You Don’t Have to Struggle with Print on Demand Anymore
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 ต.ค. 2024
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I spend 2 yrs on Redbubble and Teepublic but always knew on the web nothing lasts forever. Spend my "passive" time on developing skills and collecting dollars. With the changes I was ready and moved to scenario 1 immediately.
I am just at the beginning of my POD journey and my mind is 🤯 with all the information its trying to take in. I am hoping to become scenario #1 in the near future
Nice!!! You can do it!
It's true that you have a full control of own website, but I think the major challenge is to gain traffic. Because if someone search t-shirt, already these existing pod Giants come at the top places. So, why people will go to second page. But having said that it's possible if you have strong knowledge of social media marketing, SEO. Because now you are fighting with those pod Giants, specially amazon.
It's true that these market places are saturated, but just focus on one sharp specific niche with proper promotion, it would be possible to make sell rather than having a generalized niche.
yes it's certainly not easy but it's possible and that's why a marketing mindset is super important.
I found out the other day though that you don't have full control of Shopify because apparently scammers are scraping scores & then reporting original store for infringement and the original store gets temp shut down over and over.
I haven’t heard this. please share where you saw it. I’d be super interested to look into it
I’ve been scenario 3 for far too long with little to no success. I’ve recently started moving into scenario two and I have been learning more skills side by side with this (as you’re suggesting), and long term I want to be a scenario 1! My dream is to have the choice to be a digital nomad if I choose, I would love to be able to work from anywhere. Thanks for the video, it helped me reaffirm that I’m making the right decisions moving forward!
that's amazing! nice work. That's an awesome dream and if you plan it it'll become a reality.
Have you tried ads
@@Kentarius sadly I’m not yet in a financial situation to do so, but I have been working with Pinterest a lot more recently, it’s helping a little. Eventually I will give ads a go, they seem to help a lot of people.
This vid got my sub. Extremely well written, well said. Thanks for the info!
Wow thank you so much! Really appreciate that!
Thank you for this hard-hitting video. I think it's pretty accurate. Though Scenario 2 can help earn money until you can get traffic to your store for Scenario 1.
I'm actually in Scenario 1 and 2. I've gotten more sales from Etsy, and it's lower cost that my Shopify store which costs me a few hundred a year. What I think is holding me back is available time to invest. I get 1-2 hours at the end of my day. My next issue is marketing. I've tried and failed hard at Facebook and Instagram marketing. I've gotten a few sales, but not much earned after advertising (sometimes actually losing).
Most people recommend uploading to social media every day with videos. That doesn't seem feasible to me. I do recognize that I need to get more consistent and develope an actual strategy, but so far, it feels like I'm spinning my wheels trying different things to gain traction.
Actually my friend, scenario #1 DOES indeed have competition. You're competing with others to get higher rankings in the SERPs, and you're also in competition with others who have similar products/services. If your product is so incredibly unique and nobody else has it, then yes, your competition is less, but one still has to strive to get top rankings in Google, so you ARE competing with other sites that are vying for that coveted #1 spot on page one.
I'm just getting started. Aim is to get to scenario 1, but while I'm still learning and building a portfolio (and trying to figure out a niche), I'm basically doing scenario 3. Putting everything on RedBubble, and working on organic social media marketing
Huge, HUGE mistake putting 'everything' on one platform (Redbubble) as you say. You MUST diversify and collect purchases/buyers from multiple platforms. Otherwise, you're solely at the mercy of that one company's policies, pricing, fees, and now..... unreasonable tier fee system that just came out that made countless people angry and/or decided to shut down their stores. So be forewarned!!
100% True what you say. Only option 1 makes sense.
it really does!
I closed my Shopify stores because I was overwhelmed having to learn how to run them, and working a full time job at the same time.
ye it's really tough!
Hi Shimmy, thanks for another great vlog. I know you often ask what videos we would like more of, and personally I'd love more around scenario one please
awesome! thanks so much. I'll bring out more content around scenario 1
Excellent video Shimmy, I'm working on a Shopify pod apparel and merch store as my primary portal of pod goods for sale, then I may try Amazon Merch, if I can get accepted, and maybe some other marketplaces, but I like being in full control and not getting fleeced or cut off by any of the marketplaces, and other pod coaches in the know like yourself also tend to push the Shopify store as a better path to take as well, so I'm beginning with that
nice!! that's a great idea!
I tried all 3. I gave up on scenario 1 as I found I’m horrible with marketing. If you’re not good at marketing, you’ll never succeed on scenario 1. I gave up on scenario 3 as scenario 3 is just horrible. I’m now fully focused on succeeding on scenario 2. Once I’ve built that up to something I’m really proud of, I’m plan to make another attempt at scenario 1. But this time with better products, more experience and a lot more knowledge. Now, where can I learn this marketing thingy?
Nice!!!! That’s a really good path! There are a ton of courses on skillshare about marketing so take as many as you can in the free month
Because I have a background in design I am Option 1…but, as you pointed out it takes the most amount of time which leaves little time to do marketing and bring folks to the site.
yes, the marketing is so hard!
Started out with #1, have stuck with #1, succeeding with #1. I have four websites now and sell PoD on three of them. One of my websites is directed to a specific demographic cohort and I've been telling people this information for some time. Starting a business is going to take a lot of time and effort. Don't believe the scammers who will tell you that you can be making $39,317 a month in just a few months with no effort. If you believe such crap, you are going to be extremely disappointed.
How long did it take you? I'd like a reality check before I even start putting in my time and well earned savings🥴!
@@maireadmaccy4336 That's hard to say. I've been building websites since the mid 90s, but for other people and organizations. I didn't build my first personal website until 2009 and from there things just kind of evolved. The 2009 website, selling my personal communications consulting services, went away a long time ago.
The oldest website I currently have started in 2016 but doesn't have a PoD element. I started another in late 2016/early 2017 as a public service to teach web design tactics which turned into a side hustle website. Another started in 2018 tracking personal health matters. And another about how natural disasters are the real threat, not war. The last three have PoD components but are also monetized with Amazon and Google ads.
Everything has been an evolution. I'd suggest the way to start is to find a sub-niche of one of the big three, a deep sub-niche, and just write about the subject. It should be something that's personally interesting to you. Promote it on Instagram and Pinterest, and if after around six months you're seeing positive analytics, add Google ads, then affiliate programs -- Amazon, etc., then finally PoD.
By the way, PoD, despite what many people will tell you, is a very time-consuming pursuit. You have to design stuff, connect to various partner companies, and build your own ads. I use WordPress.org and WooCommerce, not Shopify or any other web builder. I think you can see why if you consider how I began and how I grew.
Search TH-cam and the web for tutorials and advice. You'll quickly learn who to trust and who's feeding you a bunch of garbage. Stay away from people who are just trying to sell you expensive courses and promise that you'll be making $37,412 a month in 90 days.
Hope this helps.
I’m scenario 1 and I love Skillshare. But the real question is when are you going to launch a better alternative marketplace to places like Redbubble???
Thanks for the vid! I want to start shifting from etsy to shopify and start selling artprints with pod service. I am from Asia, my concern is the Tax And VAT fees when I have customers from US or UK. As for etsy, they already collected this for me and they will give the IOSS number for the VAT fees. What about shopify? Can you help me with this, or if you already make a video on TAX / VAT with shopify can you share me the link? Thanks so much in advanced ☺️
i haven't as it's such a complicated subject and is different for so many people. I'd recommend getting advice from an accountant, but i will do my best to research this topic and make a detailed video on it
Majority will start at scenario 2 and 3 but if you have capital scenario 1 is the best case for POD.
for sure!
With the emergence of AI plus major improvements on platforms like Canva and Kittl, POD could not get any easier, and designer "talent" could not get any less necessary.
for sure, that's why marketing is so important
The thing is, I do scenario 2 and 3 because I want to upgrade to scenario 1. Our money conversion is $1 is around MYR4.40 so money is really an asset. Unless I can make more $$ than I can move up to scenario 1 faster.
All the advanced skills can really be found in TH-cam or in your case, Skillshare. It's just we want to learn and do it or not. So now succeed scenario 2 and 3 and move to scenario 1 faster.
nice! that's a good plan
Thanks for skillshare man. It seems it worth trying. Anyway, I'm in scenario 2 and it's not so bad for me but the numbers are repeating. Maybe its the time to think about scenario 1. And I want to ask what do you think about google ads for print on demand? Is it just a waste of time and money or is it worth it?
def worth trying! i love using it. scenario 2 is still an awesome option. I would highly recommend thinking about scenario 1 if you can. Not a waste of money, they'll just require some testing and tweaking to get right
Hi Shimmy, are you then now using your own website?
I am currently in scenario 3. But I am now looking into taking the money I make on scenario 3 and use it to build up to scenario 1. My aim is to get a shop up on Shopify, and sell there. The main problem I have, is driving traffic. I struggle really hard with this even though I post every day on twitter and Instagram.
that's brilliant!!! good idea. Traffic is 99% of peoples issue and I am actively testing out ways to help with this
Appreciate the advice. Just curious if you’re still going to make the promotion videos such on Instagram and stuff?
yes 100% I will definitely make those videos
The easiest option will ALWAYS be the most competitive, because most people are lazy AF. If there was a single button people could press to make money, most people would procrastinate on pushing it because GOD FORBID they actually put forth effort. People will do whatever they have to in order to avoid putting in real effort, including leaving vast amounts of money on the table. If you take the harder route, you’ll have a lot better chance at success.
I am planning to do both marketplaces AND my own websites. I want to take advantage of traffic from Etsy, but I want to funnel it to my own website by using product branding with my business name and website so that I can get people into my own traffic funnel.
Completely agree. Most POD sellers want fast results with little effort. I have taken the harder route on KDP, POD, Etsy etc. by creating products that take more time and utilizing traffic methods beyond organic marketplace traffic. I had a $50K month on Etsy due to 2 designs that were so incredibly unique. It's more work, but I guarantee you my income is higher than most people because of it.
I actually like seeing so many people giving up on POD. A lot of the spammers and quick money seekers won't be patient enough anymore. Those who aren't serious, can't figure it out, etc. and are just leaving room for us in the end. We are now in an era where you either figure it out or you don't. Most people aren't patient enough to stick around. Adios!
If your only strategy is to wait and do whatever the gurus tell you, you are already behind. I'll take the harder, slow grind any day.
@@quickpstuts412 50k a month😮 you should have your own youtube channel and share your secrets!!! Well done👍
@@quickpstuts412 Wow, I have the exact same thought. Although I'm still in the early stages, I hope that the detailed complex illustrations will be much more successful. It would be interesting to hear more such information from you. Thank you!
@@maireadmaccy4336 No it was just ONE month. I wish every month. LOL I capitalized on a trendy topic with a very unique design.
Great video! It's a pity that I didn't see it as soon as I started to figure it out, because at the initial stage it was difficult to understand this difference. But I immediately decided that I would follow path #1. But I have the following question: if I already have a plan for my business and will create pages in social networks from scratch, then I need to immediately invest in advertising and e-mail marketing (of course, do organic traffic at the same time) so that there are chances of sales, or what do you advise? What other ways can I grow my audience from scratch? Such as influencers and similar methods...
yes these are all great ideas. If you go with option 1. ads, email marketing, social media, influencers all work brilliantly
I am in scenario 3 since a long time with no fruitful results unfortunately:(. After seeing your video, now i am thinking to step up the ladder to reach scenario 1 gradually. Driving traffic is one of my major issues. But i have a question, i am from India, will i be able to work in scenario 1 and manage a business for US and other countries' market?
Yes you definitely can!! And I’m sure you’ll make it work!
No seriously Shimmy what do you think of number 4 start with easy on everything till it sells on those platforms.
that's basically 3... whats the difference?
thank you brother
You’re welcome!!
Hello Shimmy, I'm on Scenario 1. For a very long time I was in Etsy with digital product but without bunch of thousand products, its profit is ridiculous. Then even takes time to speed up, I have decided to go on scenario 1, actually took couple of months, just before launching my apparel brand. My hope is if it shows a good opportunity to be marketed in, I will make mass production for stock up and distribute all around world for better profit. Let's sale on Harrods and Selfriges!
Started with scenario 1, but currently testing some stuff with scenario 2. The learning curve is steep with #1 and ive failed to validate a niche, so my wheels are spinning. Tried the "all designs" approach as i wanted a variety in my shop, but it may be too broad to start. Everyday is a lesson...
nice!!! that's so awesome. I like that approach.
I feel the same as you. I'm in scenario 1 and 2. It might be good to try out Etsy or something similar to suppliment until scenario 1 can take off. This is what I'm currently doing.
Isn't scenario 1 the same as dropshipping?
Nope… however you could add dropshipping products to your store
awesome video sir really appreciate
thanks so much! glad you liked it
Scenario One - but it's very slow going getting traffic. I'm in month 4 of a 12 months plan!
Nice! Congrats and good luck for the next 8 months
Hi Shimmy,
I look forward to your videos. I was inquisitive about Skillshare and researched for reviews. Eventhough you spoke highly of there program, the following cons are on the internet:
What are the negatives of Skillshare?
Cons:
No quality control for instructors.
Annoying ads of the free membership level.
Full course content limited for free users.
Learning courses not fully accessible.
Annoying ad popups.
Poor video quality.
Lack of closed captioning on the videos for easy comprehension.
Are you aware of these review details? I would like for you to address these aspects asap.
Thanks and take care.
i haven't experienced any of this, to be honest. I have had a fantastic experience... Either way, the first month is free... if you don't like it you could always cancel
Ive had a Skillshare subscription for a few years and never experienced any of this. Tbh I wasn’t aware there was a free option (or is this referring to the free month?) I think the con is the annual fee (I believe it’s $168 us) has gone up a lot since I first got my subscription. So if you don’t explore multiple classes it may not be worth it to you.
@@shimmymorris1 Thank you Shimmy for your advice. I'm definitely going to use this tool.
@@elliswashington1149 nice! good luck!
There are quite a lot of excellent course creators on Skillshare. You're missing out if you're worried about lower quality courses.
Platforms shutting down stores without even disclosing the reason is infuriating. "You've breached our ToS". On the other hand, while no one can shut down your own website, you can be sued. Copyright/IP infringement could turn into a much bigger problem on your own website than it would've been on any platform. Also, all the legal documentation and necessary law compliance are all on you. GDPR fines alone are monstrous, though they do take into account how big and profitable you are.
Other than all that, own shop is definitely the way to go. Bigger risk, much bigger rewards.
That is true, but do a little due diligence and make sure you're not breaching any ToS. It is certainly a lot harder, no argument there but the reward is monumental
@@shimmymorris1 I quoted that in as a common example of what happens on platforms. The reason for a ban can be anything, especially if parts of their ToS are ambiguous enough. I do agree with you, owning your own shop is the way to go as soon as it's possible. Then later on if it becomes profitable enough, you can even hire, say, a marketing specialist to take things much further. That wouldn't really work with any platform unless you're ok with advertising their business and paying for it.
and what about spreadshop and former teespring? as an alternative to the 3rd option?
wow! it's so funny you say that, my next video is literally this topic!
@@shimmymorris1 its logical - those two shops are standing aside from others
@@NotThatOlivia yes but theres a lot people don't know about teespring! it's quite shocking tbh
Tax issues scare me wrt scenario 1, more than the technicality of doing it. So say I sell something within the UK, or France or Germany, or a US state, or some other country I know little about. The mechanics are handled fine with the POD company. But now what do I do about sales tax? - like different VAT rates throughout the EU and UK, and maybe I have to collect sales tax for a US sale. There's so much finding out to do. But then, say I have to charge tax, what on earth am I meant to do with that money (rhetorical question)? I can't just send a cheque to the French government (say) and be done. I have to know and do the right thing else serious consequences might ensue. And there are different VAT rules for different products.
So, initially at least, I'm thinking of combining scenarios 1 and 2 - own web shop but pushing to Etsy (for eg) for the actual sale. Of course that means Etsy (or whoever) is going to take a chunk of money. But doing that also means pushing off a lot of these responsibilities onto them. So really what I'd be mainly paying Etsy for is fewer headaches and not having to spend so much time on all that type of stuff, and possibly get it wrong and end up getting into an expensive mess. And it's time I can spend on stuff that might actually earn something.
Any thoughts on all this? I REALLY want to go down the scenario1 route but it appears fraught with dangers, before we start talking about GDPR and any other regulations that might have sharp teeth if you get it wrong.
Of course, once I start earning properly, I can then start to pay for professional help on tax etc stuff. But until then ...
tax is a scary one and i'm actively trying to figure out a way of making an accurate informative video for everyone. Scenario 2 is still a very good option.
Don't be scared of scenario 1... you'll be surprised how quickly you catch on and how much you learn by doing this.
@@shimmymorris1 That would be great! But maybe you ought to run it by an adviser/lawyer first to ensure you don't leave yourself vulnerable to getting into trouble for overstepping any legal/regulatory lines!
@@begriddled for sure i will!
I’m benn on scenario 3 a few months. I’m using Teepublic and SpreadShirt. So far I’ve made $6, and that was from shirts my friends bought. Teepublic will never clued me in their search function. I have to drive all the traffic myself. And now they want to charge more for that lack of support. I’m just starting with SpreadShirt. Anyone have any experience with them? First thing I noticed, if I upload a shirt I have on Teepublic to Spreadsheet, the graphic is about 3” farther down the shirt.
nothing wrong with scenario 3... but i'd say really try with scenario 2 and at some point you'll get to scenario 1 :D
I would love to see a more exagerated video on scenario 1
😀😀😀
awesome!! coming soon
Do all marketplace doesn't copy designs with good image details ?
what?
Hi bros, thanks for the video ,explaining the verious POD scenarios. Were we are in the world (Africa)some of us can't go into scenario one. For example PayPal doesn't work in my country Cameroon. Unfortunately for us, scenario three is our option. If there is anyway you can help, it will be appreciated. Am still a beginner.
Why doesn't scenario 1 work. You don't need paypal for it. Scenario 2 should also work in your country.
I think the print quality in Australia for Redbubble is really nice. I'm in NZ but probably my shirts are from there but fuck them for putting me in fuck you Tier when Ive made them 500 sales.
That’s a lot of sales!
can i build a website using AI?
nice 10 minute ad for Skillshare
10 min... it was less than 2 minutes?
I created and designed my own website years ago for the sole purpose of developing a brand. The reason being is the saturation rate of most products for print on demand. You have to have a certain skill set meaning willingness to learn adobe etc. Spend some money and find niches that nobody is using. The days of slapping infantile graphics which basic catch phrases to make money is over! I might start my own print on demand company. Thongs with the name of your husband or wife on the strap. Slogan, whoever is figuratively and literally crawling up your ass😂 Now, that's a niche!
hahaha that is a very niche idea haha! You're totally right, building your own site comes with many difficulties and needs a lot of work
I'm basically in a mix of scenario 2 and 3. I did experience some decent results in scenario 3, (mostly in RB) but I started to worry a bit with the recent changes since those are definitely acting like a wake up call for many people. While as for scenario 2, I did struggle in the damn step of GETTING ACCEPTED, which since no one knows the exact criteria behind that, it really pisses me off.
I've a plan to learn about scenario 1, and while creating an own website wouldn't be that hard since I did it once for another cause and its just about researching how does it work on the website you choose for it, the part that really worries me is to learn HOW TO SEND THE TRAFFIC to it. I tried that using Instagram a couple years ago for different projects and not only I didn't get a damn result, it its absolutely overwhelming as well!
nice!!! Just keep learning about scenario 1 and you'll get there. I plan to bring out a lot more videos on traffic :D
@@shimmymorris1 thanks bro! 🤝
I'm now getting organized to start learning some skills from Skillshare in June... aiming to keep the flow going on and generate real growth 💪
Merch by Amazon isn't available in india
that's so annoying
I made $3000 since 2021 on scenario 3 but of course they all put me in their worst most insulting tiers because I was actually making some money for them and they don't want to pay me so guess that's over. 😔
Congrats on the success and that is extremely annoying! Sorry they’ve done that
Why the hell are you wearing Nike and not Print on Demand.
Because I like Nike… I also like other brands. This idea of having to wear print on demand because I’m in the business and talk about it is total BS. It’s well known and I’m very vocal about how shitty pod quality is, so why would I choose to wear it everyday…
The title of this video was 100% antithetical to the message you actually delivered in it. It should have been titled “print on demand is basically impossible and nothing but a futile struggle no matter what avenue you choose to sell your stuff and you should really quit now before you even try because there’s no point.” All doom and gloom. 😞
I’m sorry you’re struggling with print on demand. It’s a tough business to crack. But it’s not impossible. Many people are doing it. Many are starting today and doing it. In fact I literally started a brand new shop in the last week and it’s not going bad! So there’s definitely still hope
Senerio 2
nice
First
nice enjoy!
1 and 2. 1 is harder and more expensive, the great thing about 2 is getting my sales tax taken care of. Such a bonus ❤
You talk too much Bro
hahaha... that's kinda the idea of being a TH-camr
boring
haha thanks!
Aw crap - not talent?!
what do you mean
Don't speak too much.come to the main point. I skipped your video.❤
that's ok, you can keep skipping if you want