Previously, it was easy to simply link your Spreadshop to the Meta Business Suite and essentially set everything up with just one click. Now, you may have to set everything up manually again, but there’s good news, too: control of your account is back in your own hands.

After all, Meta has plenty of benefits for your Spreadshop: you can sell your products directly via the social networks and take a smart approach to running a modern e-commerce business. After all, your friends, family and followers are already on Facebook and Instagram, anyway.

You can also use the platform to reach new customers and expand your brand for free. Functions such as Facebook groups, targeted ads, and special merch drops with time-limited offers for individual products on Instagram can help you do this.

The latest Meta update doesn’t change anything in this regard. We, too, are working constantly to improve Spreadshop.

That’s why we’d like to show you in this blog post how you can get the most out of the latest changes in the Meta Business Suite for your Spreadshop.

What’s new?

The latest update gives you back your full flexibility, allowing you to manage settings, changes, updates and your Meta Commerce activities based on your own personal needs. The manual processes let you take a tailored approach to Meta Commerce. You can also manage several shops and product catalogues, which facilitates a personalized and efficient workflow.

Verifying your domain

Before you can use Meta Business Suite, you need to verify the domain of your Spreadshop.

Why is this important?

• So you can connect the Meta Business Suite to your Spreadshop.
• So you can give specific pages editing permissions for your ads.

How do I create and verify a domain in Meta Business Manager?

1. Open the Meta Business Suite on our Facebook business page
   Settings > Brand Safety > Domains > Add > New domain > Enter domain for verification
2. Copy the generated meta tag – you’ll find it after “content=” in the HTML
3. Open your Shop settings in the Spreadshop Partner Area:
   Marketing > Meta > Insert a meta tag
4. Return to Meta and click “Verify Domain”

Meta pixel

What is a Meta pixel?

A Meta pixel is an analytics tool. It measures user behavior on your website. This allows you to work out how effective your ad campaigns on Facebook are. After all, the tool tracks events such as page views, products added to shopping cart, purchases, scroll depth, time spent on the page, and much more.

When you add a Meta pixel to your Spreadshop, you can track visits to your website and get helpful insights: for instance, on where traffic comes from, which device users are using, and demographic information.

As a first step, then, the Meta pixel helps you analyze your customers. This allows you to create tailored advertising, optimize existing ads and ensure that your campaigns are shown to the correct target audience.

How can I create and add a Meta pixel?

1. Open the “Meta Business Suite” on the business Facebook page
   Settings > Data sources > Datasets > Add
2. Create a name for your new data set > Copy the pixel ID
3. In the Spreadshop Partner Area, go to your Shop settings:
   Marketing > Meta > Paste the Meta pixel

Meta Product Feed

What is a Meta Product Feed?

A product feed is a list of products combined with product information. It can be used to display information on Facebook and Instagram. You can use the feed to display product lists and to place ads for and retarget specific users.

Users who visit your shop on Facebook or Instagram can click on the products there and purchase them straight from your Spreadshop.

Here’s how to sync the product feed and create a catalog for your Spreadshop products on Meta:

1. Go to your Spreadshop Partner Area:
   Marketing > Meta > Product feed > Copy product feed
2. Open the “Meta Business Suite”
   Data sources > Catalogs > Add > Create a new catalog > Name catalog
3. Click Type and select an option that suits your Spreadshop > Create
4. Choose the options you need for your Shop
5. In the Commerce Manager, click the following:
   Open > Data sources > Data feed > Next > Paste the product feed URL here > Upload

Get started with Meta Business Suite now and take your Spreadshop to a new level with marketing on Facebook and Instagram.

The post Meta update – everything you need to know appeared first on The Spreadshop Blog.

The beta version of the new SpreadApp already gave you a sneak peak at its new features. We gratefully received the feedback on our SpreadApp beta and have put it into action. Now you can discover the results for yourself. Download SpreadApp 4.0 and connect it to your Partner Area now.

Create and publish products with your smartphone

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With SpreadApp 4.0, you can create and publish new products for your Spreadshop on the go or from the comfort of your sofa. Simply select a photo or graphics file on your smartphone, upload it, add metadata, and publish it on the sales channels of your choice.

Here’s how: first of all, open the SpreadApp and tap the picture frame icon in the middle of the bottom navigation bar to open the Designs section. Here, you’ll find all the designs you’ve already uploaded at a glance – just like in the design overview in your Partner Area. Use the filter function to sort your designs by sales channels and publication status.

You can also tap “+” in the top-right corner to upload more designs – from your photo albums, files or straight from your phone camera. Next, tap the new design in the overview, choose the sales channels where you’d like to publish it, and add the metadata. Hit “Create” in the top-right corner and you’re all done!

Edit sales channels

But that’s not all! Want to open a new Shop in a few quick and easy steps or publish your designs on the Marketplace? No problem! Open the sales channels overview, tap “+” in the top-right corner and give your new sales channel a suitable name. Then you can activate and visit it straight away on your smartphone – just like all your other sales channels.

Create and edit products across devices

The content in your SpreadApp and your Partner Area always syncs up – making life incredibly easy for you. This way, for instance, you can start creating and publishing products on your smartphone, then fine-tune the product selection in your Partner Area. Here’s a rundown of all the new features of SpreadApp 4.0:

Overview:

• Sales and earnings at a glance

Statistics:

• Detailed information on sales, credit and bestsellers

Design area:

• Upload and publish designs
• Edit metadata
• Organise designs
• View design details

Sales channels

• Edit existing sales channels
• Set up new sales channels
• Activate and deactivate sales channels
• Visit sales channels

Have you already installed the new version of SpreadApp on your smartphone? Let us know what you think and any other features and functions you’d like to see in future.

The post SpreadApp 4.0 makes your Partner Area mobile appeared first on The Spreadshop Blog.

SpreadApp has already told you about your sales, income, and bestsellers in the past. With the new SpreadApp beta version, we’re taking a big step forward to make things possible that you could previously only do in your Partner Area. The new SpreadApp version is now available for download on iOS and Android in your app stores.

Upload photos or import directly from camera

Your smartphone is more than just about calls, messages, and camera including a photo album. You use it as a device to tackle your projects. It’s only natural that turning your smartphone into a Partner Area on the go is a consequential step. Many things that were previously only possible in the Partner Area will now also be available in the app:

• Uploading saved files or photos
• Importing photos directly from your smartphone camera

Just upload a design or photo, add a title and suitable meta data and select the sales channels to publish it on. As long as you have your smartphone on you, you can make changes wherever you are, so they go online directly. You can also edit all your already uploaded designs as well. All changes are immediately synchronized with your Partner Area.

Your statistics will, of course, still available and you can edit the settings of your sales channels and your account data.

And there’ll be more – soon

As the release note already shows, the new SpreadApp version is a beta release. This means that some features are not yet fully developed or available.

But you see where the journey is going – and you can help determine the route. In some places, the app contains previews of features that we think may come in handy for you. Would you agree?

Your opinion counts! In the settings of the app, you will find a link where you can give us your feedback. We’ll be sure to read everything and incorporate it into SpreadApp’s further development.

The post SpreadApp BETA – More Features for more Sales appeared first on The Spreadshop Blog.

Looking to raise money for your local animal shelter? Try merch! Print on-demand platforms like Spreadshop allow you to make custom merch at no cost to you.

We know raising funds can be tough, and merch is a great incentive to attract donations. Supporters can get something extra AND feel good about helping a good cause.

Merch allows you to build your brand and connect with people in your community. Keep your mission in mind when it comes to the marketing of your animal shelter. See how merch can play a big part in your fundraising!

Something Extra

Raising money for your local animal shelter is tougher than ever. Costs are rising at the grocery store and at the pump, and families don’t have as much extra cash. Merch is a great “get” to help attract donations.

And merch is more than just T-shirts now. Spreadshop has 230 products that you can upload your personal designs onto. Put your shelter logo and other fun designs on tote bags, water bottles, stickers, sweats, etc.

And make sure you let people know that 100 percent of the profits will go towards helping your shelter. That way, they’ll feel even better about buying your merch!

Turn Your Shelter into a Brand

Merch is more than just a great way to raise money; it can turn your shelter into a full-blown brand. Having your logo and colors on merch is a great way to solidify your message and connect with potential partners.

We’ve seen many animal shelters capitalize on their name and likeness with their merch. People are more likely to donate to a cause they feel connected to. Creating merch with your branding builds a stronger sense of community and forms a connection with potential supporters. 

It’s going to boost brand recognition, overall. The more people see your logo and your colors, the more likely they are to remember you.

Monetize Your Shelter

Ad campaigns work well for large corporations, but local animal shelters don’t have that kind of cash. Merch is a useful promotional tool that costs a fraction of big budget ad campaigns. And Spreadshop does all the heavy lifting for you! We’ve got payments, production, fulfillment, and shipping covered. All you have to do is upload your designs.

Merch is a personal promotional tool to raise money for your animal shelter. Get followers involved by doing giveaways on your social media. Ask people to follow you and comment for the chance to win merch. Photos of volunteers and supporters at events in your merch makes for authentic marketing material. This kind of content is going to be beneficial on multiple fronts. You’ll increase social engagement, draw attention to your animal shelter, and bring awareness to new merch!

Raise money for your animal shelter with merch. Open your own shop for FREE!

The post Raise Money For Your Local Animal Shelter appeared first on The Spreadshop Blog.

The best way to make money from your podcast? Make and sell your own custom merch!

Streaming platforms like Spotify pay podcasters, and musicians, mere pennies. And we know how difficult it can be to connect with brands and solidify sponsorships.

Merch allows you to build your own brand at no cost. And on your own time. Sell custom apparel and accessories with your logo and other designs directly to your listeners.

See how merch can help you monetize and grow your podcast…

More Money For Less

When merch is done right, it’s an easy way to make money from your podcast. It’s FREE to make and sell your own merch when you use Spreadshop. You can have your merch shop up and running in minutes! It’s easy to upload designs and arrange the placement on your products. Spreadshop also allows you to customize the look of your site. Add a banner of your podcast logo across your homepage and feature your latest designs here, too.

But your merch isn’t going to sell itself. You’ve got to promote it.

One of the easiest and most effective ways to sell your merch is to mention it in the intro to your podcast. This is a great time to update new and returning listeners on podcast news, like official merch. Talk about your designs and what kind of products your followers can get them on, like T-shirts, stickers, mugs, etc. Point them to a link in your caption as your call to action.

If you don’t have the following to reach out to brands for sponsorship opportunities, merch can make you money right away. And why reach out to brands when you can just build your own?

Build Your Brand For FREE

Building a brand might sound overwhelming, but all you need is merch. With merch, you can turn your podcast into a full blown brand for FREE. Establish your podcast logo and colors as part of your brand, like Emily and the Kind Mind.

The Kind Mind Project is a podcast Emily launched to help women achieve personal growth through a better mindset. One of the podcast’s mottos – to put more honey in my head, one drop at a time – made its way into Emily’s merch line. Merch has allowed her to promote her message and give her podcast more credibility.

If you do eventually want to work with brands, being able to point to your merch shop shows you care about your own brand. That initiative will look attractive to potential partners and help you make money from your podcast in the meantime.

Turn Listeners into Supporters

We know how difficult it can be to build your fanbase. That’s why you need to launch your merch when it feels right. You don’t want to spend a lot of time on designs and promotion when the audience isn’t there to support you.

Once you’ve established yourself online and start to attract a following, merch can help form a deeper relationship with your listeners. It’s even better when you can get your followers involved with your merch. Ask them what kind of designs they would wear, what their favorite products are. Do they use coffee mugs or reusable water bottles more? These answers can inform what kind of merch you should be selling to get the most sales.

Merch is not only a great way to make money from your podcast, but it’s also a smart business move. You’ll establish your podcast and be able to better connect with partners and listeners.

So what are you waiting for? Monetize your podcast with merch TODAY!

The post Make Money From Your Podcast appeared first on The Spreadshop Blog.

Merch is a great way for creators to build their brand, but it’s not always a success. We’ve seen many creators fail with their merch launch because of simple mistakes. Knowing what your brand and your audience are both key to making sales. 

You need to be confident in yourself and sales will follow. Here are five tips to help you make your merch launch a success:

Merch is a Powerful Tool

If you’re a creator, chances are you’ve thought about merch at some point. Merch is a great way to monetize your content and leverage your brand. The creator economy is booming, and merch is a big part of that. Brand deals, ads, and services are also key ways to make money online. 

Consumers looking for this niche content are willing to pay money to be a part of a community dedicated to their passion. A creator’s brand should feel like an experience and can exist outside of the normal social channels. 

If you have at least 1,000 subscribers, you can start making money from your channel. Feature your merch directly below your videos using YouTube Product Shelf! When you have these tools at your disposal, it’s important you don’t let them go to waste. You never know what’s going to get someone to buy your merch, but you should know who you are and what you want to say to your audience.

Have a Strong Identity

If you’re thinking about launching merch, it’s important to take some time to consider what you want your brand to represent. Who are you as a creator, and what do you want your content to say about you? It’s ok if you don’t have all the answers right away – this is something that can evolve over time. 

However, it’s important to have a general idea of the personal pillars of your brand before moving forward. This will help your audience connect with you and understand what you’re all about. Clueless Bushcraft is a great example of a creator who knows exactly who he is and what he stands for. When you enter his merch shop, there’s no doubt what his brand is all about. 

So if you’re ready to launch merch, start by defining the core values of your brand. Then, lean into those values to create content that is truly representative of who you are as a creator.

Put Your Followers First

If you want to be successful as a creator, it’s important to remember that all markets are conversations. That means you need to tap into the hearts and minds of your audience and create merch that speaks to their feelings and values. One way to do this is by asking your audience for input on designs. This way, you’ll have an idea about who will support you and buy your merch when it’s released.

Another tip is to focus on creating designs that are not only about you, but also appealing to the people who follow you. Remember, your personality is a big part of your channel, but it shouldn’t be the only thing! Make sure your merch reflects why people followed you in the first place.

Have Quality Designs

We get it. It can be tough creating merch designs when you’re not a professional artist. When coming up with merch designs, consider what message you want to communicate with your designs. Make sure that they are cohesive with the overall aesthetic of your brand. If you’re unsure where to start, take a look at some professional merch designs for inspiration. 

If you’re not a professional artist, don’t worry – there are still plenty of ways to create great merch designs. Canva is a fun tool for beginners, and has a large stock library of images and graphics you can use. Plus, you can upload your brand colors and logos to help get you started!

If you’re still struggling, find a designer through services like Fiverr who can help bring your vision to life. Or try finding someone local. Ask around colleges in your area to see if there are any graphic designers eager to build their portfolio and gain experience.

Drop Every Design At Once

Before you launch your merch shop, there’s one important thing to keep in mind: Don’t drop all of your designs at once. We see a lot of creators make this mistake. They drop all of their merch designs at once to generate interest in their shop. This might get you a lot of sales initially, but people will lose interest in your shop quickly. Spread out your merch drops to ensure people come back. Launching one to two new designs a month is perfect.

We also hear from a lot of people that they’re waiting for the right time to drop their merch. But the right time doesn’t exist. You’ll just be prolonging yourself from doing anything. Do some research, come up with a plan, and launch your merch store when you’re ready.

There’s no perfect time to launch your merch store. But these are definitely the top 5 mistakes among creators. We hope you keep this in mind for your next merch drop.

Open up your own Spreadshop and start selling your own merch – It’s FREE!

The post Top 5 Merch Mistakes Creators Make appeared first on The Spreadshop Blog.

As a creator, it’s important to prioritize your mental health. With the pressure to produce content and the anxiety that comes with it, it’s easy to burn out. Taking the time to recharge and revamp your channel will result in better content for your audience and a healthier you. Here are some tips on how to prioritize your mental health as a creator:

Find A Balance

As a creator, it’s important to make sure that you’re taking care of your mental health. One way to do this is to create a content schedule that works for you and your channel.

There are a lot of demands on creators to produce new content on a regular basis. However, you don’t need to feel like you have to post everyday in order to maintain your audience. If posting every day is not feasible for you, then don’t do it! It’s more important to create content that is high quality and that you’re happy with, rather than churning out new videos just for the sake of it.

Creating a content schedule can help you manage your time and make sure that you’re not overworking yourself. A service like CoSchedule can be really helpful in this regard, as it allows you to plan and schedule your content in advance. Find the tool that works for your brand. This way, you can make sure that you’re not overdoing it and that you’re leaving time for other aspects of your life.

Stop Staring At Your Screen

As a creator, it can be difficult to not compare your channel and your content to other creators. It can become an unhealthy habit when you’re just scrolling your feed and feel the pressure to be like other creators. You’ve got to embrace who you are and not try to be a carbon copy of someone else. Their lives may seem perfect, but everyone has their own struggles. Take a break from social media and the pressure to be perfect. Do you on your own terms.

Your mental health is important! As a creator, it’s easy to get caught up in the comparison game. Scrolling through social media can make you feel like you have to be perfect. But everyone has their own struggles. Embrace who you are and do what works for you. Take a break from social media and the pressure to be perfect. Do you on your own terms.

Don’t Go It Alone

The demands of your work can be chaotic and unpredictable, and that can take a toll on your mental health. That’s why it’s important to reach out to other creators who understand what you’re going through. They can offer support and advice on how to manage your mental health. They’ve probably felt the same way at some point or another.

At Spreadshop, we believe creators are more than just a “commodity” or a buzzword to be exploited. In the age of the “creator economy”, there’s more pressure than ever to produce and feed the “content machine”. That’s just not sustainable, and creators like Modern Millie know that. She’s a well-known influencer coach that gives creators the tools to succeed. We partnered with her for a “Content Compass” workshop to help creators address their mental health needs. This course is designed to help you:

– Establish and stay on track with hitting your ultimate goals/dreams.

– Stay true to YOU as you grow as a creator.

– Maintain healthy boundaries to prevent burnout.

– Stay on track with your content without added stress. 

Join our community group to get started!

Be Comfortable Not Being In Control

If you’re a creator, it’s important to remember that you can’t control everything. No matter how hard you try, there will always be haters. That has nothing to do with you, people just want to hate and tear others down. You also can’t control what the reaction to your content is going to be. You’ve got to take it in stride and not let these things affect your mental health.

Engage with people that care about you and are contributing something meaningful to the conversation. Ask them for their feedback so you can strengthen that bond:

– Ask an open-ended question in posts

– Run a poll to see what they want you to create

– Go live to interact with your followers

Embrace Your Niche

It’s no secret that mental health is a hot topic, especially among creators. With the constant pressure to perform and grow online, it’s easy to get caught up in comparison and self-doubt.

But it’s important to remember that you are not alone. Mental health is something that everyone struggles with at some point or another. And there are ways to manage it, even as a creator.

Here are some tips:

-Find your niche and embrace what sets you apart. This will help you find confidence and fulfillment, rather than chasing after someone else’s success.

-Take breaks from social media and the internet. It’s important to disconnect and recharge every now and then.

-Talk to someone you trust about your mental health. This could be a friend, family member, therapist, or even another creator. sharing your struggles can help you feel better and find support.

By prioritizing your mental health you’re going to make all aspects of your life better, not just your life as a creator. Take a break from the content machine. Make content that makes you happy and relates to your audience. Your channel can wait while you take the time to recharge.

Looking for an additional revenue stream? Not making enough money from ads? Start making and selling your own merch! It’s a great way to build your brand.

Open your own shop for FREE today!

The post 5 Tips: Creators Prioritize Mental Health appeared first on The Spreadshop Blog.

What does domain redirection mean for my Shop?

On September 27th, domain forwarding will be activated from your old to your new store domain. From this date on, every page view of your old store URL will be redirected to the new one:

SHOPNAME.myspreadshop.xyz

During normal online surfing, nothing changes. Whoever types in your old store URL in their browser will be automatically redirected to the new domain. Nevertheless, you should only use the new store URL from now on.

The Google index will also be switched to the new domain. So whoever searches for your Shop in the future will see your store with the new domain on the search results page.

Next step: update the domain on all your platforms

If you also sell your Shop products on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Google or advertise your store there, then there’s an important step you need to take.

If you do not update your domain on these platforms, you may get error messages.

Therefore, you should definitely adjust your store integration and product feed on all external platforms as soon as possible. This is especially true for:

– the Facebook Business Manger and therefore also for Instagram

– the Google Merchant Center

– Pinterest Shopping

You’ll need to make sure to link your new Shop domain there in order to guarantee that your products can be clicked on and purchased, as well as to ensure that your advertising is correctly displayed.

Why does my Shop need a new domain?

Facebook, Pinterest, and other platforms require subdomain structures for the integration of Shops into their platforms. You can read more about the details and background information here.

The post Are you ready for your Shop domain to be redirected? appeared first on The Spreadshop Blog.

Need help boosting your brand AND confidence as a shop owner? Look on further than our mobile SpreadApp!

Thanks to SpreadApp (our Spreadshirt Partner app) you can keep up-to-date with your shop right from the palm of your hand!

Feel energized when you see sales come in. Keep up to date with the credit you’re building.

SpreadApp allows you to monitor your shop growth and optimize your shop for peak performance.

You don’t need to have a million tabs open to manage your Spreadshop.

You’ve got everything you need in your back pocket.

Check In

SpreadApp gives you access to your Partner Area statistics data anytime, anywhere.

See sales up to 365 days ago that will help provide further insight on your shop growth.

And you can easily track where the high points of that data came from.

Maybe people were buying seasonal items like tanks and totes? Maybe it coincided with a new merch launch?

When your data is broken down like this, it makes it easy to see what your customers are responding to.

Check the bestselling items of your shop in the bestsellers category to further solidify data.

You can rank them by compensation type, product, design, and shipping country.

Focus on what your customers are responding to.

They might favor fitted tees options over unisex. Turns out, stickers make up for more of your shop sales than you thought.

You don’t need to make assumptions about why your shop is succeeding anymore. SpreadApp clarifies everything.

All of this data is collected in real time and is synced with what you see on a desktop, too.

SpreadApp lays out all the answers in front of you, and even gives you tips on how to succeed.

Create a Game Plan

If your sales aren’t where you want them to be, SpreadApp also provides resources to help optimize your shop.

Click the “optimize sales channels” in the overview section of the app.

From there, you’ll be taken to our “Tips for Designers” page.

Type in questions/concerns in the help section. Browse differentiated pages to find the solution that works for YOU.

Interact with fellow shop owners and team members in our community forum.

Make a short post in the Ask us Anything section and you’re guaranteed a speedy reply.

If you need more personal assistance, you can reach out to our customer service team.

Beyond FAQs, SpreadApp connects you to other important resources you might need for your shop.

If you’re struggling to come up with designs, consult our graphics service. We have a whole team of designers that will get you print-ready designs for a reasonable fee.

You’ll never run out our resources to consult!

Spring Into Action

There’s always an area of your shop that can be improved. And SpreadApp helps take you there.

Work on your strengths and weaknesses.

Follow design principles and promotional tips that are going to yield results. What’s your audience going to respond to?

SpreadApp is more than just the statistics of your Spreadshop. 

It’s another motivator to find success in your shop and within yourself.

If you haven’t already Open your own Spreadshop today!

The post Welcome to SpreadApp! appeared first on The Spreadshop Blog.

Have you fallen in love with the SpreadApp already? A super handy feature of the app is without doubt the message functionality. You can get info about your sales immediately, daily or weekly. From now on, the messages are also available on the overview page in your Partner Area. Additional messages updates will follow suit.

Why this is good for you

All the important info you need with regard to your Shop, your products and your account can be found in your Partner Area. And you’ll continue to receive detailed news updates through our other communication channels such as newsletters, forum and blog.

The new message updates are more user-friendly. A click on the message will e.g. take you directly to the sales statistics. It will make it easy to keep your assortment up to date and to get valuable info on new products or product deactivations.

“What’s next?”, you may ask

Without promising too much, you can be sure that the message updates are the first among several future features in your Partner Area that will take a lot of work off your shoulders. Curious? Make yourself familiar with the new message notifications now.

What other things would you like to be informed about with message notifications? Tell us in the comments!

The post Never Miss a Sale – Notifications in the Partner Area appeared first on The Spreadshop Blog.