You may have the best band since the Beatles, but it's not going to do you much good if nobody knows you exist. One way to help get your name out there is with band merchandise. The more merchandise you distribute, the wider your band name will be spread. Every item can serve as a mobile mini-billboard for your band.
Items
Personalizing a number of different promotional items has become incredibly easy and inexpensive. The cheapest items include pens, rulers, plastic combs, bumper stickers, buttons and decals. Medium-priced items can include posters, key chains, magnets and coffee mugs. Higher-priced items consist of T-shirts, blank journals with a customized cover, bandannas, or a promotional CD with three of your best songs.
Information
In addition to your band's name and possibly your logo, put as much information on the product as possible. This definitely includes your website address, blog, e-mail, phone number or any other way to reach the members of the band. The smallest items may only have room for a logo and web address, while larger items can contain much more information. Make sure the print size is easily legible and the layout easy to read.
Ordering
Once you have decided on the items you want to sell, ordering them has become very easy. Dozens of companies offer bulk prices on promotional items. If you don't have enough cash to order hundreds of items to keep on hand, you can go with a company that will print smaller quantities on demand--such as CafePress.com, where your individual cost will be higher but less expensive. CafePress is free to join and has a wide array of merchandise that can be personalized.
Distribution
Items your band can sell can be given away at concerts, radio stations, as prizes, or pretty much anywhere to insure your band's name gets around. Perhaps you want to give away a free pen, poster or key chain with every CD purchase. You can also sell the items around town or at concerts, but keep the prices reasonable. Your goal is to get your name out there, not to make a major profit from overcharging on a ball point pen.
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