Thinking about selling your own YouTube merchandise? Sure, you can always throw in your YouTube channel logo or splatter your face across your YouTube merchandise like every other YouTuber does. But, if you really want to stand out from the crowd and triple your sales 10x, you need to create merchandise that provides value to your audience.
Especially when you’re first starting your YouTube channel and don’t have enough visibility, it might be pointless to sell merchandise with just your branding. Why would viewers want to buy merchandise from a channel they barely know?
Think of it this way, would you rather buy a t-shirt that displays your favourite YouTuber’s name in big bold letters or would you buy a t-shirt that resonates with your own style and personality? A t-shirt that reads “I’m not an introvert” is more eye-catching than “Introvert YouTube Channel”.
Let your creativity do the talking. Do note, that your channel branding must not be invisible by any means. We’re simply saying that your “value add element” must be the main highlight. Your channel branding must still be clear and visible as the second highlight. and your channel branding can take a backseat.
We’ve laid down the best practices for you to kickstart your journey.
1. Fandom names
Turn your fandom name into a rad merchandise line.
James Charles designed a hoodie that displays his fandom name “Sisters” in bold rainbow colours. The rainbow theme widely resonates with his target audience, the LGBT community.
2. Personality
Showcase a part of your eccentric personality through your merchandise.
Liza Koshy created a whole bunch of creative merchandise that showcases her funny personality and main vision her brand stands for. One of her most popular collections is branded “introvert”. Her line resonates with millions of introverts all over the world.
3. Unique catchphrases
If you have certain catchphrases or slogans you repeatedly use in your videos, turn it into merchandise. Some of the best selling merchandise include catchphrases only your audience will understand, similar to “inside jokes”.
YouTube comedian Miranda Sings “I love my uncle” merchandise represents her funny fetish towards her uncle, she often mentions in her videos.
4. Seasonal merchandise
Explore how you can link your YouTube channel with seasonal festivals.
YouTube prankster Roman Atwood’s entire merchandise store is named “smile more”. His slogan works great during the festive season and embodies a cheery spirit everybody wants to work towards.
5. Trends
Keep up with the trends and market demand.
Tekashi 6ix9ine created a colourful shark teeth face mask at the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic. The mask is a refreshing dash of creativity amidst the sea of standard blue and green masks dominating the market. Moreover, notice that his 69 logo is only placed at the mask corner and doesn’t take the center stage.
6. Song/album names
If you have a catchy album name/song name, why not cross-promote it on your merchandise!
Selena Gomez translated her song “look at her now” into a t-shirt. The t-shirt’s front displays a beautiful vintage-like photograph of Selena’s eyes and the back reads “look at her now” which really has the potential to make heads turn.
7. Quotes
Make up your own quotes or adopt a quote in your official channel branding
YouTube comedian Jacksepticeye designed a hoodie with a smart quote “meme together, laugh together” that resonates with his fun-loving audience base.
8. Memes
If the internet is talking about you and sharing memes, why not fuel the controversy?
Danielle Bregoli got famous for her line “Cash Me Ousside, How Bow Dah” after appearing on an episode of Dr Phil, an American talk show. The internet is still flooding with her memes and Danielle leveraged this fame to create a whole range of “Cash me Ousside” merchandise.
Selling merchandise is a fantastic way to earn additional income if you ace the right tactics. Experiment with colours, placements and designs to determine which products sell better. Remember, if you give your audience what they really want and provide value, your merchandise will be sold out in no time!
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