Merch sales have always been one of the top income sources for artists trying to make it in the music industry.
If you tour at all, you probably rely heavily on merch sales to keep you going.
In the short video above, I outline six simple tips to increase sales that you can easily implement into what you're already doing.
And if you're not into watching videos, don't worry... I have them written out below.
1. Roll Your T-Shirts
Believe it or not, simply rolling up your t-shirts before your shows can actually help you sell more merch.
Think about how much time is wasted folding shirts at the booth. Time wasted can cost you sales.
The people waiting in the back of the line to buy something at your booth have other things to do besides waiting in line. The longer they have to wait, the more likely they are to start thinking about getting home to feed their dog or what time they need to be up for work in the morning.
Rolling shirts ahead of time can save you a ton of time and help you keep the line moving at your merch booth. Thus increasing sales.
Now don't get me wrong. Interacting with people that came to your show can really help you build a connection with your fans. By all means, take the time to talk to people that enjoy your music. Just don't let something as pointless as fumbling around with t-shirts cost you sales.
2. Make A Note On Your Set List
Don't forget something as simple as reminding the crowd that there is a merch booth.
Make a note on your set list to mention the merch booth. If the crowd reacts positively to a particular song, let them know which album it's on and that they can pick up a copy at the merch table. And point to the merch table so they know where it is.
At the end of your show, go straight to the merch table. Walk through the crowd to get there. Bringing more attention to the merch booth will help you make more sales.
3. Make It Cool
Get creative with your merch designs. Fans that would normally buy a t-shirt will be less inclined to do so if your shirt are boring. A plain black shirt with a boring logo isn't likely to fly off the display wall.
On the other hand, someone that normally wouldn't buy anything might actually want to grab a shirt if the design is cool and creative.
So think about how you can make your shirts, poster, stickers, etc. really stand out.
4. Bundle
Give people a deal that's too good to pass up. If you normally sell your album for $10 and shirts for $20, bundle the two together for $25.
Something really interesting that you should experiment with is giving people a deal so good that seems like a mistake.
Let's say that your album is $10 and your t-shirts are marked $25. Offer the t-shirt and album together for $25.
Yes, you read that right. Now they have the option to buy the album for $10, a shirt for $25, or a shirt and the album for $25. The last option seems like such a no-brainer that you can pretty much rest assured that most people will take that one.
It may seem a little strange, but that actually works a lot better than you might expect. Give it a try and let us know how it works for you!
5. Put A Screen At The Merch Booth
This doesn't have to be anything big or fancy. An iPad will work just fine.
It doesn't actually matter what's on the screen. It could simply be images of your merch on rotation. Just be sure you turn the screen to maximum brightness.
The idea here is simply to make your booth more noticeable. The venue is likely going to be dark, so a bright screen can help attract people's attention to the merch booth.
The more people notice your booth, the more people are likely to check out your merch.
6. Give Something Away
This may seem a little counterintuitive, but if you give a fan a shirt... they'll buy another shirt.
It's an old sales trick that makes the prospect feel like they owe you something. You give them a shirt, and they instinctively want to reciprocate.
This happens very naturally and when they purchase a shirt to reciprocate the generosity they felt from you when you gave them a free shirt, they'll actually walk away feeling very good about it.
So there you go...
Six simple tweaks that you can make with almost no extra effort to sell more merch at your shows. Experiment with those ideas, and feel free to drop us a line on our contact page to let us know how they worked out for you.
And be sure to use the increased income from your merch sales wisely. Following a proven model like the one laid out here <== will help you quickly grow your fanbase and sell more music and merch, both at your shows and online.
