A College Club's Guide To Making Merch Their Members Will Love
If you've ever tried creating merch before, you know that it can get challenging. When what many think is easy peasy lemon squeezy turns out to be difficult difficult lemon difficult, what can you do? I am a mere article on the internet but I’ve been written by people who know apparel better than they know their own self.
We’ve been in the business of creating collegiate custom apparel for 10+ years now. With this article, we’re revealing the tips you need to know to create the best custom apparel for your college club or organization.
Ask Your CM What Other Schools and Orgs Are Working On
A little inspiration never hurt anybody! Our Campus Managers help other orgs on campus design great custom apparel. The Campus Manager at your school is connected to Campus Managers at other schools and can easily give you this information.
If you don’t know who your Campus Manager is, follow these steps:
- Go to https://www.freshprints.com/about
- Scroll down to the ‘Our Campus Managers’ section
- Search your university’s name
- Click the picture of the CM to get in touch.
Send Us Your Org's Social Calendar
Our data reveals that most successful orders are placed weeks before the event they’re needed for.
It makes sense, doesn’t it? The earlier you figure out what you need, the faster you can get it. If you ever change your mind about what you want, you can make the changes without worrying about the timeline.
One easy way to get ahead of creating merch is by sending your org’s social calendar to your Campus Manager as soon as it’s ready. They can help you make sure you get a head start on all events you need merch for.
When In Doubt, Ask For A Sample
Maybe you’re thinking of customizing products from a brand you’ve never heard of. Maybe you can’t figure out the sizing of an item, or maybe you just want to see what something looks like in real life. The answer is simple: ask for a sample.
We do plenty of samples for free. So it costs you nothing and can save you time and money!
Go Beyond The Basic Custom Shirt
Our data backs it up: shirts are the most common collegiate apparel. Students love customizing them for all kinds of events. If you want to do something different for your club, consider customizing items beyond a shirt.
We can make custom sweats, decals, hats, bags, stickers, pens, notebooks, and more.
Rep Your Org With PR Merch
Custom apparel does not have to be tied to events! Your members can rep your club around campus with general PR merch too.
Maybe your club has a running joke that would look great on a shirt. Maybe you have a design in mind that you think will look great on a pair of shorts. Maybe you just want a hoodie with your org's logo on it! PR merch is the way to go.
Set up a group order link with the help of a Campus Manager for such merch. The link will open a small temporary online shop for your members to choose the merch they like in their sizes. When enough members show interest, it places an official order with us. If not enough people show interest, the order isn’t placed and you lose nothing!
Use Free Resources
Having issues with multiple people telling you to do different things? Tools like Google Forms, GroupMe, and even your private Instagram story can help you survey every one and come to a conclusion.
Need art inspiration? Browse through our art gallery to see what other orgs have created and get inspired.
Want to order merch but aren’t sure how many people would be interested? Create a group order link with your Campus Manager’s help. The link will only place an order if enough people in your chapter show interest. If you don’t hit the minimum number, no order is placed so there’s no waste of budget.
Free online resources make life easier! Use them as needed.
Get As Many Mockups As You Need
When people compliment your merch, 9 out of 10 times they’re complimenting the design.
The art process can be long but it’s important to get it right. Don’t be afraid to explore all your creative ideas. They may get crazy but our art team is crazier! We do free unlimited mockups.
You want a lighter shade of blue? You want 2 versions of the same design? You want to add elements? Remove elements? Let’s mock it all up and see what you like.
Don’t Put The Final Decision To A Group-Wide Vote
You can’t make everyone happy! When making important decisions, don’t get swayed by every opinion you hear. It’s better to have a general idea of what everyone wants. Let those opinions guide you, not hold you back.
Ultimately, the final decision is on you.
Bonus Tip
Make sure you’re having fun! It can get overwhelming at times but designing custom apparel is a creative outlet. Let the pure joy you feel when you see your members wearing what you made around campus fuel you! You got this!