Creating content with your merch is a game changer for boosting sales. 

Compared to just posting about your merch on social media, adding an image of you with your products can crank up your engagement by 650%. 

And if you go all out and drop videos of your merch, you can experience an impressive 1200% increase in shares.

Plus, your fans are eager to see what you’re all about. Sharing your merch adventures not only shows off their quality but also sparks major envy, making them want a piece of the action.

So order your samples now and then keep reading to learn the best ways to use them in content. 

Why order samples?

Spring creators who order samples and use them to create content experience a 300% increase in sales vs the products they did not order samples of.

Thousands of creators are using merch samples to generate engagement and hype around their personal brands. Sharing photos and videos with your merch is extremely engaging and one of the most effective ways to increase your sales. 

How To Order Samples:

• Log into your Spring account and head to the Listings section of your Dashboard.
• Click Order a sample next to the listing and choose products and colors to order.
• Proceed to checkout.

For a more detailed step-by-step list, CLICK HERE.

How to use your samples in content

Now that you are ready to order samples to start promoting your new holiday merch, here are some tips on how to best use those samples and some key dates you’ll need to add to your calendar. Be sure to sync with our Holiday Countdown Calendar so you don’t miss important shipping cut off dates (plus, you can win fun prizes along the way!).

• Create a NEW design. This probably goes without saying, but the key word is “new.” Even if you don’t want to do a holiday-themed design, shoppers will be attracted to a newly launched product. 
• Order samples by October 10th. This is a rough date, but you’ll want your samples ordered by mid-October so you have time to produce your content, launch, and promote so your fans can buy in time for the holidays.
• Show off a variety. Did you create a great-looking tee in a few different colors and styles? Maybe order a few. This not only shows you have variety, but it gives you more content to post and promote throughout the season.
• Tease the new design in artwork. Waiting for your sample to arrive? Don’t delay your promo plans. Tease your new design in artwork you can post to socials and start driving traffic. Canva is a great design tool, with a robust free template library, that will help you design an eye-catching social post featuring your designs.
• Do an unboxing video. Once you get your sample, don’t open it in silence. Film your reaction to receiving your product. Unboxing videos are not just for kids toys, they create anticipation and will give your fans a glimpse into how their product will arrive after they purchase.
• Show how you wear/use your merch. When looking to buy products, it’s helpful to see how they will integrate into our lives. Designed a hoodie? Wear it out and about while you film your content. Designed a mug? Drink from it in your next Stories. Not only will you demonstrate how your product fits into everyday life, it might encourage buyers to post their own content using or wearing your product.
• Run a promo code. As we’ve stated before, promo codes are the easiest way to create FOMO and entice people to buy NOW. Online shoppers are looking for deals. Be sure to offer one or several. They are easy to create in your Dashboard and you can turn them on or off depending on your deadlines.
• Ask fans to post their merch. Maybe don’t wait for fans to post using your merch, encourage them to do so! Maybe run a contest on who can post the best video with your merch. Offer an incentive, maybe another discount. UGC (user generated content) is free advertising and re-posting fans with your merch will create FOMO and demonstrate that your merch is worth buying. 

Be sure to visit our Holiday Resource Hub where we have lots of comprehensive guides for designing merch and maximizing your holiday sales. And as always, Happy Selling!

There is no better time than the holiday season to drive more traffic to your store. And there is no better tool to help you do so than Spring’s Holiday Resource Hub and Countdown Calendar. 

Sure, you probably know the holidays are a great time to increase sales but did you know that creators are clocking in a staggering 121% more revenue this holiday season and on average make 35% more revenue during the season than the rest of the year?!? 

Even if you don’t make a lot of sales in general, the lessons you’ll learn here can be applied not just to this holiday season but all year long. So are you ready to drive more traffic to make more sales? Here are 4 awesome tips on getting it done! 

Tip 1: Launch New Merch 

Create a holiday product collection

Take note of the Christmas delivery cutoff dates (again, that Countdown Calendar at the Holiday Resource Hub is your best friend), so no one misses out. Add new products to your collection just in time, and add “limited edition” holiday designs to entice people to buy now.

Certain products sell especially well during the holidays. Here are some of the best sellers (based on current trends and recent years):

Hoodies

Beanies and Pom-Pom Caps

Premium Tees

Mugs

Die-Cut Stickers

All-Over Print Sweatshirts

Leggings

All-Over Print Unisex Joggers

Stainless Tumblers

Tote Bags 

Long Sleeve Tees

Bucket hats 

Prepare your store for peak seasonal selling

We’ve got three quick ways to optimize your store for the season: 

• Choose Featured Products: these will show up first, and get 20% more views on average.
• Add branding to your store, and if you already have branding, add holiday branding: stores with custom branding see 35% increase in conversion rates. 
• Customize your domain: creators with custom domains can sell up to 5x more on average than those who don’t. If you want a quick tutorial on how to connect or purchase a domain, click here.

We recommend doing all of this ASAP but if you’re running behind, try to get set by November 1st. Again, check the Countdown Calendar and the Holiday Resource Hub! Yes, we will keep harping on it because they’re great tools for success. 

Keep profits rolling until Christmas with digital products

Okay, we just threw a bunch of dates at you on the Countdown Calendar. One thing with a bit of flexibility is digital products. Since these don’t have to actually ship anywhere (fans download immediately), you have up until the holiday itself to sell these products. Ensure your digital products are added to your store at the start of the season, so you can start promoting right away. Go extra hard on promotions after Cyber Weekend.

Get fans excited with special promotions on holiday themed digital products. Include bonus products (e.g. a free wallpaper background) with their digital product purchase—this is a great way to boost your sales even more.

Find inspo for digital products to create for the holidays, and don’t forget, we’ve got free digital product templates you can download and customize here. 

Tip 2: Promote

Once you’ve finished creating, it’s time to promote. 

The power of promo codes

It’s no secret that one of the best ways to promote holiday products is with promo codes. Why?

Offering discounts with promo codes greatly increases traffic to your store, and it creates  major Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO). If you don’t believe us, then take a look at these five incredible facts found in a Blippr report:

1. Online shoppers spend 24% more when using coupons
2. 29% of online shoppers will purchase a product they didn’t intend to buy if it’s significantly discounted
3. 36% of coupon lovers will not make a purchase if a discount is not offered
4. 77% of online shoppers follow brands on social media to stay updated on sales and offers
5. Brands that offer promos experience 26% higher average order values 

Clearly, promo codes are great for optimizing your marketing strategy. To make them even harder to pass up, make sure you’re offering limited time incentives. Discounts with a time limit incite action and help push reluctant buyers off the fence. It’s not only FOMO on the deal, but for the item itself (maybe a limited supply campaign works for you, too). 

If you need a refresher on how to create promo codes, check out this blog.

So, with your holiday products and promo codes in hand, what do you do next? Share the good news! You want to let your fans know that you have festive, limited-time products available and that they’re getting a sweet deal by using your promo code. 

Prepare for Black Friday weekend

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the biggest online shopping days of the year. Creators who offer discounts during this weekend can double their sales. We suggest running sales during those days so you can double your sales, too! Again, consult the Countdown Calendar at the Holiday Resource Hub so you’re ready to switch your promotions on your dashboard when the time comes.

Here are some of the best ways you can show off your holiday deals:

Email blasts

According to the same Blippr report, 81% of online shoppers enjoy receiving emails announcing sales and discounts and 91% of brands use email to share promotions. 

Additionally, emails are a great way to let your fans know you’re offering holiday products in a fun and creative way. Even if you don’t include a promo code, visually appealing emails that showcase your holiday products will send many fans to your Spring store!

Social media

As stated earlier, many shoppers follow their favorite brands on social media in order to be made aware of current and upcoming promotions and sales. 

Social media allows you to share your holiday products with all the creative flare you can muster up through images and videos. Even if you don’t have a large following, still post your holiday products! You may attract new fans from your posts and encourage existing followers to check out your holiday specials!

Videos

Many creators make videos and if you don’t consider doing at least one to annonce your holiday products & promotions. It’s an effective and engaging way to show off you and your products, and entice followers to visit your store. 

You can also use videos to show the value of your products and why they need them (by ordering samples of course. That’s next).

Tip 3: Order Samples and Use in Socials

Creators who do so sell 3x more than those who don’t. 

We recommend ordering your product samples by October 10th. This gives you enough time for shipping, and for you to create your promo content.

Tip 4: Contests

At the end of the day, people just love to win stuff. It’s amazing what they will do at the thought of something for free. Tap into that natural human instinct by offering that possibility and most importantly, deliver on the promise. Plus this is a fantastic way to not only gain insight, but if set up correctly, can drive more traffic to your store. Here are some easy tips on how to best run social media contests: 

Ask your followers to pick a product to promote

The more you listen to what someone wants, the more loyal they become. For example, use your socials to ask your followers to sound off in the comments about which of your products they would like you to offer a promo code for. This, of course, will require them to visit your store to pick a product. Pick a few winners and run the promo for everyone. This method helps with your own decisions on which product to push, drives more traffic to your store, and shows your followers that you care about what they want. 

Run a “Name a Holiday Product” contest

The name of a product can make or break it. Why not let your community weigh in on the name of your next holiday-themed product? There are ingenious suggestions everywhere. When you hear the perfect name, you’ll know it. It also makes followers feel they’re involved with your brand because, well…they are! Offer a discount to the winner(s) and ask them to post about it so you can tag it.

Ask your followers to submit new ideas

Engage your followers by requesting them to submit ideas for new products. What this does is empower your community while also getting them to visit your store so they don’t suggest a product you already carry. They might stick around and buy something. 

As a creator, you’re probably already a rockstar at sharing your content with your fans. Use your skills and resources to share your holiday products and increase your traffic and sales through promo codes.If you need help increasing product visibility and sales, check out this tips and tricks blog. Happy Selling!

When fans visit your Spring store, the way it looks can determine whether or not you close a sale. 

In fact, 82% of consumers are less likely to make a purchase if a store appears dated. Additionally, the average person has abandoned 24 online purchases this year because an online store looked unprofessional.

So with the holidays around the corner, you need to prepare your store for increased traffic.

Since you only have one chance to make a first impression, follow our 5 simple steps below to maximize your holiday success this season! 

1. Customize your logo, navigation bar, and footer 

To add a logo to your store, click on Stores, Edit Store. On the left-hand side, click on the Navigation bar. 

Adding a personalized logo to your navigation bar sets your store apart. A logo is an important way to brand your store because it helps your buyers identify and remember you. 

If you already have a logo, and want to add a festive flare, you could tweak it to feature a Christmas font or add some snowflakes, for example. If you don’t have a logo, this is the perfect time to create one! Read how here! 

Beyond dropping in a logo, you can also change your navigation bar’s background and text color. 

Switching them to holiday colors might be fun and exactly what your store needs to look trendy, but keep in mind that you have a brand image to uphold. So whatever changes you make to the navigation bar and footer should be consistent with your brand.

You’ll also want to re-brand your footer to match. Use a consistent design with what you’ve used elsewhere. Staying on brand in your footer and nav bar is a huge plus to the aesthetic of your store. 

2. Update your hero banner

Your store’s hero banner is the first thing that pops out at a visitor. It’s one of your most important visual aspects of your store. And first impressions happen quick. It only takes 50 milliseconds to form an opinion of a website and 75% of consumers judge a store’s credibility based on it’s design. 

So having an eye-catching, well designed banner can have a huge impact on your sales. 

To update your banner, click on Hero banner in your store editor. There you can drop in your image. 

For a trendy seasonal banner that stays true to your brand, try giving it a winter color palette.

Adding a holiday touch to your banner signals that your store is up-to-date with the season, but it’s not mandatory, especially if it doesn’t align with your brand. A well-designed banner alone can boost your credibility with shoppers and increase sales.

Consider spicing it up by incorporating festive photos of yourself or your customers. If you’re short on time or resources for photoshoots, no worries! Tools like PlaceIt make it easy to create eye-catching lifestyle mockups. Just upload your design file, and you’re good to go.

If you’d rather have a professional touch, you can hire a designer to create a store banner for you here: https://affinityx.creator-spring.com.

3. Reorganize your products 

Products featured within storefronts get 58% more views and sell 20% more on average. So you want to place your best sellers and holiday favorites upfront and center. 

So how do you reorganize your products? Follow these steps: 

1. Go to your Store editor
2. Click on Products
3. Click on the star icon to feature products

Featured products will appear at the top of your store and there’s no limit to how many you can feature.

Another way you can reorder your products is by removing your products from your store (clicking on the circled x) and then re-adding them based on the order you want them to appear. 

New products get added to the bottom of your store, so add the ones you want at the top of your store first! 

4. Connect or purchase a domain

A rock-solid domain is key to the success of your store. 

What is a domain, why does it matter, and how do you connect or purchase one? 

Simply put, a domain is the name of a site. A good domain name helps visitors find your site easily and allows search engines like Google to know what your site or brand is about. A REALLY good domain name is short, easy to remember, and describes your brand. 

Choosing a great domain name is vital because it can attract more visitors to your site, which of course increases your chances of selling more merch. 

If you want to know how to connect or buy a domain, we’ve got that covered, too. 

5. Add your social profiles

50% of consumers are disappointed when a brand they want to shop with has no social media presence. So it’s important to show off your socials on your store!

To do this, just go to Stores and scroll down to Social Profiles. There you’ll be able to connect all of your social media accounts.

Once connected, you can enable “Display Links” in your store editor under the navigation bar and footer. 

If both are enabled, your social icons will then appear on the right-hand side of your navigation bar, as well as in the center of your footer. 

And that’s it!

When your store is branded for the holiday season, you’re setting yourself up for maximum success! Happy Holidays and Happy merch sales!

The popularity of ugly sweaters is skyrocketing, with people donning them at Christmas parties, office shindigs, family get-togethers, holiday parades, and more. They’ve even earned a special day on the calendar—National Ugly Sweater Day, every third Friday of December in the U.S.

And with one in three people snagging an ugly Christmas sweater each year, the demand is undeniable. That’s why it’s essential to add these festive fashion statements to your Spring store and ride this trend to success.

Keep reading to uncover the top-selling designs, the right products to use, and even get your hands on free ugly sweater templates. ‘Tis the season to cash in on the holiday spirit!

Designing your ugly sweater

The right ugly sweater design can be a sales bonanza, potentially bringing in thousands of purchases. Yet, as a creator with a devoted following, you’re not looking to churn out just another run-of-the-mill Christmas tree or snowflake sweater. Your goal is to infuse your brand identity into your design.

Here are some expert tips on crafting an ugly sweater that not only stays true to your brand vibe but also adds a generous dose of epic holiday flair:

On-Brand Theme:

Start by picking a theme that vibes with your brand’s style. Inject your brand’s values, messages, or symbols into the holiday theme to make sure your sweater screams “you.” Take a look at the example below.

Color Palette:

Stick to your brand’s color palette, but don’t shy away from tossing in some festive shades that complement your usual colors. This keeps your sweater on-brand while giving it that holiday pop. You can also add red, green, and blue to your product’s color options.

Use Irregular Patterns:

Ugly sweaters often feature irregular or asymmetrical patterns. Think about including geometric shapes, uneven lines, and random arrangements to achieve that chaotic charm. But even though the overall design may be wild and chaotic (it’s an ugly sweater, after all), make sure the patterns and symbols you use are consistent with your brand’s style. You want folks to instantly recognize your brand.

Playful Brand Messaging:

Inject some of your brand’s personality into the design with cheeky messages or clever wordplay. It’s a way to let your brand shine alongside the holiday theme.

Test It Out:

Before finalizing your masterpiece, post a few variations on social media and get feedback from your peeps. Getting their opinion on the best option will make them feel valued and excited for the launch, and at the same time, it will help you put out a design with the highest chance of success. 

For example, you can ask your followers if they’d wear an ugly sweater with their favorite hedgehog on it like in the image below! If you get positive responses, you’ll have a good chance of selling a lot!

What products to drop your designs on:

Traditionally speaking, ugly Christmas sweaters are sweatershirts with festive and chaotic designs, text, and coloring. But you don’t have to limit yourself to a single product. 

Christmas designs pop on a variety Spring products, and they’re just the boost you need to make this holiday season one for the books!

Check out our top-selling products below and decide which ones you want to drop your ugly sweater design on.

Hoodies

Hoodies sell 20% more between the months of October and Decemeber, so it’s a great product to put your ugly Christmas sweater design on! Check out Spring creator Mike Dice’s hoodie from last year!

Sweatshirts

Like hoodies, sweatshirts also see a 20% bump in sales during the holiday season. Spring offers print-all-over sweatshirts that you can use to create the typical ugly sweater look, as well as a more afforable, classic sweatshirt seen in the image below. 

Long sleeves

Long sleeves make the perfect canvas for your ugly sweater design – keeping your fans comfy without overheating them at a holiday bash!

Socks

Festive socks are a great alternative for those of us who want to join in on the holiday fun, but don’t want to feel like a walking billboard for Christmas. Add your creative designs to some socks to give your fans the opportunity to celebrate in a subtle, trendy way.

Beanies

Beanies are a timeless holiday vibe. Beanies, along with our Pom-Pom Knit Caps, can rock a simple holiday design and make an excellent addition to your Spring store during the holiday season. 

Ugly sweater templates and design help options

For more design inspiration, hop over to our Holiday Design Inspo board on Pinterest. It’s a goldmine of fresh ideas to keep your creative juices flowing.

But if these design tips and product suggestions don’t quite kickstart your creativity, we’ve got your back! Explore ugly sweater templates on Kittl, where you can easily tweak them to match your brand and style with just a few clicks.

Also, Spring creators get 40% off an annual plan! Just use SPRING23 at checkout! So go to Kittl and check out the resources available to you.

And if time or energy is in short supply this holiday season, no worries. You can always hire a pro designer to craft your perfect ugly Christmas sweater. Check out https://affinityx.creator-spring.com for expert help! 

By accessing the link above, you pay a small fee (only $17) to get professionally designed, branded, eye-catching images, such as:

• Spring Store hero banners
• Social posts/promotional assets
• Merch graphic designs
• Logos

Now go create and launch your ugly sweater designs!

Every year, the holiday shopping frenzy starts earlier, with 57% of consumers commencing their gift-hunting even before Thanksgiving! 

So don’t let this golden sales opportunity slip by. Start crafting and releasing your ugly sweater designs early, so your fans can deck the halls in style and celebrate National Ugly Sweater Day in your creations! 🎄🎉

Spring creators rake in a jaw-dropping 121% more sales over holidays than the rest of the year! 💰 It’s time to get those designs locked and loaded for launch, but don’t worry, we’re here to help. Check out all our tips and tricks to launch your best merch yet. 

Why are the holidays so lucrative? 

The holidays are filled with anticipation and excitement—and shopping! Having fresh designs for the holidays gives your fans something new to get excited about and drives more traffic to your store. But let’s dive deeper on why. 

Launching new merch for the holidays is…

• exciting for fans who want to get into the holiday spirit, 
• exclusive since they’re only around for a limited time,
• and for everyone. People who shop during this time of year are looking for that special something new for themselves and loved ones. 

But how do you know what to create? Spring has 8 helpful tips to ensure your holiday products are poised for success. 

TIP 1: Crowdsource fans to discover what they want.

When it comes to crushing it as a creator, tuning into what your fans really want is key. Crowdsourcing design ideas is a direct hotline to your audience’s hearts. When you let your fans be part of the creative action, you’re not just selling products they love – you’re also stacking the odds in your favor.

So what exactly is crowdsourcing?

To break it down, crowdsourcing is like a brainstorming session on steroids. It’s all about gathering ideas from your fans and using them to craft merch that THEY want. 

The fastest way to get this info is by heading to where your fans hang out the most: social media. It’s not just quick and easy; it’s also a chill space where fans tend to be real and honest in their comments, rather than filling out stuffy feedback forms. But, you’ve gotta have a game plan for collecting this info. 

Don’t sweat it, though. Check out our crowdsourcing blog for five killer ideas to kick things off.

Tip 2: Launch new clothes. 

Clothing items are consistently top sellers, especially when you feature fun new designs. In fact, fashion and apparel was the most popular gift category during the holiday season in 2022. You don’t have to design from scratch, you can add a holiday-twist to a current best-seller or take a popular trend and holiday-ify it. 

Here’s what sold well in 2022: 

Hoodies: 

A top seller is the Unisex Classic Pullover Hoodie, featuring a classic fit and cotton-polyester blend. This hoodie is durable and soft to the touch. 

T-shirts:

T-shirt sales make up 65% of total global apparel sales! Tees can be worn alone in warmer months and layered in cooler months. You’ll want something stylish, yet durable. Go for classics like the Hanes tagless tee (people hate tags!), the Next Level tee (a premium quality T-shirt that can be dressed up or dressed down), or for a high-quality T-shirt that has a silky smooth feel, try the premium tee. 

Sweaters: 

Ugly sweaters rule the season. One in three people under 35 buys an ugly Christmas sweater every year! The crazier the better, so unleash your creativity. Spring has some basic sweatshirts you can use as your canvas and here are some design templates from Kittl you can use to speed up the process. Use the code SPRING23 for 40% off an annual plan! 

TIP 3: Use trendy color palettes. 

Here are some telling statistics:

93% of people believe that color/design is the #1 influencing factor in what they buy!

Within the first 90 seconds of seeing a product for the first time, we make a subconscious judgment. 90% of that judgment is made based on color alone! So how to apply color? 

Here are a couple color trends for this fall:

• Shades of Pink and Purple – Hot last year and the popularity has not waned one bit. Rose (light pink), mauve (pale purple), and lavender (a light purple with a blue tint) are named after flowers. These shades bring a lighthearted, youthful energy to designs, whether you go with a shade that’s bright or muted. 
• Neutrals – Earth tone shades work well on clothing and appeal to a broad consumer base. You can make designs stand out when including a bright pop of color (such as orange and yellow) or keep it chill. 
• Shades of Blue – Blue consistently ranks as everyone’s favorite color, most likely due to its calming effect on the brain. But know what else is cool? Blue can work for a variety of Holiday designs, especially when tying in wintry themes. 
• Or be on trend and use the 2023 color of the year Viva Magenta.

Tip 4: Create a branded ugly Christmas sweater.

With one in three people grabbing an ugly Christmas sweater each year, it’s a must-have holiday product to launch this year. 

But for your highest chance of success, you don’t want a standard, run-of-the-mill design. You want a design that’s uniquely YOU. 

Here are expert tips for an epic, on-brand holiday sweater:

• On-Brand Theme: Start with a theme that matches your brand’s style. Infuse your brand’s values, messages, or symbols into the holiday vibe.
• Color Palette: Stick to your brand’s colors, but don’t be shy about adding some festive shades. Keep it on-brand with a holiday pop.
• Irregular Patterns: Ugly sweaters thrive on chaos. Think geometric shapes, uneven lines, and quirky arrangements. Keep it consistent with your brand’s style for instant recognition.
• Playful Messaging: Inject your brand’s personality with cheeky messages or witty wordplay. Let your brand shine in the holiday theme.
• Test It Out: Before the final masterpiece, share variations on social media and get feedback from your crew. It’ll make them feel valued and excited for the launch, ensuring the design’s success.

For design help and best practices, check out our Ugly Christmas Sweater Design Guide.

Tip 5: Offer stocking filler gifts. 

Stocking stuffers are always popular and many shoppers buy more than one! Try out some of our new products, which are ideal stocking stuffers for holiday gifting:  

• Die-Cut Stickers – This means that the sticker is cut around the contour of your design. Unlike stickers in the standard shapes of a circle, square, or rectangle, die-cut stickers will be completely customized to the shape of your artwork. Any shape sticker you’re imagining is possible as a die cut. 

•  Mugs – winter’s top accessory and a great canvas for your most popular designs.

• Tumblers – A tumbler is an insulated mug or cup you can take on the go. Another great way to keep your brand in their hands all day long!

• And of course, phone cases. Always in style, always needed.

• Nintendo Switch Case – perfect for young gamers.

•  Notebook – decorative organization tool for lifestyle & wellness buffs.

• Must haves for your techie friends, like an Apple watch strap. 

Tip 6: Launch a classic design. 

Tired of the holidays already? You don’t have to create a holiday theme if you don’t want to. The goal is to launch something shiny and new. Go for a classic design that fans can wear year-round. 

You can still lean into the colors that are trending (mentioned above) and the products that are top-sellers (like Tees and hoodies). 

There are plenty of people who don’t want to spend the next 3 months sporting pumpkins and santa hats. Give fans a variety to choose from so you can capture both the holiday-enthusiasts and the Grinches.

Tip 7: Hire a professional designer.

Short on time or seeking top-notch merch designs? Consider hiring a pro designer. 

Quality designs can significantly boost your sales, making it a worthwhile investment. 

With our AffinityX partnership, you can get a merch design tailored to your brand vision for just $17.

Learn more and place your custom merch graphic design request here.

We also offer store banners, promotional assets (think social posts, ads, etc.), and logos!

Tip 8: Take advantage of templates.

Unlock the power of design templates to craft amazing merch graphics and social posts. Our partnership with Kittl offers you access to a vast library of templates, including merch designs, logos, social graphics, and more.

Plus, you’ll enjoy an exclusive 40% discount on an annual membership when you use this special link and use the code SPRING23 at checkout! 

Templates are your time-saving secret weapon, allowing you to create top-notch, market-ready merch in mere minutes!

Final thoughts

Want more tips? Get them along with more inspiration at our Holiday Resource Hub. While there, check out the Countdown Calendar for key benchmark dates to keep on schedule so you can maximize those sales. The best part?—you can earn prizes, too (like free merch designs)! 

Keep in mind that the earlier you get your designs done the earlier you can start promoting, especially for products that need to ship in time for the holidays…Capitalize on that holiday excitement and start creating those holiday designs! Happy Holidays and Happy Selling! 

In the world of creator success, tapping into your fans’ desires is the ultimate game-changer. When you crowdsource design ideas, you’re not just making merch; you’re crafting a direct connection with your audience. 

By giving your fans a voice in the creative process, you’re not only launching products they genuinely desire but also increasing the odds of success.

It’s a win-win strategy that transforms your passion into profits while making your fans feel like cherished collaborators in your creative journey.

But first, what exactly IS crowdsourcing? 

Simply put, it’s the process of collecting ideas, and/or content with the assistance of input from a large number of people (your fans) on a topic of your choice. Once you’ve collected those ideas, you can use that info to develop products, and refine your marketing strategy. Methods of crowdsourcing are always evolving, so let’s cover some ground, starting now! 

Use social media to understand your fans’ needs & wants

Crowdsourcing is a chance to learn your fans’ buying behaviors, expectations, interests, pain points, content preferences and so much more.

The best way to quickly gather all of this information is to go to where your fans connect with you the most: social media.

It’s not only instant communication, it’s an informal arena where fans are more likely to be candid and real in their comments versus filling out an official feedback form. But, you need to have a plan for how you will source this information. No worries, we’ve got 5 great ideas to get you started. 

How to conduct social media crowdsourcing

Now that you know the importance of social media crowdsourcing, it’s time to learn the best way of going about it. Here are a few tips:

1. Define your expectations & goals

When you ask for feedback, you might get back more than you can easily process. Unless you have a clear understanding of what you’re looking for, it can be overwhelming.

Ask yourself what you hope to gain from what you hear? Maybe you want to improve your designs, or the rapport you have with your social media followers. Or maybe you want to learn their interests so you can use them in your promos. 

Whatever it is you’re going for, clearly define it from the beginning. In this case it’s Holiday-themed products. Start there.

You can run several separate efforts simultaneously, but the goals should always be defined in each. 

2. Choose the right channels and tactics

There are a number of ways to collect feedback from followers on your socials:

• Conduct polls 
• Browse comments
• Monitor DMs
• Send out survey links
• Ask your community or individuals to mention you in posts
• Monitor mentions that are un-tagged

Observe which channels your followers most commonly use so you have the best chance of collecting the most sufficient information. 

3. Craft a Compelling Post 

Write a detailed and engaging post explaining your crowdsourcing initiative.

Mention your objectives, that you are looking for holiday-themed suggestions, and clearly state any specific guidelines or restrictions for these product ideas. Encourage creativity and excitement.

4. Have a unified monitoring platform

If you’re using one platform (like Instagram) to collect insights for a specific purpose, it may not be an overload of information.

But if you’re running polls on five different platforms, it can quickly get overwhelming to make sense of the data. You may even miss crucial information or comments if you are having to manually monitor them all. Selecting one platform to begin might be the best idea. 

5.  Run Social Media Contests

People love to win stuff. Plus this is a fantastic way to gain insight. Here are 4 key ways to crowdsource product ideas using social media contests:

1. Ask your followers/fans/customers what their needs/wants are. 

The more you listen to someone’s needs and wants, the more loyal they become.

EX: Use your X (former Twitter) feed to give your followers an option on which product they would be more likely to buy.

This method kills two birds with one stone: It crowdsources your own decisions on which product to push, and it shows your followers that you listen to them.

Quick tips:

1. Post updates about your contest at various times throughout the day; Use related hashtags to reach a larger audience.
2. Offer a prize. Increase motivation by using the winning product idea as the prize.

2. Conduct Research on product preferences.

A simple way to obtain customer insights about new products is to create a vote contest (like on Facebook). Ask your followers to vote on their: 

1. Favorite product type
2. Preferred color 
3. Best use of the product

Use the results to design products to launch, and watch how many respondents easily turn into customers!

3. Run a “Name a Product” contest

The name of a product can make or break it. Why not let your community weigh in on the name of your next product? There are ingenious suggestions everywhere. When you hear the perfect name, you’ll know it. It also makes followers feel they’re involved with your brand because, well…they are! Announce the winners of the prize and happily divvy it out. Tips for hosting a “Name Your Product” contest:

1. Use a “namesourcing” site like NamingForce, NameStation, Hatchwise or Name Contests, or set up your own contest on your site or socials.
2. Promote contests through your socials, paid ads, & earned media (if you have the budget) to generate more entries. 
3. Do not mislead. Be crystal clear that you, no one else, has the final say in what name wins (just in case names submitted don’t work for your brand).
4. Follow through. Naming the product is only the first step. Announce the winners on social media. You can even tag and tweet the winners, if possible. 

4. Ask your followers to submit new ideas. 

Engage your followers by requesting them to submit ideas for new products. Better yet, make it ONE idea for a new product. Specificity is always better.

What this does is empower your community. It gives them a sense of passion and commitment to what you do. It also results in them thinking about what other types of products you carry because they might have to check out your store to come up with a new product.

Loyalty AND sales have now increased!

Tips for crowdsourcing new products:

1. Host a contest on your social platform or you can ask participants to give you a new product idea in your comments.
2. Ask for new ideas about a product related to the products you already offer to incentivize store traffic and increase sales. 
3. Give incentives that appeal to your target audience (discounts are always popular).

Asking for input before a product launches gives fans an “own-it” mentality, turning products they like into products they love.

Holiday Resource Hub and Countdown Calendar

You need to (right now) get to the Holiday Resource Hub, which also has our Countdown Calendar with key benchmark dates to help creators negotiate the hectic holiday season. These invaluable tools will help you maximize your sales this season. 

Finally, Run a Post-Holiday Evaluation 

After the holiday season, you can evaluate the success of your crowdsourcing campaign, engagement, sales, and feedback. This will be exponentially beneficial during future campaigns. 

Crowdsourcing holiday product ideas through social media not only helps you tap into the creativity of your audience but also fosters a sense of community and engagement around your brand. It’s a win-win strategy when executed as we outlined above.

Happy Holidays and Happy Selling!