If you’re looking to start an online t-shirt store, then congratulations! You’ve come to the right place. We’ve analyzed the top marketing strategies used by successful online t-shirt retailers, and have compiled this list of 16 ways to gain traction as an online t-shirt store (and maybe even make a profit).
1. Build An Online Community
In case you’re wondering, an online community is a place where people with a common interest can come together to interact with each other. For example, if you sell t-shirts online, you could create a space for people to share their favorite designs and get the feedback of other consumers. You can also use your online community to engage with fans on a more personal level and build a stronger connection.
You want to make sure that your online community is as useful as possible, so you should:
- Research relevant community topics that will help drive traffic to your store;
- Create and engage with content that matches those interests;
- Use your business’ website, social media accounts, and other platforms to create community (e.g., Reddit, Quora, and Facebook groups); and
- Measure the success of your community outreach and engage with your audience on a regular basis.
2. Grow A following On Social Media
In today’s world, social media is everything. According to HubSpot Blogs, nearly all of our time is spent on social media, and it’s only expected to grow in popularity.
If you’re looking to establish credibility as an online t-shirt store, then you should consider gaining a following on social media. A following on social media indicates that you’ve engaged with your audience on a personal level and can, therefore, be considered a trustworthy source of information. Moreover, having a following allows you to connect with potential customers on a deeper level and build a stronger bond.
You can use several platforms to grow your following, including Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. For example, you can use Twitter to:
- stay informed of the latest trends and news relevant to your business;
- engage with your audience by answering questions and providing helpful tips and advice; and
- create buzz about your business by sharing content that is relevant and of interest to your target audience.
Instagram is another popular social media platform that you can use to:
- establish your business’ brand voice and unique identity;
- showcase your products and have them showcased in the best possible light; and
- create awareness around your brand.
YouTube is, perhaps, the king of social media platforms. Not only can you use the service to upload and share videos, but you can also use it to:
- create webinars and live chat sessions with your customers;
- answer frequently asked questions about your industry and how you operate; and
- find and identify with key demographic groups.
These four platforms are some of the most popular ones, but there are dozens more that you can use to grow your business. In addition, don’t be afraid to try out newer platforms that emerge each and every year. While some may initially seem like a gimmick, these services can help you establish your brand on a global scale and generate qualified traffic to your website.
3. Use Email Marketing To Grow Your Business
If you’re still relying on conventional methods of marketing, then it’s time to grow your business and ditch the dull old strategies. Instead, you should be using email marketing to connect with potential customers and gain their trust. With email marketing, you can use a platform like HubSpot to create an automated email program that will nurture and grow your email list.
The key to effective email marketing is to match your emails to the interests of your target audience. You can also use HubSpot’s built-in CRM (Customer Relationship Management) to follow up with customers and identify new opportunities for growth. For instance, if you sell women’s t-shirts, you might create an email campaign specifically directed at women.
Your email list is one of your greatest assets. Not only will it allow you to stay in touch with your customers on a regular basis, but it can also be used to notify customers of special sales, discounts, and other promotions.
4. Use Traditional Marketing To Grow Your Business
If you’re looking to grow your business quickly and steadily, then you should consider using conventional methods of marketing. This could include marketing budgets for advertising, radio ads, billboards, magazine spreads, etc. You can use tools like Google AdWords to get started with PPC (Pay Per Click) marketing, which is one of the most popular types of marketing. In PPC, you pay only when someone clicks on an ad or follows a link to your website.
You can also use social media to spread the word about your business, establish yourself as an expert in your industry, and generate more leads.
5. Offer Promotions & Discounts To Grow Your Business
If you’re looking to generate more leads, then you should consider offering promotions and discounts to customers. You can use several methods to generate leads, but you should focus on methods that are cost-effective. For example, you can:
- use social media platforms to broadcast special offers and discounts;
- run a special sale or discount; or
- send out a mass email with a special offer.
Each of these methods has its perks. For example, running a special sale or discount is quick and easy to do, but not very cost-effective. While mass email marketing has the advantage of being cost-effective, it isn’t very interactive.
You should weigh your options and choose the one that is going to work best for your business. Moreover, you should put a budget aside for promotional activities, as this is one of the most cost-effective ways to generate leads.
6. Use YouTube To Create Video Content
If you’re looking for a cheap and easy way to generate traffic to your website, then you can’t go wrong with YouTube. Not only is it the second-largest search engine after Google, but it’s also become a popular place for consumers to look for information. If you’re new to YouTube, then it can be a bit tricky to figure out what content works best for your business.
However, you can use several tools to help you find your audience and, ultimately, grow your business on the platform. For instance, you can:
- use Google Trends to discover the topics that your target audience searches for most frequently;
- analyze the demoographics, psychographics, and digital behavior of your YouTube audience to create marketing content that they will value and benefit from.
These six tips to market your online t-shirt store will help get you started. Remember, though, that you’ll need to continue to develop new strategies as you grow. Moreover, you can use several tools to automate many of these tasks, making it easier to focus on running your business.