The T-shirt is a mainstay of fashion apparel. It's doubtful that it will ever disappear completely from the fashion scene. T-shirts are an expression of the wearer, loudly proclaiming messages for all to see. So if you're looking for an online business, selling T-shirts is a viable option.
You need to find your niche market. Most people love T-shirts, but if you aim for selling to everyone, your market is way too broad and you'll end up targeting no one at all. By choosing a niche market, you narrow down your target group and become more selective and competitive. Choose a niche that matches your interests and passions. You should have a better understanding of the people that you will be marketing to. Take it a step further and do your research to find a gap within your niche. For example, if your interests are camping and the outdoors, that's a broad selection of people to target. What is your niche within that group of people?
Are you looking at selling women's T-shirts, men's T-shirts, or both? Are you interested in marketing to families or young adults? Adventurers or eco-warriors? Narrow down your interests until you find your niche within your niche.
The next step is to set up your e-commerce store and add products. If you're just starting out, and need some guidance, use a print on demand platform like ViralStyle. They'll take you step-by step through the process, help fulfill your orders, and even provide the customer service for free.
With your niche in mind, search for trending designs or messages that resonate with your market. Come up with a list of themes or design styles that can help you create your own.The next things to consider are your design elements, color palette, and the type of products you want to sell. Do you specialize in T-shirts alone, or are you willing to expand to long-sleeved T-shirts and hoodies too?When it comes to the designs, you can either create it yourself, or you can hire a designer. There are many online sites where you can hire an affordable designer. Make sure to follow the graphics requirements or design templates provided by the platform or printer.
If you choose to do it yourself be prepared for a huge initial investment. Pre-ordering products in a variety of colors and sizes, storing those products, and printing your designs. All this before you even make a sale. Using a fulfillment partner is another option. Print on demand companies print and ship your products for you. This gives you more flexibility and allows you to experiment with designs, test additional products, and make adjustments to your ads if a design isn't selling well. Once an order is placed, your supplier ships it to the customer and handles the customer service. This method allows you to focus purely on marketing your store, which is a vital part of your new business.
Drop shipping is another alternative. This works similarly to the print on demand model, but you can have a personalized store and offer products from other fulfillment partners. The downside is, you'll have to handle your customer service and pay additional fees for payment methods and hosting.
Most people start with targeting their friends and family, which is a start, but this is not enough. However, something you can ask of friends and family is to give you a product review on Facebook and other social media platforms. They can also give you reviews on your website and Google My Business. Product reviews are essential to your marketing. Make use of special offers and free giveaways. Nothing works as well as giveaways for getting a brand out there. Your presence on social media is an absolute must. Social media is the perfect place to showcase your T-shirts to your target market.Be prepared to put ad spend behind popular posts and learn how to use re-targeting ads in your Facebook marketing. Facebook Blueprint is a great platform to learn how to market yourself on Facebook. Create a brand persona on your social media platforms and engage your audience with clever storytelling. Think about using social media influencers to get your products well-known. Do your homework and fine-tune everything that has been discussed in this article. Find a platform like Viralstyle that works best for your business and test it out. Your final step is to take the leap and start selling. This could be the beginning of a whole new lifestyle for you.
