Going viral is one of the best things that can happen to content creators. Not only does it boost your followers and make you internet-famous, but it can also fill your wallet—especially if you know how to turn that moment into awesome merch.

So, if you have content that blew up or got tons of likes and shares, don’t let it slip away! Take that moment, turn it into a killer design, and slap it on merch to sell to your fans.

When done right, viral moments translated into designs can deeply resonate with your audience and ignite excitement for them to purchase. Plus, it’s a cool way for them to show off their fandom to their buddies who love your stuff too.

Ready to turn your viral moment into a merch empire? Check out our tips below and let’s make some merch magic happen! 

1. Strike While It’s Hot:

Timing is key when it comes to cashing in on a viral moment. Don’t hesitate—start brainstorming merch ideas as soon as your video starts blowing up.

If you’re feeling stuck on what to create, consider these things:

• Was there a line in your content that had everyone laughing or quoting it in the comments? This could be a good line to throw on some merch.
• Could any freeze frame from your video be turned into a funny meme?
• What are people chatting about in the comments? Is there a theme that keeps popping up?

By asking these questions, you’ll get a good idea of what kind of merch would really hit home with your fans.

For instance, let’s say your viral moment captured you busting a move with your grandpa, and everyone in the comments couldn’t get enough of his smooth moves. You could turn that into a meme with him rocking digital sunglasses and the caption “I leave no crumbs.” Then, slap that meme on coffee mugs, shirts, notebooks—whatever you think your audience would love.

But remember, don’t spend ages agonizing over the perfect design. The quicker you act, the more impact your merch will have.

2. Keep It On-Brand:

When creating your merch design, it’s important to keep it on-brand and give it the familiar vibes that people already associate with you and your content. So whether it’s a hilarious catchphrase, a jaw-dropping discovery, or a signature move that got everyone hyped, your design should still resonate with your brand. 

Why? Here are a few reasons staying on brand is so important:

Brand Recognition 

Keeping your merch consistent with your brand helps your fans instantly know it’s yours. When they see your merch, they should be like, “Oh yeah, that’s [Your Name]’s stuff!” It makes them more likely to buy it and rep it proudly and allows them to easily bond with other fans of yours when they’re out and about.

Emotional Connection

You’ve built up a real bond with your audience over time, right? Your brand represents all the things they love about you—your humor, your positivity, your unique perspective. So when your merch reflects that, it strengthens the connection even more. 

Making It All Fit

Your merch should feel like it’s part of the bigger picture of you and your content. Whether your fans are watching your videos, scrolling through your socials, or rocking your merch, everything should feel like it’s from the same awesome universe. When it’s all consistent, it creates this super cool experience for your fans that they can’t get enough of.

With that in mind, here are some tips to help you stay on brand as you transform your viral moment into a design your fans will instantly recognize as yours:

• Think about what makes your brand unique and incorporate those vibes into your merch designs. Whether you’re all about humor, positivity, or breaking boundaries, try to add some of that into your viral moment merch design.
• Keep your design in line with your overall aesthetic. Whether you’re into bold and colorful or chill and minimalist, translate your viral moment into your style.
• Don’t forget to use your existing brand elements, like logos and colors, if it makes sense, to tie everything together and make your merch instantly recognizable.

3. Get Creative with Products:

Choosing the right products for your merch is key to turning your viral moment into a cash cow! 

Here’s how to pick products that will have your fans lining up to buy:

Know Your Audience

Consider what your fans are into and choose products that match their style. Whether they’re gamers, fitness freaks, or everyday parents, pick merch items that they’ll actually want to buy and use. If you’re not sure which to choose, browse our Core Collections for ideas.

Think Outside the Box

Don’t stick to the basics—get creative with your merch ideas! From socks to pet tees, explore unique products that stand out and make a statement. 

Stay Practical

While being creative is important, make sure your merch is also practical and useful. Choose items that people can use in their daily lives, like water bottles or tote bags, to ensure maximum exposure for your brand. Also, coffee mugs are one of the best sellers and easy gift ideas, so consider adding your viral moment to one!

Test and Learn

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different products and see what resonates with your audience. Gather feedback and use it to refine your merch lineup over time, ensuring that you’re always offering what your fans want.

4. Get Your Fans Involved:

Your fans are the heart and soul of your content, so why not make them an integral part of your merch-making journey? Start by sharing sneak peeks of your designs on social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Let them see the creative process unfold in real-time and give them a glimpse behind the scenes.

But don’t stop there—ask for their input and feedback! Run polls or contests to let them vote on their favorite designs, colors, or slogans. Not only does this make your fans feel valued and appreciated, but it also gives them a sense of ownership over the final product. And when your fans feel like they’ve had a hand in creating your merch, they’ll be even more excited to rock it and show it off to the world.

5. Shout It from the Rooftops

Last but not least, once your merch is live, go all out spreading the news! 

Here are some of the best ways to do that: 

Blast it on Social Media

Your social media platforms are your megaphone, so use them to their full potential! Post about your merch on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and any other platforms where your fans hang out. Remind everyone of your viral moment and why you created this merch.

Order Samples

Samples can increase your sales by 300%, so don’t be afraid to order yours! Once you have your samples in hand, you can use them in your content and advertise them without even saying a word about it! Fans that see you wearing or using products that remind them of your viral moment will be intrigued and want to get their hands on them. After all, you’re internet famous, so who doesn’t want to copy you?

Host Giveaways or Contests

Everyone loves free stuff, so why not host a giveaway or contest to drum up excitement for your merch launch? Offer prizes like exclusive merch bundles, signed merch items, or even a virtual hangout with you. Encourage your fans to participate by sharing your merch launch posts, tagging their friends, or creating user-generated content related to your merch. Giveaways and contests are a fun and interactive way to engage your fans and generate buzz around your merch launch.

Create FOMO

Use scarcity and limited-time offers to create a sense of urgency and encourage your fans to act fast. After all, your viral moment will probably only have a short time under the sun, so creating FOMO around your merch is a good plan no matter what.  

Engage with Your Fans

Don’t forget to keep the party going with your fans during your merch launch! Reply to their comments and messages, give them a big thanks for all the love, and make sure they feel like they’re in on the action. Encourage them to show off their new merch on social media, especially because so many people will have seen your viral moment. Building that sense of community and connection with your fans will make your merch launch even more successful!

What’s next?

In the end, turning your viral moments into hot-selling merch is not just about capitalizing on a trend—it’s about building an epic connection with your fans. By getting creative, sticking to your vibe, and making your fans feel like they’re part of the squad, you can take a moment and turn it into a merch sensation.

Remember, timing is key, so don’t sleep on brainstorming those merch ideas while the hype’s still fresh. Keep it real, keep it you, and keep your fans in the loop every step of the way.

Stay tuned for more content that will help add more zeros to your bank account and become the content creator everyone knows about.

We are now in the era of social commerce. Product photos are as important now as ever. It really is the deciding factor on whether someone clicks on your post––or not. But as always, Spring has your back. While you can’t do custom product photos on Spring (yet), you’ll want to order a sample so you can take custom photos for your social platforms. 

Here are 11 great tips on how to take the best product photos for your socials. 

1. Native.

Take a photo of the item in its native environment. This means either take a photo of the item with you, or wherever it would naturally be used. For example, if your product is a beach towel, put that baby on some sand. 

2. Natural Lighting.

Lighting is key to great quality. Use natural lighting when possible. This will show off the true colors of the product. It’s easy to become obsessed with the correct lighting equipment but natural lighting not only offers a more cost-effective method but is true-to-life.

NOTE: You can’t control natural lighting. Maybe it’s sunny now and overcast in an hour. In that case, have a cheap lighting kit as a backup but try to combine natural lighting with artificial lighting. If you need to use white bounce boards to get rid of shadows or a diffuser sheet (if the sun is too bright), you may want to invest in those items. 

3. Different angles.

When consumers see a product from multiple angles, they are more likely to imagine themselves using the product. There are many angles to shoot from, but the 6 angles that will serve you best are:

Front

Profile (side)

45-degree

Back

Top (shot from above)

Macro (tight or close-up shot)

4. Flat lay your products with other items.

Associate your products with complimentary items. For example, T-shirts w/ pants and a bag or handbag, or a mousepad near the computer, or a person holding a mug with coffee in it, etc. This form of product photography also helps your brand tease other new products, piquing consumer interest and ultimately driving more traffic to your Spring store.

5. Neutral background.

Still photos work best with neutral backgrounds (white or black for example). When in doubt, use a white background. This is for two reasons:

White backgrounds have great light reflection, meaning you don’t need a huge lighting setup.

White removes distracting or confusing backgrounds, keeping the focus on the only thing that matters––the product. 

6. Know the aspect ratios of your platform.

Different aspect ratios may dictate how you shoot. For example,

Instagram – Keep a Consistent Photography Theme. The types of photos you use on your Instagram profile will impact its visual appeal. There are many Instagram themes that you can use, just ensure your Instagram photos showcase your products in the best way possible. Instagram post sizes are: Landscape: 1080 x 566 pixels Portrait: 1080 x 1350 pixels Square: 1080 x 1080 pixels.

Threads (Instagram’s Twitter twin) – The standard link share image will be cropped to a 2:1 aspect ratio on Threads.This is a little bit wider than link share images on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, but the same images should work just fine on Threads.

Facebook – Facebook timeline photo and post sizes: FB automatically resizes and formats your photos to be 500 pixels wide and to fit the 1.91:1 aspect ratio. But avoid pixelation or slow load times by remembering these sizes: Recommended size: 1200 x 630 pixels Minimum size: 600 x 315 pixels

LinkedIn – Sponsored content images: 1200 x 627 pixels (1.91:1 aspect ratio) Sponsored content carousel images: 1080 x 1080 pixels (1:1 aspect ratio)

Twitter – Twitter image sizes for in-stream photos: 1600 x 900 pixels (recommended) or any aspect between 2:1 and 1:1 on desktop; 2:1, 3:4 and 16:9 on mobile.

Pinterest – Pinterest image sizes for ads and carousels: App install ads: 2:3 aspect ratio is recommended; 1000 x 1500 pixels recommended. Carousel Pins and ads: aspect ratio of either 1:1 or 2:3. 1000 x 1500 pixels or 1000 x 1000 pixels recommended; Up to 5 images can be included in a carousel. Shopping ads: 2:3 aspect ratio is recommended; 1000 x 1500 pixels recommended.

Snapchat – Snapchat ads image size: 1080 x 1920 pixels (at minimum) Aspect ratio: 9:16.

7. Tools (hardware or apps) you may need. 

Phone – Much cheaper than a professional camera, your smartphone has professional camera tools that can do the job perfectly. 

Tripod or stand – You will be surprised how handy it comes in for certain shots but if you do product shots, it’s a must to keep the camera steady. 

Backgrounds/Backdrops – These are real (not digital) backgrounds/backdrops that you place under and behind your products so that you don’t see a seem, as you would if you simply shot with a white wall behind the product. Worth every penny, considering how essential it is to have certain backgrounds. 

Wireless remote.

Add-on lenses (optional)

Adobe Lightroom app (which has a free version, or you can opt for the paid version which comes with additional features). This allows you to edit your photos, whether it be cropping, coloring, etc. 

Lightricks’ suite of photo editing tools (Facetune, Filtertune, and Photoleap). If you don’t want to invest in paid third-party apps, most smartphones come equipped with some decent native photo-editing tools. Experiment with your phone’s built-in contrast settings, creative cropping, portrait mode, and more to create some stunning effects — without professional photography skills!

8. The Rule of Thirds.

This is a known rule in photography (video or stills). Imagine your image is cut into 9 equal squares, meaning you will have two evenly spaced lines horizontally and the same vertically. 

The focus of the photo should be approximately where these imaginary grid lines intersect. If your subject is in the upper right intersection, for example, this would leave the other two thirds of the space open, attracting and drawing the viewer’s interest. Most smartphones have a “rule of thirds” feature that you can activate. If you have that feature, try following these steps: Open Settings > Click Camera. >Toggle on the Grid option under Composition.

For Android: Open the Camera app. > Click Settings. >Turn on Assistive Grid. 

Note: You won’t see the grid on the final photo, only when you take the photo. Keep in mind the rule of thirds is not a universal law. There are occasions when a perfectly centered shot is more appropriate. Use your judgment. 

9. Set your pixels correctly.

To put it bluntly, it doesn’t do you any good to go through all the effort to produce a professional-caliber photo if you don’t set your pixels correctly. For example, a 5 X 7 print on your refrigerator requires a lot less pixels than a giant billboard on a building. Your pixel count tells you how detailed an image will be, and goes hand in hand with photo resolution. Nowhere does resolution matter as much as on social media. The higher the resolution, the more details. Conversely, with a low resolution photo it won’t matter how good your production value was when you took the photo. It will look unprofessional. Crisp images with the highest level of detail is what you’re aiming for. You’ll want at least 10 to 20 megapixels. There are smartphones out there that can shoot up to 40! 

10. Set your white balance.

Based on the light temperature in your setup, touch the WB button on your smartphone, then touch the white background. Check the exposure. Tap the circular Exposure button, then tap your product so the camera knows to expose it.

Keep everything in focus. Now touch the circular Focus button, then tap your product so the camera knows to properly focus on the product. Lock your camera settings. Next, tap each button again to lock the settings in place. This will stop the camera from adjusting settings while you’re taking shots. 

11. #Hashtags.

Regardless of your niche, add relevant hashtags to your posts so that your brand can get the exposure it deserves. In many cases, customers would not have discovered stunning product photos if the creator hadn’t included the hashtag in the post. 

4 LITTLE BONUS TIPS:

Don’t do selfies (you might be in focus, but your product won’t be), don’t use the flash (overexposure), and don’t zoom (lower resolution). These 3 things lower the overall quality of your photos. And the fourth tip is if you’re using a smartphone, go horizontal instead of vertical. Landscapes are easier to crop. You’re welcome.

Start taking your social product photos now! 

Don’t feel obligated to get every piece of equipment right off the bat. Apply these tips gradually to see what paints your products in the best light, and adjust your approach as you improve. Happy shooting! 

Crafting fall merchandise that resonates with buyers is no simple feat. Many creators struggle with what to design, what colors to use, and how to remain true to their brand while tapping into the fall spirit.

To help you out, we’ve outlined the best strategies and fall trends our top creators lean into in order to launch highly successful fall merch. Use these tips to maximize your success this season and rake in the sales!

Creating Fall Designs That Sell. 

Fall is a season of coziness, comfort, and nostalgia. Nothing says fall like snuggling up next to a fire with your fall-themed blanket, fall-themed pillow, and a fall-themed mug filled to the brim with your favorite holiday drink. 

To create designs that invoke fall emotions within your fans, tap into design elements that evoke these emotions, like:

• Autumn leaves 
• Cozy patterns
• Pumpkin spice
• Pumpkins
• Football
• Warm drinks
• And more! 

You can also create merch that connects with fall holidays (Thanksgiving & Halloween). Halloween designs do exceptionally well during this season. In fact, Halloween is one of the biggest selling times of the year, but you need to start early so your fans have enough time to order! 

Fall-ify Your Best Sellers. 

Add a fall-inspired twist to your best-selling designs. No need to reinvent the wheel. For those of you who are already successful sellers, it’s simple to put a cozy fall twist or creepy Halloween spin on your products by changing your colors and imagery. 

Get creative with autumn elements to create a unique fall vibe. Utilize those spooky ghosts and ghouls, nature landscapes and woodland creatures, Thanksgiving themes, and whimsical cottagecore that celebrates nature-inspired and “simple rural life” vibes. If you don’t know what cottagecore is, consult Dr. Google. We could do a whole blog about it and it’s perfect for fall designs. 

Just make sure to maintain your brand identity! This can be difficult, but you don’t want to embrace autumn if it means losing your creative identity. Here are some tips to keep in mind in order to maintain brand identity while pivoting to a fall design:

1. Keep the Messaging Consistent. Your fans know your voice, so don’t change it just to get across a seasonal theme. 
2. Place the Logo Everywhere. Your logo is your stamp, so find a way to creatively keep it on your merch.  
3. Don’t stray too far from your core audience. While you always want to bring in new fans, you don’t want to forget the ones who have been there since the beginning. In other words, Don’t just do fall stuff and lose your identity. It’s about blending fall into what you’ve already been doing. 

Craft A Winning Palette.

Fall color schemes deliver an emotional impact. Orange (a warm, bright color) represents emotions that are positive, such as joy and happiness, as it combines the stimulation of the cheerfulness of yellow and red. The color that’s considered the main color of fall is a rich, dark shade of orange (we can most likely thank pumpkins for that).

You should also identify versatile color combinations that resonate with fall-loving customers. Before we get into combos, the main four colors of fall are orange, red, yellow and brown, due to the havests and changing colors in the leaves. However, there are relatives of those colors that make great color palettes. There are dozens of different fall color combinations, but here are five of the top fall palettes:

1. Deep Greens + Cream + Orange-y Tans

2. Tan + Light Brown + Deep Cool Brown

3. Deep Blue + Deep Reds + Light Yellow

4. Dark Sienna + Rust + Deep Red + Light Yellow

5. Pale Pink + Rosy Browns + Ash Gray

Tips for harmonizing colors. One surefire way to not use clashing colors is to use colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. “Analogous” is the term used to describe those colors. Many people like to use analogous colors in combination with monochromatic colors (grayscale colors). 

Optimize Listing Titles and Descriptions. 

Use strategic keywords to enhance the visibility of your fall merch listings. There is the WHAT and the WHY when it comes to choosing keywords. The WHAT is the word itself, and the WHY is the traffic the word can drive, which adds value to your products. A SERP (Search Engine Results Page) is a valuable tool that will show where you rank and in turn help dictate what keyword strategy you employ.

Beyond using keywords, you also want to craft attention-grabbing titles that emphasize the fall theme. Get creative. There are many designs by creators that don’t even have images––just text! Come up with that attention-grabbing title that stays on brand and evokes fall season vibes at the same time! 

But even with that killer text, a fall image never hurts. Here’s a perfect example from Spring creator Indeimaus: “Every day is Halloween.”

IMPORTANT: Make sure to add the word “fall” to your title listing in order to enter the Fall Design Challenge for your chance to win $1000 in merch samples and a social media spotlight on Spring’s channels.

With these 4 rock star tips, you’re well on your way to hitting your sales goals for the fall. And remember–we always have your back. Don’t hesitate to reach out with questions.  If you need help on how to create a listing, here’s a link to how: https://spring4creators.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/16437213075725-How-to-Create-a-Listing

And if you want to learn the best promotion tips and tricks, look for our next blog in our fall series!

Artificial Intelligence. It’s here. Is it the next great invention or dawn of the apocalypse? No matter your feelings on AI, there are some ways you can use it to your advantage. It’s not quite as proficient as talented humans (yet), but here are 10 of the best AI tools you can use if you’re concerned your talent may not be up to snuff or you just want some extra help. 

Top 10 AI Content Creation Tools

Different tools are best for different purposes in your content creation process. The good news is that most of the tools on this list offer a free trial so that you can see how it works and if it will help you produce your best content. Ready for some AI? Let’s go!

1. Jasper.ai

Jasper.ai Is one of the most popular AI content because it can be utilized for most marketing purposes. It allows you to generate content ideas 10x faster and keep up with your production of content at a steady pace, depending on your needs. This is one of the AI tools that has a free trial of 10,000 words. 

Key features:

• Ad creatives. Grab the attention of your target audience. 
• Art & images. Create the imagery you need for social media. 
• Content strategy. Jasper can help you come up with content ideas for video content, audio, long form, and text. 
• Content writing. Email subject lines and texts, product descriptions, etc. This makes content for your target audience more effective and relevant. 
• Social media posts. You can create months of social media content ahead of time! Content ideas, catchy video scripts, captions in posts, or just engaging creatives. 

Pricing

• Free Trial: 7 days
• Starter: Starts at $29/month; $24/month annually up to 20,000 words/month.
• Boss Mode: Starts as $59/month; $49/month annually up to 50,000 words/month.
• Business: custom plan; you have to contact support for details.

2. SurferSEO

SurferSEO is great for SEO (Search Engine Optimization). It can combine content editing, keyword research, SERP (Search Engine Results Page) analysis, and domain analysis with content planning. 

Key features:

• Grow Flow. Get SEO insight to optimize your content weekly. 
• Content editor. Get content recommendations, writing tips, and an HTML document editor.
• Create an AI outline. Based on your keyword research, it will make suggestions for headers, titles, and subheadings. 
• Content planner. Conducts keyword research and examines Google’s SERPs, then organizes the resources you’ll need in order to write the content. 
• Check for missing keywords. Evaluate your keywords against your competition in an audit! A great tool to review earlier material and make sure you’re still ranking above competition.
• Writing Masterclass. Learn the ropes for SEO writing. Free to subscribers. 
• SEO Writers Directory. Use this to discover writers for hire who understand how to develop SEO-optimized material. 

Pricing (7-day money back guarantee)

• Basic: $59/month; $49/month annually
• Pro: $119/month; $99/month annually
• Business: $239/month; $199/month annually

3. AdCreative.ai

AdCreative.ai is best for ad-creatives, seems self-explanatory but this tool will generate content for ad copy you can run on Google and elsewhere. It also provides real-time information about the success of your marketing as it generates the text. The tool claims you can create posts easily and get 14x better conversions. 

Key features:

• AI writing tool. Tailor headlines and conversion-focused text to the platform of your choice. 
• AI generated content for social media. Whether for Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and others, you can generate content in a matter of minutes. 
• Generate conversion-focused ad creatives. While staying true to your brand, generate ads in minutes with less time spent on the design process.

Pricing 

• Free Trial: 7 days
• Startup plans:
• Starter: $21/month; $217/annually
• Premium: $44/month; $442/annually
• Ultimate: $74/month; $742/annually
• Ultimate 2: $111/month; $1117/annually
• Professional plans:
• Starter: $141/month; $1417/annually
• Premium: $186/month; $1867/annually
• Ultimate: $299/month; $2992/annually

4. InVideo

InVideo is an AI tool best used for video content creation. It makes the process simple, user-friendly, and creates videos of a professional caliber. Just use the template and you’re done!

Key features:

• 5000+ templates. InVideo has great video templates for short form content and long form content.
• AI content generators. Remove backgrounds and make videos pop with just a few clicks.
• Time saved! Take existing content (like copy in a post), then use the content generator to change it into a video in minutes!

Pricing 

• Starter plan: Free
• Business: $30/month; $15/month annually
• Unlimited: $60/month; $30/month annually
• Lifetime: $399/on-time-payment for lifetime access

5. GETgenie

GETgenie is an all-in-one SEO assistant that you can integrate with your website by downloading the plugin. The tool also helps you analyze competitors, research keywords, and write content that will help you earn money from search volume as well as rank. 

Key features:

• Keyword research. Getgenie analyzes competitors and finds the right keywords to make sure your content is top-notch when it comes to SEO-scores.
• Unlimited ideas for content. With GETgenie, you’ll never run out of ideas for headings or email subject lines.
• Content generator. As Getgenie writes text for you, it also helps you look at your SEO-score so you know what to improve.
• 30+ templates to choose from. When it comes to optimizing your content and campaigns, choose from all those templates for meta descriptions, product descriptions, and more.
• All-in-one. This feature actually replaces several other apps that you would otherwise need to use to arrive at the same results.

Pricing (14-day money back guarantee)

• Freemium: 1,500 free words/month
• Writer: $19/month; $15/month annually
• Pro: $49/month; $40/month annually
• Agency: $99/month; $82/month annually

6. Synthesia

Synthesia is a video-content platform where you can make videos with AI characters. It has an easy to understand web-based interface that allows you to add written text and to make professional videos. Choose the type of voice and AI-character you want, as well as opting from 120+ languages. 

Key features:

• Easy to use. No need to learn a program or download software to use this web-based interface. 
• AI-characters. Choose from an array of voices and characters. 
• AI content generator. No setup required, generates AI videos in minutes. 
• Time efficient. Produce professional videos 10x faster than average and for a fraction of the cost. 

Pricing (1 Free AI video)

• Personal: $30/month
• Business: price by request

7. Pictory

Pictory is best for automated short form (brand-focused) video content that is created from your existing assets. It’s not expensive, it’s simple, and does not require technical knowledge or other expensive software. You can quickly convert sales scripts into videos, automatically add captions, and generate short branded films.

Key features:

• Save time & make videos quickly. 
• Professional quality video. Over 3 million video clips to choose from.
• Runs in the cloud. Plus you can use your own voice or AI, which has crystal clear narration.

Pricing 

• Free Trial: (3 video projects, each up to 10 minutes long)
• Standard: $23/month; $19/month annually
• Premium: $47/month; $39/month annually

8. GrowthBar 

GrowthBar is an all-in-one content writing and SEO AI tool that provides keyword research and helps write & optimize your content within the program itself. This means you don’t have to use two separate programs to create your content and conduct research! This includes email subject lines and product descriptions. 

Key features: 

• Content Generator. Whether you are looking for sales email subject lines or post captions, all can be done inside the Content Generator.
• Internal Link Suggestions. While you are writing, Growthbar suggests internal links for you.
• Meta Generator. An AI content detection tool that helps you create meta descriptions for any content.
• Blog Ideas. Coming up with blog ideas is simple with the help of AI to generate topics.
• Site Inspector. A feature that allows you to find keywords that rank for a particular site. This could be your website or a competitor’s website.
• Keyword Research. Discover related keywords, top SERP competitors, how often a keyword is searched, or keyword difficulty. 
• Rank Tracker. Monitor how well your site performs with certain keywords.

Pricing 

• Free Trial: 5 days
• $29/month for a yearly plan, $48/month for a monthly plan
• $79/month for a yearly plan; $99/month for a monthly plan
• $127/month for a yearly plan; $199/month for a monthly plan

9. Scalenut 

Scalenut combines optimization tools and keyword research to help write content. The SEO Assistant helps you write content optimized for search engines utilizing techniques and features that automate the process. With a keyword, it gives you a document editor centered around the keyword. The panel on the left shows your competition. Scalenut also allows you to hire pros to help write, design, or produce content, which means if you don’t want AI in that instance, you can hire a human. 

Key features 

• Free version. No credit card required and free forever
• SEO Research. Keywords are easily incorporated with the SEO Assistant.
• Short-form AI writing. Captions, social media posts, and more!

Pricing 

• Free Trial: 7 days
• Individual: $29/mo
• Growth: $79/mo
• Pro: $149/mo

10. Outranking

Outranking is best used as a content strategy platform. It helps you with content planning and strategy and tracks previous content performance––creating a seamless experience from start to finish.

Key features

• AI Writing. Email subject lines and post captions. 
• Content Strategy. Reach the top of search engine rankings.
• Content Optimization. Unlock your content potential to maximize efficiency.  

Pricing

• Free Trial: 7 days
• Solo: $79/mo
• Pro: $149/mo
• Company: $219/mo

Now you’re armed with plenty of tools to tackle your content creation needs with AI. Remember, AI doesn’t replace humans. It doesn’t know when a blog is offensive, inappropriate, or even necessarily correct when it comes to spelling or grammar. A human must oversee the process. But, AI can assist when you get stuck. Hope we gave you some helpful AI tools to lift some of the weight off your shoulders. Good luck!

Fall is a season filled with pumpkin spice lattes and those snug, oversized blankets that we all adore. Autumn carries us away from the sunny days of summer into cool evening nights and falling leaves. The season has a distinct vibe. Creators who can capture the essence of fall in products and apparel can connect with their audience in a meaningful and stylish way.

Thankfully, cracking the code of autumn merch isn’t rocket science. It’s about tuning into market trends, getting a feel for your fans’ desires, drawing inspiration from fellow creators, and catering to the season’s unique demands. We’ve broken down this process into four simple steps outlined below, so you can effortlessly roll out those irresistible fall products, delight your fans, and watch your sales shoot through the roof.

Ready? Let’s dive into these four moves that’ll make this fall your most fall-tastic one yet.

Learn the Fall Market Trends. 

Learning the fall market trends is one of the best ways to understand what sells during the autum season. There are specific themes, colors, and styles that resonate with consumers in fall that you’ll want to think about when creating your fall-inspired merch. 

• Themes. Autumn is a time of warmth, change, and celebration, and your merch should reflect that. Think beyond the obvious with creative themes like the buzz of college life, the richness of harvest season, the beauty of gratitude, the excitement of football game day, fall foliage, and the ever-popular Oktoberfest. These themes capture the heart of fall and will help you create merch that resonates with your fans.
• Colors. Colors have the power to evoke emotions and capture the spirit of a season. This fall, dive into the trending shades that are stealing the spotlight:

• Styles. As the weather cools, people are looking to get cozy. It’s the perfect opportunity to offer merch most of us haven’t thought about since winter. Check out these blankets, hoodies, socks, pint glasses for game day, and mugs for all those pumpkin lattes. 

In addition to these market trends, also be sure to offer new products to diversify your store. Expanding your product line will help bring in more fans and give current fans more to choose from. Since games, hobbies, and home decor are on the rise, check out products like puzzles, drinkware, pillows, and blankets to capitalize on current trends. 

Listen to Your Fans and What They Want. 

Your fans are the heartbeat of your brand, and tapping into what they crave is a golden ticket to merch success. So use the tips below to learn the best ways to engage your fans in order to learn what fall-themed products resonate best with them.

• Utilize social media to gauge fan interests. Social media isn’t just for scrolling; it’s a valuable tool for gauging your fans’ interests. Make use of tools like Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, and Twitter Analytics. With these gems, you can decode your audience’s gender, age, interests, location, and engagement habits. 
• Conduct surveys and polls to gather feedback on fall-themed products in order to get a better understanding of what your fans want from you. A great way to win fans is to offer a brand new product from a fan comment. It shows you’re engaged with your community.
• Analyze comments and engagement on your content. Want to win over hearts and create lifelong fans? Listen closely. Sometimes, the best ideas come from the fans themselves. Pay attention to their comments and suggestions – they hold the key to what they truly want. Don’t hesitate to transform a fan’s comment into a brand new product. This kind of engagement doesn’t just show you’re listening; it proves you’re an active part of your community’s journey.

Get Inspiration from Other Creators. 

Sometimes getting started can prove challenging. If you’re feeling stuck at what to create, try checking out the competition. 

Take a stroll through the fall offerings of creators in your niche. This isn’t about copying; it’s about aligning yourself with the currents of creative thought. By checking out what’s trending, you position yourself right in the flow of traffic. Observe what they’re offering and take note of what their fans are wearing. Who knows? This exploration might just spark a new, unique idea that you can add to your Spring store.

In addition to gaining inspiration from their designs, you can also see what’s most likely to be successful. Big brands didn’t reach their heights by accident. There’s wisdom in their choices, and you can tap into it. Explore the most popular fall products they’re offering. Don’t worry – this isn’t about mimicry; it’s about learning from what works.

By studying their successes, you can uncover strategies and designs that resonate with a broader audience. Remember, while you might borrow a page from their playbook, your brand’s voice and identity remain your guiding stars.

Understand Seasonal Needs.

At the end of the day, fall isn’t just about colors and coziness–it’s about entering into a different season filled with new duties and celebrations. Creating merch that speaks to seasonal needs can help you sell more and give your fans what they need. 

Keep in mind these big events: 

• Back to college. Fall means back to college for many, so offer college essentials and college fashion: 90s fashion trends are in along with tie-dye, for example. And of course, when it comes to fall, hoodies are never out of style. 
• Halloween and Thanksgiving. These are not just holidays; they’re moments of joy and celebration for your fans. And guess what? They’re getting geared up for it well in advance. It’s your chance to inspire them to shop early, and what better way than with Halloween and Thanksgiving-themed products? From quirky mugs that scream “Halloween spirit” to home decor, your offerings can elevate these celebrations to a whole new level.

So that’s it! Four easy steps. Learn the fall market trends, listen to what your fans want, find inspiration from other creators, and understand seasonal needs. Voila! Now go create that fall-inspired merch when you sign into Spring and have a fall-tastic season! 

Summer is rapidly approaching and it’s time to get your summer merch ready! We’re talking totes, slides, tees, tanks, you name it!. 

 The following is a solid list of guidelines for creating trendy summer merch:

Color palettes. Unless you live somewhere chilly (like Alaska), or are a surfer (see below), go minimal with black. Summer is bright, not bleak! You will find endless advice online about how to combine white with various clothing items like shoes, accessories, slides, etc., so be mindful about your color palettes. White will go with almost anything depending on the style.. 

• Candy Pastel Palettes.  Besides classic white, a fantastic alternate is a pastel palette, which goes with pretty much anything, including neutrals. If you’re an Instagram user, you’ve no doubt also seen minimal pastel pics gradually taking over in the last year or so. Watch for this trend to take over this summer. 

Product types: On your Spring Store, play around with different types of tees for different types of fans, from classic fit, tanks, v-necks, boyfriend tees, there are lots of different options. 

Bold and decorative typography: Summer is hot! And your merch font should be too! Typography encompasses scripts, graffiti styles, handwritten fonts, etc. Think footloose and fancy-free. If you’re not able to visualize it, check out this example.

• Daring. If this is more your jam, use large and bold t-shirt designs to create impactful slogans. 

• Strong & vivid. If you opt for this font route, you can accentuate your illustrations and graphics or create typography designs using decorative fonts.

When it comes to bold and decorative typography, it’s not just about being strong with the lettering but also about being super expressive. Hit it hard on the nose. In the world of bold, subtlety lives elsewhere. Employing these traits in your T-shirt designs (and all merch) will make people remember your brand. Think hard on how the colors and forms of your design aid the message you want to convey.

Surfer Prints. Surfers unite! Whether you’re a beach bum or just like tees with cute quotes, you can achieve the bohemian look a few different ways. Here’s an example of where black can work when paired with bright colors combinations. 

Tropical look: Don’t want the beach thing but still want to give your fans the tropical or “on holiday” look without even leaving the comfort of home? Floral print along with a splash of color is the way to go.. 

Psychedelic Look: Swirls, intense colors, free-flowing lines, paisley prints, and eye-catching graphics like kaleidoscopic patterns––along with messages of peace, love, nature, or other positive messaging in typography that is “groovy”––play a fun role in the psychedelic design trend.

• Tie-dye is closely related enough to this style and is still on trend, so ride that popularity wave through Summer ‘23. 

Punk Aesthetics are back!  It’s a Punk Summer! You know the look! Tattoos. Piercings. Metal studs. It’s back big time, if it ever even left. Don’t overlook this trend because there’s serious mining to be done here. A punk design might include disorderly fonts, collages of mixed media, newspaper clippings, or anything else that shows off the raw and powerful style of punk. 

Surrealism. You know the place between reality, dreams and the unconscious mind? There’s a market there this summer. And it will most likely increase in today’s “reality” of AI and the Metaverse. Experiment with escapism and unimaginable landscapes. Your T-shirt doesn’t need to be the work of Salvador Dali, but by getting familiar with the art style, you have another weapon in your design arsenal. Surrealism is about appearing to not have a specific design intent. Let your imagination flow freely.

Mixed Media. We’re supposed to only have 2-4 hours of screen time a day. Yeah, right. Who does that nowadays? The truth is we are so intertwined with the digital world now, it’s about leaning into the future. What does this mean when it comes to designing merch? Fun illustrations. Brilliant colors. Odd patterns. All with the intent to stimulate that sense of imagination, sense of wonder within your fans, reminding them how much magic and creativity we all have within our own souls. You can choose to do this by mixing media:

• Watercolor paintings combined with typography
• Collage of graphic elements & photographs
• Embroidery & screen printing
• Hand-drawn illustrations combined with digital elements
• Multi-layered designs using overlapping elements & transparencies
• 3D designs & elements with flat graphic design

Tip: You can discover great mixed media designs & art pieces on Pinterest. You may find creating Pinterest boards for this trend and all the other ones you like in this list very useful.

Whether you place your summer designs on T-shirts or other popular products like slides, totes, hats and tumblers, take advantage of these trends! 

Was all or some of the above too overwhelming? Spring has a top notch design team to help you with merch design services. 
Check out our blog for more creator success tips.