As your fan base becomes larger, you’ll start wondering about ways to make money on Twitch. Most streamers prefer going by the safe choice: selling custom merchandise. Many people prefer purchasing something from the streamer rather than giving away their money via donations.
If selling merch is the path you’ll take for making money on Twitch, we have a few tips you can use.
How to start selling merch on Twitch
As mentioned, this option is more viable if you already have a large following. Twitch streamers are not the only ones who put up with selling merch and most influencers on other platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and even TikTok.
That being said, it’s not hard to start producing your merchandise. You’ll be in charge of the designs, and the rest will be in charge of the order-by-order company you choose. It’s never a good idea to purchase tons of merch if you are not sure if it will sell well.
Moreover, it’s essential to get to know your audience and see what they like the most. For instance, the most popular items sold on Twitch include mugs, hats, and goodies. Other streamers go for options like stickers and mousepads.
It’s also a good idea to create multiple designs to have some variety. Sometimes, a viewer may make a specific request, which can be hugely profitable if you start getting them regularly.
Where do I find or how do I produce designs for my merch?
If you already know about design programs such as Photoshop or even Canva, you have a good place to start. If your Twitch channel already has a logo or something characteristic, that’s another excellent starting point.
Still, there are some other aspects you must be careful with, including the file-size, for example. This factor is used for ensuring the items fit as they should, and they won’t come out pixilated.
Additionally, please consider that you’ll have to invest some money into this, and what you use will eventually come back to you. So, if you have no idea about how to make designs for your page, here are some options you can take into account.
Placeit – This tool is excellent if you already have something in mind. You will have available numerous templates you can try out to produce designs. Placeit has many plans available at good prices. However, if you don’t feel like paying for a tool to produce designs sporadically, you can work together with artists within the niche.
Contact an Artist – It may seem difficult, but nowadays, artists are often open to commissions, and they take custom requests. You can find many of these artists advertising their services on multiple social media platforms – even on Twitch – but if you don’t know where to start, you can go to freelance websites like Fiverr.
Websites where you can find artists to create a design for you
Fiverr – Fiverr is one of the biggest freelance platforms. You’ll see many artists with gigs created. Most of the time, the prices are accessible, and you can have an idea of how good the freelancer is by looking at the reviews.
Behance – This platform makes it easier for you to find an artist as they portray their designs. Looking for something is as easy as entering “merch designs” on the search bar and finding something that catches your eye.
Visual By impulse (VBI) – This platform is hugely trendy within the streaming community. They specialize in designing merch for streamers, although there is something for everyone.
99 Designs – If you already have something in mind but do not have the skills or time to produce it yourself, you can also opt for using this platform. You create a gig, describe your design as accurately as possible and specify how much you are willing to pay for it. Then, you’ll wait until designers start making offers and their version of what you’ve described. You’re free to pick the one you like the most.
To sum up, everything that has been said until now, your options are:
- You can choose to hire someone to create a design for you on freelance websites or social media,
- You can also buy pre-made designs. There are some websites like Vexels or Envato Market, for example.
- Even if you don’t have the skills, you can create designs using online tools, like Canva or Crello. Then, you can adapt them to whatever you’re trying to sell. Most people within the streamer community prefer going for Placeit. Most tools are dedicated to creating banners, logos, and many other things you may find useful for your Twitch channel. Within these options, you may also find t-shirts designs and other merch artistry.
Still, consider that most designs in Placeit are premium. There are some free options, but we recommend purchasing a subscription as you will get unlimited access to a library of designs.
Once you are sure of what you want to sell, the next step is to know when to sell it.
When is the best moment to make merch for your stream?
Although you are free to start selling merch at any given moment, we recommend doing so once you’ve accumulated a significant amount of followers. Otherwise, you may not have positive results, and maybe one reason people don’t keep up with your channel. The same principle applies to donations!
After you’ve acquired a constant number of viewers – let’s say around twenty-five or thirty – it may be a good idea to start setting up merchandise for your channel. You should also make the donations button available after you’ve obtained a similar number of constant viewers or when some of your followers start asking for it directly.
