A custom merchandise (also known as custom merch) is a promotional product specially customized by a brand and given to customers as a gift or sold to them for a token. While there are various forms, a custom patch is one of the most common merchandise options that can help enhance a brand’s reach.
In addition to brand promotion, selling custom patches can also be a way to generate revenue for your brand. You can make custom patches and print them on products like apparel and accessories to make money.
However, like selling everything else, you’ll need to have basic marketing knowledge if your goal is to sell custom patches as merchandise. In this post, we’ll explore some of the proven tactics to successfully incorporate custom patches into your business’s merchandise line.
Target the Right Audience
Custom patches are great, but they’re not for everyone. This is a basic foundation for every marketing effort. You have to recognize the fact that your custom merchandise is not for everyone. You’ll be saving yourself a lot of money and a great deal of stress by simply marketing to people who are more likely to be interested in buying them.
Your ads, marketing message and your choice of promotional platform depend on the target audience. Identify the specific customer groups and demographics of fandoms who would like to appreciate your custom patch offer.
Offer Design Varieties
Designing a variety of custom patches is one way to make them appealing to a large user base. By offering different designs, material options or embroidery styles, you’ll make it easier for potential customers to find their preferred custom patch merchandise. Some brands also give customers the option to personalize their own merchandise based on existing designs or create their own from scratch. This is an efficient marketing tactic that gives customers a personal connection.
Use High-quality Materials and Prints
High-quality merchandise will always market itself. This is why you should pay attention to your custom patch design and materials. To create custom patch designs, use a good design platform or hire a professional if you’re unsure. You should also invest in top-quality custom patch printing services. When customers can see the quality of your custom patch merchandise, it’ll encourage them to make repeat purchases.
Showcase your Patches
If you’re selling standalone patches (not printed on products already), you should focus on showcasing how these patches can be used. This can be done by either creating digital mockups showing how they’ll look on various apparel and accessories or printing a few products with the patches on them.
You should also provide clear instructions on how to use the custom patches. For instance, for custom iron on embroidered patches or sew-on custom patches, your customers may need instructions on how to apply the patch. Providing helpful information like this is one of the ways to motivate people to buy your patches.
Leverage Collaborations
Sometimes people won’t buy your patches for the sake of it but will do so based on your collaborations with other brands. To market your products effectively, consider teaming up with other businesses, influencers or artists. These collaborations will help you create a buzz with your customers and potentially reach new categories of users
Use Social Media
In today’s digital age, the impact of social media on marketing efforts cannot be overemphasized. Well-made patches are already visually appealing, meaning they’re likely to get significant attention if you post great pics of them on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
You can also encourage your customers to share high-quality photos and videos of them wearing their patches or ask them to leave reviews on your page. People are more likely to buy your custom patch merchandise when they see social proof like this. Social media contests and giveaways can also boost your brand visibility and engagement.
Curate Merchandise Bundles
Instead of buying just one custom patch, encourage people to buy more for less by offering customized bundles or package deals. Such deals may include multiple custom patch designs and different merchandise items. Curated deals like this incentivize purchases and make it more likely for customers to buy more.
Events
Events such as conferences, concerts or conventions are a great place to market your custom patch merchandise. At these events, you get to interact directly with customers and promote your products to them. Events also provide opportunities for brand collaborations and may help introduce your products to new customers. You can boost your reach by sponsoring events or providing your merchandise as goodies for participants.
Pricing
Pricing is a core element in product marketing. While you need to factor in the cost of materials and production and maintain a healthy profit market, you should also set a base price that’ll be friendly enough for your target audience.
A good pricing strategy to explore is tiered pricing. By offering both low-cost and high-value custom patches, you can cater to the needs of buyers at different budget levels. You can also create exclusive products or limited edition merchandise and offer them at a higher price point.
Community Building
Custom patches allow you to showcase different graphics or messages that people can resonate with and proudly showcase. Create patches with a unique theme or concept to foster a sense of belonging among your customers. You can also leverage existing communities, lifestyles and fandoms such as anime, movies, vegans and so on. Members of these communities will likely find your merchandise attractive and purchase them.
Conclusion
Marketing can be difficult, but there’s always a market for high-quality custom patch merchandise. By following the tips covered here, you can boost your merchandise sales and also use custom patches to build brand awareness for your brand.
Here at The/Studio, creating good quality custom patches is what we do. We understand the importance of quality products in marketing, which is why we focus on helping businesses create quality and impactful patches that will help them get the attention of their customers. Contact us now for your custom patch merchandise design and production.
