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Twas a Week Before the Holidays…

Twas a week before the Holidays, when all through Spreadshop HQ

Our elves are busy preparing orders for people just like you

The delivery trucks are at the ready, waiting to go

In hopes that your packages will arrive on time, wrapped in a bow.

You’re patiently waiting, nestled under covers in bed.

Last minute emails and Netflix taking up space in your head.

In fluffy PJs, sneaking some early sweets

Patiently awaiting the ultimate Holiday treat.

When suddenly a door slams in the distance,

You run down the stairs with urgent insistence.

Peering out the window with one nervous eye,

A sense of relief: you didn’t miss them go by.

Your package is waiting, sitting there on the stoop

Thought the mailman might have thrown you for a loop.

The door flings open, you can’t wait any more

It’s time to see what Santa has in store.

The lights from the tree and fireplace all aglow,

Everything would feel right with just a little snow.

Seeing the present sitting there, you let out an excited shriek.

It’s tempting to open, but you can wait a week.

Our elves did their work, they could use a good rest

We can happily say they passed the Holiday test.

You’ll open a gift in a week that no one can top

Just tell them where you got it: good old Spreadshop.

Spreadshop’s Commitment to Sustainability

A lot of brands say they want to be more “sustainable”, but what are they doing about it? Action speaks louder than words and corporate branding. At Spreadshop, we know we haven’t been the most sustainable. But moving forward, we’re committed to holding ourselves accountable and taking steps that will create real, actionable impact. And we’re hoping you hold us accountable!

Partnering With Mr. Beast

The first step in our sustainable journey came in late 2021 through a partnership with Mr. Beast’s Team Seas. For every reusable water bottle bought through the end of the year, we donated $1 to Team Seas ($1 helps remove 1 pound of trash from the ocean). Through water bottle purchases alone, we removed over a ton of trash from the ocean and will donate over $2000 to the cause just for starters. The creator community and individuals around the globe raised over 18 million dollars as of December 16th, 2021.

We have many merch alternatives – water bottles, totes, travel mugs – that help reduce single-use plastic waste. Who would say no to something that looks cool AND is reusable?

Single-use plastic = bad. Reusable and eco-friendly alternatives= good.

What We’ve Done

Looking at the production side of things, we use eco-friendly inks and aim to reduce waste where we can. Our production facilities have been “paperless” for some years now. We’ve expanded our organic clothing assortment and are looking into more eco-friendly apparel options.

We believe your clothing should last longer. That means you buy less and in-turn, waste less. But, wait. We’re a print-on-demand clothing service, so are we really asking you to buy less? Let us explain.

We’re simply asking you to shop smarter.

We’d love it if a shirt you buy through one of our shop owners becomes a staple in your wardrobe and lasts after years of wear. In most cases, our direct-to-garment way of printing outlasts a screen printed shirt that can crack and fade. Those shirts are more likely to end up in the trash.

A More Sustainable Spreadshop

We’re committed to expanding our organic line, and adding suppliers who are known for long-lasting apparel. Clothing that’s built to last helps reduce waste. At Spreadshop, we specialize in direct-to-garment printing which uses water based, pigmented inks that are sourced naturally and are environmentally friendly. We partner with companies like Kornit who also have sustainability as a core company value.

You can’t just use a recycled bag and check off a quick list and claim you’re an eco-friendly brand. This work has to be never ending in order to adapt to our changing environment and global culture. We want to work with the best experts and data on the globe to find out where we can make a true impact, for our customers and the world.

Start producing your merch more sustainably with Spreadshop!

How to Run a Successful Sale

Shop owners can learn how to run a successful sale by following our three easy steps. When you know how to market your merch and share discounts effectively, engagement and an increase in sales will naturally follow.

Promoting your Spreadshop shouldn’t feel forced. The better you know your shop, the more people are going to be able to identify with you. Understanding your audience and their wants is key to running a successful sale.

Speak to your followers in a natural, non-marketer way that is relevant to the rest of your content. Know what the promo offers are and most importantly: TELL YOUR FOLLOWERS! Running a successful sale should be easy when you follow these steps.

Fit Sales Into Your Schedule

Posting on your socials is likely already a part of your daily routine. You should have a schedule where you post about shop updates or provide behind the scenes content. This keeps followers invested in your merch. To run a successful sale, this content should feel cohesive with the rest of your social posts.

Plan for promo offers ahead of time so you’re not scrambling to make content at the last minute. Scatter posts for a Holiday promo a couple weeks before the big sale. Do this through multiple forms of media: Instagram stories, static posts, mentions in captions and direct links to your Spreadshop. It’s important to generate interest ahead of time without overwhelming your followers with information.

Even when there’s a big sale, you don’t want to bombard your followers’ feeds with reminders. That’s going to turn them off more than anything. You’ve got to talk to them in a way that feels engaging, yet authentic. You want to build a community.

Stay informed about upcoming promotions

Twice a month, we offer promotions in your shop so that you can generate a higher demand for your merch. Free shipping and discount offers like 15% or 20% off are the most common promotions. If you’re signed up for the Spreadshop newsletter, you’ll get details for each promo in advance so that you’ll be prepared to spread the word.

To apply the promotion, your customers will simply click “redeem” in the banner that will display at the top of your shop. They will see the discount applied to their basket during checkout.

Staying updated about your promos also gives you the opportunity to plan for additional marketing. One great tactic is to release limited edition designs or products during a promotion. Having merch available for a limited time creates major FOMO. Paired with a promotion, this is a perfect combo to increase orders in your shop.

Tell Your Followers

Your followers aren’t going to know about these promos if you don’t tell them they’re happening. This relates to the point of fitting sales into your schedule, but is more about the messaging behind those posts. You’ve got to find creative ways to market your merch. And there’s plenty of ways you can do it for FREE.

It’s important for the growth of your shop to have a presence on multiple social platforms, but some might work better than others. If you’re good at putting together creative visuals, Instagram is the move. Twitter is great for sarcastic, meme-able marketing. And Youtube is the OG for content creation that creates that bond best.

Running a successful sale relies on targeted marketing. You may have followers on all these platforms – but depending on the platform they’re going to engage with the content differently. Keep that in mind when crafting messages that feel authentic to your brand.

We hope these tips make you feel more prepared to run a successful sale. There’s plenty of opportunities to do so in 2022!

Don’t have merch with us? Launch your Spreadshop today!

5 Must-Have Holiday Merch Products

Spread seasonal cheer with merch from Spreadshop! Our 5 Holiday merch essentials are must haves during this time of year.

Teddy bears and Santa hats look great under the tree or stuffed into stockings. Keep cozy in the winter months with comfy pajamas and a cup of steaming hot cocoa.

Place your orders by Dec. 13 to guarantee it arrives in time for the big day. Shop our Holiday merch essentials now before it’s too late!

Santa Hat

Give a Holiday merch staple an upgrade this season. Our Santa hat is perfect for personalization and festive designs. It makes those photo-ops and Holiday cards with family and friends even more special.

Available in red, black and evergreen; there’s a color that’s right for you! Use existing designs in your shop or make something exclusive to create demand. Having trouble coming up with designs? Canva has Holiday templates and graphics that help inspire you to create something original.

Our Santa hat is meant for Holiday use, but it’s something you’ll bring out year after year. The Holidays are all about making memories, why not do it in style?

Camper Mug

Our camper mug is made for transportation, even if it’s just moving from the kitchen to the couch. It’s durable design and signature look is guaranteed to make you feel like you are lodging in a log cabin all winter.

The vintage feel of the mug gives any design you put on it a retro feel. Go for classic festive design elements like peppermints, trees and wreaths. Your mug will always be in fashion and be a staple during the winter months. Holiday merch and hot cocoa never looked so good.

Pajamas

We sell pajamas. If you’re surprised, you wouldn’t be the first. Our unisex pajama set is essential cozy wear for the winter season. The red and green color options make it all the more festive.

These pajamas favor festive designs, whether they’re graphic or text based. This pajama set is ideal for curling up in front of the fire or keeping warm under the covers. Festive loungewear is ideal Holiday merch. Spend your winter vacation in a cozy and comfortable state of mind in personalized pajamas.

Coffee Mug

Start your day off right with one of our coffee mugs. The contrast coffee mug in the white/red color way is perfect for the season. Use green and gold graphics to create a Holiday color scheme that makes waking up worthwhile.

These mugs also look great on display. Keep them up year round and add seasonal touches when decorating for the Holidays. Store hot cocoa mix, candy and small decorations in them to create a jolly looking coffee bar. Your house will be the new neighborhood hangout in no time.

Teddy Bear

You can’t go wrong with our Teddy Bear plushies. Outfitted in tiny t-shirts, your merch has never looked more adorable. They make for great snuggle buddies thanks to their extra soft texture. And they’re great to give us gifts, too!

Put them under the tree or stuff them into stockings. If you have nieces, nephews or young cousins, consider personalizing them with their name. This makes for a great keepsake. They also look just as cute in festive imagery.

Open your Spreadshop now to get in the seasonal swing before it’s too late!

Make Merch Designs Without Photoshop

Photoshop isn’t the only design tool that helps online sellers produce high-quality merch designs. You can create designs without Photoshop through a design app that best suits your needs. There are plenty of free-to-use and subscription models out there to help you create original graphics, logos, and more.

Each design tool has it’s own unique features to help you create print-ready designs to sell with Spreadshop. Use pre-made templates and graphics to help you create original merch designs. Curate a selection of brand colors and elements that can become anchors of your merch line.

Here are 3 of our favorite design tools with additional suggestions for your merch design needs.

Canva: Beginner-Friendly, Extensive Library

Canva is a an easy-to-use design tool well-suited for merch. It’s drag-and-drop functionality is great for beginner users. There is also a large library of pre-made templates, graphics, and fonts available to use in Canva. You never have to start from scratch!

Merch designs aren’t the only function of the app, however. You can also create promotional tools for your print-on-demand shop: Business cards, flyers and social content. Upload or curate your own brand colors and logos to strengthen your brand recognition. Your Spreadshop designs will be more identifiable if you have a consistent look to them.

These preset graphic options when making seasonal or holiday-themed apparel.

Canva has an unpaid tier, but if you want to unlock more templates and graphics you can upgrade to Canva Pro. It’s only $15 a month and is well worth it for the amount of design features it unlocks.

Placeit: Best Logo Generator

Play around with more design options on Placeit. Like Canva, Placeit gives you design templates options to use as the foundation of your merch designs. The app allows you to make mockups that work well for different products like t-shirts and hoodies. That’s great news for Spreadshop users!

Placeit is the go-to destination for print-on-demand sellers that want to make a merch logo, too, particularly those in the gaming niche. They have a whole section of their website dedicated to gaming; providing examples and icons you can use to build something totally your own.

These kinds of logos and brand identifiers apply to all markets. You just need to find a niche to succeed.

As far as pricing for Placeit goes, they have a free option or you can pay $14.95 a month with a subscription. The paid version allows you to utilize more features and take your merch designs to the next level.

Pixlr: Ultimate Branding Tool

Easily edit existing photos and create original merch designs with Pixlr. They have professional templates to help fulfill all your design needs beyond merch. Create a banner for a content channel, tweak your profile photo, and create social posts all in one place.

Upload images you have in your camera roll and tweak them to best fit your merch. Remove backgrounds in just one click. Add filters and effects to transform them. Make a mood board for your merch with their collage template.

Now that you know Photoshop is no longer the go-to destination for merch designs, it’s time to find the tool for you.

The design tools mentioned above not speaking to your needs? Check out this list of the 10 best design tools for e-commerce designers. We highlight unique features, experience level, and pros/cons for each service.

Designing your merch shouldn’t be a headache; it should be a fun, creative outlet.

Once you have your merch designs, launch your Spreadshop and customize t-shirts, hoodies, and more!