Creating Branded Products-On-Demand
While merchandise may not be on your list of ways to make money from content, I highly recommend it. If you're building a brand name and connection with followers, branded, logo or graphic merchandise gives them the chance to connect with you differently. A t-shirt, mug, cap, or other merchandise items with your brand name and logo can be a way for them to support you and make money. If you're a graphic artist, physical merchandise gives you another format to sell your designs, photos, or artwork.
No Inventory
Custom branded merchandise doesn't require any inventory. Setting up an account with a merchandising service and offering on-demand physical products is straightforward. The customer orders the product. The service produces the item, ships it, and you collect a commission on the sale. You'll need to provide a graphic image imprinted on the merchandise and select the specific items you want to offer in your catalog.
No Fees
Most services don't charge a fee for an account, making it a low-cost way to offer custom merchandise for sale.
Several services offer custom and branded merchandise:
These sites offer a free account and a wide range of physical merchandise you can customize. You might learn about other options, but these will get you started.
How They Work
Let's take Zazzle as an example.
- You set up your seller account, upload graphics, select products, and make them available for sale.
- When customers click the link, they are guided to your store on Zazzle, select their product, any options(such as sizes for shirts), and complete the transaction.
- Your customer orders on Zazzle, the payment is processed, and Zazzle sends you a commission. There's no cost for you to create items for sale, hold inventory, or deal with credit card fees.
Your Zazzle account includes a webpage for your store and a catalog of products. You also receive the webpage link to your products so you can share them on your website, email, or social media accounts.
While I used Zazzle as an example, the other services are similar. Just look at them to see which one has the best selection for what you want to sell.
Commissions vary but are about 15%, which you receive after each purchase. Zazzle lets you set your commission to a range so you can determine what you make for each item sold.
This percentage may not seem like a good profit margin, but you don't need to incur costs for inventory, shipping, or transaction processing fees. If you've got a brand name, logo graphic, or unique images or copyright material, consider using one of these sites to add another monetization method.
You can see the logo mug I created for sale at this link:
https://www.zazzle.com/bobology_logo_mug-168092746653159522
And my Bobology store is here:
https://www.zazzle.com/store/bobology/products
What Can You Sell?
Items available for sale include these and more:
- Puzzles
- Stationery
- Caps
- T-Shirts
- Sweatshirts
- Scarves
- Ties
- Wall clocks
- Water bottles
- Socks
- Posters
- Pillows
Who Can Use These Services?
While you might think that only a business, brand name, or organization would use product no demand services, anyone with their original idea can create products for sale. I've used Zazzle to create mugs, t-shirts, and other physical items with a photo or catchy phrase as gifts for friends and family. Give the services a try, and let me know what you've created.