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How to Sell Products on YouTube

It’s easier than ever for creators to actively promote and sell products on their YouTube channel.

Selling products on YouTube is nothing new. Unboxings, product reviews and merch drops have dominated YouTube since the early days. An interactive “Shopping button” now makes it easier for your followers to shop directly from your videos.

When creators tag products in their videos, a Shopping button will automatically appear. This directs people to your shop and allows you to focus on selling products instead of directing people where to click.

Creators can now craft better content around their products and showcase what’s special about them on YouTube. It’s more than just promoting your products – it’s about telling a story!

See how you can start selling your products on YouTube.

Link your Spreadshop to tag products

Eligible creators can link one or more shops to their YouTube channel when they go to the Shopping Tab. Once there, simply click the CONNECT SHOP button to link your Spreadshop.

Once linked, you can select the products you want to show on your channel, or let YouTube automatically select them for you. We recommend displaying your latest merch drop or seasonal products here.

Selected products will appear by default in the product shelf and in your channel store.

What’s a Product Shelf?

A product shelf allows your viewers to preview items in your store and shop while watching your videos. It appears below or next to eligible videos.

If viewers click an item, they may get a preview of the item directly on YouTube. Otherwise, they are redirected to the landing page of your Spreadshop.

All channels that have a product shelf and at least 1 item eligible to be displayed automatically get a Store tab on their Channel homepage. The channel’s store shows all the products that are currently displayed in the product shelf.

Tag products from videos and Shorts

You don’t have to create new content if you don’t want to; you can tag products featured in existing videos and Shorts. Access the product tagging tool from the video details page in your Studio.

In the Video details tab, click on “Products” to open the tagging tool and select a product featured in your videos.

Creators can tag up to 30 products on one video or Shorts by dragging and dropping products in the selected product box. Click “Save” to apply tags to video or Shorts.

Tag products from your store on mobile

To tag products featured in existing videos and Shorts from the mobile app, creators can access the product tagging tool from the video details page located in your YouTube Studio.

Creators can tag up to 30 products on one video or Shorts by clicking on the “+” sign next to the product offer. Click “Done” to apply tags to video or Shorts.

Tag products from your store on new videos

To tag products featured in new videos and Shorts, creators can access the product tagging tool directly from the upload flow. On either mobile or desktop click “Tag products” to open the tagging tool and select the product featured in your videos

What your viewer sees

Once creators tag a product, a shopping button will show up in the content, making it more visible for the viewers.

If viewers click an item, they may get a preview of the item directly on YouTube. Otherwise, they are redirected to your store.

Tag products in live streams

Once the live is set up, creators can finish preparing the live stream by selecting products they want to feature in the stream.

At any point during the live stream, creators can pin any of the pre selected products to prominently display it to their viewers

Viewers will see a product list entry point on the chat engagement panel or action bar. Once creator pins a product, Viewers will see featured products prominently as video overlay banners* on mobile (instead of a pinned message in chat).

*The pinned product banner will still be displayed in the chat on desktop.

Check Your Analytics

With this launch we will introduce new metrics in the Shopping tab and YouTube Analytics to enable creators to track their product impressions and clicks.

The following metrics will be available in YTA page in M1:

Total product clicks
Impression
Top performing products by clicks

Start selling on YouTube when you open your own Spreadshop!

Spreadshop 101: What You Need to Know

Ready to create your own merch? It’s FREE and easy when you use a print on demand service, like Spreadshop.

But there are some things you should know beforehand.

Uploading designs, customizing your shop and promoting your merch are key to making sales. That’s why we broke down these tips and more for the top 6 things you should know before launching your merch.

It’s Spreadshop 101!

Uploading Designs

One of the most common questions among shop owners: What size should I upload my designs?

The resolution of your designs should be at least 1000 pixels on the shorter side, or min. 4000 pixels on the longer side.

You can upload PNG or JPG formats, but we recommend saving your designs as a PNG with a transparent background. This makes your designs stand out on your merch!

Once you’ve uploaded your designs, you can alter the sizing and placement on your products. Switch things up with more creative placement, like on the back of tees and hoodies when creating your merch.

Plenty of Promos

Every month, Spreadshop has exclusive promotional offers that shop owners can blast out to their followers. When you first launch your shop, you get a 15 percent off promo to help drive merch sales. Other promos range from 20% off to FREE shipping on all orders.

These promos are a great incentive for your audience and can drive traffic to your shop. You’ll find upcoming promos posted in your shop dashboard.

Use these promos to help plan upcoming merch drops. Let your followers know ahead of time on your socials. This way, you can make the most of your promos.

Style Up Your Shop

Adjusting the theme of your shop can change the whole vibe of your merch. Using our different themes, you can dedicate your start page to promoting your products, or create your own banner to grab attention.

Feature newly launched designs, or create a logo for your shop to solidify your brand. We love what Cartoonist Kayfabe did with their Spreadshop. They incorporated their brand colors and added an eye-catching banner that matches their aesthetic. Creating your own merch is now a full-blown experience.

How can you customize your shop? That’s totally up to you!

Huge Product Assortment

We have over 300 products available in our assortment, which means you can create your own merch on using whatever items you chose! Pick what products suit your niche and curate your shop.

We have the classics, like tees and hoodies, and trendier items, like bucket hats, fanny packs and sweat sets. Put new products or styles that match the season up front and center in your shop. That way, people won’t have to go looking for those go-to items.

Host Multiple Spreadshops

DID YOU KNOW: You can have more than one Spreadshop? You can actually run up to 10 shops all under the same Spreadshop account. This is ideal for people with different hobbies, business ventures, or organizations they might be involved with.

Having these shops under one account makes it easy to track your earnings and access the backend of all your shops. You don’t need multiple usernames and passwords – it’s that simple!

Even if you don’t need more than one shop right now, it’s great to have the option. Maybe down the line you’ll want to make apparel for a new hobby of yours. Or use merch to raise money for a fundraiser for your church. This way, you won’t have to create a separate account.

Ready to launch your own custom merch shop? Do it TODAY with Spreadshop!

Sell More Merch in 2023: 5 Key Tips

Selling merch in 2023 is all about knowing your audience and leveraging your passion. Your merch line shouldn’t try to appeal to everybody. The more specific – the better.

By following these 5 tips, you’ll be able to build a profitable merch line!

1. Find Your Niche

Having a niche allows you to focus on connecting with your target audience. You don’t have to create a bunch of designs and hope they resonate with someone out there. When you have a niche, you can focus on creating merch specifically for that demographic.

You’ll sell more merch when you have your own niche. You can be more obscure with your references in designs and get creative with your marketing. It’s the best way to turn your merch line into a full-blown brand.

And your niche can be about anything! We’ve seen so many shops with interesting niches succeed: magnet fishing, pride-based art, funny cats, you name it. Whatever your passion or hobby, there’s an audience out there ready to buy your merch.

2. Create Quality Designs

You don’t need to be a professional designer to make quality merch. Once you know your niche, you can determine what kind of designs would best sell. And you know what you can do within your skillset.

Here are some ways you can use your skills (and others) to create quality merch designs that sell:

Use a FREE Design Tool

You don’t need fancy design software to make standout merch designs. We personally think tools like Canva can fulfill all your design needs.

Canva has hundreds of FREE premade graphics and text options you can use to create unique designs. Find designs that suit your niche by using keywords.

Phone a Friend

It doesn’t hurt to ask family and friends if they know someone with design experience, especially if you don’t feel like playing around with these tools.

A young designer or college student would be the perfect person to help you satisfy your vision. And they’re eager to get experience.

Hire a Professional

If you need a designer with a stacked portfolio, look into a service like Fiverr. They have thousands of designers ready to fulfill your requests.

Search “t-shirt design” or “merch design”, and you’ll find plenty of designers with different specialties. You can narrow it down from there.

Try to be specific with what you want. Are you looking for a bundle of similar graphics? A logo for your shop? This will make it easier to find a designer that suits your needs.

3. Make Merch Drops Special

You’ll sell more merch when you make it exciting for your followers. And there’s an art to the perfect drop.

Tease our your merch drops with little sneak peeks. Utilize the countdown feature on your Instagram stories. Post about it on your most relevant channels.

If you make videos or livestream on platforms like Twitch, wear your merch. This will get people interested and excited about what you have to offer.

You can also do a giveaway leading up to your merch drop. This will help generate interest and get people talking about your brand.

4. Develop a Social Strategy

Your merch isn’t going to sell itself. You’ve got to create a promotional strategy that works for you and your audience. This is key to selling more merch in 2023.

You don’t have to be on every platform. Be active on the channels where the majority of your audience is. Gamers are mainly be on Twitch, while artists and creatives dominate Instagram. When you find the right channels and use them effectively, you’ll generate more sales and avoid burnout.

Don’t spam your followers with too many merch-centric posts; it’s going to turn people off. Trickle in posts promoting your merch line amongst your normal content. And even if a post isn’t necessarily about merch, you can slyly post your shop link somewhere in the caption.

Be yourself. Create content that is authentic to you. Don’t turn into a different person just because you’re promoting a product.

5. Ask Your Audience

When in doubt, ask your followers what they think. It’s the best way to get honest, direct feedback that will benefit your merch line and allow you to sell more merch.

Show your followers that their opinion matters by reaching out on socials and asking what kind of merch they’d be interested in buying. If you already have some designs, run a poll or do a Q&A to see which designs resonate the most.

Not only will this help you create merch tailored specifically to your followers, but it’ll also build trust and deepen your connection. This could easily lead to more merch sales in the future.

Ready to start selling your own custom merch?

Build you own merch line with Spreadshop for FREE!

Sell Custom Merch This Spring

Spring has officially sprung and it’s time to sell some custom merch. We have seasonal apparel and accessories that are perfect for these warm days (finally!).

Pastel colored tie dye, trendy hats, and personalized favorites are going to be staples in your wardrobe this spring. Add these to your Spreadshop and customize them with your own unique merch designs.

Our favorite shops are already selling custom spring apparel in their shop. Check out how they’re making these items their own below!

It’s Not Just For Hippies

We’re long past the days when tie dye was just for hippies and vagabonds. And thanks to a wide range of color ways, we have something for everyone! Sell more custom merch with tie dye tees in your shop that come in soft, pastel colors and classic tie dye patterns.

These tees are great on their own, but they really pop when you customize them with your merch designs. Take Buffalo Roamer Outdoors, for example. Their sleek logo works well against the different tie dye backgrounds.

We would wear these tees for a day on the town or on a beach getaway. They’re one of our favorites for spring. Make sure you’re selling these merch tees in your shop.

Say It With a Sticker

Stickers are a great small ticket merch item for people who don’t want to buy T-shirts or hoodies. And they’re a fun way to accessorize your everyday items. Update your reusable water bottle, laptop, or even phone case with stickers that showcase your personality.

We particularly love this one from Windy’s World. The pixel art-based custom merch shop creates whimsical designs.

Tap into your niche by making stickers that resonate with your audience. Don’t be afraid to be specific with your references while using spring colors and graphics. Sell more merch and have a big impact when you have stickers available in your shop.

PRO TIP: Canva has a ton of fun, free graphic elements you can use in all your merch designs, not just stickers!

We’re Bringing ‘Em Back

The bucket hat is back – whether you like them or not. They’re a trendy accessory worth adding to your custom merch shop AND spring wardrobe.

We have them in a variety of fresh color options. The cream and black options are fresh and would work with whatever you have in your wardrobe. We like how alt rock band Talkalots kept things classic by customizing it with their simple logo.

You don’t have to be incredibly busy with your merch designs. It’s better when you stick to simple, clean graphics and fonts. It will be more wearable for your audience.

A Multipurpose Accessory

Bandanas might be another unexpected accessory for this season, but they’re sure to be a standout in your merch shop. They’re a great multipurpose merch item, especially now that the weather’s starting to become tolerable again.

Wear them around your neck in a traditional style, or wrap them in your hair. Bandanas are an unlikely must-have for hikers. Wipe your brow when you get sweaty, even dress a wound if needed.

We like how this shop expresses their love for hiking with this merch design, but your designs don’t have to be outdoor specific. They can be anything you want. You might draw more attention to bandanas in your shop when you promote them with an exclusive design.

Retro Revival

Here’s another throwback for ya! Fanny packs have been trending for awhile now. You can easily purchase them from fast fashion retailers like Forever 21 or H&M, but they’re better when personalized.

You can really express your personality when you sell custom merch, like fanny packs. Embrace the element of nostalgia and create funky designs that will appeal to your audience. A fanny pack is a fun, unexpected merch item that can help drive traffic to your shop.

Cartoonist Kayfabe is selling fanny packs in their shop customized with one of their unique logos. They found a way to tap into their niche while building a unique aesthetic. They’ve created an experience with their shop by offering products like fanny packs.

We’re so inspired by all of these amazing shops and we hope you are, too. Start selling these spring merch favorites in your own shop.

Open a Spreadshop at no cost. It’s fully customizable and completely FREE!

Make Merch With Zero Design Experience

It doesn’t take a four-year degree to make a merch line that’s true to you and your passions. You can create awesome merch with zero design experience!

There are plenty of easy-to-use design tools out there to help you create custom merch designs. They allow you to stick within your niche and brainstorm ideas that `best suit your brand.

If you don’t have the brain power to come up with merch designs, it might be worth it to hire someone! Ask your family and friends if they know anyone with design experience. Or go it alone and find a designer with a portfolio that suits your needs.

Learn more about why you don’t need to be a professional designer to create quality, custom merch.

Use Free Design Software

Design tools like Adobe can be such a pain to figure out; even the pros have problems. It goes to show you don’t need fancy design software to make standout merch designs. We personally think tools like Canva can fulfill all your design needs.

Canva has hundreds of free premade graphics and text options you can use to create unique designs. Find designs that suit your niche simply by typing keywords into the search bar. These designs will look great on all kinds of merch: stickers, water bottles, totes.

And it’s easy to upload them into your Spreadshop. Download them with a transparent or solid background and in whatever dimensions you please.

If you want to make these designs more true to your brand, Canva allows you to upload colors specific to our brand using their brand kit tool. This makes it easy to tweak designs that appeal to your aesthetic.

When using text in your designs, it’s important to show movement. You can easily curve your text or arrange it in different shapes. These simple tweaks will heighten your merch designs.

Phone a Friend

It doesn’t hurt to ask family and friends if they know someone with design experience, especially if you don’t feel like playing around with these tools. A young designer or college student would be the perfect person to help you satisfy your vision.

“Merch designer” is a title that looks great on a resume. You can make it known you’re looking for someone by posting on relevant Facebook groups. Or do it the old fashioned way: put posters on bulletin boards around your local campus.

This can also be a great learning experience for you when it comes to your merch line. You’ll be able to collaborate with someone who knows how to design. And they can help you decipher what does/doesn’t work for your merch designs.

Hire a Professional

If you need a designer with more experience, look into a service like Fiverr. They have thousands of designers ready to fulfill your requests. Type in “t-shirt design” or “merch design” into the search bar and you’ll find plenty of designers with different specialties. You can narrow it down from there.

Try to be specific with what you want. Maybe you just need a logo for your business. Are you looking for a bundle of similar graphics? This will make it easier to find a designer that meets your needs.

It’s also helpful to see what work they’ve already previously created. You’ll know immediately whether their style resonates with you or not. And cost shouldn’t be an issue.

A lot of designers have affordable rates. It’s worth paying $20 for a quality merch design that you know will sell.

Stick to Your Niche

Your merch line is nothing without a niche, which could really be anything: women’s sports, camping, stargazing, etc. Your niche provides you with focus and allows you to fully engage with your target audience. This way, you won’t have to worry about making merch designs that appeal to everybody.

We’ve seen plenty of shop owners showcase their niche with simple merch designs. Mila the Chi is a great example. Mila is a chihuahua with a voice and flair all her own. Her merch is cute and captures the persona that people get from her content.

Use insider phrases or terms in your merch designs, it’s a great way to capitalize on your niche. Your audience will appreciate the specificity of your merch and be proud to wear it. You’ll be creating custom apparel and accessories that people in your niche can’t find anywhere else. And you don’t have to be a professional designer to achieve that.

Now it’s time to start designing your merch! Open your own Spreadshop for FREE today.