As soon as they hear “I print t shirts,” out comes the idea. They’re always pumped up about it and they all think they’re going to make a million dollars with the scheme. So, here are a few opinions on the marketing of t shirt ideas.
Before the Internet, it was very expensive to do custom t shirts in small quantities.. The chances of anything happening were almost impossible. At best they would invest a few hundred dollars in art, screens, and production of a dozen shirts or so. They give some away and try to sell the rest.
In all the years I’ve been doing this subject, I’ve only seen a handful of achievement stories. Those were people who already knew a thing or two about marketing anyway. All the others got an expensive education in Marketing 101.
Going online things have changed. The knowledge has changed too. Now you can use any one of a number of digital Direct-to-Garment (DTG) companies like Cafe Press, Zazzle, or Printfection. These companies specialize in short runs and they’ll even help with the marketing.
Second, before you go to all the cost of printing up a bunch of pricey samples do some basic research to find similar products.. Start by doing a Google Search for (Your Design Idea) + T Shirt. So for instance do a search for: Funny Cat + T Shirt and see how many similar ideas are out there.
Here’s an IMPORTANT TIP - you want to find competition.. If you don’t find somebody who’s doing something similar, it usually means you aren’t going to connect to the market. If you find 50 Funny Cat T Shirts (and there will be a bunch,) you’ll know there’s a good chance other people are having success. This is a really GOOD sign.
If you’re encouraged by what you discover, it’s time to move ahead. In the initial stages of your business, it’s probably best to go with digital DTG. With DTG, you go to their site and follow their instructions to upload your art. Many websites will now allow you to create your design online in their design lab. This is an efficient approach, but you are much better off doing your design work offline and simply uploading it through their order page.
It is important that your art be in the right format. Here’s a hint, DO NOT do your art work in Microsoft Word or Power Point. They’re unacceptable formats. DO NOT do a screen capture from a web page. You’ll get awful quality. The pros will tell you what you need to do.
Go the added mile and get the art completed correctly right from the beginning. Great art is what sells shirts. When you have a great idea, you get their attention, but it’s the art that closes the deal. If you need to, get a REAL graphic designer to do the art for you. Having your uncle, who has Photoshop, do the art for you is like doing brain surgery on the kitchen table. Results are not going to be good.
With a a small amount of shirts in hand, it’s off to the races to see how many you’ll sell and how quickly. Remember, the more people you can get your shirt in front of, the more exposure you’ll have. YouTube and Flickr can be great for this. Be sure to link to your sales page URL so everyone who sees it can buy it.
Mark Coudray is a respected author, speaker, and presenter in the screen print and decorated apparel industry. His companies have consistently produced and delivered awarding winning screen printed apparel for over 36 years. He can be reached at http://www.CoudraySerigraphics.com
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