Category: Holiday Season

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Creator success Holiday Season

How To Drive Holiday Sales With Product Samples

Make the most of your winter with Spring!

Puns aside, the holiday season is for real. It’s a time of year when creators can make 300%-more-sales-than-the-rest-of-the-year…For real. 

Maybe you’ve spent all year pouring your heart and soul into creating killer designs and products (read here if you think you may have missed a step). Or maybe you haven’t been giving it your all and now you’re ready to make a big holiday push.

In either case, here comes the real challenge: Making sales and getting the word out there to make it happen. The answer to that challenge is showcasing product samples.

Here us out: Using samples of your products in your content is the easiest way to spread the word about your holiday products. 

Why is this so effective? 

First, it lets people see the product IRL. It’s one thing to see a static picture of a T-shirt, it’s another to see how that shirt looks on a human being (you). 

Second, it sends a subliminal message to your fans that you are also a fan of your product. Your fans (and potential customers) are thinking, “They must really believe in their product if they’re showcasing it in their video.” A fan is your fan already because they like your style, trust you, and want to follow your lead. And to a potential buyer it’s a lot more credible than a stock image of your merch. 

So, with that and Black Friday in mind, let’s triple your sales and more!

Step 1: Order Your Sample

This is the “duh” step. You can’t show off products in your content if you haven’t ordered them, so don’t delay—the sooner you order, the sooner your content gets made, the sooner you can promote and get sales in before shipping deadlines! 

To order samples, watch this video or follow the steps below:

  1. Sign into Spring
  2. Click “Listings” on the left-hand menu
  3. Click “Order a sample” of the product you want to order
  4. Fill out your shipping and payment information
  5. Click “Place your order”

You can also click here to go directly to your listings page.

Samples need to ship, so make sure you order them at least a week before you want to start posting content about your products! 

Step 2: Create content using your samples

Ok. The samples have arrived. Now what? Maybe you already know what you’re doing, great. But maybe you feel lost. You have no idea how to create content with samples. 

Here are a few tips to get started:

  1. Un”Wrapping” Videos

Your first video may end up starting before you’ve even opened your sample! This is the time to really spread the hype! The excitement of watching you open your products for the first time in an unboxing video is contagious. And since the holidays are all about the excitement of opening gifts, treat your sample as a gift you just received in the mail. Show how special it is to open. Heck, wrap it up like a present and dig in! Then your fans will want to spread that experience to others, or even gift themselves your merch! 

  1. Holiday Photo Shoot

Get into the Holiday spirit, literally! Make your merch look like it belongs under the tree! Top it with a bow! Get creative.

It’s not terribly expensive to light a photo shoot well, but you should read up on lighting basics if you’re not familiar. The goal is to shoot your products in different styles and settings. 

Whether it’s a DIY photoshoot at home or a professional one, showcase your products and how they can be incorporated into either special occasions or everyday life. 

Experiment with different lighting techniques, backgrounds, and accessories to create content that is visually appealing. 

  1. Livestream a Try-On Party

Doing a livestream infuses spontaneity into your merch. Why not host a try-on sesh to demo your products in real-time? 

When you’re LIVE, you can take questions from your audience, they can provide you with instant feedback, and even vote on their favorite designs and styles. 

The interactive approach helps you build community, invites your fans to help you make future product design decisions, and of course showcases your current products!

  1. Product Comparison Reviews

Ever wonder why so many advertisers use before-and-after pics? People naturally want to improve things, no matter what they are. It’s the same concept when comparing one product to another. 

Pick any item in your house to compare to your product. Let’s say your product is a tank top. Hang it side-by-side to an average tank that pales compared to yours. 

Or maybe your product is a coffee mug with a killer design on it. Put yours next to a plain white mug that really makes yours pop! 

  1. Showcase Styling Ideas

Let’s say you have multiple product samples that are either accessories or apparel. Show your fans how you can mix and match them with other pieces to complete a cohesive outfit. Example: You throw on some jeans, a blazer and some shoes with your branded tee that will make the whole outfit pop. 

Or if you have a summer tote bag, try on a cute summer ensemble that goes great with your bag. 

  1. Influencer Holiday Collaborations

There’s no validation like 3rd-party validation. Another legit influencer or creator who endorses your merch is gold. But remember: You need to return the favor and do the same for them. 

Join forces for epic collabs like videos, giveaways, or photo shoots that showcase both your brands. Make it a Holiday brand party! It’s a win-win that’ll help you boost your street cred and reach new audiences at the same time.

  1. Storytelling and Brand Narratives

Are you a natural storyteller? If not, can you spin narratives? Or at the very least, share the heart and soul of your brand, whether it be customer testimonials, the inspiration behind your merch, or personal anecdotes. We just did a blog on telling your story! Check it out here.

The holidays are rapidly approaching!

There’s no time to wait! You need to start promoting now to get those sales rolling by Black Friday.

Whether it’s through user-generated content campaigns, styled photo shoots, or unboxing videos, each method offers a unique opportunity to connect on a deeper level with your fans, which of course drives them to making the purchase. 

Oh, and by the way…Doing all of the above automatically checks off one of your Holiday Bingo Squares! 

Remember, there are real cash prizes to be won! So start taking those steps—they will help you have a profitable holiday season!

Categories
Grow your following Holiday Season Promoting merch

The Power of Storytelling: Share the Story Behind Your Designs to Boost Engagement

Question: What’s the best way to build a bond with your fans? 

Answer: Tell a compelling story. 

Human beings are born storytellers. It’s how we communicate our hopes and fears with our loved ones and communities. Being active on social media is the mass sharing of your story with a much bigger community!

  • Want to build a community of fans? Share engaging stories on your feeds.
  • Want more sales? Share the story of how your products and designs came to be. 
  • What inspired you? Why did you choose those particular designs over another? Your fans want to hear your story! 

And guess what? It’s not as hard as you think. Just a simple post or reel about the “why” behind your design not only gets fans interested in your merch, it checks off another Bingo square!

Remember Bingo? You’re playing for big cash prizes! So let’s dive into how to share your story to get you closer to B-I-N-G-O! 

Why Sharing Your Story Matters

Social Media is a crowded medium with everyone vying for attention. What will help you stand apart? Being real and authentic. Some points to consider:

Authenticity is rare: Many people struggle with being transparent or knowing who they are.

Being yourself attracts fans: Influencers with millions of followers often succeed because they allow themselves to be vulnerable and authentic.

Emotional connection matters: Fans relate to and love creators who are genuine, creating a deeper bond.

Stand out by being real: Authenticity and transparency make you memorable in a crowded space.

Your story adds meaning: Sharing the backstory of your designs gives your product a personal, emotional touch.

Combine connection and storytelling: Emotional connection and storytelling are key to building lasting fan relationships.

Crafting the Story Behind Your Design

So you’re thinking, “Great! Emotional connection and a compelling story will drive sales, but how do I do that?” Let us help:

  • Identify Your Why: Share the inspiration behind your design, whether it’s a personal experience, theme, or community feedback. Be authentic—talk about your fears, desires, and goals related to your product. Why does your brand exist? What impact does it have on your fans? Explore these questions deeply.
  • Be Transparent: Fans value personal stories and meaning. Share how your design came to life, the challenges you faced, and why it’s significant. Transparency builds trust and engagement, turning fans into loyal customers.
  • Be Honest. It’s scary to be transparent but when you are, you’ll be surprised at how many people will engage with you, your brand, and ultimately will become dedicated followers.  

Share Across Your Socials

Once you have your story down, it’s time to share. This isn’t a one post and done type deal. You are sharing a journey. Start at the beginning, capture the steps to the finale and then celebrate when done! In other words, create lots of content and share across channels and across mediums! The more the better!

Some ideas:

  • Instagram and other social posts: Share snippets of the creative process, whether it’s early sketches, mood boards, or behind-the-scenes looks at how the design evolved. There is no such thing as posting too early. Start when you haven’t even started yet. 
  • Videos & Live Sessions: Go live or post videos explaining the story behind the design. Share why you created it and what it means to you, encouraging interaction from your fans. Again, there is no such thing as filming too early. You can even start while you’re sitting there, having done nothing, trying to brainstorm ideas of what to create. It might even be interesting to show you come up with an idea that you end up abandoning because it didn’t ring true. You’re filming yourself being inauthentic, before becoming authentic! How interesting is that!? 
  • Don’t forget Product Descriptions: On your product page, you can use the description area to tell the story. Instead of just listing features, explain the thought process behind the design and what makes it unique. This will also make you stand out from the crowd because it is so underused by most of the community. 
  • BINGO! Any of the above steps will allow you to cross off the square “share the story behind your design” on our Holiday Bingo board. Imagine doing all of these things to grow sales, and winning a cash prize just for doing what you would have been doing anyway! 

Share your story in your holiday promotions!

By incorporating storytelling, authenticity, and transparency into your brand marketing every time you launch a design, you’re not just driving sales—you’re building long-lasting relationships within your community. In fact, you’re enlarging your community, which means those relationships are increasing in proportion to that growth. 

Keep in mind this also helps you cross off another Bingo square and for every Bingo you hit, you’ll have your name entered to win the BIG CASH PRIZES!  

Happy Holidays, Be Real. Be You. Be Prosperous! 

Categories
Holiday Season Promoting merch

How To Create Hype For Your Holiday Drop

Branded merch is one of the best ways to connect deeply with your fans. And you don’t need a huge following; the goal is to have a passionate following. How do you accomplish this? Building hype!

You need to build up hype for your next merch drop, which in turn will give you a killer launch that’ll propel your sales into the stratosphere during the biggest buying season of the year. 

So, let’s get going! Here are 6 sure-fire strategies to help you create hype for your upcoming holiday drop!

Plus, use these tips to cross off some of your holiday bingo tasks and be entered to win up to $3000 in our raffle! 

1. Get to know your fans really well

For those of you who have this down, you can skip to the next step, or just stick around if you want a refresher. Growing your fanbase involves researching what your fans are interested in. 

  • What is it that drew them to you and your channel(s) in the first place? 
  • What do fans respond to? 
  • Which posts get engagement and love, and which ones don’t? 

Go through your feed and do your research! Learn your followers’ likes, mehs, and cringes. When you design with their likes in mind, word of mouth will do the rest as far as building excitement over your new products.

2. Choose products that are relevant

Designs are done. Check. But what products do you print the designs on? HINT: Refer to step #1. This is where knowing your fanbase pays dividends. 

Example: If you’re creating holiday-themed products, it might not make sense to put your winter wonderland on a tank top. Why not opt for a hoodie or fleece blanket? And throw in a cozy mug while you’re at it.

Niche is also important. If your fans are techies, skip the beach towels or shower curtains and get right to tech accessories, like phone cases or a desk mat. Hot tip: we now offer jigsaw puzzles! The original gamer’s night in!

Not sure which products fit your niche? Check out our core collections for some great ideas!

3. Capture behind-the-scenes content before you launch!

Your products are ready to go! But wait! Don’t launch yet! It’s time to build excitement. Announce your upcoming merch drop (again, see step #1 for why your social media audience will care). Tease samples in your content, giving fans a sneak peek of what’s to come. Get them guessing what you’re about to launch! 

Then, start dripping some BTS (behind-the-scenes) content. Here are some ideas:

  • Get footage of you actually creating your design, whether that’s drawing, choosing fonts and colors, or choosing products on your dashboard.
  • Tease the holidays! Why not play some festive music, wear some holiday attire in your content to get fans excited to start shopping the minute you launch?
  • Unbox your sample live (these videos are still popular, by the way). Wrap it up like a gift and open it so fans will want to repeat the experience!
  • Narrate your videos. Talk directly to your fans about your merch so they can have a window inside your mind into why you created your design and what inspired you. 

Don’t just say, “Check out my new merch.” Hyping up the holidays and hyping up your products in your content NOW will create an emotional connection with your fans, which by default increases sales when it’s time to holiday shop. 

4. Countdown the days

🎵It’s the Final Countdown! 🎶 

Countdowns work because they’re fun. Watching that time ticker gets us excited to pounce, especially if we know we’re going to get a deal (see next point). 

Create a series of countdown posts leading up to your merch drop so fans are reminded of exactly when you launch. For a good rule of thumb, countdown weeks at first and then days when it’s less than a week away. What else can you communicate on your countdown posts? Discounts, of course. That’s next!

5. Discounts! Discounts! Discounts!

Who doesn’t look for great deals during the holidays? There’s a reason why everyone lines up for Black Friday sales and then hits the computer for Cyber Monday. Everyone wants to feel they’re special because they’re saving more than the next guy. So make your fans feel special! Hook them up with discounts before you even launch. Share promo codes over socials in advance; Encourage fans to use the codes the second your merch goes live and keep the promos going up to Black Friday and beyond. 

Three tips: 

  1. Don’t forget to set up the promo code before you launch.
  2. Offer the best deals in the first 24 hours of your drop to get fans to act quickly.
  3. Make it clear when the code ends. No one wants to feel they were deceived, even if by accident. 

You can create codes easily on your dashboard here. Discounts are one of the best ways of creating serious FOMO and getting your fans to scramble for your merch ASAP before the discount ends. After all, nobody wants to miss out on a deal, right?

6. Create a “limited edition”

FOMO is a real thing. So is the trusty “limited time only” sales tool. No one wants to miss out on something special. If your collection is only available for a short period of time, it means not everyone can have it. That’s why offering “limited edition” merch is GOLD! You snooze. You lose! 

A few ideas to capitalize on this tactic during the holidays:

  1. Create a unique design exclusive to this time of year using holiday themes and colors or winter-inspired designs.
  2. Choose a past best-seller and add a holiday twist to the design, treating it like a special holiday edition.
  3. Take one of your past designs and refresh it, mixing in something old with something new. Promote both designs, old and new, for a double feature!
  4. Be a rebel. Ignore the holiday themes—create a new design based on something recent from your content and roll it out for the holidays and beyond.

If your launch is hugely successful, you can always bring it back in the future “by popular demand.” This also sets up expectations for your fans to be ready to pounce the next time you have a merch drop. 

7. Build an email list of your customers

Keep track of all those purchasers! Send ‘em emails with a discount for their next buy. Emails are yet another way to achieve step #1. Remember step #1? We’ve only mentioned it 5 times or so. Not all fans are customers, but the ones who need to be kept in the loop about your merch drops. You need to send out regular emails about upcoming drops, special deals, and any other exclusive content that they can hear from you about before it hits your feed.

Don’t have an email list yet? Hit us up at creatorhelp@spri.ng to see if we can help you reach your past buyers with news about your merch.

So there you have it. If you build hype, they will buy. As always, happy selling, and keep playing holiday bingo for your chance to win our $3000 raffle! 

Categories
Holiday Season Launching products

Hottest Holiday Products of 2024

The holidays are knocking on the door. Literally. Get your candy ready. 🍭

Every year, October, November, and December dominate sales. They represent the busiest shopping season, especially for online retailers. According to one poll, 62% of holiday shoppers expect to buy mostly online, and many of them plan to do so before Halloween.

So, in other words, it’s time to launch already!

If you’re not sure what to offer, we’ve got you covered with a list of best-sellers and unique stocking stuffers to help get your creative juices flowing.

Or, if you want to just jump straight into our launcher to browse for yourself, check out our holiday best sellers collection and stocking stuffer collection! 

Top 10 products to launch this holiday season:

  1. Embroidered Designs 

Elevate your style with embroidery: it has a handcrafted feel and looks luxurious! A great choice for simple designs, like your logo with a holiday twist, maybe? Spring has a few options to choose from:

  1. All-Over Prints

Why stick to the middle when your entire garment can rock your design? All-over prints are just that – they take over the entire space. Go wild with creativity and bring in some holiday themes while you’re at it.

  1. Mugs

A staple for every home, mugs are popular gifts as they can communicate almost anything! Try adding some humor to the holiday, or go big with your brand. 

🔥Hot tip: create 4 compatible designs that can go together as a set! That’s 4 sales at once!

  1. Jewelry

Add some glam to your online store with jewelry. While tees are always an instant hit, sometimes people are looking for more. A necklace or bracelet with your custom design might just be the perfect accessory! Cart building ensues!

  1. Socks

The ultimate stocking stuffer. They’re also a blank canvas for you to show off your brand. Go crazy and design socks for all the holidays. Or create multiple designs so people buy up several pairs. Custom-designed socks are a sure-fire way to boost holiday sales.

  1. Blankets

Bundle up your fans in style this winter with a cozy fleece blanket. This is a chance for you to flex your creative style. Experiment with colors, shapes, and phrases. Get your brand seen by anyone who wants to cuddle up on a cold night.

  1. Tote Bag 

It’s your brand on the go! At the mall! At the grocery store! At the park! Tote bags can literally go anywhere, which means you have instant advertising for how cool your brand is. Create a few options, one for Holiday and one that goes year-round.

  1. Notebook

Taking pen to paper isn’t dead; it just needs a creative push. Top a notebook with your design and place it on desks and in bedrooms as people write out their dreams or to-do lists. You just might inspire your fans to be creative, too!

  1. Art

Your designs are not just T-shirt toppers; they’re art! Or at least, they can be. Spring has a vertical gallery-wrapped canvas just waiting for your brand. Add images and text, experiment with colors…If you need help creating your design, try out Adobe Express, which is now integrated into Spring! 

  1. Puzzles

We know what you’re thinking. Does Spring have jigsaw puzzles? Yep! They’re not only a great gift, but they turn your best designs into a game. Try it out!

Hopefully, you have just been inspired to try out some new products. As a reminder, if you want to launch, promote, and sell for the biggest shopping season of the year, you need to act fast. Below are shipping dates for regular US-based POD products to keep in mind:

  • 12/6 for Standard
  • 12/8 for Rush
  • 12/10 for Super Rush

Don’t forget that launching a new product is a square on our Holiday Bingo, where you can be entered to win up to $3000! Make sure to play along, and happy selling!

Categories
Holiday Season

Create & Sell Custom Products This Holiday Season

You can create literally anything with Spring! If you can dream it, you can Spring it. No tech skills are required! We handle everything, from product design, inventory management, shipping, and customer service, for free. Your products will be showcased on your personal storefront and you can order samples to show off on your channels to build up the hype.

So why not design an ultra-special, one-of-a-kind custom product that you can promote & sell through the holidays? After all, these next 3 months represent the BUSIEST BUYING SEASON OF THE YEAR.

Why not capitalize on it with something truly special that captures what’s unique about you and your brand? You’ll build a loyal fanbase while you also build sales!

Custom products don’t just fall out of the sky, so you’ll want to kick-start the process today. You can apply to create your own custom product here.

Why sell custom products during the holidays?

If you start the process of launching a custom product today, you’ll be able to sell it to your fans during the holidays, but their orders won’t ship until the new year. So why sell it during the holidays?

Glad you asked! Here is why it’s a smart play:

  • In 2023, US holiday sales rose 3.9% to reach $1.309 trillion. Yes, you read that right.
  • And 63% of consumers were most likely to shop from online-only retailers. That’s good news for creators!
  • Your fans are looking for something special to buy, and custom products stand out.
  • You can tap into your fans’ desires and show that you can create literally anything they want.
  • Sell all season long with exciting promotions.
  • Let ‘em know they’ll get their special product in the new year – think of it like a bonus gift after the holidays are over. Something special just for them.

While the holidays are about giving to others, sometimes we need a reason to give something to ourselves. Self-care! A custom product can fill this need and give fans something to look forward to!

And by promoting your new custom product on your socials, you can also cross off some of your bingo squares. Win-Win!
If you’re interested in selling something as unique as you, fill out this form, and our team will contact you.

Categories
Design tips Holiday Season

2024 Holiday Lookbook: Product Design Inspo 

In a world where sometimes it can feel like doom & gloom in the media, isn’t it wonderful that the holidays are upon us and we can look forward to a festive season with our communities and loved ones? 

That’s right, Spring creators. Dust off those design ideas floating in your head and put that holiday touch on them. It’s time for some North Pole inspo to get your products holiday-ready for 2024! 

Here are 8 trending Holiday themes and color trends to inspire you. Hop on these trends to create new designs, experiment with new color palettes, and create themed holiday posts on your socials! Let’s get going so you can sleigh the holidays (still love that term).

8 Holiday Themes and Color Schemes for 2024

1. Have a Blue Christmas

Go for a chill Christmas with the icicle vibe of blue trees and a calming blue color palette. Blue delivers a contemplative feel, just what some are looking for during the holiday season. Shades of blue consistently rank 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. 

2. Retro Disco: Become an X-Mas Dancin’ Queen 

    Disco balls. Platform shoes. Bright pinks! Go loud and proud, baby! 2024 might as well be 1974! 

    One of the most playful Christmas trends happening is disco balls—as wreaths, hanging from the ceiling, on the tree, on a tee, you name it. And don’t expect to just see silver, but in every color, especially the hot pinks. 

    Expect to see disco everything: disco wine coolers, disco lips, disco mushrooms, analogue radios, tassels, fringes, platform boots and more! It’s time to boogie on down this Christmas! 

    3. Tropical Twist: Give Dad a “My Tie” 

      It’s time to kick tradition to the curb. Who says a Christmas tree has to be a Douglas Fir? Deck out a palm tree and add some cocktails and summer fun to christmas. And while you’re at it, throw some tropical designs on your tees and hoodies! 

      Since the trend is in, take it even further. Bring on the vibe with hummingbirds, butterflies, exotic animals like leopards and flamingos replacing the usual polar bears and robins. Add in all the tropical greenery you can muster. Splash the green palette with purples, pinks, and golds. Create a vibrant look that vibes like a holiday in paradise. Mele Kalikimaka! 

      4. Bows: Tie One On

      Call it a holdover from Barbiecore 2023, but bows are still going strong. Large bows everywhere. Take pics of your bows, then slap the pic on your merch. Have fun with it. 

      This is one trend that isn’t going away anytime soon. Thank you Greta Gerwig!

      5. Whimsical Woodland: Nod to Nature

      We’re talking citrus accents, pine cones, and woodland creatures–they do holidays, too! 

      The woodland vibe involves earthy tones of rust, terracotta, brown, and green to create a rich backdrop for a slew of forest creatures, both real and mythical. Bring the holiday to all creatures big and small as your squirrel friends, along with the hedgehogs, deer, and foxes, frolic through your design.

      Slap these magical woodland and mystical visitors (like gnomes hiding under their giant mushrooms) on your merch and watch your sales bloom like one of the petunias that just got sprinkled with some Holiday fairy dust. 

      CANDYLAND: Get a Sugar Rush 

      Whoever says Candyland shouldn’t be a thing has no soul. Ok, maybe they have a soul but not a sweet tooth. 

      Candyland decor just gets bigger and bolder every year. We’re talking a colorful palette of gingerbread, candy canes, cupcakes, macarons, and all that sugary goodness. Bring the sweets to your merch for a sweet holiday treat.

      7. Ice Ice Baby: Take the Polar Plunge

      Not feeling the tropical vibe? No worries. Haven’t you heard? Everyone’s going Polar. Time to take a walk in a winter wonderland. 

      This trend went out of style for a few years but is roaring back with a vengeance in 2024. Go big with the designs dripped in icicles, shiny glass, and crystals. Adorn your merch with ice skates, polar creatures and delicate snowflakes. Keep it chill!

      8. Go Ugly: Everyone Wants an 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. Go nuts and do your own thing. No rules!

      Want more tips?

      Get them along with more inspiration at our Holiday Resource Hub. Complete the tasks on our bingo card to enter a raffle where you can win $3000 and other incredible prizes! 

      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!

      Categories
      Creator success Holiday Season Spring store tips

      4 Steps to Prep Your Store for the Holidays

      Ready for the busiest, most profitable time of the year? That’s right! Election Day!… JK… The most profitable time of the year is the HOLIDAYS!!! And nothing says Holidays like snow, hot cocoa, and lots of GREEN. And we’re not talking about Grinch Green, but the kind that goes in the bank.

      Updating your store to be in line with your brand and style will help you rake in even more money this year. That’s why we put together this cheat sheet with everything you need to do to customize your Spring store. 

      Plus, doing these three steps will mark off your first three bingo spaces! And if you don’t already know, you can win up to $3000 for hitting 5 in a row (read more about the competition here)! So let’s get started! 

      5 Seconds to Impress

      It’s human nature. When we visit an online store, we first judge it by how it looks, and that can be the difference between a sale and someone movin’ on. 

      Facts:

      • 82% of consumers are less likely to make a purchase if a store appears dated.
      • Shoppers are 5 times more likely to come to your storefront during the holiday season. 
      • 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. 
      • Products featured within storefronts get 58% more views and sell 20% more on average. 

      Knowing all this, you need to prep your store for this increased traffic, and you only get one shot. 

      4 Quick Steps to Prep Your Store:

      Step 1: Refresh your content & organize your products

      Scan your store. Top to bottom. Pretend you are a fan. How does it look to you? How much old content is on there? It’s time to sweep away the clutter and put your best merch forward. Here are some things to consider:

      • Get rid of old messaging. Add any new catchphrases. 
      • Make sure your products are up to date! If something isn’t selling well, deprioritize it. Does that T-shirt need a new color? Change it up!
      • Consider refreshing your logo with a holiday twist.
        • To add a logo to your store, clock on Stores, Edit Store. 
        • On the left-hand side, click on the Navigation bar. 
        • Read some great tips on refreshing logos here! 
      • Revamp your navigation bar and footer to make sure the aesthetic is consistent with your brand.
      • Re-order your products so your newest ones are first. You want your best sellers and holiday specials upfront and center. Featured products will appear at the top of your store, and there’s no limit to how many you can feature. Here’s how:
        • Go to your Store Editor
        • Click on Products
        • Click on the Star Icon to feature products
        • Another method to reorder your products: Remove them from your store (clicking on the circled x) and then re-add 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! 

      Step 2: Update your banner

      Customizing your Spring store is super easy, so why not give it a Holiday face-lift? For an instant effect, customize your Hero Banner. It’s the first thing your customers see and it sets the tone for the rest of your store.

      • First, click on the Hero banner in your store editor. Here you can drop in your image. 
      • Tools like PlaceIt make it easy to create eye-catching lifestyle mockups. Just upload your design file, and you’re good to go.

      Step 3: Add your branding

      Adding your branding to your store makes it feel like YOU. Your fans already love your style and personality, so let’s bring that into your Spring store.

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

      A logo not only sets your store apart but also helps your buyers recognize and remember you. 👀✨

      Already have a logo? Perfect! Why not give it a holiday makeover? Add a little festive cheer with some fun Christmas fonts or sprinkle in a few snowflakes to spread the seasonal joy. If you don’t have a logo yet, now’s the perfect time to create one! Learn how to do that here.

      But why stop at just a logo? You can also switch up the background and text colors in your navigation bar. Bright holiday colors might be just what your store needs to stay trendy this season! Just remember to keep your changes on-brand to keep your store looking sharp and cohesive.

      And don’t forget about your footer! Keep that festive vibe going with a consistent design that ties your store’s look together from top to bottom. Staying on-brand in both your nav bar and footer will give your store a sleek, polished vibe that’ll leave a lasting impression.

      Step 4: Get connected

      How will you drive fans to your store? Your social channels, of course. So now is the time to make sure your channels are integrated. 50% of consumers are disappointed when a brand has no social media presence. 

      Here’s how to connect: 

      • Go to Stores.
      • Scroll down to Social Profiles.
      • Connect your social media accounts. 
      • 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. 

      Secondly, you want to make sure your domain is easy to remember. Keep it short, easy to type, and use a name that describes your brand. If you want to know how to connect or buy a domain, we’ve got that covered, too.

      And that’s it! These steps will get your BINGO board started. Have fun connecting with your audience, fans, customers, and make a ton of Holiday Green!

      Categories
      Holiday Season

      Win Big with Holiday BINGO! Up to $3,000 in Prizes!

      Can you guess what’s in store for you this Holiday Season? BINGO! That’s right, Spring’s busting out the checkerboard that leads to big prizes! 

      The gameplay is simple: every time you complete a bingo task, a box on the Spring Creator Bingo card gets checked off. 

      Each square represents an important step you should take to ensure a successful holiday season. After all, it’s the biggest selling season of the year! 

      Just follow the steps on the squares, hit five in a row, and hit the Bingo button on our Resource Hub! For every Bingo you call, your name will be entered into a raffle to win one of these amazing prizes:

      • $3,000 grand prize
      • $1,000 second prize
      • $500 third prize
      • Plus, 10 lucky winners will also score a $10 gift card each!

      Complete the entire bingo card to maximize your chances of winning! Everything on the card is designed to set you up for maximum success this holiday, so let’s get started and make it your best season yet!

      How to Play 

      Playing Holiday Bingo is simple and fun! 🎉

      • Every time you complete a task on the bingo card, you get to check off a square.
      • The tasks are designed to help you maximize your holiday success, from sharing your products on social media to launching new designs.
      • Once you’ve completed 5 squares in a row—vertically, horizontally, or diagonally—you’ve got a Bingo!

      It’s that easy!

      Read our full terms and conditions for our Holiday Bingo here.

      How to Claim “BINGO!”

      1. Complete tasks on the Spring Creator Bingo Card, such as sharing your products on social media or launching a holiday design.
      2. Once you’ve checked off 5 squares in a row—whether it’s vertically, horizontally, or diagonally—hit the Bingo button by submitting through the Bingo form.
      3. Each Bingo you hit enters your email into our raffle for a chance to win big prizes.
      4. Keep going! Complete the entire Bingo card for more chances to win!

      Got 5 in a row? Click here to claim Bingo!

      Winner Selection Dates

      Winners will be announced during the first week of January, so be on the lookout!

      If you’re one of the lucky ones, you’ll get an email with all the details on how to claim your prize. Make sure to check your inbox (and maybe your spam folder, just in case)!

      Don’t wait too long—winners need to respond within 7 days to claim their prize. If we don’t hear back, we’ll pick a new winner!

      And of course, we’ll be shouting out our winners across social media—so you might just see your name in lights! 🌟

      Winning Tip: Winning prizes might inspire you to offer discounts to your fans, too. Announcing on your socials that you’re in the Holiday Spirit by offering promo codes just may rocket up your sales even more! 

      Set Yourself Up to Break Your Sales Record


      Yes, games are fun, but the Spring Creator Bingo Card is designed to help you boost your holiday sales by getting your store in top shape and promoting your products effectively. 

      But don’t forget Community & Fun: It’s not just about sales—connect with your community and have fun while doing it! Holiday Bingo is a way to keep the momentum going all season long.

      So what are you waiting for! Get started on your Bingo card today, have fun, and start knocking out those squares to win BIG this holiday season! Happy Holidays, and Happy Selling!

      Read our full terms and conditions for our Holiday Bingo here.

      Categories
      Creator success Holiday Season

      6 Powerful Strategies for Promoting Digital Products

      Digital products are an easy way to make money without the hassle of shipping. Once the design is done, all you have left to do is promote.

      We hope you’re ready to elevate your promotion game and ramp up your engagement, visibility, and most of all sales! Because at the end of the day, that’s what you’re here for, and we’re here for YOU! Here are 6 powerful strategies to promote your digital products this winter. 

      1. Leverage your social platforms:

      As a content creator, you’re already plugged into social media. Now you need to leverage it to connect with your audience while promoting your digital products. Tailor your content to the platforms your target demographic uses most.

      Run targeted ads, use visually appealing posts, and share behind-the-scenes videos and pics—which brings us to showing off in your posts.

      Nothing wrong with a little showboating in your photos and videos (when it’s appropriate and on-brand!). No one likes an irrelevant bragging post. Be clever about it. Instagram Stories, Facebook Live, and X (the letter of the alphabet formerly known as Twitter) are great features to create shareable and interactive content. 

      2. Create compelling content showcasing you digital products:

      The best way to get your digital products seen is to create valuable, high quality content that will resonate with your audience while showcasing your digital products.

      Made a cool background? Use it in your posts! Have a song? Jam to it during your live stream. All of your videos, photos, and posts should be related to your digital products that are available so that you’re creating that FOMO if people don’t purchase. 

      3. Offer seasonal bundles:

      Winter is a time of giving, and creating special seasonal bundles is a great way to attract customers looking for unique gifts. Bundle together complementary digital products or offer exclusive winter-themed collections.

      Whether it’s a set of recipes, backgrounds, video or image files, providing bundled options adds value for customers and encourages them to purchase multiple items at once. That’s increased sales for you!

      4. Request & repost UGC (User Generated Content):

      Have you ever heard that it’s not bragging if others do it for you? It’s true. Get your users to toot your own horn by having them post after they purchase your digital products.

      It works like this: When your users post using/showing the digital products (whatever they may be), have them tag you so you can repost it. When a product is awesome, eventually the word spreads so quickly, you couldn’t stop the spread if you wanted to! 

      5. Run limited-time promotions and discounts

      Create more FOMO with a PROMO. Develop a sense of urgency by offering discounts and running limited-time promotions. Since digital products can be bought and downloaded instantly, offer holiday discounts and exclusive bundles all the way through the holidays. You’ll catch those last-minute shoppers, and keep the sales rolling all season long. 

      And don’t forget those promo codes, a vital tool in any digital marketing tool box, as they provide a huge incentive for your fans to purchase immediately for fear of losing out on a deal. Customers who are driven to make quicker decisions equal higher sales. Plain and simple. 

      6. Create emotional connections through storytelling

      What is it to be human? Well, for one thing, we are unpredictable. But there is one thing about all humans that is predictable. We love to be told an intriguing story. People will see through an ad that just says “buy this.” But tell a story…that’s how you hook ‘em. 

      Not all stories are equally intriguing to all people. You must find out the story your audience wants to be told. A clearly defined brand—your brand—will help dictate what that story will be.

      Sometimes it’s as simple as telling a story about how your designs came to be or why you chose the products you created. It’s about connecting with your audience through relatable stories. People buy because they connect with the brand they are buying from. They’re buying you. 

      7. Use Spring social integrations

      Do yourself a favor and integrate your Spring store with your social media. This shouldn’t need to be said, but you’d be surprised how many creators still don’t do this. When a fan of yours wants to purchase your product, why make it hard? Make it simple for them to bounce back and forth between your social media and your Spring store. Why? Because it equals sales. It’s literally the difference between someone saying to themselves, “This is too complicated,” or tapping the “Buy Now” button and saying, “What should I have for dinner?” 

      Spring makes this as easy as it gets. 

      You can use the Integrations Tab on your Dashboard to activate your products on Instagram, YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, and others. This way, fans will be able to see the items on your merch shelf within the platform. And it’s just one click for them to get to your store to purchase. 

      Need a basic refresher on how? Click HERE. 

      And here’s a bonus fact: Creators who use the YouTube merch shelf integration earn 20x more on average than those who don’t. Once you connect your Spring store to YouTube, you can also tag merch directly in your Shorts and Lives to make it easier for fans to shop!

      By implementing these strategies, you’ll resonate with your audience, get the exposure you and your products need, and achieve lasting success in the digital jungle. Adapt to changing trends, constantly refine your promotional strategies, and stay creative. Happy promoting and Happy Holidays!

      Categories
      Creator success Holiday Season

      Unlocking the Power of Digital Product Success This Holiday

      Why create digital products? It’s a valid question many creators have.

      Let this sink in: JPMorgan recently conducted a study revealing that over $54 billion is annually spent on digital goods, and that number is expected to increase to $74 billion by 2025! 

      Yeah, that’s a huge number, but money is not the only reason to create digital products. Digital designs are cheap to make, you have more flexibility on the profit margin, and there is no upfront cost! Win!

      Key benefits of digital products:

      Easy for fans to purchase.

      After your fans make a purchase, the digital product is in their inbox within minutes. No wait times. No shipping. 

      Easy for creators to sell.

      Digital products allow creators to drive a heap of traffic through our integrations like Linktree, YouTube, and more. 

      Enjoy Spring’s support services.

      We’ve got fan and creator support teams to offer help whenever you need it, even for digital products.

      Lots of free digital product templates.

      Not a designer? No problem. Use these free, customizable templates to create your high-quality digital products. 

      Easy to promote.

      No need to wait for a sample to arrive. You can start promoting your digital products instantly. Once your product’s ready, use these tools and templates to help promote them.  

      Not sure what to create? Check out these cool digital products from Spring creators. 

      Tips on getting your digital products ready:

      Use free tools like Canva to help you design.

      Canva is a great tool to help you create your digital designs. They offer amazing assistance with images, videos, audio files, other media, text, illustrations, background features and editing techniques, to make a “new” creative work. Truly an invaluable resource. 

      Simple is best.

      Pick designs that are easy to create and not too intricate. Why? It’ll be quicker to create multiple designs. The more designs you offer—the more ways you have to make a sale! And that’s always good! 

      Offer Freebies.

      Weigh the pros and cons of giving out promos. In the long run, it’s really worth it because of the dividends you receive from future sales. One method is to offer digital products as freebies or as part of a promotion for your other products. Another go-to tactic, and one of the more popular methods, is offering a bundle.

      Cut off dates? Nope.

      Keep selling after shipping cut off dates, right up to the holiday. A good portion of your sales will come from last minute shoppers.

      Ready to rock those digital products? Before you go, here are some of the most popular ones trending this year:

      Digital art

      Put out limited edition designs unique to your brand both for the holiday season and something that can be used throughout the year. 

      E-cards

      E-cards let you celebrate a number of occasions. Think Christmas parties, tree lighting ceremonies, ugly sweater competitions, etc. 

      Coloring book

      Digital coloring books are a great way to provide your fans with a fun, therapeutic task to take a break from the craziness of the holiday season. 

      Ebooks

      The possibilities are endless from travel guides to recipes and everything in-between.

      Music 

      Sell limited edition albums for your fans to listen to while they enjoy the season.

      Online courses 

      Creating an online course is a great way to share your skills. As your fan base grows, courses can help build credibility for you in your field.

      Wallpapers 

      Everyone wants a unique background for their desktop or smartphone, so give ‘em options. 

      Alright. It’s time to get those digital products ready so you can rake in the cash up until the final minute of the holiday season.