How I Sold Over $1.3 Million on Amazon Merch 💰 TUTORIAL FOR BEGINNERS 2024
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 พ.ค. 2024
- 2024 EDIT: I just set a new record: $18,600 in royalties for December!!!
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$72,000 in t-shirts sold (3800+ t-shirts)! It's all pretty amazing to me and i'm super grateful!
I walk you through how i made $250,000 in PROFIT on Amazon Merch on Demand (formerly Merch By Amazon) with my Etsy designs, what Amazon Merch even is, how to design t-shirts using Kittl, how to check trademarks, and how to list your designs on various products. Stick around until the end for some solid tips!
▬ Contents ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
0:00 - Intro
0:51 - My Stats
2:31 - What the heck is Amazon Merch on Demand?
3:32 - How to apply for Amazon Merch on Demand
5:12 - Amazon Merch's Tier System
5:52 - My Actual Growth Timeline $150 to $250,000
7:28 - How to create a design with Kittl
10:24 - How to Check for Trademarks
11:32 - Creating Your First Listings & How to Price Them
14:18 - Listing Title & Description
15:08 - Design Inspiration & Ideas
15:45 - NO! It's NOT a "Numbers Game"!
16:39 - Getting the Most out of Your Designs
My "Why":
Why do I do what I do? I do what I do so I can do what I want and spend my time with the people that mean the most to me without having to get approval from someone or sacrifice my income to do so.
How did I go from a stressful bank IT job, renting an apartment in 2009 to semi-retirement, a house with no mortgage in 2020 and a land purchase in Belize? I’ll explain it all in detail over time, but the nuts & bolts of it is stepping out of my comfort zone and learning Print On Demand.
🌴 My Past and present Etsy Shops combine for over $1.3 million gross sales… and My Merch By Amazon Account is sitting at over 70,000 sales to the tune of $1.3+ million with royalties of over $260,000 in Tier 8000
🌴 I want to see as many people as possible regain control of their time (and money) and spend it on themselves rather than making other people rich in a 9 to 5 environment.
🌎 We only get one kick at this "can" called "Life", and it isn't a dress rehearsal.. so get busy putting yourself first! 🌎
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💻 // TOOLS FOR Amazon Merch:
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Disclaimer: Some of the links above are affiliate links which means I could make a commission if you use them. This costs you NOTHING... but it DOES help support my channel and gives me the ability to create more content to help you learn, grow and most of all: avoid common mistakes that I’ve made in my years with Print-On-Demand :)
#Amazonmerchondemand #merchbyamazon #sidehustle #passiveincome #passiveincome2023
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🌴 Join for updates on my Inner Circle Coaching Membership jaysway.works/InnerCircle
🌴 Join my Facebook group facebook.com/groups/jayswayprintondemand
Jay, nice to hear a useful instructional video without the hype and one that clearly shows how it's done. Thanks
Thanks so much for the comment!!
Just starting out myself. I am glad I found you. 👍🏼 Very chill and conversational style. Cheers bro!
Thanks for watching!!
I’m so proud of you ♥️😀 thanks for this informative video! Keep on rocking 😊♥️
I’m proud of you too! :)
Thank you! That was super informative and helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
Wow, I truly appreciate your video. It was very thorough and transparent.
How does your Etsy business work? Do you have it setup as a drop ship?
honestly you did very good bro,good job for your sales and a great detailed video
I appreciate that! Thanks for watching!!
Thank you for all the tips! There is some really good information in this video. And thank you so much for responding to questions! I just got accepted! gonna try it out!
Thanks so much for the kind words and support! Congrats on getting accepted!! Make sure you check for trademarks like your account depends on it - because it actually does! ;)
This is great thanks Jay! I'm new to the game, thinking I'll need to build up on Etsy or other platforms before applying to Amazon merch if the application is a one shot deal. Definitely on the agenda now though lol.
Good plan - Good luck!!
This vid was so easy to understand. Thanks.
Thanks for the comment! Glad it was easy to understand :)
How beautifully you have set up the entire video It was nice watching you..didn't events realise when the 16 minutes passed
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks so much for the kind words!! :)
Thanks for the insights Jay. Subbed, hope there is much more coming from you. How many designs do you upload per day on average?
Thx for the sub! There is mos def much more coming from me about Amazon Merch fo sho! I'll say per month, i'll try to put up about 5 to 10 banger designs... that's about it. Most of my "Merch" time is put into designing for the niches.. Quality over quantity. Thx so much for watching!
@@jayswayworks Got it. It's crazy how you have "only" 950 designs online but still perform this good. Been seeing some sellers having tens of thousands designs online and not even come close to your numbers.
Excellent video! I am a designer/artist, cant' wait to try this out. Working 9 to 5 drains the creative juices. Goals is to get some freedom and spend more time doing what I love. MUCHAS GRACIAS !
Sounds like you're in the spot i was once upon a time! Working 9 to 5 DEFINITELY drains the creative juices. You got this!
@@jayswayworks I am getting some designs ready, is it best to get an LLC established? Taking your advice on getting Etsy and Pinterest up and running, after that, I will do the Amazon POD. Thanks for your vote of confidence, Best!
**Disclaimer: This is not tax advice nor legal advice and i am not an accountant not a lawyer - you should definitely contact a professional with any further questions**
I just created a "Sole Proprietor" business here in Canada, but even that is unnecessary (though still recommended for tax purposes). I can't see needing an LLC as there's no liability with Amazon Merch in the sense that you are only letting them use your artwork... but again, i'd contact a professional about legal stuff.
Thanks for watching!!
Jay, this is the first video of yours I have seen. Good video, with excellent information and an inspiring example! I am new to POD (and not yet on Merch). But I appreciate your demonstration style, your good clear narration, your tips, your transparency about earnings, and how you used this to show how you became a success at POD. Thanks for sharing that with us. I will subscribe to your channel, and look forward to learning more from you in the future. :)
I'm so glad you appreciate my approach - The biggest detrimental thing our parents' generation did to us from a business perspective was not telling us how much things cost and hiding how much they made. This was a direct result of big corporation policies that told them to keep quiet and not disclose, or risk being fired- all so that these business owners could continue to pay employees unfairly & inequitably. Thank you so much for watching, the kind words and for subscribing! One day (hopefully before 2024) i'll get "monetized" here if i get enough subscribers and views and then i'll be able to share more for free! Truly grateful to know that my content resonates :)
Simple and clear keep it up.
Thank you!
Great video! you earned my subscription!
thank you so much for the support!!
Great Video, I love it
Thanks
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for watching!
thanks mate good tips
No problem! Thanks for watching!
Great video Jay, solid information, great transitions too.... I think you will do really well on TH-cam..... I don't know if you did this on purpose but your title says... How I How I Sold Over..... I think you might have one too many How I.... Keep up the good work man
Hey man! Thanks so much for the kind words! Means a lot coming from someone like you who has been at this t-shirt hustle even longer than me! I just taught myself Premiere Pro in the last 3-4 months, so I definitely appreciate the validation man! Editing still takes me foreeeeeevvvvvveeerr haha... Thanks for the heads up on my "how i How i" too hahaha.. Fixed it. Appreciate you taking the time to comment man!
Great video! Thanks ☮︎
Thank you too for watching!
Very inspiring! I’m in T500 but haven’t done much on Merch since Etsy keeps me busy. Need to put more time in it in 2023 to build that passive 💰.
Take the time to build it up! I cannot stress how worth it it can be! I now only spend a few hours a week on it and can spend the rest of my time doing whatever i want as well as helping others here on TH-cam and in my Etsy Print On Demand FB Group which is super fulfilling :)
Plus, the more "likes" and "subscribers" i get here, the faster i can grow and hopefully in a year or so i'll be able to get my TH-cam channel monetized which will allow me to spend even MORE time helping others!
My man! I'm working on this now.
Nice! . Amazon Merch & Etsy are great ways to keep travelling and make money! (Just subbed to your channel btw).
Great video, subscribed :)
THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE KIND WORDS AND FOR WATCHING!! :D
Great honest video. Well done 👍 do you mine sharing the process to get Amazon ascepet the application
Yes I can do that for sure but it's mostly already there in this one. Thanks for watching!!
well done video, do you know if you can have your design printed on the rear of the shirt. I'm looking to make motorcycle themed designs and typically the pattern is on the back to be shown off when they ride. also do you know if they can do a small design on the front chest and the bigger main design on rear of shirt. I know the cost is probably higher but these shirts typically go for decent money.
Yes you can! Yes to all of it!
Cool that you got a Channel. I really like your comments/posts in the Monumetum group :)
Thank you so much for the kind words!! I do try to help and be positive. Hopefully i'll eventually get monetized on here so i can continue to help others for free :)
@@jayswayworks good luck! :)
@@tastyless5737 Thanks! I have no idea who you are in the Merch Momentum group, but i appreciate you!
@@jayswayworks Just a silent reader, haha :)
inspiring vid. Have you thought of a vid or series of income tax basics for Merch/ POD folks in Canada? Like handling "royalty" income, etc.
Thanks for the kind words! No - i hadn't thought about making content about tax basics as it relates to POD - until now! haha I'll add it to the list - especially with tax time around the corner! Thanks for watching and thanks for the suggestion!
Curious to know how many designs you have listed (currently) in order to be making that much each month. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
So I am in tier 8000 and just got passed the 1500 mark for designs. I am at 1588 designs uploaded.
Thanks for watching and for your comment!
I was wondering if you can recommend someone who can guide me with POD? I have seen all of you videos and you have inspired me so much. I'm older and technology is new to me. Thank you for sharing and giving this old lady dreams again. Thank you
How can I help you specifically? I'll be putting together some courses for beginners, but you can pretty much find all the info you need to get started here on TH-cam.
What about SEO does it affect your listing rank, as some gurus say, or do you choose whatever you see as suitable as a design?
SEO is the only way to get found, so it definitely matters, but the design needs to be good enough too otherwise all the SEO in the world will not get you sales.
Hope this makes sense! Thanks for watching!
What An Awesome Tutorial! Do you know any other strategie to get out of the Tier 10 faster other than buying your own shirts? I appreciate it if you can help.
Great question - glad you asked! So everyone wants the "easy way", so i mentioned buying your own, BUT if you want to learn and grow and learn and grow, this is how i did it (plus i'm in Canada, so i couldn't buy my own stuff at the time):
• I'd only list on standard t-shirts, so that way you can get 10 designs up. Look at what's hot selling right now and make better, unique versions. Then share in relevant social media spaces where your target market actually hangs out.. let them sit for 3 weeks.
• In the meantime, design better and more unique designs. No rush here. Take your time and make sure the designs make sense. Might take you 5 min. or 5 hours. Either is ok. Again, no rush.
• Then: at the end of the 3 weeks, swap out 4-5 of them with your new designs.. Then every week after, swap out 2 designs - that way every design will have had 3-4 weeks on amazon. Obviously if something is selling, keep it.
Doing it this way is how i did it, and helped me to learn what the typical amazon customer was actually looking for. What i found was that while my designs looked great, they were "over-designed" for the amazon customer.
Remember a simple truth: You can learn MORE by what does NOT work than you can from what DOES work.
Hope this helps!!
Great video! to the point!
Glad you think so! Thanks so much! Please subscribe so you get alerted for my next Merch video - just hit a monster milestone ;)
Love the art btw!!
Thank you
Amazing video thank you! Question. How can I share my graphic design to Amazon Merch not yet having a website or social media?
I'm not sure what you mean - like advertising your stuff? Start a social media account. It's free! Thanks so much for watching :)
@@jayswayworks that’s based on followers and not everyone has the followers
Hi Jay! Did you have to do SEO research for the Amazon platform like how you would for Etsy? Is there a whole process to getting successful on here other than just uploading designs and maybe paying for ads? I want to know how much work it takes to get a top listing on Amazon merch because Etsy takes a lot of time for me to research keywords and such. Thank you in advance!
I definitely do SEO research for Amazon, but you have less keyword real estate since the "Brand" and title are the 2 main areas to leverage that way and you only get 60 characters for Merch on Demand titles, so you really need to make them count. That said, if you know your niches and are making sales on Etsy, then just use your 3 or 4 best long-tail keywords for Amazon. While it might seem to be more difficult with less 'room' for keywords, i find that it's actually easier since you can only focus on a few heavy hitters anyway. There's just no room for the fluff.
If they're in a certain niche that i do well in, I'll usually let my items simmer a bit for a few days to see if i get any organic sales, then run ads if not, but for the stuff in the ultra-competitive niches, i definitely run ads at very low bids.
I like Etsy for validating the demand in my niches and then i can use the data to find the matching keywords that show up in the Amazon search bar.
Etsy doesn't take that much time for keyword research for me - i spend my time doing niche research instead.
Hope this helps!
Thanks J.
Thanks for watching!
Hi Jay, if the same t-shirt design is uploaded to Etsy and Amazon, do you recommend pricing them the same or differently?
Good question! I price all my new stuff on Amazon between $18 and $20, and then bump up from there.. On Etsy, everything is $25 or more.
You have Pretty Merch and Productor enabled at the same time? That doesn't cause issues in Chrome? I always switch between the 2 as I like Pretty Merch for a dashboard, but use Productor templates for uploading. Productor dashboard gets buggy for me and I have to refresh the database a lot.
Never had an issue so far!
Hey Jay, great vid and thanks for the tips. Two questions, as I'm based in the UK, do you have any tips on how to crack the US market? And do you only use Kittl for your designs as you mentioned you're a graphic designer? Thanks M
Hey Mario! There's no real trick to "crack" the US market. The USA is the largest consumer market on the planet, meaning they'll literally buy anything. Just take a look on Amazon at some designs and you'll see that they're not "Picassos" or "Mona Lisas" by any means.
That said, is you can bring something new or unique to the table, it'll help set you apart for sure! Thanks for watching!
Oh - and i still use Illustrator for my designs mostly, but Kittle makes it so that literally ANYONE can now design like a pro - it's insane really. I'm using it more and more.. It's just so easy to edit existing designs that i'm starting to venture from my Creative Cloud loyalty hahaha
@@jayswayworks Hi Jay, many thanks for answering my questions and for your honesty, I just wondered if I was missing a trick somewhere and yes, there are some designs that are not 'Picassos' yet still sell, go figure. Ah ok fair enough and I agree Kittle does make things much easier. I think my designs are ok and if that's the case I can only put it down to the keywords I'm using. Everyone that I've watched has their own method and it can get a little confusing but I think your way is by far the simplest I've seen so far. Anyway, thanks again for the vid, I look forward to the next one and have a great Christmas and New Year and by the looks of your numbers you will !👍
@@Mazza1976 Thank you so much! Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to you and yours too!
Would you suggest creating a new email for Amazon or should I use my email I have for my Etsy shop?
Totally up to you! I would only suggest using a different one for the next time you apply (if you’re not accepted the first time).
I like your approach
Thanks so much! Please subscribe so you get alerted for my next Merch video - just hit a monster milestone ;)
@@jayswayworks done my friend
@@yassineacharki thank you!!
Congratulations to reaching $250k on Amazon Merch Jay! 🎉 I dropped this platform a few years back but slowly trying to work on it once again. Great advices, and I prefer quality over quantity as well. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you!! So many others make soooo much more than me too (as i'm sure you know) - it's kind of insane, really! Good luck!
Great video! Thanks!! I'm currently on my 7th application for Amazon Merch. Ha 😂 Maybe one of these days I will finally get accepted.
Best of luck! Hopefully you've been able to build up a portfolio on other platforms that you'll be able to leverage soon!
Is it hard to get approved by Amazon? Any tips?
Hi I loved the info. But I got questions how do I doo for taxes? Do I have to register as a company and what kind of company? Thanks 🙏😊.
You do not need to register as a company, but if you want to, a Sole Proprietor is totally fine and cheap too (only $65-ish in Canada )
Thanks so much for watching!!
Love the quality versus quantity. Since the pandemic I put my POD business on hold . Fell flat on my face this January so I am trying to get back in the loop and get a decent Rythm! I have never made the money you are making but still Merch was paying all the bills. Look forward to more of your insights and videos. Stay Safe.
I'm sorry the pandemic made you put your business on hold :( It was the greatest time for e-commerce in our lifetimes to date! That's the major reason you're seeing a lot of new-toPOD and new-to-Etsy folks with TH-cam channels now too - it was virtually impossible to fail with millions more people forced to shop online. The good news though is that the pandemic trained an entire generation of shoppers who wouldn't normally be shopping online, and many, if not most of them have decided to continue to shop online (evidenced by my last Q4 totals) :) Stay the course and don't give up! I'll be adding more content for sure! Thanks so much for watching!
@@jayswayworks Jay I really appreciate you taking your valuable time to respond. In a nutshell my family's needs took precedent over my POD. I am just basically going to start over again from scratch and reevaluate what I am doing. Not really interested in throwing noodles at the wall. I got tiered up to the 20,000 but had too many other responsibilities on my plate. I love designing and recreated my brand. I believe in quality over quantity and bringing new and fresh ideas to market. I also really only want to spend 3-4 hours daily on my business. I will be watching your new content. Take care and stay safe.
@@kimberlyorazem5377 Family always comes first! Never feel bad about that. Love that you're getting back into it - and i've been saying that tiers don't matter since i got into the Merch program. I also got lambasted several times so saying that over the years haha, but 3-4 hours daily on Merch is a LOT if it's time well-spent! Thanks again for the kind words Kim! Glad to have you watching - more Merch content coming in the next 2 weeks :)
i like surf poster in the background but you need endless summer too
Thanks! It's my wifes - an original Drew Brophy --> drewbrophy.com/
Would it be best to register as a business or individual?? Thanks for the video !!
So in Canada i am registered as a "sole proprietor" (business). I also chose "individual" here because i am not a corporation. I still claim my income and file business taxes.
Might be a good question for an accountant on whether you should incorporate though. Thanks for watching!
@@jayswayworks ok thanks for replying!!
Awesome video, thank you for the help. I applied to Amazon Merch today, if I don’t get accepted, what’s the best alternative in your opinion?
So if you don't get accepted, i'd probably keep trying, but the next biggest platforms like Merch where you don't have customer interaction are Tee Public and RedBubble. If you're ok with the odd customer interaction though, and higher profit margins, i'd recommend Etsy for sure :)
Thanks for watching!
@@jayswayworks thank you for the response! I made an Etsy store but it seems like a lot more work than Amazon Merch haha. I’m hoping my Amazon Merch gets accepted, I got a Kittl account and have made a few designs already. Really appreciate your video. My goal is to make $5,000 in a year, I hope I can do it
which adobe app should I use to make my own custom designs
i'm partial to Adobe Illustrator, but there are lots of cheaper and easier tools to use out there nowadays :) Thanks for watching!
Hello, first time I see your videos. Thanks for the info. I have a question. Can I publish the same desing on diferentes platforms (Amazon, redbubble etc.)? I'm just doing a reseach so I can do things in the correcto way.
Thanks for watching Maria! Yes - I use a lot of the same designs on Etsy and Amazon (and some on TeePublic).. If you own your designs (or at least own the rights to your designs), then yes, you can use them wherever you want.
@@jayswayworks thanks for your time... Feliz navidad!!
@@mariaimcmm de nada! Feliz Navidad! Good luck!
Nice man
Thanks for watching!
Thank you for your video. Did you register as a business or a sole prop? Wondering what is better from a tax perspective- thinking a business. Also, do need one brand name for all of your designs?
Both! "Sole Proprietor" is a business :) I didn't do it for Merch specifically - i registered myself as a Sole Prop over 10 years ago as a freelance Graphic Designer. But yes - i'd definitely recommend doing so - it's super cheap and worth the tax write-offs for sure!
No, you don't need one brand name for all listings.. That's up to you. You can have as many as you want - just make sure you check each one for trademarks before hitting that "Publish" button.
Thanks so much for watching!
@@jayswayworks Thanks! Does the user have a page where they can click to see all your designs (as a "brand") on one amazon landing page? If so, I would think we would want one brand name. Thanks!
So maybe i misunderstood you - Yes, the user has a page where it will show all your stuff.
You MUST have a "Brand name" for every listing, and you can have as many brand names as you want, but you don't have to put all your listings under one brand name.
For example:
I might have all my Dog stuff under "Jay's Brand Dog Stuff"
and all my Xmas stuff under "Jay's Brand Xmas Stuff"
...if that makes sense. Some people definitely do have 50,000 items under all one "brand name" though for sure - totally up to you! :)
Thank you! So helpful! I just heard back from Amazon Kerch and they didn’t accept me! Do I have to prove I sell in other channels before they accept me?
@@s.d.crockett486 as far as i know you don't HAVE to prove anything, but i'm sure it helps if you can demonstrate that you would be an asset to them.. kinda like having a resume of sorts i suppose.
Can I sign up if I am living in a country where this platform is not available there yet. Idea is to sign up and create designs that will be offered in those respective countries that have merch on demand
That's a good question! The short answer is YES. I'm in Canada and there's no Amazon Merch here yet either! :)
@jayswayworks hi. where can I see/buy the t-shirts you sell?
Hi! i don't share because copycats are rampant and it's hard enough to stay on top of protecting my trademarks.. That's why i blurred out the designs in the video.. sorry! Thanks for watching!
Check out Kittl here: kittl.pxf.io/2rEo47
Hi, can i use automation to upload on amazon merch? Is it legit for amazon policy?
I have never used one. You don't need one. They used to say it was not allowed and people have had their accounts closed for using them in the past, so i never used one. You can check if they made changes here: merch.amazon.com/resource
Hi Jay. A question. How much did you make? in your first year kn merchbyamazon
I joined in October 2017.. Oct: $14.33, Nov: $238.46, Dec. $345.47...
Then 2018 was $196.66 in January up to $3556.21 in December.
Total for 2018: $16,734
Great info. thanks for sharing. I wonder if it is still viable in 2024... only one way to find out.. give it a try.
100% still viable! Thanks for watching!!
Do you have a select number of designs that represent the majority of your sales? I was just watching one seller that 75% of his sales come from one design.
Absolutely! The Pareto principle (aka the 80/20 rule) as it applies to Print on Demand, is that roughly 80% of your $$ will come from 20% of your listings.
Read more about it here: terakeet.com/blog/80-20-rule-what-is-the-pareto-principle/
Cool video. What's your background/ skillset with design? Do you think it's possible to be a successful pod seller without super sharp design capabilities?
Thanks! So as mentioned in the video, i'm a trained graphic designer. BUT What i found was that while my designs looked great, they were "over-designed" for the amazon customer. To be honest, many of my bestsellers are a simple "clip art" style graphic with a clean, simple, easy-to-read font. I also almost never use more than 2-3 colours.
Plus, if you're ever in the FB groups for Merch By Amazon (now, Amazon Merch on Demand) sellers, you'll see that MOST of the top sellers by far are:
1) NOT graphic designers at all!
2) Many of them did take the time to at least watch a few youtube tutorials on design basics during their time on the platform
3) Make WAAAAYYY more than me - i was just looking at numbers of a guy who makes about $25k a MONTH in profit. His sales are 50k but he spends about half that on ads.. every. single. month. Mind-blowing right?? He's not a designer.
So yes, i think it's possible to be a successful designer without super sharp design skills because the typical Amazon customer doesn't appreciate the graphic layout rules like an Etsy customer might, for example. That said, i absolutely think you'll benefit from at least getting a handle on design basics as they apply to t-shirt design, but it's not necessary - just look at what's selling on Amazon right now and you'll see that most are more about the message on the shirt than how that message is conveyed. Hope this makes sense!
Jay, thanks for sharing your insights with us. Your observations above are very valuable advice!
@@jayswayworks Thanks a lot for the comprehensive reply, really useful info there.
@@steadmanuhlich6734 You're so welcome! The key, as cliché as it is, is this: don't overthink it and K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple, Stupid ;)
@@deanyvoys2181 Happy to help!!
Question. If you don't mind me asking, how do you market your shirt designs on the Merch by Amazon platform?
Aside from amazon ads, I don't really.. I do have a FB page, but it's only a small following and i'm lazy with it.. I really should do some more marketing, but i never seem to have enough hours in the day with everything else going on in my life haha
Thanks for watching!!
@@jayswayworksAwesome and thanks for the response. How do I launch Amazon ads for my designs if you don't mind explaining? I'm new to Amazon Merch and just got approved recently lol.
@@IHCgraphix No problem! Unfortunately as a new seller you wont have access to ads yet - i believe not until Tier 500 (might be 1000 though).
You don't need ads to sell though. Ads definitely help, but it is what it is until they give you access, so try tiktok, create a FB page for your niche or brand, pinterest, insta, etc.. Most importantly:
• CONGRATS on getting in!
• READ THE TERMS OF SERVICE, then read them again
• learn about copyrights and trademarks - do not do "disney" just because you see others doing it
• did i mention: READ THE TERMS OF SERVICE ;)
Good luck!
@@jayswayworks Thank you very much and have a great weekend sir!
Timeless Classics - I may need to order 7 more items to move to the next tier. Think like a cake shop in regards to what they celebrate year round. I am a Canva lady, but am open to explore Kittle Designs. 🎯 #JaysWay Thank you. ✅
Thanks for watching!!
Jay congratulations!
I tried to apply for merch by Amazon but they're not accepting from India. Any solution?
Thanks so much! I know 2 people in India who are selling on Merch, so I know it's not because you are in India. Unfortunately though, they do not tell anyone why they get rejected. Make sure you are not sounding like you are "begging" to get in, and definitely get your application proof-read and make sure it's short and sweet. Be polite and explain (concisely) how your sales history (if any) is an indicator of how you will be an asset to the program.
Thank you for sharing great valuable content! I applied the other day, in hopes I’ll get accepted 🤞
I’m not sure if it’s only me but the kittl link in your description isn’t working for me😩
Thanks for letting me know! Just fixed it :)
I truly hope you get accepted! Based on your handle, it looks like you've got some artistic prowess, so this could be a game-changer for you! Good luck! :)
@@jayswayworks thank you for fixing the link, I’ll definitely check it out! Oh and thank you, for your kind words! I really hope I get accepted!🤞
Wow, congrats! I just made Tier 20,000 and I sell very little compared to you! (I started Aug 2020.) Can you share how you research ideas to come up with winning designs and how you research kws/SEO?
Congrats on Tier 20,000!! I don't think i'll ever get there! haha I just don't upload enough. My motto is that if i actually max out my slots, i'm definitely doing something wrong. ;)
As y know, you only get 60 characters for Merch on Demand titles, so you really need to make them count. That said, if you make sure that you know your niches (bonus if you are making sales on Etsy or any other platform), then just use your 3 or 4 best long-tail keywords for Amazon. While it might seem to be more difficult with less 'room' for keywords, i find that it's actually easier since you can only focus on a few heavy hitters anyway. There's just no room for the fluff.
If they're in a certain niche that i do well in, I'll usually let my items simmer a bit for a few days to see if i get any organic sales, then run ads if not, but for the stuff in the ultra-competitive niches, i definitely run ads at very low bids.
I like Etsy for validating the demand in my niches and then i can use the data to find the matching keywords that show up in the Amazon search bar. I don't spend much time on keyword research - i spend my time doing niche research instead. If you truly know your niche, you won't need to do much KW research at all..
Jay, thanks for sharing those insights into how you do it. Noted! :)
@@steadmanuhlich6734 hope it helps!!
thank you
how do I get out of tier 10?
I didn't get my first sale yet
If you're doing the same as everyone else, it will be hard to get sales unless your designs are better and you're advertising your shirts on social media.. If your stuff is uniquely designed and still not selling, maybe your designs aren't what people are looking for. Keep trying new ones.
Hi. That "tier 10" or 10 items... is that 10 designs with unlimited totes, shirts, sweatshirts, etc. or is that 10 in total? Is there a downside to just selecting every possible Amazon choice?
Awesome video. Thank you sir.
So "Tier 10" used to mean 10 items back in the day.. so like you could have uploaded 2 designs on 5 items each and be maxed out. Nowadays though, it means 10 DESIGNS. In my Tier 8000, i'm allowed to upload 8000 designs and put them on a maximum of 528,000 "Live Products" which means that by the math, in Tier 10, you would probably have a max of 660 products you can list your designs on.
There's no downside to choosing every single item from that design standpoint anymore, but the downside that COULD be an issue when uploading to all the other markets/countries/products is that you've now given yourself WAY more homework in terms of checking trademarks globally, and for each single item class.
The other downside (and this is just my opinion) is that your designs won't look good on every item and creates a sea of crap listings that the customer will have to sift through.. meaning less sales for all of us.
Hope this all helps!
@@jayswayworks It does. Thank you for the reply. I appreciate it. I'm still trying to decide if this is something that I want to get into. I love the concept of it.
Very motivating, if you was to stop uploading for a bit would you still see these numbers or do you have to keep uploading designs constantly?
I only upload VERY part time.. I do feel like sales dip a bit if i don't upload for a month or two though, so then i'll just upload a few more. Nothing crazy though. Just make good designs based on niches you know and try to bring something new to the table. Quality will always win over quantity.
@@jayswayworks Oh no way that’s even more inspiring, I reapplied last night as the first time was years ago and I got rejected but this time I have an Etsy story with 49 listings so hopefully they’ll approve. Thank you for taking the time to reply.
Good luck! Crossing my fingers for you :)
@@jayswayworks Hi again thank you, I just saw a video saying if you was rejected in the past and made a new account with a new email which got accepted, you will get found out and banned when it’s time to tier up is this true?
No. Stop listening to whoever told you that. That only would apply if your were previously TERMINATED from the platform for violating their rules.
so the field that has always hung me up is the Brand field. I always thought I had to use a registered Brand - and you just made something up and stuck it in there lol - so it's really that easy??
Ha! YES! It really IS that easy - well apart from checking trademarks, of course. Otherwise though, you definitely do not need to have an actual brand registered with AMZ. Thanks for the comment :)
Does Amazon allow any sort of watermark to protect your design? That’s been my biggest hang up.
Not yet, but hopefully they’ll figure out something soon. They do make it easy to report pixel-for-pixel theft, but it would be nice if they could apply something on their end. Not sure what that would look like 🤔
@@jayswayworks yeah, I have a hard time seeing them ever allow any sort of watermark. But even if they let us use different mockups where the design might be at an angle or have wrinkles from a shirt so the design isn’t so easy to pick right off the shirt. Have you had issues with people stealing your designs? Seems like Amazon would be a big target for those random Chinese tee shirt sites.
@@DebbieDoesDesign Sorry for the delay!! Sure - people steal designs on any platform. Happens all the time, unfortunately.. Same with anything, like there's actual FB groups all about sharing (illegally) SVGs for the cricut / cnc users.. Don't let that be a barrier to making money. Worry about what could go right! Of course, you could always just sign up for a Seller Central or Handmade account with Amazon too, but then that's actual work like having an Etsy shop (though with a much larger audience). For the ease of use that is Merch by Amazon, I'll roll with it.. i just hit $15k in royalties for December and i only spent 3 hours on Merch this month. Do you sell on Etsy? If so, definitely apply to Amazon Merch with your shop link as your "portfolio".
You didn't have to resize for different shirts and totes ex?
Not anymore.. i think 2 years ago they made it so that you can just upload and it sizes to fit whatever products automatically - no more separate files for each product! :)
@@jayswayworks I must be using the old version. Is there a newer or different version?
@@omegachuck32 no. Just drag and drop your artwork onto the Merch "create" page where it says "Drag and drop artwork here". I just tested to double-check and it all works fine.
I subscribed
I got accepted recently on Amazon merch but still haven't made a single sell. I have been an FBA seller and used ads but how do you use ads for Amazon merch?
He said he does SEO searches to see which relevant keywords to use in order to get found by potential buyers
So i know that you won't get the Amazon Merch ads until Tier 500 (usually, but they do what they want, so it could be later tiers)... But i just read yesterday in a Merch group on FB that they used their Merch ASIN and advertise via their FBA/FBM ads with that ASIN. I have never tried that, so i don't know whether it's doable for certain, but i have no reason to doubt the people who wrote that. Thanks for watching!!
Hi there! So I applied and got accepted on my first try, and they started me at tier 1000. I’d never heard of that before, and have no idea why it happened. I do have experience in POD and linked my existing shop, but that’s all. Is this something youre familiar with? Was it a glitch? And thank you for this informative content!
That is awesome! No, i've never heard of anyone starting out at tier 1000! That give you all kinds of room to dive in instead of a 2 per day limit up to 10 products like when i started. Let's hope it's not a glitch haha
Congrats though- hopefully you crush it!
Same thing happened to me they started me at 1K tier 🎉
@@jovanavazquez7291 that's awesome! There's a few people who have mentioned that now, so i guess it a real thing! A little jealous of you guys haha. Congrats!!
@@jayswayworks lol I’m also an Amazon Influenzer and Amazon seller so maybe that contributed
how did you link you store? because i did that too and nothing!
Can you make an vedio about T-shirt listing on amazon
Yes- definitely will!
thanks pls make more amazon merch videos
Working on one right now! :) Give me a couple of days
How do you find design ideas that have not been done by thousands of other sellers already, and if you had to start all over again knowing all you do now, what would be some trends / niches / topics for 2023 that you would try?
These are good questions! I think i'll make a video for your answers..
Thanks for watching!!
I've been rejected for about 10 times already, not sure what I need to do to get accepted. I don't want to buy an account, want to be accepted formally. Any tips will be appreciated.
I'm sorry to hear that! If you haven't already done so, open an Etsy shop or Redbubble or something and load it with your designs so that you have some sort of "portfolio" to show them. Make sure you demonstrate some level of IP knowledge so that they know you won't be a liability and be kind :)
Keep it short and sweet, don't "beg" and be gracious.
Aside from that, nobody really knows the exact criteria for getting in, unfortunately.
Definitely do NOT buy an account - you'll get shut down and lose anything you've earned - it's against Merch's TOS.
بالتوفيق ان شاء الله 👍👍
So Etsy has a POD option? I didn't know that. I am shocked there aren't aprons or Mugs at Amazon Merch
Yup! Etsy "officially" allowed an integration with POD back in 2017 I believe, though i have been doing it for a few years longer than that.
Hey, Jay - I appreciate your videos. Unfortunately Amazon has a policy that if you have applied with them and were rejected, you can never submit an application again. How would you approach this issue? I am getting some experience on Etsy now and am selling products and would like to try to apply again with Merch. Any suggestions? Thanks for your content.
So I don’t know where you read that policy, but I know a few people who got accepted after several tries.
Can you point me to where it says that?
@@jayswayworks Hey, Jay! Thanks so much for your reply. Well, I applied once and then attempted it again once I had more experience and more products on my Etsy shop and the message says you are forever banned from applying again. I have watched strategy videos for applying multiple times but I don’t know how you would do that since you have to put your business IRS number in for tax purposes. If you get any different info, I would love to know it. I am eager to expand to AM if possible. Thanks again!
I applied for Merch years ago and was declined, and I have no idea why. How can I try again?
You can apply with a new email address as far as i know.
@@jayswayworks But then they ask you for a phone number and if it’s the same as your existing account you will get flagged
@@KristenBedard says who? I know people who have applied and gotten accepted on their 8th attempt - and i guarantee you that they didn't get 8 new phone numbers hahaha
As a long time MBA seller, there are a couple of things I highly disagree with (to each their own tho). First, I would not buy myself out of tier 10. The whole purpose of this journey is to learn what the customer wants and how to cater to them. The second part would be to not leave so much realestate for high demand low comp keywords in your listings. Titles, Brands, and bulletpoints should reflect those keywords that form sentences that make sense.
You can agree or disagree.. My channel is called "Jay's Way", not "The Only Way" ;)
What is a "long time MBA seller"?
The platform has only existed since the end of 2015. I joined in at the very end of 2017. "Long time" is a relative term i suppose.
I couldn't buy myself out of Tier 10 because I'm in Canada, so there's that I guess. I had to sell my way out.
BUT if the whole purpose of YOUR Amazon Merch journey is to learn what the customer wants, hey- that's your purpose. Hope it's fulfilling for you!
The Purpose of MY Amazon Merch journey is to make money as easily as possible so i can spend my time doing other things.
Merch is a terrible place to learn what the customer wants because you have no data to analyze in the lower tiers, and you only get data when you get access to Amazon Ads - Which definitely does NOT happen anywhere near the lower tiers. You just have to put up stuff and see if it sells. I'd much rather vet my niches on more viable platforms like Etsy where niches actually matter in terms of setting up a shop, having customer requests, and, of course more actual data than the nothing you get from Tier 10 Amazon Merch. Once I have that, I can easily throw up designs that are proven and start making sales on Merch almost passively.
That said, buying yourself out of Tier 10 gets you to Tier 25 quickly where you have room to make real sales and test a few designs.
I'm not sure what you mean about the 2nd part of your sentence.. I don't dabble with "high demand low competition keywords" - i go straight for high demand keywords regardless of competition, and i'll usually fill most of my character allotment in the title if you're looking at the 9 remaining characters available... A Brand Name should NOT be a sentence. My first bullet IS a call to action in sentence form even though Amazon has said that they don't even index keywords in the bullets (yet). I know a guy making 15k a month (outside of Q4) who doesn't even fill in ANYTHING in bullets or description at all.
Can I ask how many sales you make and how many live designs you have?
Can you do this off a phone
there's no app if that's what you mean, but if you want to figure it out, i'm sure there's ways to do it from a tablet!
Is it something you can do worldwide? How do you pay taxes this way?
Yes - absolutely. I do believe there are a few countries they may not allow, but it's broad for the most part. As far as taxes go, i'd definitely source an accountant in your own country as ever single country has their own nuances when it comes to taxes.
❤❤❤❤❤
Also, I have had designs rejected for using "cute." When I wrote to Merch they told me to not use words like cute, cool, awesome, gift, that sort of thing.
I have never had designs rejected for the word "cute".. so not sure what to tell you other than if you've been rejected for it, don't use it.
@@jayswayworks I know. It's just funny (i.e., annoying) how inconsistent Merch can be. I see new designs with "gift" in the title, when, again, I've had rejections for just that and been told not to use gift in the title. Same with some other words.
@@blackkitt98 ya, i know it can be frustrating - they've intermittently rejected "gift".. but they also say not to use "gift", so i don't - i value my "account health" and steer clear. If you want, you could always add "gift" to your KWs in an add campaign.
It's very difficult to apply for Asia.
Sorry to hear! Do you have a successful selling history you can leverage?
All fine and dandy but my shirts don't show up on Amazon from merch, Why not? Nobody can answer this not even Amazon!
No way to know for sure without seeing your designs, but it might be because you're trying to do more of what's already out there by the thousands. Are you doing something unique?
Did anybody know how to get accepted on MBA if you are living in Asia, I heard a trick that many who buy and sell Amazon merch account they apply for MBA in bulk like with the help of 20 to 30 mobiles at a time? Did anybody know anything about this? I don't want to purchase an account, I was got rejected more than 20 times, any help would be appriciated thanks.
NEVER BUY OR SELL AN ACCOUNT.
Use your designs or sales on other platforms to show your competency - Lots of people in Asia with accounts! :)
@@jayswayworks thanks
How I make my Best Sellers! th-cam.com/video/A90QSotkE1Y/w-d-xo.html
Why do you price 18.00 instead of 18.99 ?
It's just where I usually start for the $3.73 royalty.. Then I'll raise my prices if it starts selling regularly. You can definitely set the price to whatever you want!
@@jayswayworks do you use ads?
@@-alfulk1245 I didn't use them in the beginning, but i do now. Total ad spend is about $23k which brings my profit to over $227k. I tried and failed with my first $5000 so now i only advertise a few top sellers with low bids to keep them at the top if that makes sense. If you do decide to use ads, be sure to ask around here for help. I'm not a great resource for ads. My ACoS is under 20%, but i'm not strong in the ads department. I rely mostly on good design, niche research and then Amazon's algorithm to do the rest.
This guy know his ads: youtube.com/@AdsMasteryCircle
@@jayswayworks thank you for this useful informations bro
Etsy vs MBA ????
Both! Which is why i do both haha.. Etsy is higher profit margins but more "work" and Merch By Amazon is lower margins but much higher volume potential. Also, i'd never recommend putting all your eggs in one basket. Thanks for watching!
I just got started.. and i already need help
Crickets
To get the ball rolling and get out of Tier 10, i'd do all 10 designs for a holiday or big event coming up in the USA in about 60 days from now and advertise them as much as possible!
@@jayswayworks Got it!! Thank You For that.
They denied my application
Sorry to hear! Hopefully you'll get lucky next time!
I have 32 sales and I'm in tier 25 for weeks
If you're maxed out, delete your designs that aren't selling and add new ones.
Also, if your prices are set super low to where you're making almost no money, why would they tier you up?
@@jayswayworks Why did they tier me from 10 to 25?
@@jayswayworks The method of pricing low is recommended by Ryan who has sold +1 million $ in MBA
@@mohamedelamineamine8 unfortunately I don’t control how, why or when Amazon will tier you up.
I had over 100 sales before I was tired up from 25 to 100.
Your designs being “high quality” doesn’t really mean anything as it’s more about the message itself than how the message is conveyed. This is especially true if your designs are unique and not just “redesigns” of the thousands that already exist and have sales history. If they ARE “redesigns”, your designs will have to be better than the thousands already out there and you’ll probably need to advertise them.
If you don’t have access to ads, then it’s crucial to be unique and bring something new to the table.
I hope this helps.
I cannot speak for others, sorry!
Be careful with Amazon's merch on demand service. You give all rights to Amazon (IPR, copyrights) They can do business with your products and you don't get any compensation for it.
"You irrevocably convey, transfer, and assign to Amazon (or any Affiliate designated by Amazon), its successors, and assigns, all of your rights, title, and interests in and to any and all Designs. Amazon may elect to assign these rights in their entirety to the licensors of Brand Content, who may, in turn, commercialize Designs outside of the Program with no additional Royalties due to you."
Yup! That speaks mainly to the "Brand Content". They have what are called "Collaborators" (aka Big Brands) that you can submit your designs to. So like if you make a design for SpongeBob or Dunkin Donuts for example, it only makes sense that they reserve the right to own that design with their Intellectual Property on it.
If these types of things are barriers to entry for you, then selling on the big POD platforms like Redbubble, teepublic, etc.( - none bigger than Amazon) where your profit is largely passive, is probably not for you... and that's ok too! I just prefer to not let fear of the unknown stand in the way of living life to the fullest :)
@@jayswayworks But the big thing is that you are not the owner of your own art if you want to do business with Amazon's on-demand merch service. Amazon takes ownership of your art. If you are a skilled artist, you need to think about whether you want to own your art or not. If you spend a lot of time designing your art, it is not a good idea to give ownership to someone else.
@@Jerry-gj1bh again, it's referring the Collaboration program which you can see here (merch.amazon.com/collab/brands) "Amazon may elect to assign these rights in their entirety to the licensors of Brand Content" --> the "Brand Content" are the big brands that show up in that link (you might not have access to it if you're not in the Collab program).
Separately,
1) if you spend a lot of time designing your art, and
2) you're that romantically attached to your artwork, then
3) it's probably not the kind of stuff you want to sell on Amazon
For me, it's about making money. Full stop.
I let my artistic romanticism die with my mortgage.
Like i said, it's not for everyone, and if you're that attached and spend that much time on your artwork, it's probably not something you'd want to slap on t-shirts anyway, right?
@@jayswayworks I answer this question: "...if you're that attached and spend that much time on your artwork, it's probably not something you'd want to slap on t-shirts anyway, right?"
There are also other ways to manufacture and sell t-shirts.
I can get manufacture services and logistics services myself for t-shirts, etc. I can sell the products on Amazon and in other stores, so there is no need for a collaboration program. I retain all rights to my art. It is fair game. If I am a skilled artist and can create a successful product, it would be foolish to give the rights to the product to someone else.
If your product sells well, then the production costs are lower and you can make more profit if you own all the rights to the product. If Amazon has the rights to your high-selling products, they may want to make more money with your product and start their own business. It is important to understand the risks involved in such a collaboration program.
I can use crowdfunding to finance my product idea. If the idea is good, I can raise money this way and retain all copyrights. Crowdfunding can be a good way to test the market for your product. If you successfully market your product and raise enough money through crowdfunding, you can sell it wherever you want.
@@Jerry-gj1bh I don't design much for their Collab program, but why would you want the rights to the artwork you created for someone else's brand..with their logo on it? At that point you're more of an 'employee' of sorts.
But yes - you can absolutely do all of that other stuff.
I'd rather not rely on crowdfunding and rather not get manufacturers and logistics, etc., in order - You can though for sure. That's why channel is called "Jay's Way" and not "The Way". There's many ways to win. I am just sharing what works for ME, and I am just choosing Amazon and Etsy primarily for their ease of use and the lack of "barriers to entry" as opposed to taking the months to learn about and years to refine everything you've mentioned above... Especially if you're not taking some course for thousands of dollars or wanting to test products on your own dime.
Let me know when you've done all of the things you mention above - i'd love to interview you! Would make for great content :)
I got rejected by Amazon merch 😕
try again!
@@jayswayworks you can’t
@@zenbran i have heard of many people getting in after several tries.
@@jayswayworks it won’t let me reapply maybe if I create a new account but can’t do it on the same account. Other TH-camrs I’ve watched on this have said you get one try and that’s it for one Amazon account. Unless you make another and get lucky enough for them to not tell you haven’t applied prior
Bro’s lying through his teeth💀
Bro. I make nothing compared to many others on the platform. Do yourself a favour and search up some other videos on Merch or join some facebook groups and you'll see ;)