Influencer marketing has grown substantially, and many influencers are now looking for new ways to monetize their brand and engage with their audience. One of the best methods? Selling merch. If you have a solid follower base, branded merchandise can boost your income and help fans feel connected to you. Here, we’ll look at the top merch platforms to create and sell custom merch for influencers.
What Is Brand Merch?
Merch (short for “merchandise”) includes branded items like t-shirts, hats, bags, and other goods that showcase your logo, slogan, or unique designs. Merchandise was once reserved for big brands and celebrities, but influencers can now create and sell their merch without large investments, thanks to print-on-demand services.
Selling branded merch lets influencers increase brand awareness, build stronger relationships with followers, and add a lucrative income stream.
Benefits of Merch for Influencers
Merchandise offers influencers several benefits:
- Brand Awareness: Every time a follower wears or uses your merch, your brand is exposed to a new audience.
- Brand Affinity: Followers often feel closer to influencers who have a tangible product, making branded merch a great way to build brand loyalty.
- Community Building: Seeing other fans with your merch creates a sense of community among your followers.
- Enhanced Brand Image: Selling merch allows you to control how your brand looks and feels, helping you shape your brand image.
- Complements Other Marketing Strategies: Merchandise can be used for giveaways, contests, and as part of larger marketing campaigns, while providing a new revenue stream.
Top Influencer Merch Platforms
If you’re ready to launch your merch, here are the best platforms to create, customize, and sell branded products that match your vision and connect with your audience.
1. Teespring
Teespring is a free-to-use print-on-demand platform that lets influencers create and sell products with ease. Known for its social media integrations, Teespring offers options for influencers looking to make merch quickly and with minimal hassle.
Features:
- Free Setup: No upfront costs, inventory, or shipping management.
- Social Integrations: Works seamlessly with YouTube, Twitch, and other social platforms.
- TeespringGo Fulfillment: Handles all aspects of production and customer service.
Best for influencers who want an easy, hands-off merch solution.
2. Icon Printing
Icon Printing offers high-quality merch options with custom styles and premium materials. Unlike typical print-on-demand services, Icon Printing allows more customization but requires small bulk orders.
Features:
- Customizable Options: Choose from various materials, colors, and styles.
- Small Order Quantities: Requires a minimum order of 20 items for screen printing.
Best for influencers who value high-quality, customized products.
3. MerchLabs
MerchLabs provides an end-to-end merch solution for influencers, covering everything from product design to e-commerce management. This platform is popular with entertainers and high-profile creators.
Features:
- Custom Storefronts: MerchLabs offers personalized e-commerce sites for influencers.
- Application Process: Selective entry based on application, ensuring a curated experience.
Best for established influencers seeking a managed, high-quality merch solution.
4. Killer Merch
Killer Merch provides a scalable merch solution, especially for high-volume needs. This platform supports everything from production to global fulfillment, making it ideal for large-scale merch campaigns.
Features:
- Advanced Marketing and Analytics: Offers social integration, email marketing, and analytics.
- Tour Support: Killer Merch has extensive experience with touring artists and influencers.
Ideal for influencers with large followings who need a robust merch solution.
5. Bonfire
Bonfire is a free, print-on-demand platform that offers design tools, fundraising options, and social integrations. It’s a versatile choice for influencers focused on community-building or supporting charitable causes.
Features:
- Fundraising Campaigns: Easy to set up fundraising events with proceeds going directly to charities.
- Customizable Design Tools: Offers over 800 templates to make creating designs easy.
Best for influencers who want to launch merch for charitable campaigns or community engagement.
6. Fanjoy
Fanjoy is a merch platform that helps influencers create and sell high-quality products their followers love. Fanjoy’s end-to-end solution makes it easy to launch merch with no upfront costs.
Features:
- Comprehensive E-commerce Solution: From design to fulfillment, Fanjoy covers every step.
- International Shipping: Fanjoy supports worldwide shipping, expanding your reach.
Great for influencers looking for a streamlined merch service.
7. Captiv8 Promotions
Captiv8 Promotions provides promotional products and logo merch for influencers who want custom branding on unique items.
Features:
- Extensive Product Catalog: Includes logo creation, embroidery, and silk screening.
- Industry Leader: Works with brands and media organizations for large-scale merch solutions.
Ideal for influencers wanting quality logo merch with a wide product selection.
8. Printify
Printify offers a large product catalog with competitive pricing, ideal for influencers wanting variety in their merch line.
Features:
- Over 200 Product Choices: Access to a vast catalog of merch options.
- Mockup Generator: Allows you to easily preview designs.
- Integration Options: Connects with Etsy, Shopify, and eBay for easy store management.
Best for influencers wanting a diverse range of products for their merch line.
9. Printful
Printful is a well-known print-on-demand platform with extensive customization options, from branded packaging to custom inserts.
Features:
- Custom Packaging and Inserts: Offers white-label packaging options.
- Warehousing Services: Influencers can store and ship additional items with Printful’s warehousing.
Perfect for influencers focused on creating a cohesive brand experience.
10. Spreadshop
Spreadshop is an easy-to-use merch platform that allows influencers to set up a custom shop without worrying about inventory or fulfillment.
Features:
- Flexible Pricing: Creators set their own prices and earn the difference.
- Customizable Storefront: Spreadshop offers CMS tools to design your store’s appearance.
Best for influencers who want a straightforward, flexible merch platform.
11. Burgerprints
Burgerprints is a print-on-demand platform designed for influencers wanting a mix of high-quality products and extensive customization options.
Features:
- Wide Product Selection: Burgerprints offers a large catalog of items, including apparel and accessories.
- Customizable Packaging: Influencers can personalize packaging, including labels and designs, to match their brand.
- Global Reach: Ships internationally, so fans around the world can purchase your merch.
Burgerprints is ideal for influencers focused on offering unique, personalized merch and reaching a global audience.
12. Globalmerch
Globalmerch emphasizes eco-friendly options and innovative marketing tools, making it a go-to platform for influencers focused on sustainable merch.
Features:
- Eco-Friendly Products: Globalmerch offers sustainable materials and ethical production options.
- Branding and Marketing Support: Includes promo codes, product samples, and personalized thank-you notes to boost customer experience.
- Free Sample for Quality Assurance: New users can request samples to ensure product quality before launching.
Ideal for influencers looking to align their merch with sustainable practices and ethical values.
Choosing the Right Merch Platform for You
Influencer merch offers benefits beyond income—it’s a powerful way to strengthen your community, enhance brand visibility, and create an image that resonates with followers. These 12 platforms provide tools and options to help influencers of all sizes create meaningful, high-quality merch. Whether you prioritize easy setup, customization, or sustainability, these platforms can help you launch your merch line and take your brand to the next level.
Choose a platform that aligns with your values, design goals, and target audience, and get ready to transform your brand with custom merch that speaks to your followers.