Choosing The Right Campaign Objective To Sell T-Shirts

When it comes to selling T-shirts, there are a few key things to keep in mind when choosing a campaign objective. First, it's important to define your target audience and understand their needs, preferences, and online behaviour. This will help you determine which platforms to focus on, such as Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, as well as the type of content that is most likely to resonate with them.

Another important consideration is the design of the T-shirts themselves. A visually appealing and aesthetically pleasing design that aligns with your target audience's interests and values is crucial for a successful campaign. Additionally, the pricing and quality of the T-shirts need to be competitive and in line with market demands.

In terms of campaign objectives, it's essential to set clear goals and priorities. Are you aiming for increased sales revenue, more traffic to your store, or boosted brand awareness? By defining these objectives, you can create targeted campaigns that utilise the unique features of each platform, such as Facebook's dynamic ads or Instagram's focus on visual presentation.

To make the most of your campaign, consider building a sense of urgency and hype around your T-shirts. Limited-time offers and pre-order campaigns can create a sense of exclusivity and encourage purchases. Additionally, engaging with your audience and sharing content that showcases the T-shirts being worn can be powerful tools to increase desirability.

Lastly, don't underestimate the power of a strong online presence and optimised content. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) techniques can help improve your website's visibility and drive organic traffic. Paid advertising options, such as Google Ads or social media platform-specific ads, can also boost your campaign's reach and effectiveness.

Choosing the right design

Understand Your Target Audience

Before you start designing, it is crucial to identify your target audience. Consider their interests, demographics, and behaviours. This information will guide your design choices and ensure your T-shirts resonate with the intended audience.

Keep It Simple

While you may be tempted to create complex designs, remember that often, the bestselling graphic tees are simple. Focus on creating unique designs that are easy to understand and visually appealing.

Use High-Quality Images

When promoting your T-shirts on social media platforms like Facebook, use high-quality, bright, and exciting images of people wearing your products. Order samples of your T-shirts so that you can photograph them and showcase them in action.

Leverage Facebook Live

Utilise Facebook Live to engage with your audience and showcase your products. If you're an individual, use Facebook Live to chat with friends and family about your campaign, the story behind your designs, and encourage them to ask questions. If you represent a business or nonprofit, interview the designers, give facility tours, or host a thank-a-thon to engage your audience and build excitement.

Create a Facebook Event Page

Creating a Facebook Event Page is an excellent way to generate buzz, especially if your T-shirt design is tied to a specific event or if there's a particular day when people are supposed to wear them. When friends indicate their attendance at an event, their network will also see the activity, passively expanding the reach of your campaign.

Collaborate with Influencers

Consider partnering with influencers or micro-influencers in your niche. Their endorsements can help amplify your message and increase the credibility of your T-shirts.

Test and Iterate

Don't be afraid to experiment with different designs and promotion strategies. Test various copy, images, demographics, and objectives to optimise your campaigns and lower your costs.

Focus on Hype and Urgency

Create a sense of urgency and exclusivity by promoting your campaigns before they go live. Limited-time offerings and countdown timers can encourage purchases and build excitement.

Emphasise Quality

While it's important to keep costs down, don't compromise on quality. Choose high-quality materials and printing methods to ensure your T-shirts are durable, comfortable, and visually appealing.

Stay Organised

Create a promotion calendar to plan your content and vary your posts to keep your community engaged. Regularly post updates, share customer testimonials, and showcase your T-shirts in real-world settings to maintain interest and excitement.

Remember, the right design will depend on your unique brand and target audience. Stay flexible, adapt to feedback, and continuously improve your designs to create a successful T-shirt business.

Preparing your artwork for print

Before you can start printing your design on T-shirts, there are a few things you need to do to prepare your artwork for print.

Firstly, you need to create a sketch of your design. This sketch will be your guide when you start inking the outlines of the design. Once you have your sketch, import it into Adobe Illustrator CS6. You can also use CS5, but older versions may not work. In Illustrator, you can choose different weights for brushes: Ultra Fine, Fine, Medium, Bold, and Bolder.

Open your brush template by going to "File" > "Open Recent Files" and selecting the template file. Then, open your sketch by going to "File" > "Place" and selecting your image. Alternatively, you can drag your sketch from Photoshop to the Illustrator document.

Double-click the layer with your sketch and check the box that says "Dim Images to: 50%". Then, lock the layer by clicking the box next to the eye icon, which will turn into a lock symbol.

Create a new layer and select a brush to start inking your sketch. You can choose from the different weights of brushes available. Once you're done inking, turn all the brush paths into objects and merge them by going to "Object Menu" > "Expand", then "Window" > "Pathfinder" and clicking on the "Unite" icon.

Choose your colours and go to "Object" > "Live Paint" > "Make". You can now paint the different areas of your design with one click. Select your colour and choose the "Live Paint Bucket Tool (K)".

Now, click on the fields you want to colour. It's a good idea to create a new layer below your line art for each colour you use.

You can also add some highlights and shadows by drawing new objects above the colour layers using the "Pen Tool (P)".

Finally, place your finished design on a mockup.

Preparing your design for print:

• Use PMS or CMYK colour modes: While you may be used to working in RGB for online artwork, using PMS or CMYK colour modes will ensure more accurate colours when silk screening your design.
• Convert all text to outlines: This will prevent font substitutions from occurring, as the text will be viewed as an image by any computer that opens the artwork file.
• Create artwork at actual size: Don't assume that the printer will interpret your design the same way you do. The safest option is to create the artwork in its final size.
• Use vector artwork as much as possible: Using vector artwork makes colour separations easier and results in a cleaner print.
• Expand your strokes: Select what you want to expand, then go to "Object" > "Expand" to ensure that all colours are set to PMS swatches. This will prevent any issues with colour separations.

By following these steps, you'll be well on your way to preparing your artwork for high-quality T-shirt printing.

Choosing your product

Pick a Niche

Broad niches like "funny t-shirts" are often too big for a new business to compete in. Instead, opt for sub-niches and use keyword research tools to discover what your target audience is searching for. For instance, instead of "funny t-shirts", you could try "t-shirts with jokes for nurses" or "funny t-shirts for dog parents". You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or Facebook Audience Insights to gauge the size of your niche and determine if it's worth pursuing.

Source High-Quality Materials and Printers

The quality of your t-shirts is crucial to the success of your business. Different printing methods produce different results, so it's important to understand your choices. Screen printing, heat transfer, and direct-to-garment (DTG) printing are some of the most popular methods. Consider factors such as sizing, material, fit, softness, and weight when choosing your t-shirts. Order samples from different suppliers to make an informed decision.

Design Your T-Shirts

If you plan to create original graphic tees, you'll need to get creative. Explore top-selling designs and niches on sites like Etsy, Redbubble, and Teepublic for inspiration. Use Google Trends to see what topics are popular and leverage them for your designs. If you're not skilled with design software, consider hiring a graphic designer from freelance networks like Upwork or design communities like Dribbble and Behance. Alternatively, you can purchase pre-made designs from t-shirt graphic marketplaces like Creative Market, Graphic River, or Tshirt Factory, although this may make it harder for your products to stand out.

Mock Up Your T-Shirts

Create mockup images to visualize how your designs will appear on the t-shirts. You can use online tools or image editors like Adobe Photoshop to create digital mockups, or order samples and shoot your own photos.

Validate Your T-Shirt Designs

Before investing too much time and money, test the popularity of your designs. Share previews on your social media accounts and in places where your potential customers hang out. Use crowdfunding sites or reach out to personal social networks to gauge interest and gather feedback. Reddit is also a great place to get honest feedback, although the community generally avoids marketing content.

Setting your campaign price

When setting your campaign price, the biggest thing to keep in mind is the balance between affordability and profit margin. Do you want to sell more t-shirts at a lower price point, or fewer t-shirts at a higher price point?

It's important to research the market and look at what similar pieces are selling for. Most t-shirts sell for between £15-30, and hoodies tend to cost £25-40. You can also use a price calculator to help you estimate potential profits at different price points.

It's also worth noting that the more t-shirts you sell, the more cost-effective each garment is to produce, and the greater your profit margin will be. So, if you can afford to, it might be worth setting a lower price point to maximise sales.

When deciding on your retail price, use the following formula:

> Production cost + profit margin (e.g. 20%) + expenses = retail price

Most creators go for a 20% profit margin, while retailers aim for 50%. However, you can adjust this margin depending on your business goals and strategy. Just remember that your profit margin shouldn't be much higher than your competitors', or you may struggle to make sales.

Another thing to keep in mind is your target audience. If you're targeting a younger demographic, you'll probably need to set a lower price point.

Finally, don't forget the psychology of pricing. Ending your price with a non-round number, like .99, makes the price seem cheaper, even if it's only one cent less. So, instead of charging $31, you could try $30.99.

With these tips in mind, you're ready to start setting your campaign price!

Setting your campaign length

The length of your campaign will depend on your goals and resources. While there is no exact science to determining the ideal campaign length, there are some factors to consider when making your decision.

Firstly, shorter campaigns of around two weeks are ideal for creating a sense of urgency. They allow you to focus on sharp and punchy marketing strategies, leaving you with more time for other projects. Longer campaigns, on the other hand, offer more flexibility and a relaxed promotion schedule.

Secondly, the timing of your campaign is crucial. Setting your campaign to end just after payday can be an effective strategy, as it combines urgency with a target audience that is more likely to have disposable income.

Additionally, remember that your campaign doesn't have to end forever. You can use the "open sales" option to relaunch your campaign instantly after it ends. Everpress, for example, offers a "re-launch request" feature that notifies you if someone expresses interest in your product when the campaign is not live.

Finally, when planning your campaign length, consider the time and resources you can dedicate to promotion. A shorter campaign may require more intensive marketing efforts, while a longer campaign provides a more relaxed promotion schedule.

In conclusion, when setting your campaign length, consider the balance between creating urgency and having enough time for effective promotion. A shorter campaign of around two weeks can be ideal for generating urgency, while a longer campaign offers more flexibility. Additionally, timing your campaign to end after payday and utilising "re-launch" options can be effective strategies.

Frequently asked questions