4 ms·

That's encouraging if you think of it as a funnel optimization problem. What can I do for the $100 per year set? T shirts or other swag? Signed merch? What ca

That's encouraging if you think of it as a funnel optimization problem. What can I do for the $100 per year set? T shirts or other swag? Signed merch? What can I do for the $10 per year set? Stickers?

mcv 4y ago
Interestingly, I think most creators are already doing this intuitively without any analysis telling them to.
ryanbrunner 4y ago
Surprisingly we don't have a ton of creators offering swag stuff, I'd have assumed that it would have been a bigger draw (Some of that might have to do with us not really offering any support on our platform, but it's not a common request either). If there's a "product" to sell, it's usually either the content itself, or access through things like community. But like I said in another comment, how much people spend isn't very correlated with what they get out of it at all.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- CosmicShadow 4y ago
  This is pretty interesting! I've been thinking about a platform for unique swag for podcasters, streamers, youtubers, etc. as I think there's definitely an opportunity to engage with fans there, but I imagine it's pretty overwhelming and expensive to figure out how to do it effectively if you are busy producing content. I sell an item that'd be perfect for those folks to giveaway/sell and I know how hard it is to figure out shipping and logistics.
  - lozenge 4y ago
    This is what MCNs do. They're basically talent agencies for YouTubers, and they handle stuff like ad placement, sponsored content, and merch.
- yojo 4y ago
  Maybe it’s just early days? I remember in early internet times webcomics were one of the few niches where creators were trying to make a living on the internet. At first it was “easy” - ad rates were super inflated in the dot com boom, and people were making rent with “punch the monkey and win” banner ads. Then came the crash and the bottom fell out of the ad market. A lot of creators just went away, but the ones who held on generally monetized via merch. Granted, these were people that were both funny and had graphic design chops, so novelty t-shirts were a natural fit. Presumably the buyer demand was always there, but no one discovered it until they were forced to do the hard thing of flailing for cash. Possibly as the market matures and people test more monetization methods we’ll see more podcast shwag.
rr808 4y ago
I'm not sure about creators, but I get swag and invites from charities and it annoys me. I'm donating to give them resources, if I want a T Shirt I'll buy one myself thanks, I dont need them spending money on me.
- ep103 4y ago
  Two things: 1 - Them sending you a teeshirt is a form of advertising. They're hoping you will wear it and be an advocate for them in your social circle. This is a reasonable thing to spend money on. 2 - Engagement. They're trying to keep you engaged in what they're doing, this is valuable too. Of course, you don't want them spending all their resources on this, but a certain percentage is absolutely a good idea. This is why you should care about non-profits statements about % of funds that go towards the charity vs overhead.
  - rchaud 4y ago
    I disagree that Tshirts are a reasonable marketing expense. For one thing, they're relatively expensive to produce and ship on a per unit basis, and you will need to order in multiple sizes. Second, most 'brand' t-shirts are low effort logo templates made from BigCartel.com that look fugly. They're clearly an afterthought. And because of that, those tshirts will end up in a landfill somewhere, just like the majority of soulless corporate swag that you'd accumulate visiting a trade show.
    - mauvehaus 4y ago
      I bought 2 dozen mixed T-shirts and hoodies (mostly T-shirts) with the logo for my business on them front and back in two sizes (the logo, not the shirts). Because I wear these things daily, I bought good T-shirts and good hoodies: tagless 100% cotton (mixed polyester increases pilling). I think I was in for about $15 a T-shirt. More for the hoodie, obviously. I'm not getting any kind of volume rate on these for a 2 dozen shirt order of mixed sizes (for friends and family as well). I can't imagine anybody ordering in real quantity is paying more than $10 a shirt, even for good ones. If you go through somebody whose business is making and shipping t-shirts, you get the benefit of their lower shipping rates and their bulk purchasing power for the shirts). If you're handing them out at a trade show, your unit cost to ship a couple hundred shirts is negligible. For me, my T-shirts for my business are effectively free: they replace other t-shirts I'd have to buy (or would, once I got through all the company and trade show swag from when I worked software). Plus they promote my business. And when they're too beat up to wear, they become shop rags before they hit the trash. I think you make some valid points (sizes are a nuisance), but I don't think T-shirts are the clear stinker for the folks giving them away that you think they are.

mcv 4y ago

Interestingly, I think most creators are already doing this intuitively without any analysis telling them to.

ryanbrunner 4y ago

Surprisingly we don't have a ton of creators offering swag stuff, I'd have assumed that it would have been a bigger draw (Some of that might have to do with us not really offering any support on our platform, but it's not a common request either). If there's a "product" to sell, it's usually either the content itself, or access through things like community. But like I said in another comment, how much people spend isn't very correlated with what they get out of it at all.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
CosmicShadow 4y ago
This is pretty interesting! I've been thinking about a platform for unique swag for podcasters, streamers, youtubers, etc. as I think there's definitely an opportunity to engage with fans there, but I imagine it's pretty overwhelming and expensive to figure out how to do it effectively if you are busy producing content. I sell an item that'd be perfect for those folks to giveaway/sell and I know how hard it is to figure out shipping and logistics.
- lozenge 4y ago
  This is what MCNs do. They're basically talent agencies for YouTubers, and they handle stuff like ad placement, sponsored content, and merch.
yojo 4y ago
Maybe it’s just early days? I remember in early internet times webcomics were one of the few niches where creators were trying to make a living on the internet. At first it was “easy” - ad rates were super inflated in the dot com boom, and people were making rent with “punch the monkey and win” banner ads. Then came the crash and the bottom fell out of the ad market. A lot of creators just went away, but the ones who held on generally monetized via merch. Granted, these were people that were both funny and had graphic design chops, so novelty t-shirts were a natural fit. Presumably the buyer demand was always there, but no one discovered it until they were forced to do the hard thing of flailing for cash. Possibly as the market matures and people test more monetization methods we’ll see more podcast shwag.

rr808 4y ago

I'm not sure about creators, but I get swag and invites from charities and it annoys me. I'm donating to give them resources, if I want a T Shirt I'll buy one myself thanks, I dont need them spending money on me.

ep103 4y ago
Two things: 1 - Them sending you a teeshirt is a form of advertising. They're hoping you will wear it and be an advocate for them in your social circle. This is a reasonable thing to spend money on. 2 - Engagement. They're trying to keep you engaged in what they're doing, this is valuable too. Of course, you don't want them spending all their resources on this, but a certain percentage is absolutely a good idea. This is why you should care about non-profits statements about % of funds that go towards the charity vs overhead.
- rchaud 4y ago
  I disagree that Tshirts are a reasonable marketing expense. For one thing, they're relatively expensive to produce and ship on a per unit basis, and you will need to order in multiple sizes. Second, most 'brand' t-shirts are low effort logo templates made from BigCartel.com that look fugly. They're clearly an afterthought. And because of that, those tshirts will end up in a landfill somewhere, just like the majority of soulless corporate swag that you'd accumulate visiting a trade show.
  - mauvehaus 4y ago
    I bought 2 dozen mixed T-shirts and hoodies (mostly T-shirts) with the logo for my business on them front and back in two sizes (the logo, not the shirts). Because I wear these things daily, I bought good T-shirts and good hoodies: tagless 100% cotton (mixed polyester increases pilling). I think I was in for about $15 a T-shirt. More for the hoodie, obviously. I'm not getting any kind of volume rate on these for a 2 dozen shirt order of mixed sizes (for friends and family as well). I can't imagine anybody ordering in real quantity is paying more than $10 a shirt, even for good ones. If you go through somebody whose business is making and shipping t-shirts, you get the benefit of their lower shipping rates and their bulk purchasing power for the shirts). If you're handing them out at a trade show, your unit cost to ship a couple hundred shirts is negligible. For me, my T-shirts for my business are effectively free: they replace other t-shirts I'd have to buy (or would, once I got through all the company and trade show swag from when I worked software). Plus they promote my business. And when they're too beat up to wear, they become shop rags before they hit the trash. I think you make some valid points (sizes are a nuisance), but I don't think T-shirts are the clear stinker for the folks giving them away that you think they are.