Finally! Production is done so all you have to do now is start selling! Follow these simple steps to make the process easier.
Show me the money
How much should you charge? As a general rule, retailers charge double of what they paid for to sell a product. For example if a T-shirt costs you £5 then you should sell it at £10. It is a delicate balance between profit and staying competitive. For more information on the subject, you may read the following article on Entrepreneur.
Where to sell your merchandise
As far as we’re aware, there are only two types of places where you can sell your merchandise, offline and online. Both have their benefits and disadvantages, ideally you may want a balance of the two.
Offline
Before and after a live performance is probably the best moment to sell merchandise because people are pumped up and excited to see the band play. Once they listen to the music, they’re remembered of how much they like it and want to take something with them to remember the fun night they had. If you’re not busy you could even attend the table yourself to make even more people approach.
Online
If you want to sell your own merchandise in the XXI century then an online shop is necessary. Worry not! You do not need to hire a web designer or a programmer to set up your very own online shop. Nowadays platforms like Shopify and Squarespace allow you to build your very own virtual retail space in a relatively easy space.
Promote! Promote! And then promote some more!
Band merchandise doesn’t need to be promoted like a regular clothing line, but some sort of advertisement is necessary, otherwise your stock will sit still for a while. Here are some ideas on how to promote your band’s new merchandise:
- Social media (active and passive)
- Make a video and upload it to YouTube
- Mention it during live performances
- Approach music bloggers to write about it
- Reach a deal with another band to cross promote each other’s stuff
Active promotion would mean creating posts announcing the launch of your merchandise, while passive promotion would be like uploading a picture of your merchandise and using it as a cover image. While it might not the directly telling people to buy it, it is always there and whoever logs in to the page will see it. The same thing can apply for videos. A passive promotion on a video would be you talking about something unrelated while wearing merchandise or having a particular item on the background. You may not say anything about it, but the viewers will never lose it out of sight.
