Sunday, May 15, 2016

Monetize Your Blog: Spreadshirt T-Shirt Shop

You may have already thought about opening your own T-shirt printing business, but found the high cost of materials, supplies, and equipment a little overwhelming. Well, now there is a solution to your problem - a virtual T-shirt shop with no overhead! That's right, you can monetize your blog by selling the shirts, but you don't have to buy, print, or ship them. Take a quick look at my first virtual T-shirt shop.

Spreadshirt marketing program
Open your virtual T-Shirt shop at Spreadshirt.com

Setting up your store

It really doesn't take any technical knowledge to create a free store. Once you have your T-shirt shop created, you simply upload images, add them to shirts, buttons, hats, and other merchandise. You set your own markups and that becomes your commission when products are sold. The companies do all the printing and shipping, you just collect your commissions.

Monetize blog on Music City T-Shirts.
Custom T-Shirt designs from Music City T-Shirts & Gifts

People like T-shirts

People LOVE to wear T-shirts that allow them to express themselves. The key is the sayings and designs. From my experience, people like shirts that:
  • promote education on a social issue
  • display pride in our flag or nation
  • are funny
  • include well-known quotes or a play on words
  • have a unique design

Where do sales come from

I have found that 60-70% of sales are generated from links on my blogs and websites to my store. The other 30-40% come directly from the Spreadshirt marketplace. The great thing about the marketplace is that people don't have to visit your shop directly. This is convenient if you don't have a huge internet following. You can earn money three different ways:
  1. Other store owners can sell your designs from their stores and you will earn a commission.
  2. Some customers will find your images and have them printed on products. You earn a commission.
  3. Selling T-shirts and other products directly from your store.
If you have an engaged social media following, you will be able to generate more sales from your Spreadshirt store.