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t of the ongoing pandemic, two sales were masks. The others were a clock and a sticker pack.</p><p id="5eb2">I didn’t track my hours but assuming I spent an average of 4 hours on each design, that’ll be 72 hours. Yeah, that’s a lot of hours learning the ropes of graphic designing and how to navigate Redbubble. But if you’re a seasoned designer and tech-savvy, I’m sure it wouldn’t take you that long for one design.</p><p id="e11b">Although I spent so many hours designing and uploading my creations, I cannot describe my level of happiness for earning $7.01! Some may think I’m silly, but I was just glad that people out there liked my designs. It was a reassurance that if I wanted to become a graphic designer, I could probably do it.</p><h1 id="a248">Is it worth the try?</h1><p id="583d">Honestly, if you’re experimenting or just playing around with a side hustle, it would be worth the time and effort. Another option would be <a href="https://merch.amazon.com/">Merch by Amazon</a>, but you’ll have to be approved to sell your designs on their platform. Whereas for Redbubble, anyone can sell their designs on their marketplace.</p><p id="4355">However, if you’re a freelance graphic designer or if you make a living through your craft, using other POD suppliers and platforms would be a better option for you. Because if you sell on Redbubble, it is harder to build a brand since the packaging and the website’s interface isn’t made to promote the creator.</p><p id="35b3">It isn’t impossible, but it is harder. Selling on Redbubble is like selling on Amazon. When you ask your friend where they got their new phone case, they would probably say Amazon rather than the brand; unless it is a well-known brand. But if they purchased it directly from the brand’s site, they’ll most likely mention the brand to you. Consumer psychology!</p><p id="e5f1">Using other platforms like <a href="https://www.printful.com/">Printful</a> or <a href="https://printify.com/">Printify</a>, and integrating it into your website can help you to appear more professional and credible as a freelance graphic designer too.</p><p id="a453">If you’re giving Redbubble a shot, don’t expect to make a fortune right away. It isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme, as you can see, I only made$ 7 from 18 designs. I wasn’t designing to make money, but rather testing and honing my designing skills. Without having to research on trends or advertise for sales, the $7 came as a pleasant surprise.</p><h1 id="ef4a">What I would have done if I continued on Redbubble</h1><h2 id="3587">Link it to Google Analytics</h2><p id="3f07">Redbubble has a function that allows you to do this in their settings. This will be a great function for you to see which of your designs are working. You’ll be able to discover trends through your analytics. Do this from the get-go before you start your store on Redbubble so that you’ll be able to track your customers when you start to get traffic.</p><h2 id="4117">Start an Instagram page</h2><p id="c9b3">Download

Options

your product images and share them on Instagram. If you’ve exhausted every mock-ups on Redbubble, try using <a href="https://placeit.net/">Placeit.net</a> to create more mock-ups for your Instagram page. Through Instagram, you’ll be able to after advertising your products to the rest of the world. Other than that, you’ll be able to get organic traffic through hashtags and shares if you do it right.</p><h2 id="331f">Include it on your freelance page</h2><p id="3139">If you are a graphic designer with a freelancer page or a freelancer bio anywhere, include the link to your Redbubbe shop to increase your web presence. People who like your designs can purchase your products through the link you’ve included in your page or bio.</p><h2 id="5e51">Share it with friends and family</h2><p id="386a">Once you get the first sale for a design, it is easier for Redbubble to register that people like that design and product. This increases the probability of them recommending your products to others on their market place.</p><p id="a891">That was my experience on Redbubble with little effort to market or advertise my products. Though I probably can’t give you any advice on making it big and earning hundreds on Redbubble, but maybe these influencers can.</p><p id="d3c0">Here is how to start on Redbubble in 2021:</p> <figure id="7a2a"> <div> <div> <img class="ratio" src="http://placehold.it/16x9"> <iframe class="" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FrSxeM2MtDbA%3Ffeature%3Doembed&display_name=YouTube&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DrSxeM2MtDbA&image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FrSxeM2MtDbA%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=a19fcc184b9711e1b4764040d3dc5c07&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" width="854"> </div> </div> </figure></iframe></div></div></figure><p id="d5c0">And, here is one where you can examine the quality of the print and products before you decide if you want to give this a shot:</p> <figure id="bfcd"> <div> <div> <img class="ratio" src="http://placehold.it/16x9"> <iframe class="" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2Fu4SW7sv71_M%3Ffeature%3Doembed&display_name=YouTube&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Du4SW7sv71_M&image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fu4SW7sv71_M%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=a19fcc184b9711e1b4764040d3dc5c07&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" width="854"> </div> </div> </figure></iframe></div></div></figure><p id="f3c7">If you decide to give Redbubble a shot, feel free to leave your shop link as a response to this article so that we can all support each other’s online endeavours.</p></article></body>

I Tried Redbubble For a Month and Earned $7.01

I was so excited when each sale came in!

After spending weeks consuming videos on how to make money online. That’s when YouTube decided to recommend something I’ve never heard of.

Print-On-Demand.

I was exploring my interests for a plausible career in digital design when I chanced upon this video. Little did I know, I would enter a Print-On-Demand YouTube black hole the moment I clicked on it.

No one around me knew about this; not even the most well-informed people I know. The more I learned about Print-On-Demand, the more intrigued I was.

What is Print-On-Demand (POD)?

In short, POD is a business model where you work with product suppliers to customise white-label products with your designs and brand to sell them on demand. Meaning that items are printed as soon as an order is made and no minimum order is needed for production. There is no need for bulk orders or for you to hold an inventory. You don’t need to pay for the products until you’ve actually sold it. The products will then be shipped to your customer from the supplier, and you don’t have to deal with any logistics.

You can build an online business or brand with this method. Hosting it all on your own website, do your own marketing, while the POD company does the leg work for you.

Or, if you are just exploring your options and don’t want to invest your time and money into building an online brand, you can choose to start with something like Redbubble.

Redbubble

Redbubble doesn’t allow you to integrate with your website, but instead, they have a marketplace where buyers visit to purchase customised products.

It is a great platform for designers to create products and get feedback on their design. You get to test the idea of a POD business model without having to invest in branding and marketing.

Making $7.01 in one month

Last July, I started creating a few graphic designs and uploaded 18 of my designs on to Redbubble. These designs were then superimposed on to home decor products, lifestyle products, fashion products and more. It was amusing to see the mock-ups of my designs on usable products!

I left the designs on my page to see how Redbubble will work their magic without me having to advertise or market.

Here’s a breakdown of the sales I made:

In light of the ongoing pandemic, two sales were masks. The others were a clock and a sticker pack.

I didn’t track my hours but assuming I spent an average of 4 hours on each design, that’ll be 72 hours. Yeah, that’s a lot of hours learning the ropes of graphic designing and how to navigate Redbubble. But if you’re a seasoned designer and tech-savvy, I’m sure it wouldn’t take you that long for one design.

Although I spent so many hours designing and uploading my creations, I cannot describe my level of happiness for earning $7.01! Some may think I’m silly, but I was just glad that people out there liked my designs. It was a reassurance that if I wanted to become a graphic designer, I could probably do it.

Is it worth the try?

Honestly, if you’re experimenting or just playing around with a side hustle, it would be worth the time and effort. Another option would be Merch by Amazon, but you’ll have to be approved to sell your designs on their platform. Whereas for Redbubble, anyone can sell their designs on their marketplace.

However, if you’re a freelance graphic designer or if you make a living through your craft, using other POD suppliers and platforms would be a better option for you. Because if you sell on Redbubble, it is harder to build a brand since the packaging and the website’s interface isn’t made to promote the creator.

It isn’t impossible, but it is harder. Selling on Redbubble is like selling on Amazon. When you ask your friend where they got their new phone case, they would probably say Amazon rather than the brand; unless it is a well-known brand. But if they purchased it directly from the brand’s site, they’ll most likely mention the brand to you. Consumer psychology!

Using other platforms like Printful or Printify, and integrating it into your website can help you to appear more professional and credible as a freelance graphic designer too.

If you’re giving Redbubble a shot, don’t expect to make a fortune right away. It isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme, as you can see, I only made $7 from 18 designs. I wasn’t designing to make money, but rather testing and honing my designing skills. Without having to research on trends or advertise for sales, the $7 came as a pleasant surprise.

What I would have done if I continued on Redbubble

Link it to Google Analytics

Redbubble has a function that allows you to do this in their settings. This will be a great function for you to see which of your designs are working. You’ll be able to discover trends through your analytics. Do this from the get-go before you start your store on Redbubble so that you’ll be able to track your customers when you start to get traffic.

Start an Instagram page

Download your product images and share them on Instagram. If you’ve exhausted every mock-ups on Redbubble, try using Placeit.net to create more mock-ups for your Instagram page. Through Instagram, you’ll be able to after advertising your products to the rest of the world. Other than that, you’ll be able to get organic traffic through hashtags and shares if you do it right.

Include it on your freelance page

If you are a graphic designer with a freelancer page or a freelancer bio anywhere, include the link to your Redbubbe shop to increase your web presence. People who like your designs can purchase your products through the link you’ve included in your page or bio.

Share it with friends and family

Once you get the first sale for a design, it is easier for Redbubble to register that people like that design and product. This increases the probability of them recommending your products to others on their market place.

That was my experience on Redbubble with little effort to market or advertise my products. Though I probably can’t give you any advice on making it big and earning hundreds on Redbubble, but maybe these influencers can.

Here is how to start on Redbubble in 2021:

And, here is one where you can examine the quality of the print and products before you decide if you want to give this a shot:

If you decide to give Redbubble a shot, feel free to leave your shop link as a response to this article so that we can all support each other’s online endeavours.