Article by Bravo Nine Media
You can have the coolest merch in the world....bags, photos, CDs, hoodies, shirts, and more...but what good is it if you can't sell it? Follow these tips and the other bands at your shows will be scratching their heads as to why they aren't selling nearly as much merch as you are.
1. Put A Light On It!
Venues/Clubs/Bars are dark areas. Having a light on your table helps to attract attention and makes people want to check out what you are offering.
2. Make an Interesting Merch Display!
Get creative with how you present your merch. One of the coolest setups we have ever seen was for the acoustic band, The Apathy Eulogy. They set their merch up in vintage suitcases. It gave their merch an indie, almost bohemian feel, which tied in nicely with their music. Here are some other tips that could make your merch display more interesting:
-Use digital picture frames to display pricing. -Use props like trunks, plants, mannequins, old guitar cases, etc. -Set up wire racks behind your table to hang t-shirts on. -Arrange your CD's into pyramids or some other easy shape.
3. Bundle Your Merch Together!
Instead of selling your CDs, stickers, t-shirts, etc. individually, try bundling them together for a small discount. For example, if you sell your CD for and t-shirt for , offer both for . You'll be surprised how many people will spring for both.
4. Advertise Your Merch From the Stage!
While you are still on stage and have everyone's attention, don't forget to mention your merch several times. Also, tell people that you are going to be at your merch table right after you get off stage so they know where to find you.
5. Meet Your Fans at The Table!
When you get off the stage, fans always want to talk to you. Instead of meeting your fans at the front of the stage, go back to your merch table. Talk to your fans there. This increases the chance of making a sale.
Usually, there is a rush to get your equipment off the stage before the next band starts. Before you go on stage, designate a few band members to be responsible for the equipment. This will allow at least one person in the band to head directly to the merch table.
6. Accept Credit/Debit Cards!
Let's face it: We are almost a cashless society. Don't lose out on sales just because you only accept cash. There are a lot of apps out there right now that allow you to process credit/debit card transactions right through your phone. If you do not have a smart phone, another option is to just use a laptop where wifi is available and run transactions through a PayPal account.
7. Give Something Away For Free!
Always have something free to give away to your fans. You do not want your free item to cost more than a few cents each so we would recommend handing out small stickers, pens, key chains, etc. with your band name on it. Another great option is to print up music download cards with a sample of your music and hand them out for free. Download cards allow fans to download your songs and put them on their iPod, Zune, etc.
Here are two suggestions:
-For anyone who visits your merch table, give out something for free. Better yet, use the free item as an incentive for them to sign up for your mailing list.
-At the end of the show hand out free download cards, stickers, flyers, etc. to people as they leave. The goal of this is to make sure that everyone leaving the show has something to remember you by. This will help you grow your fan base and sell more merch in the future.
Do these few things and your sales will exponentially grow.
About the Author
Bravo Nine Media is a music distribution and marketing firm based in Raleigh, NC. The company was founded in 2010 with the goal of making promotion, sales, and inventory easier for independent artists, bands, and musicians.
We pride ourselves on offering the best pricing available so that artists at all stages of their musical careers can enjoy the pricing of a larger label or a huge order.
Services offered include:
-Marketing Campaigns-Digital Distribution-Consultation-Rock Band Encoding and Hosting-Merchandise Printing-Graphic and Web Design-Photography-Print Services-Music Videos-Promotional Materials
....and will continue to expand. Gone are the days when you had to bust your tail to make a record label happy. You can get out there on your own. Bravo Nine Media is simply here to help you along the way.
Please check out the official company blog at b9media.blogspot.com and the official Bravo Nine Media website at http://www.bravoninemedia.com.