Juggernaut, Bitch shirt comes to Art Life Collective

Ok, we have been kicking around with our artist on how to sell their designer t-shirts.
Here are several posts from our forum on what we are trying to do. While we at Art Life Collective work very hard to promote the site -- not to mention keeping it maintained and running -- the best way for everyone involved is to help out.
Here are a list of suggestions from myself and one of the other forum administrators posted on the site.

If you have any questions whether or not it works,
http://artlifecollective.com/shop/index.php?main_page=detail&products_id=1388&zenid=53e6755d300fd250b719bdbbfa1aa66f&page=1&cat_id=95

After a little promotional efforts, that Juggernaut, Bitch design is our hottest seller right now.

So, here are the suggestions:
From Jules:
"My personal plan involves heavily masked manipulation, shameless eye batting, and total ridiculousness.

Get the word out over and over again... any way you can.

Post updates and pictures about shirts in blogs/on web pages (which reminds me...) - start a MySpace page, a LiveJournal page and blog about your experiences as a T-Shirt designer, a Social Networking page, link, link, link and link again to ALC through your other websites/webventures - people DO click on them.
Put links in the signature lines for all forum sites you belong to.

Send out "Glory to You" emails, begging to be forwarded to recipient’s friends and family. Send them out often (I write the stupidest emails just so that I can have the chance to email all my friends, imagine that).
AND YES. I beg. I don't care. I also use guilt tactics too. Shameless.

Upload new designs on a regular basis, and let people know - set a personal goal of uploading 1 new design every X weeks which gives you the chance to remind those around you of ALC, while providing new content consistently. If you have paid attention to the Shameless Self Promotion Threads, Mr. E has done this since joining the forums - a model which I applaud loudly. I watch for his posts about new shirts now.

Encourage other artists you know to join ALC. Now you have another member who knows you, who can promote your shirts as well as theirs. I have two buddies who joined and whenever I speak about ALC to other people, I always recommend looking at their designs as well as mine. I also prod the two of them to upload new content because I am fascinated about the work they bring to the table. Support your artist friends because they support you
(FUZZY!!).

Get a few of your own shirts printed and wear them out. Bring it up in conversation. Talk about the site. Talk about your designs. Get some cool shirts from other artists you like. Use their shirts to bring up your shirts.

Buy your own shirts and give them as gifts (birthdays, holidays, just because).

Design shirts for a specific event/specific group of people and let everyone know about them. Example: You are a member of Car Club (yes I am tailoring this for you right here.... Wink ) who meets regularly. Design shirts you think they would buy. Ask for suggestions... in the process you are rewarded with a new design that may sell to others perusing the site. If you meet with a group of women every Friday night, maybe they would enjoy knowing you designed something in celebration of that (which they will most likely find amusing and purchase as a group)... and there you go, another new design you can email/blog/promote to everyone else too. Tailor it and then promote it.

I also have similar plans of promotion that involve World Domination and Iron Fisted Persuasion. I will share those as they are birthed."


And, from me:
"And folks, don't forget about free classified programs like Craig's list and the like. I know I have seen a few ALC ads there, but we can always use more ... just make sure you follow their terms of use rules.

I agree with Jules about wearing a few of your shirts out in public, especially in places where the audience will be receptive to your particular work.

While I hope I can sell a few of my designs, I'm much more interested in generating general customer interest in the site. We have a bunch of designs that I think will go over well in Birmingham. Next time I head to the skate park or the Five Points South near UAB, I will be wearing an ALC shirt, either one of my designs or one of several others I have my eye on the site.

So far, the method of being seen in the shirts and getting them out there in the public eye has really worked. A couple of weeks ago, I did a one-off design for an employee who was leaving -- the shirt featured a local crazy one of our photogs just happened to catch. Amanda wore the shirt for a couple of days before she left and people have been going nuts around here to get similar stuff. And remember, this is Talladega. If we are getting this kind of response here, think what exposure in larger markets can do.

Also, you can't beat a grassroots, word-of-mouth method for promoting your work, especially online. Think we will call that the snakes-on-a-plane effect. No joke, the more your link and talk about it online, the more attention you will get. Check out some of the forums specifically for artists to share ideas and talk about your work.

Of course, we are working in similar ways, just shy of world domination, to bring customers to ALC, but the two are by no means mutually exclusive. The more people see your work or hear about it, the more it will sell."

Hope this helps.