YouTube Merch: 4 Steps to a Successful Merch Strategy

Did you know that the smartest YouTubers diversify their income by selling merchandise? Find out how you can too.

As part of our International Creator Day live stream on YouTube, we asked a panel of experts for their best tips about creating a successful merch strategy. 

We’ve highlighted four of the best takeaways below, but you can catch the full discussion at the 4:10:13 mark of our live streamed video.

#1 Don’t Just Create Merch That You Want

A big mistake many YouTubers make is to create and sell merchandise that they would only buy. That can limit the number of people who want to purchase it. To give yourself every chance of success, get feedback from your community about the products they’d like to see on sale. 

You can reach out to fans via the YouTube Community Tab or via social. Create the products your audience actually wants to purchase. That way, you’ll be off to a winning start.

#2 Go Beyond Your Channel Logo

While it may be tempting to slap your channel’s name and logo on a t-shirt or hoodie, take the opportunity to be more creative.

If you lack design skills, why not reach out to your community and hold a competition to find the most engaging designs. Your audience will know you and any quirks or catchphrases your channel has, so tap into that resource.

#3 Don’t Drop All Your Merch All at Once

To squeeze the most out of your merch sales, consider staggering the types of products and designs you offer. Launching everything you can at once might seem like a great sales strategy, but it can backfire quickly if you have nothing further to offer. Launch new designs throughout the year to keep those sales coming in.

#4 Use Merch to Help Build Your Community

If a viewer has subscribed to your channel, the chances are they are willing to invest their time into you and your content. Think about how this might be reflected in the merch you have on sale. 

You are fundamentally creating a brand that will appeal to an audience that will a) support you financially and b) want to be identified with you and their fellow subscribers. Make your audience feel like they are part of something big and unique, and watch your community grow.

Many thanks to Daniel Batal, Roberto Blake, D.J. Coffman from Spreadshop.com, and Jeremy Vest for their expert advice on creating a winning merch strategy. Catch up with the discussion here and kick off your merch project with a bang!