Selling Merch and Choosing the Right Platform: GMCanty’s Guide for Twitch Streamers
Hello everyone! My name is James Canty, and I am a pro chess player and content creator.
The Initial Struggles of Selling Merch
Previously, I built a site (took forever and had to learn other skills like building funnels), where I would post exclusive content for my subscribers. The program was a success, but there were so many things to upkeep on the backend.
I was also a big fan of having merch as a streamer. The options available were Teespring, Shopify (which I was very good at), Streamlabs Merch, and StreamElements Merch. I have tried them all, but I NEVER made enough to say this could be a serious part of income. The profit margins were so small I would need to sell 100 items just to say that the profits are ok, not even good! I’ve finally found a way to create and sell merch and offer memberships to my community. Here’s a bit more about my journey, and my top tips for success.
Pro Tips: Maximizing Your Merch Sales
1. Consistent Engagement with Supporters
TALK ABOUT YOUR MERCH FREQUENTLY. While streaming, I say every hour or so, sometimes every 30 minutes, talk about your merch! I have a command in chat !dripcheck, that links to my store. Your chat is there to support you, so if you are talking about your merch, they will see it more, and eventually buy. The best feeling is when they are buying it and you are not even live on Twitch!
2. A Fresh Catalog
Frequently add new products. This is not a mandatory thing, but I have seen that the more products we add, the more we can rotate in and out for seasons, sales, flash sales, etc. You don’t have to add new products, but if you can put your logo or merch designs on gear from head to toe, you open the window for more product sales and more buyers.
3. Community-Driven Promotion
When people buy merch, have them post their pictures in a discord channel if you have one, or ask them to email or send directly to you somehow, so that you can update the merch pictures with real time fans and followers! It is magical when your chat sees that people already have your merch, and even better when they are in the chat and see themselves on screen, it entices them to buy even more! Overall, have your chat model the merch for you, and on the backend take those pictures and place them in the respected product listings.
4. The Gifting Phenomenon
If you have the option to, make sure you have the Twitch gifting feature on. This is important because people WILL gift merch. When one person in chat buys some merch to give away to chat, not only does chat get SUPER HYPE, but it helps others get involved as well, and then they want to gift too. This can really add hundreds of dollars to your profits each month.
The Big Change: A New Path in Merchandising
I was approached in early 2022 about creator merch and saw that MKBHD aka Marques Brownlee had created his merch through Fourthwall. I was instantly sold, knowing who MKBHD is in the content world. THE REST IS HISTORY. The very first month of launching my Fourthwall store, I made more in that month than my previous merch sales on all the channels I used before combined!
What Makes A Merch Platform Exceptional?
When choosing what platform works best for you, there are some things that should be non-negotiable. Here’s what I think makes a merch platform special, and why Fourthwall fulfills my needs:
1. Community and Support
Getting quality support and a community vibe are super important. From the VERY ACTIVE Discord community, where all creators and staff come together to help each other, to the blogs they post all the time to help you make more sales and more money, Fourthwall has all the avenues covered, and you never feel alone.
2. Product Quality
You should want to wear your own products. For the last year, my ENTIRE wardrobe, even my socks and shoes, are my own clothing. Their products are TOP NOTCH.
3. Profit Margins
There should be great profit margins. I ALWAYS make anywhere from $5 - $20 in PROFIT each sale.
4. Customization Options
Customization is key to standing out. I love the fact that I can control the theme or the website, colors, pricing, literally everything on my site I have control over.
5. Gifting Feature
Giving is contagious, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THIS FEATURE ON. I have also seen that winners of the giveaways tend to gift something else or the same item to the community, as a thank you and paying it forward. This can really add hundreds of dollars to your profits each month.
The Sky's the Limit
For the first time in my streaming career, I see merch as a real way to increase your income, following, and have high quality swag you can stand by and push to your community. I am so grateful to have found Fourthwall, and now the sky's the limit, they’re just getting better and better!
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Good luck to you on your Fourthwall journey!