Echo Park band LA Font offers free shipping on cassettes – another way to encourage purchases. (Image via lafont.bandcamp.com)
Social media can help you boost sales of online merch, but there's more to marketing your shop than you might guess. Treating your online store more like any other online retailer by using promotional tactics could boost your profits – and the popularity of your shop in general. We've outlined three basic, tried-and-true strategies for online merch sales below. Once implemented, share them on social media. And, of course, as with any sort of discount, be sure to factor in the cost of production to make sure you're not losing money. Consider shipping, too!
1. Timely discounts
The holidays are a given, right? Don't forget to consider specific items for other sales as well, though. If you've got totes, why not offer a back-to-school discount throughout August? Tanks and lightweight T-shirts could be included in a summer special, and hoodies and beanies could work for a January post-holiday deal.
[How to Get Band T-Shirts Made]
2. Limited-run and online-only specialty items
Music fans are also often fans of collectibles, so highlighting the exclusivity of an item could make it extra enticing for some. You could designate certain items as online only, stressing their limited availability and offering them only through your shop. Tour posters and vinyl test pressings are ideal for this scenario. If you want to go the extra mile, partner with an artist for a small (read: exclusive!) batch of T-shirts or posters. Extra points if the artist has a strong following, of course.
3. Bundles and buy-one-get-one-free deals
Packaging several items together – a seven-inch, T-shirt, and a button, for example – is a great way to offer a slight discount and move inventory faster. Offering a free EP or other lower-cost item with the purchase of a pricier item like an LP also encourages shoppers to load up their virtual carts instead of buying just one item.
Get more tips on selling merch:
- 5 Reasons Why People Aren't Buying Your Merch
- How to Set Up a Killer Merch Table at Your Next Show
- 9 Secrets From Indie Artists for Selling a Ton of Merch After Their Shows
- 4 Creative Ways to Sell More Merch
- 2 Great Websites for Selling Band Merch Online
Jhoni Jackson is an Atlanta-bred music journalist currently based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she juggles owning a venue called Club 77, freelance writing and, of course, going to the beach as often as possible.
