characters that actually do something on the shirt (such as running, eating, carrying something etc.)
Even Amazon mentioned in their Resource section that these types of shirts sell well.
This is a great way to combine keyword ideas. So if you create a dog kicking a soccer ball, you now have a shirt for dog lovers and soccer players.
Even better… make it a specific kind of dog (Poodle, Beagle etc.) Now you have a “Funny Poodle T-Shirt for Soccer Players”
Then you can expand on related phrases in your bullet points even more.
The other reason I like creating characters is that there is much less competition for these ideas because many people only create text designs.
It’s easy for anyone to copy a text design, but not as easy for everyone to create a character with details.
Learning how to create shape-based objects in Photoshop and Illustrator has been one of my best weapons thus far.
Prior to Merch, I never created detailed designs, characters or cartoons. I would buy rights to images and make minor changes.
Use Pop Culture
I’ve done fairly well creating shirts that use pop culture phrasing and news topics. Just be careful because people have been known to trademark phrases after they get hot.
Cash Me Ousside comes to mind. I had a shirt with that phrase that was doing well, but I pulled it after she trademarked the phrase.
For that reason, I don’t use this strategy as much now.
If you don’t keep up with sayings, ask your kids, younger siblings, or other family members to help you out.
I’ve reached an age (ahem) where I don’t keep up as much. So I have to rely on younger relatives to keep me “in the know.” 🙂
Things I Wrestle With…
Pricing
I wish I could figure out the pricing sweet spot to maximize profits.
I’ve heard people say to price everything at $19.99, but I can’t make myself do that. I do believe certain niches have price conscious buyers, so I do price low on occasion.
However, I’m a firm believer in pricing over $20 for designs that are very detailed or intricate. I have had no trouble getting them to sell for $22.
I have also been experimenting with pricing low to block people who create a very similar design and price several dollars lower. Over time, they can end up ranking better and selling more.
So I have priced 4 of my new Halloween designs lower than normal. I was one of the first to have this idea so they are ranking first at the moment because of the BSR.
So far it’s working well, but it may be too early to tell.
I said I wasn’t going to let this influence my pricing strategy.
Well I lied. 🙂
I certainly have, and I’m starting to see why some of the top-sellers are priced really low. If you can maintain that top ranking spot, you can earn more in the long run. The problem is, there’s no way to really know for sure.
Some people may even be turned off by a lower price and think it’s cheap.
Plus, all your referrals are not coming from search. Sometimes people are seeing your shirt as a recommendation during the checkout process. In other words, you aren’t competing with anyone’s price since Amazon is recommending it.
I may be overthinking all this.
Oh well. Won’t be the first time. 🙂
Meeting My Daily Upload Limit
Six months ago I would have KILLED to have 20 uploads per day. Now I’m doing good to get 5 shirts uploaded per day.
I’m on the 1,000 tier and still only have 440 shirts uploaded.
Once you get on this tier it becomes more difficult to fill your slots if you aren’t maxing out your uploads daily.
I don’t like throwing up quick designs just to fill my slots. I put thought into my work. Plus, it takes time to research keywords.
I cannot imagine what it must be like to be on the 8,000 tier. I don’t typically outsource designs, but that may change if I ever make it there.
Standard vs. Premium Shirts
Do customers really notice premium vs. standard shirts?
Do they even care?
Plus, I HATE the thumbnail of the premium shirt. It looks droopy and cheaper than the standard shirt! 🙂
Someone mentioned they put their best sellers on both to fill up their slots. I get that, but outside of that strategy, it would be hard to know which shirt is “best”. Sometimes it comes down to which shirt the customer sees first.
I’m probably overthinking this too. 🙂
I’m going to stick with the standard shirts for now because of the higher profit margins.
Anyway, it’s been a fun 11 months. Looking forward to new rollouts such as hoodies, hats and more on Merch!
Here’s to a fabulous 4th quarter!
Hello Lisa, I have seen your sites on sitesell, wordpress, your videos on many topics. It’s like everything you touch succeeds. Stretch your hand and pray form to have the knowledge like you to succeed ha! ha!. Though most of my website project attempts failed, you are an inspiration to me. Right now I am on Merch and wanting to know how to start. So, thank you.
hi i’m new in merch by amazon and i want ask a question please
can you recommend some courses or channel because I’m good designer but
I’m afraid about copyright and if they will close my account
so can you give me some advice how can i protect my account or give me the name of a good courses and channels in YouTube
thanks for your help and for your good advice .
have a nice day
She’s already selling her course, how can she redirect you to another course while she selling one xD
LOL true, although I’m not accepting enrollments at this time.
I came across your blog by chance and it is very clear and informative. I have really been struggling at tier 100 and am going few months now. I think I need to revisit my keywords and understanding niche. I really love your transperency and wish you much success. I wish I could get you to look at my a/c to say what am doing wrong. Blessed love
I believe there is a method to who gets approved. I was a seller and an affiliate as well when I signed up for merch and I got approved in a week an a half by surprise.
Was this recently? They are not making people wait nearly as long as they did when I joined. But I do believe if you are active with either selling or an affiliate, it can help you get approved quickly. But my friend just applied and got in within a week and she is not a seller or affiliate.
Yes I just got approved last week
HI LISA
can I create designs that correspond to famous personalities?
No. It’s against the terms to use people’s names and likeness in your designs.
So if you know you have a really good phrase that could possibly go off such as BOSS did wouldn’t you trademark it first then put it on merch. Thanks so much for your article so helpful.
Trademarking is definitely an option but it costs money and time. What I would do is wait until it starts selling first to make sure it really is as big as you think it will be. A lot of people spend money on trademarks prematurely.
Now if you’re building a solid brand around your mark then that’s different. But if you just think of something on the fly and think “Hey I am going to trademark that!” I would test it first to see.
Hi Lisa
Thank you for the post it’s terrific!
Im interested to look at your merch seller account, what is your brand on amazon merch?
Hi Joel
The golden rule of Merch is you don’t share your designs, nor do you ask others. LOL! With so much theft and because people can see how well your design is selling (BSR number), I use different brand names for all my designs and don’t share. Sorry.
I have one design that has made me nearly $10,000 since early last year, and it has been stolen like crazy. I wish Amazon would protect our art with watermarks. So hope you understand why I don’t share.
I am completely new to Merch, just got approval few days ago and started designing. Thank you for this very informative article Lisa. It answered a lot of questions and gave very good idea to rollout. Thank you very much. 🙂
Hi,
Can I ask you at what stage was your business at when you applied? Were you already selling tees elsewhere, through an affiliate? And do they look at how new you are, or is it all design driven? I am an artist so I design the tees with my art and some with my art and text. Just want to be really ready when I take my shot!
This was all from organic sales and getting found for T-shirt keywords on Amazon. No advertising, all free traffic. It’s 100% design driven. The key is to target keywords that are being searched for.
Amazon’s autocomplete feature in their search box tells you what customers search for. So if you start typing in a…. ab… notice how it will complete the phrase for you.
So I began by searching for keywords and once I found a handful I could sell in, I just kept scaling.
Hi Lisa!
Thank you for your presentation here, it’s so useful. I’ve opened an online store to sell printed t-shirts & stuff, and now I’m waiting for the Certificate of Authorization. Meanwhile, because I’ve. received the invitation from Merch-Amazon, I’ve started to upload some designs as a draft. And I am not sure about the prices and royalties.
For ex: if I choose a Premium t-shirt at $ 19.99 (they sale it for this price) with a royalty of $3.99; I’ve decided to put $29.99 and royalty will be $11.44. This $11.44 are the money that I will receive from Amazon? If yes, from this money is me that I had to pay taxes every quarter? I want to make sure how much money I will have at the end, and better fix it now with a price that makes everybody happy.
I look forward to read another interesting articles about anything you consider relevant. All the best in everything you do!
Hi Krina!
Yes, you are correct. Although $29.99 is a bit high for a shirt. The sweet spot is typically between $17 and $23 for me and I do tend to choose standard shirt for most. But it’s up to you and you should experiment and try all different combos of shirt type and price. You will receive a 1099 form from Amazon at the end of the year. Your income will determine if you have to pay every quarter or not. For example, as a business I do pay estimated taxes quarterly, but it depends on your situation, country, state, total income, etc. So please seek out tax advice from a professional so they can tell you what’s best for your situation.
Thank you for this concise and beautiful info Lisa. You’re presentation is always dope and you’re a mentor and hero! I bow to your cape(do you wear one?) My t-shirt design journey began all because of your Youtube video on Spreadshirt. My daughter and I are both Merchin’ it up at 100 tier and it’s a wild blessed ride. I’m still failing, learning and growing. I just really wanted to show my love as you set the wheels in motion. See you on the other side the Merch!
I just love comments like this! So glad to hear you and your daughter are doing well with Merch and enjoying the ride! Keep learning, growing and earning and thanks for stopping by!! Now let me go get my cape. LOL
Congrats on all of your success with Amazon Merch! Thank you so much for sharing your inspiring story and information with us. It is very much appreciated! 🙂
Thanks so much Tosha! Are you in the Merch program?
I’m in the program. I made a couple sales, but clearly, I need to work a lot harder at finding time to make this a priority! I know you may feel like an ordinary person, but you’re like an online superhero to the rest of us mere mortals! 😉
LOL! So sweet of you, Tosha. Yes, if you can make time it’s sooooo worth it. Best of luck to ya!
I’ve been trying to get on with Merch since November. I applied so much that I think I’ve pissed someone off. I can’t even apply anymore. I make a little money from Teespring, but I know that I will make a killing with Merch by Amazon.
Yeah they are being more and more selective. If you can sell on other platforms, you will definitely sell on Merch. I feel your pain. It’s taking some people a long time to get in. Are you in the U.S.? Just curious. Seems other countries are taking even longer. Took me six months.
Yep, I’m in the states. It’s crazy because it’s almost been a year since I first applied. I told on of my friends about it and he was approved within a month.
Do you know if he has any other relationship with Amazon? Is he an affiliate or Amazon seller? Some believe that helps. I was an affiliate prior to joining so sometimes I wonder if they prioritize applicants that are already making money from Amazon.
He doesn’t have any relationship with them. He’s not a seller or an affiliate. I wish they prioritized their applicants because I’ve been an affiliate for 3 years with them. I’ll continue to be patient.
Hang in there. The reason it takes so long is they are always over capacity. The demand and sales are always so strong they can’t keep up with shipping. So that’s a good thing and shows you there’s still room for new people. I saw that they hired new people and are expanding to hoodies, etc. so that goes to show that they are putting more resources into it. It’ll happen for ya!
Thank you, Lisa. Your explanations are so easy to understand and you are so professional and wonderful to listen to. You get to the point, which I love and I’m sure others appreciate your talent to get to the point while explaining super well. Thank you.
Thank you Sedalia. Appreciate you saying that.