Learn how to successfully launch your products on Teespring from start to finish.
This guide has been developed based on the process and promotional tactics of top selling Teespring users over the years. It can help you stay on track, consistently create new content, and keep your followers interested in fresh new products.
Your selling schedule should be divided into two phases:
- Pre-launch: The two weeks leading up to your new product launch.
- Post-launch: The two to four weeks after your product launch.
If you stick to this schedule you’ll be able to organize your time and prepare for both phases of the launch, which will result in the largest amount of sales possible.
The number of new products you launch throughout the year is known as your personal launch frequency. In general, the most successful Teespring users launch a new listing every two to six weeks, but there are factors that might impact your launch frequency like events, your posting schedule on streaming platforms, upcoming game or book releases, etc.
The key is to stick with a frequency that works for you and your target audience. Your aim is to create a consistent flow of purchases while injecting bursts of new orders whenever fresh new products are released.
Phase 1: Pre-launch
Once you’ve got your design and know the products you want to create you can begin pre-launch preparation. If you get stuck at any point in the launch process, please feel free to contact sellers@teespring.com for assistance. Make sure to set up your Google Analytics integration during the pre-launch phase if possible
1) Choose launch date
Choose the date you want your new products to be available for purchase. Try to schedule this date at least 3 – 7 days in advance so you have time to create promotional content.
2) Create products
Create your new listing in the Teespring Launcher as far in advance as possible. Keep in mind you can create your listing and update its visibility setting to ‘private’ so only you can see it.
If you want your products to be visible on your YouTube merch shelf or pin them during live stream you’ll need to set the listing’s visibility to ‘public’ at least 2 – 3 days ahead of time. This should allow enough time for the products to be added within your merch shelf catalog.
If you’re planning run a sale once you launch make sure to keep an eye on your profit margin and set up your promo codes ahead of time.
Also, if you’re going to sell these products for a limited time then you should also schedule a selling end date at this time within the listing’s settings.
3) Order samples
Featuring product samples in promotional content is an effective way to increase engagement and sales. You should definitely order merch samples prior to launch so it arrives as soon as possible. Check out examples of how Teespring users feature samples in their promo content.
4) Create promo schedule
It’s time to plan your publishing schedule for your promotional content.Below in an example of a post/email schedule for Cyber Weekend (created using Google Sheets). This user is planning to publish multiple social posts and emails before and during the sale. The goal of this messaging is to notify shoppers of an impending sale as well as remind them to take advantage of the discount while the sale is going on.
You can use the same approach for your product launch. Utilize multiple channels, create hype beforehand, and publish content once your products are available to remind followers to purchase.
You’ll want to publish at least 1 – 3 ‘hype’ posts before launch and publish content every 2 – 3 days during the post-launch phase. The exact publishing sequence will depend on what you think works best for your audience.
5) Prepare promo content
You can begin preparing your promotional content ahead of time, even before your sample arrives. Plan to announce your new products on all available channels including social media, email, video, etc.
- Draft the text you’ll publish when posting on social media platforms, in promo videos, etc.
- Create promotional images optimized for each platform you plan to share your products on. Check out our social media guides for specific tips on optimizing content for each platform (linked above).
- Prepare any links you plan to share (ex. If you use bitly links to track clicks). Remember to use the clean URL when sharing your listing or creating tracking links. For example, share https://teespring.com/stores/simonscat for a store or https://teespring.com/simon-s-cat-ugly-sweater for a specific listing. Remove any additional tracking parameters like ?tsmac=store&tsmic=simonscat&pid=879&cid=103789.
6) Create hype
Within the seven days before you ‘launch’ your new products (i.e. make them available for purchase) you should start posting teasers and hints around the upcoming launch to create hype.
For example, see how @narconugget [1.5M subscribers] gave followers a heads up on Instagram about his new Champion x Teespring collection 3 – 4 days in advance.
Here we can see how @twaz [23.5k followers] , a prominent graphic designer, used social media to build hype during the pre-launch phase of his new merch collection. Twaz posted teaser images and videos on social media every day as his followers counted down to the launch date.
Phase 2: Post-launch
Phase 2 kicks off as soon as you make your products available for purchase. This period typically lasts two to four weeks. If you’re offering products for a limited time then you should adjust your schedule accordingly.
7) Launch
Now it’s time to make your products available for purchase. Make sure your listings visibility is set to ‘public’, add your new products to your store and share your URL.
Again, remember to use the clean URL when sharing your listing or creating tracking links. For example, share https://teespring.com/stores/simonscat for a store or https://teespring.com/simon-s-cat-ugly-sweater for a specific listing. Remove any additional tracking parameters like ?tsmac=store&tsmic=simonscat&pid=879&cid=103789 that might be added to the URL.
Reminder: If you’re planning to sell your products on the YouTube merch shelf at the time of the announcement you need to update your listing’s visibility to “public” at least two to three days before the launch date. This is because you need to allow time for your YouTube product feed to update and make this product available to add to your merch shelf.
8) Promote products
Now it’s time to share your products with the world! Stay on schedule and keep our promotional guides in mind. You’ll want to continuously promote your products every few days using a variety of channels over the next two to four weeks. If you’re selling a limited edition product (i.e. it’s only available for a short time) then you’ll share promotional content at a higher frequency until the scheduled end date arrives.
If you don’t have your samples yet you can still create effective promotional images. Use our recommended design tools to create lifestyle mockups and other eye-catching graphics to share. Below is an example of a promo image created by @rockykanaka [1.38M subscribers]. He used a simple mockup of his new product for the graphic and added a clickable link to the caption for people to purchase.
Once your samples arrive you should definitely share photos and videos wearing them. Check out the engagement @moriahelizabethofficial [3.9M subscribers] generates when she shares photos with her merch + announces the launch in the same post.
Below is an example of how @kellystrackofficial [756k subscribers] published a video the day she announced her new merch line on Teespring to drive sales.
9) Collect social proof
If photos of you wearing products gets followers excited imagine how much they’ll love the chance to be featured on your channels! Reward loyal customers and make them feel special by giving them a shoutout or sharing their photos on your social media accounts. Social proof can affirm the quality of your products, encourage a sense of community, and give you promotional content to share for future launches.
You can request buyer selfies through your social media channels or using the buyer message tool in your Teespring account. Don’t forget if you come across any buyers who need assistance you can send them to support@teespring.com and we’ll be happy to help.
Check out some examples of how Teespring users collect and share social proof from their followers.
@mississippi_golend_gurls [188k followers] highlights fan selfies on Instagram to thank them for their support. This is a great way to encourage more sales and purchases because other followers will want the chance to get featured as well.
In the image below @jackfragsyt [265k Twitch followers] creates a sense of community by sharing a collage of loyal fans who purchased his latest design. He also asks people to share their photos with him and includes a link to his shop so more people can buy the merch for themselves.
10) Review, learn, repeat
Once you reach the end of your promotional schedule have a look back on how you did. Use this insight to optimize your promotional efforts and drive even more sales for your next product launch.
Here are examples of insight you should be looking for when reviewing your Teespring Analytics and Google Analytics:
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- What was my top selling product? Visit your listing’s analytics to see the top selling color options and product styles. If you notice certain colors or products outperforming others consider creating similar products in the future and featuring these items in your promotional content.
- What was my most successful promo code? If you offered different discount types see which one worked best. Moving forward you’ll know the types of discounts that work best for your audience.
- Where did most of my traffic come from? Check Google Analytics and Teespring Analytics to see where most of your store and listing page visitors came from. Next time you can focus promotional efforts on these channels.
- Where did most of my purchases come from? Check Google Analytics and Teespring Analytics to see where most of your conversions (purchases) came from—you may notice a lot of traffic from one site, but more purchases coming from another. This can indicate where your ‘true fans’ are located and where you’ll want to focus more promotional efforts next time.
- Where did I get the most engagement on promotional content? Did you notice more people engaged with your content on Instagram compared to Twitter for example? In this case you’ll want to focus more promotional efforts on Instagram next time and try sharing different types of content on Twitter to see if you can increase engagement.
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