E-commerce business models have gained popularity over the years, more so after the pandemic.
With everyone shopping online, it only makes sense to start an online business or move your current business online.
One of the easiest businesses to start is print on demand.
With little to no inventory needed to get started, you can put up a store in a few hours if you already have designs ready.
Merch by Amazon is a popular print on demand platform and for good reason.
With the amount of traffic, Amazon gets on an hourly basis, selling your designs on Merch by Amazon means more people will be able to see them and eventually buy.
What Is Amazon Merch?
Amazon merch is an invite-only print on demand platform where designers and sellers can have their designs placed on different products that are then put up for sale.
All you would have to do is create/provide the designs, choose colors, and set prices for different products.
There is no inventory needed, and that’s what makes Amazon Merch and other print on demand platforms so appealing.
A big business starts small.
Richard Branson
You do not have to think about printing, shipping, or customer service.
All you have to do is make sure that your designs are of the highest quality and are interesting enough to be bought.
Amazon Merch, initially created in 2015, was a platform specifically used by video game developers.
They would use Amazon Merch as a way to get their logos branded on different products so that their fanbase can buy.
It soon grew to include almost everyone who has great designs.
It has a wide range of audience group which makes it a very compelling platform for designers leading to a wait of weeks, some even months during the application process.
But the rigorous application process does not deter enthusiasts as Merch by Amazon remains one of the top platforms for print on demand.
How Does Amazon Merch Work?
Amazon merch is an invite-only platform.
To get an invitation, you’ll need to fill in a few online forms and then explain why you would like to be a member of the platform.
Once accepted, you will need to upload your designs in the format required by Amazon Merch.
To start off, you’ll be allowed to upload up to 25 designs that are no larger than 25MB each.
These designs should be in the PNG file format with dimensions of 15 x 18 inches at 300 dpi (dots per inch).
Amazon Merch is a tiered platform, after selling the first 25 designs you’ll be moved to level two.
At level two, you’ll be allowed to upload 100 designs, once these are sold, you’ll move up to level three.
Unlike other print on demand platforms, Amazon Merch is very strict with the quality of designs that can be uploaded.
Not only do they need to be of the highest quality, but they need to be original.
Copyright and trademark infringement will get you permanently banned from the platform and you need to make sure that your designs are always within Amazon Merch’s rules and regulations.
In fact an important tip that you can do is to check your phrases or keywords on Uspto.gov as this will provide insight if your keywords have already been trademark.
If your keyword shows up with live trademarks on tv shows, but has no live trademarks for t-shirts then it can be safe to use for your designs.
Checking the combination of your keywords is a form of trial and error but this step is certainly worth it in the long run.
Trademark checking your designs is essential for Merch by Amazon because it will protect your account from the possibility of being banned.
Once you have your designs, you can choose what products you want your designs to be placed on.
The most popular products are t-shirts, hoodies, pop-sockets, sweatshirts, and phone cases.
Write a description for your products/designs, and set your price.
Tips to Help You Succeed on Amazon Merch
Amazon Merch is an incredibly competitive platform and to achieve long-term success, you need to understand the platform.
With many sellers on the platform, you need more than good designs to get noticed.
Each day, a lot of designers try to get into the platform and once you are accepted, you have to do your best in garnering repeat customers.
These tips include optimizing your listings, applying marketing techniques and pricing strategies.
Utilize SEO
SEO is not only for Google, it also applies to Amazon Merch.
Appropriately using the right keywords will help your products rank well on the platform.
There are several tools that will help you identify the right keywords depending on your niche.
Once you identify the right keyword/s, you need to know how to effectively place them within the description and title.
You never want to overuse keywords as this comes off as unnatural and spammy when read.
The basic structure of a listing for merch by amazon includes the product title, bullet points, and product description.
Relevant keywords should be present in your product title to catch your customer’s attention immediately.
The more generic your title is, the more likely it can be lost with the thousands of listings similar to that of yours.
This is why originality, uniqueness and wittiness is key for your product title and its relevance to your design.
Try to make your product title succint between 115 to 144 characters for a good measure.
The bullet points is where you market your design,
These are the points where you convince buyers why they need to buy your designs.
Know the trends for your product, especially the current trends and pattern them with the hobbies or interests of your target audience.
Apply Copywriting Rules When Writing Descriptions
Descriptions are your way of convincing potential buyers why they need to buy your designs.
When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it ‘creative.’ I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product.
David Ogilvy
Apart from using keywords, you need to be able to write in a tone that appeals to your target market.
That means you need to understand who your audience is and how to speak to them.
Use Multiple Marketing Techniques
Amazon has a lot of traffic when compared to other print on demand platforms.
However, with the growing number of designers/sellers on the platform, you need to find a way to attract a larger audience.
There are various ways to market, especially in the digital world we’re living in today.
Apart from social media marketing, you can use Google ads to lead people to your Amazon Merch store.
It’s also important that you utilize Amazon’s advertising services to help people shopping on the platform find your designs.
Understand Pricing Strategies
Pricing on Amazon Merch can be tricky and requires constant modification depending on your goals and the market at any given moment.
Not many people understand how to price their products to make sure that they make a profit while still attracting customers.
Sometimes you might need to price low to make sure more people buy and help you move up the tiers and to help you gain reviews.
This strategy is sometimes done if you want to move up merch tiers.
If you price your listings as low as possible, then you can meet the sales quota for each tier and advance to the next.
For example, if you are starting out in Tier 10, you need to make ten sales to move up to Tier 25.
Also, remember that having more sales can provide an opportunity to more reviews.
If your account has good reviews, it adds credibility to your products as customers sometimes look towards this section when browsing designs.
More customers trust sellers that have good reviews, and in order to achieve this you need to have as many sales as possible.
Create a pricing strategy where you can incorporate these elements and produce good results.
Have Great Designs
This goes without saying.
High-quality and creative designs are essential to your success on Amazon Merch.
Learn what is appealing to your niche and design for them.
Compare what your competition is doing and try to find unique twists to these designs.
Originality is also highly encouraged.
In Conclusion
Amazon Merch gives you access to Amazon’s large customer base and that amount of traffic is appealing to any seller.
Finding the right niche and creating high-quality designs that appeal to them is only one step towards success.
You also need to aggressively market within Amazon and on other platforms to make sure that there is constant interest in your designs.
Like with any other business, it might take a while before you start seeing a consistent profit, however, once you learn what works, it gets easier.
Keep track of how your designs are performing and change strategies accordingly.
If you want to learn more about winning Amazon Merch strategies, The Heidorn Report has all the answers.
