Selling Merch For Profit Or Fund Raising - Tips And Advice For The Best Results

People often think of promotional merchandise as giveaways or gifts. Indeed, all types of merch can be used in numerous ways to entice new customers and look after your existing ones. However, merchandise can also be an extremely valuable tool for fundraising efforts, or to generate some extra income.

In this article, we’ll explore how businesses can sell merchandise for profit, fundraising and a big brand recognition boost.

Understand your target market

Before you jump into merchandise catalogues looking for the perfect products to sell, you need to take a step back and consider your target audience. When selling anything, the best way to maximise profits and other benefits is to know exactly who you’re selling to. Have a think about what’s important to your customers. Do they have eco-friendly values? Are they interested in nifty tech gadgets? Or do they want items that are highly personalised?

These are the questions to ask when planning your fundraising or sellable merch. It’s also crucial to consider your target market’s spending capacity so you can price items accordingly. A good tip for achieving the right balance is to offer a range of items at different price points, ensuring you get as many sales as possible.

Always sell high-quality, useful items

When selling merchandise, the same principles apply to using promotional products as a marketing tool. The more useful the items are, the longer and more frequently they’ll be used by the recipient. Their network of friends and family becomes exposed to your brand, and the customer develops positive brand association because your item is useful.

While useful items are always your best option, don’t forget about quality. Premium promotional items are perceived as more valuable and longer lasting and reflect your brand as one that prioritises quality.

Use branded merch to boost recognition

Just because you’re selling items rather than giving them away, that doesn’t mean you can’t brand them to suit your needs. Everyday items like drink bottles, bags and clothing are often used in public settings, meaning everybody around your customer also gets a glimpse of your logo and branding. You’ll know what your audience wants, so always consider free mockups of promo items so you can see them in real life. You don’t want branding to be so bold that customers won’t use your products, but it also must be significant enough to make an impact.

Consider limited or seasonal merchandise items

Fundraising is often a seasonal activity, meaning you’ve got a chance to create some urgency among your target audience. Offering items that are only available for a limited time can encourage people to purchase quickly, and this is extremely easy when fundraising because you can set a time limit.

For the general sale of merchandise, again, consider seasonal promotions or put items on the market for a shorter time span to encourage some urgency. This is also a great way to connect and engage with customers and have some fun with all types of seasonal goodies.

Build your own merch packs for maximum impact

Creating your own merch pack is a great way to bundle several items that may interest your clients together. It adds a level of personalisation and a perceived higher value. People are more likely to buy something that meets more than one of their needs.

Custom merch packs are also perfect for fundraising, as you can tailor each pack to match your cause. For example, if you’re raising money for a local animal charity, bundle some useful pet-friendly items together, as this appeals to the people most likely to support your cause.

Sell merchandise at events

Finally, let’s not forget about events. You would already know that branded promotional products are great for all kinds of events, from seminars to networking functions. But not all merchandise needs to be a giveaway. Consider selling event-themed merch packs or other branded items that appeal to attendees. You’ll get all the other benefits of branded merchandise, such as more recognition, but the sales can also help to offset event costs.

Need help building merch packs for sale?

Brandconnect is the industry leader when it comes to high-quality, meaningful promotional products that achieve your goals. Whether you want to build custom merch packs for fundraising or you need branded clothing items to sell at events, we’ve got you covered.

With an enormous range of merchandise options, as well as handy AI tools for inspiration, we make it easier than ever to connect and engage with customers. Plus, you can even generate some more income in the process. If you’d like to know more, contact the team at Brandconnect today!