When you hear about print-on-demand (POD), the first thought might be that the market is saturated. But that’s not the case.
In fact, I’ve been able to generate over $11K in gross profit using a straightforward method, turning what started as a side hustle into a reliable income stream.
If you’re just getting started with POD, let me walk you through the detailed steps of how I did it and how you can replicate it.
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The Beginnings of My Print-On-Demand Journey
Back when I was working a 9-to-5 job, money was always tight. By the end of the month, I’d often find myself scrambling to make ends meet. I tried various side hustles, but most were exhausting and barely provided enough to cover my bills.
Then, a friend introduced me to a simple idea for POD that eventually transformed my financial situation.
The concept was basic: create custom t-shirts using designs inspired by what potential buyers wanted to see. Essentially, the customers were providing the inspiration for the designs themselves. This approach was so simple, yet incredibly effective.
Step 1: Choosing Your Niche
I started by selecting a niche. For me, it was easy because I’m a drummer. But you can choose any niche where people are passionate—professions, hobbies, or life events like pregnancy or weddings. If you’re unsure, a quick Google search for niche lists will help you discover endless possibilities.
It’s crucial to select a niche that people are emotionally invested in. Passionate communities are more likely to engage with your posts and buy your products.
Step 2: Creating Engagement on Facebook
Facebook turned out to be the best platform for this. I created a Facebook page specifically for drummers. Here’s why a Facebook page works better than a personal profile: you can easily boost posts with a small ad budget, and the algorithm tends to favor niche pages when running ads.
The engagement post I crafted was simple. I wrote: “You know you’re a drummer if… (comment below).” This type of phrase works because it resonates with the niche and invites people to respond with their own experiences.
If you’re targeting another niche, the process is the same. Search for funny sayings related to your niche on Google or other social platforms, and use those to craft your post. Whether your niche is knitting, fishing, or something else, the key is to get people to engage by commenting.
Step 3: Gathering Data and Comments
Once you have your post live, you want it to reach as many people as possible. I recommend spending around $10-$15 to boost your post. This will ensure it gets in front of a large audience, even if your page doesn’t have many followers yet. When I did this, my post received over 80 comments.
As people comment, you’ll notice certain responses getting more likes and replies. This is your indicator of what resonates the most with your audience. Copy the top comments into a spreadsheet and rank them based on the number of reactions.
Step 4: Designing Your Product
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Once you’ve gathered the most popular comments, it’s time to turn them into a design. If you have design skills, you can use tools like Canva to create your design. If not, hire someone on Fiverr for as little as $5 to do it for you. For example, my design was simple: “You know you’re a drummer if… (and then I listed the top comments).”
Next, upload the design to a POD platform like Printful. These sites handle everything from printing to shipping and customer service. You just need to upload your design, choose product types (like t-shirts or mugs), set your price, and create a description for your product.
Step 5: Running Ads and Making Sales
With your product live, it’s time to promote it. I started by running Facebook ads. I set up a simple campaign with a $10 daily budget, split across two ad sets. The ad featured a mock-up image of the shirt, and I targeted people with an interest in drumming.
Within the first 24 hours, I made four sales. This covered my advertising costs and left me with a small profit. From there, I reinvested the profits back into ads, gradually increasing my ad spend as I saw more sales come in.
Step 6: Scaling and Earning Profit
Over time, the sales started to snowball. With each passing day, I spent more on advertising, but I was making even more in return. In total, I earned $22K in sales, with $6K going towards product costs. This left me with $11K in gross profit.
Eventually, the returns started to diminish, and I decided to stop the campaign at this point. However, the experience showed me the potential of POD, and I’ve since replicated this process with other niches.
Key Takeaways from My Print-On-Demand Success
Printful helps you design and sell products online with ease. Try it today!
The POD method I used is highly scalable and can work in nearly any niche. Here’s why it was successful:
- Emotional Connection: People are willing to buy products they feel a personal connection to. By using their own words to create the designs, I tapped into that emotional connection.
- Simple Execution: The process was easy to set up. From creating a Facebook post to running ads, the entire workflow was streamlined.
- Low Initial Investment: I didn’t need a huge upfront budget. My first campaign only required about $30 total in advertising and design costs to get off the ground.
If you’re thinking about getting into print-on-demand, don’t be discouraged by the idea of saturation. With the right niche and approach, there’s plenty of room for success. This method, in particular, is beginner-friendly and low-risk, making it perfect for anyone just starting out.
Print-on-demand continues to be a reliable way for me to make extra income. Whether you’re looking to cover monthly bills or scale to larger profits, the method I used can be adapted to fit your goals. The key is to test, gather data, and adjust based on what resonates with your audience.
Now, it’s your turn to take the plunge. Find your niche, create engaging content, and start building your print-on-demand empire.
