How To Successfully Sell Your Gym's Merch In 7 Days (& Profit)

August 12, 2022

Guide: How To Successfully Sell Your Gym's Merch In 7 Days (& Profit)

So you’re planning to launch a pre-order campaign for your gym’s new merchandise? Great! Here is the ultimate step-by-step guide on how to successfully sell your merch in 7 days.

The Timeline

With so many Pre-Order campaigns being launched with Fitprint, we’ve noticed that the most successful ones tend to nail it with an organised social media posting plan.

To help you out with your pre-order campaign and get as many orders as possible, we’ve put together a step-by-step posting guide that will help you run a successful promo for your merch release!

Step 1: Order a Sample Kit

Ordering a custom sample is the best way to ensure that you’re 100% satisfied with your new merch, and can be sure that your community will love it too.

We believe it’s a non-negotiable. You should first be proud of your merch before offering it to your community to purchase and represent.

So if you are planning a new collection, make sure to order 1 of each item to see & feel the quality for yourself as well as get feedback from your team.

Also, with the physical sample now in your hands, you will be well prepared to generate hype.

Learn how to order a sample kit in less than 60 seconds: Click here.

Step 2: Generate Hype

Now that you are happy with your samples, you are ready to make your first post. Get as much promo content prepared as you can, so you can start building hype around your upcoming merch drop.

Content like photos and videos of you wearing the merch, working out or even just holding it are some ideas for you to create valuable content. Post stories and feed posts with the saying “coming soon” and the date counting down to when your pre-order store will be live.

Your printed sample is the most effective tool to generate engagement, hype & ultimately increase your sales. Use it!

Step 3: Launch Day

Your launch post is critical (for obvious reasons). The key is making it as impactful and informative as possible.

The idea is to clearly announce that your merch is now available for purchase. A powerful launch image that always works, is a birds-eye flat lay of the entire collection in 1 photo. If using a carousel, add additional photos & videos of the most popular pre-hype posts.

Make sure you’ve also included an image that really shows your item at its best, and includes full details like colour availability, sizes, price & how they can order.

Add the url link of your pre-order to your Instagram bio, TikTok bio, your Facebook info or as a pinned tweet. It’s all about making it as accessible as possible on your chosen channels.

Step 4: Momentum Post

Your launch post is critical (for obvious reasons). The key is making it as impactful and informative as possible.

The idea is to clearly announce that your merch is

Keeping the momentum going midway through your campaign is all about keeping content varied.

Use BTS photoshoot images, mockups, detailed close-ups, or photos of a member wearing your sample. And remember, it’s quality over quantity, nailing it with one post is better than filling up the feed with average ones.

Instagram Stories Use Instagram and Facebook stories. They let you post continuously, but only last 24 hours, so you won’t feel like you’re crowding your stories.

Step 5: Giveaway Post

Consider hosting a contest or giveaway to spread the word about your campaign, increase purchases, etc.

If a merch giveaway doesn’t suit you at the moment, you can also try offering something like “The next 10 people to place an order will also get 2 free weeks of membership”.

Step 6: Last Day Post

When your campaign has only 1 day left to go you should be taking advantage of urgency to maximise last-minute sales.

There is always a procrastinator & a person who needs a nudge in every group. So dont be afraid to go wild today. You will be thanked for it later, trust us!

Double down on the content that’s worked so far and use clear messaging:
“Last chance to buy!”
“Pre-order ends soon!”
“48 hours – 24 hours – 1 hour left!”

Pre-Order Closes

Now it’s time to collate all your pre-orders and place your merch order with your preferred printer.

Step 7: Thank You Post

Not exactly a post, but there’s still plenty you can do once your pre-order ends to give yourself the best chance next time around, this includes:

Thanking your members and community and asking for selfies.
Keeping any content members post about their merch. It’ll come in handy for advertising in the future.

Taking notes of the highs and lows of your pre-order will stand you in good stead for future runs. Look at what kind of promo led to sales, what products were your most popular and whether your pre-order length and margins worked for you.
Bear in mind that if you feel like you didn’t maximise last-minute buzz, or if you’re getting a lot of requests to buy after the pre-order closed, you have the option to relaunch whenever you want!
Tag us @fitprintau & use #fitprint

Repeat with a new merch drop every 3 months.

Learn how to set up your own pre-order store:

fitprint.co/pre-orders-the-secret-to-risk-free-merch