How to Use Videos to Promote Your New T-Shirt Business

Here’s a business stat you should get excited about: 94% of businesses have gotten more sales because their videos explained their products and services better to their customers and prospects. Today, videos have become extremely easy to record, upload, and stream to devices including our smartphones. The number of options you have – from short clips on TikTok to longer-form YouTube recordings – means there’s something for every business, even if you’re a video newbie without recording or editing skills.

Wondering how to use video to increase brand awareness and sales for your t-shirt business? We’ve got lots of tips and steps you should take to help you get started.

• Let’s start with why using videos just makes sense. The numbers clearly show just how much using video can profit your business:
• The average person watches about 100 minutes of online videos every single day. This is almost double the amount since 2018 and will only increase.
• 96% of consumers have watched a video about a product before they bought it and 88% of viewers say they were convinced to buy the product because of the video they watched.
• More than 90% of businesses say the videos they posted online attracted new customers to their business.
• Almost 75% of businesses say that videos offer a better ROI than using photos alone.
• More than 80% of video marketers have created leads using video content and over 80% of marketers agree that video has a positive impact on sales.

As you can see, video makes a massive difference to your potential customers. Grabbing their attention and quickly educating them on what they need to know about your brand and imprinted apparel is essential to growth and success.

Video content isn’t hard to create yourself. If you have a current smartphone, you’ve got a built-in camera that’s even been used to make movies. Here are a few tips for shooting good videos:

• Develop a list of video topics. For each one, create a mini outline or script so you have an idea of what to do and say on camera.
• Look at what you’re recording first through your viewfinder as though you’re part of your ideal audience seeing it, so you can capture the best views. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different angles!
• Get a tripod or holder if necessary to shoot a steady video.
• Keep the video focused on the apparel or the activity with the apparel to get the most succinct footage.
• Ensure you have great lighting. Shoot outside or invest in an affordable lighting setup.
• Avoid noisy or overly loud interviews – get a cordless microphone to mitigate this issue.
• Wear your own decorated apparel in all of your videos.
• Nervous about going in front of the camera? Do some non-recorded and recorded run-throughs before you record your final video. Have another person record you so you can focus on your video performance.
• Practice recording lots of videos. Get opinions from others, including people in your target customer base, so you can hone your skills and create content that compels them to buy.

How about video length? To go viral, Facebook recommends creating videos less than one minute long or stories less than 20 seconds in length. However, that’s just a rule of thumb. Longer videos of at least three minutes long work well for episodic web series, ongoing stories or live streaming.

The reality? There are so many topics to cover when it comes to your t-shirt business that you may not even realize how much you have to offer. Once you start thinking creatively about content opportunities, you won’t have any issues creating videos. Plus, as you get to know your audience, you can ask them to leave comments about what video topics they’d like to see from you.

Brainstorm these questions first to see how many you can “answer” in videos for your customers: 

• What motivated you to open and build your business? Do you cater to a certain type of buyer, like parents or dog lovers or entrepreneurs?
• How long have you been in business? Did you start with one t-shirt design and expand to 50?
• How does your t-shirt shop differ from other shops? Why should people buy your t-shirts? Do you use a higher-quality t-shirt? Are your designs 100% original? Can you customize them?
• What level of service can we expect from your business? Anything that sets you apart? Fast, free shipping? A t-shirt care card included with your order?
• Who’s the perfect customer(s) for your decorated t-shirts? How do they use your t-shirts, for family events or company uniforms?
• What does your business stand for? Do you support any causes or donate a portion of your proceeds to cancer research or animal welfare?
• Do you practice sustainability in your business that customers would align with? Only recyclable packaging? On-demand printing so you don’t carry a huge inventory of goods that might not sell? Organic cotton t-shirts?

These are just a few of the questions you can answer easily for your promo videos. This will quickly help you find your true fans, who’ll buy from you on repeat and refer you to others.

Your t-shirt brand is a mood, a vibe, an atmosphere where your customers want to hang out. That’s why your videos need to set that tone. Plus, your fans want to know how you design your new t-shirt artwork or how you decorate the t-shirts they buy and wear.

• Show your t-shirts up close and personal. Is the fabric durable through many washes, yet soft to the touch? Do you offer an on-trend V-neck t-shirt in five vibrant colors? 
• Wear your t-shirt and show the different ways you can style it. (Or use a human model or a mannequin). This way, people can see how versatile the decorated apparel is for different wearers and different occasions. 
• Explain how you choose which design goes on what t-shirt.
• If you meet up with happy clients, get ready to film. During an event at your shop or a local fair, record multiple people enjoying wearing your clothing. Another idea is to ask fans to record a short video of them wearing your t-shirt and saying why they love it. Then, you can use those clips in your own videos.

• Show how “a t-shirt gets printed.” Take a new blank and record the process you go through to create a great design and then apply it to a shirt. Talk the viewers through the process as you go. Use clips or speeded-up motion to keep the video shorter.
• Discuss the difficulties presented by supply-chain issues these days and explain how your latest limited-edition run was born – encouraging sold-out merch as you go.
• Answer general and specific questions you’ve received about your t-shirts.
• Let your audience get to know your brand by hearing from those who created it. If you’re a solopreneur, “interview” yourself. If you’ve got part- or full-time employees, ask them to make an appearance on camera. Remember, in many ways, “you” are your brand, so let your personality shine.

• Give your subscribers a sneak peek of new designs or t-shirt styles before everyone else gets to see them, so they can get a jump on ordering.
• Give your customers who tune in special sales, discounts or offers as a thank you for being loyal fans.

You know the importance of video for your business growth, and you have a lot of content ideas to create videos. But where do you post your videos? The simple answer is “everywhere.” The better answer is to look at the most recent marketing data to determine your priorities and relevance.

There are so many kinds of videos to record these days. Videos for Reels, Lives, YouTube, social posts and stories, emails, and the list can go on. To decide where you want to focus on publishing your video content, consider these stats to focus your efforts. Of course, you can post videos in more than one place, but it’s important to cultivate your audience on your chosen platforms. Ask questions, and respond to comments as often as you can.

Facebook: Let’s start with the “big one.” Facebook was, for a lot of people, their first social media platform and remains the most popular. The demographics of Facebook show that most users between 18-34 years use it to shop for clothes and fashion accessories. Facebook has also reported that live streams get six times as many interactions as regular videos.

Instagram: Because Instagram has such an emphasis on the visual (pictures and video) as opposed to text, it should come as no surprise that it’s a very effective platform for t-shirt shop owners. In fact, Facebook’s recent survey showed Instagram to be the better place to look for fashion products and trends.

YouTube: YouTube is the most popular online video upload service, with more than 100 million users logging in every single day to watch a staggering 100 billion hours of video. Since Google owns YouTube, it’s a platform you want to use especially if you want to improve your website’s SEO ranking. Encourage your fans and buyers to subscribe to your channel so they receive notifications whenever you post something new. 

TikTok: Since short-form video is hot across all social platforms now, it makes sense to look at TikTok. More than half of the marketers using TikTok plan to increase their time on the platform. The question to ask yourself before jumping in is if your customers hang out on the site. Right now, there are about 80 million active U.S. users: 60% are female, 40% are male, 60% are between the ages of 16 and 24, and 26% are between the ages 25 to 44.

Email: Surprisingly, many people forget that you can directly send out video content through emails and subscription-based newsletters. This way, you can directly target people who’ve bought from you before or are interested in your content because they signed up to receive it.

Video is a driving force for business owners who want to set themselves apart from the rest of the pack. If your t-shirt business needs a lift, consider devoting time to creating original videos to promote your shop. Your fans will find you – and will return again and again to digest (and share) your content.