22 | 10 Reasons You Need Weekly Runs For Your T-Shirt Business

 The original blog post below was published on Nov 26, 2022.

Between business branding, scheduling social media, finding the sweet spot on your heat-press, and keeping up with your expenses, running a business can be a handful. Remember to figure out what to offer and get your audience to buy too. Do you feel like you are reinventing the wheel repeatedly and doing a lot of extra work to prepare inconsistent drops? When you think about it, you only drop new tees or see screen prints on sale. There is a great chance you are leaving money on the table by needing to be more consistent and straightforward for your audience. Not to mention adding way more stress to your plate than necessary.

Organize your business to offer a new weekly run every week with 20 new products that are only available for a short time. See below a snippet from my themed Content Calendars, which assist you in planning your weekly runs.

Think of your weekly run as the foundational layer of your sales offer. Before planning a bid war or fun game for the week, it will be your task to complete it first. If you need more energy to have a flash sale for the week or go live, your weekly run is still in the background. Leave it running even when you need some time off. Weekly runs are still perfect even while you are on vacation! Get in the habit of planning, preparing, and scheduling your weekly run before adding anything extra and fun. Your consistency will pay off.

2 / Expectations for customers

Algorithms can be harsh the majority of the time. Social media posts, on average, are shown to 3-5% of our following. Your customers may not shop, not because they don't want to, but because they didn't see your post. What if our customers were trained to know exactly when to expect new items from us every week? With a weekly drop, this is possible. We can work around the algorithm with consistency. We don't need social media to nudge our customers. Instead, they will come looking for your offer. Take it a step further to reward the early birds with 10% OFF their order every Tuesday (day 1 of the drop).

3 / Ability to plan ahead

Now that you have a system for weekly runs, you can plan well in advance. If there is a week you know you will be busy, work ahead of schedule to your weekly drop. With a strategy, you will no longer scramble weekly to list your product offer. Instead, you can sit down and schedule all your products for the entire month. If you sell a product where you don't depend on another vendor to keep stock, you can also schedule your drops well over a month in advance. Use the technique of batching to your advantage with weekly runs.

4 / Generate content for social media

If you need help sharing your offer on social media, a weekly run creates a structured posting plan for you and doubles as social media. There is a range of options to choose from. See below for different options to post 20 products each week.

• 20 products in one post on Tuesday
• 5 posts a week, 4 products in each post, Tuesday-Saturday
• 4 posts a week, 5 products in each post, Tuesday-Friday
• 4 posts a day, 1 product in each post, Tuesday-Saturday
• 5 posts a day, 1 product in each post, Tuesday-Friday

5 / Create a Sense of urgency

If you ever need clarification on how long to leave a product offering up or when your customers are done shopping, weekly runs will solve this for you. It will create a sense of urgency for your customers to shop. If they want this item, they will soon learn they need to get their order in. On Sunday, these items are going to close!

6 / Close with your tee parties

Many customers may find you through a tee party they were invited to. They had to place their order at that party on Sunday at 8:00 PM. Keep this expectation consistent in your VIP group. They will understand when this product closes or the deadline to order. Soon it will become ingrained. Just as we discussed their expectations for new releases, the same will be valid for expectations on product closing.

7 / Save with One material order

When I first began selling tees, I needed a schedule for ordering materials. It led me to order from S&S Activewear multiple times a week and pay an insane amount of shipping. The same can be said for screen prints. I would place an order, then get another tee order and have to order again. Closing your weekly run with your tee party every week will save you so much money. I was able to hit a $200 order each week to qualify for free shipping from S&S Activewear.

8 / Regroup with a prep day

I gathered my orders every Monday and placed one order, as mentioned above. I used this downtime to ensure my weekly run for the next week was scheduled and ready to go. I updated my office inventory and straightened up in preparation for my blank tees to arrive the next day. If I ordered by 5:00 PM, S&S delivered tees the next day to my house. With this routine, when I walked into my office after work, I knew precisely what I should be working on every Monday.

9 / Find your Enough point

Weekly runs helped me enforce healthy boundaries. I got lost scrolling and browsing design ideas for hours. I never knew when enough products were enough. It always left me feeling like I fell short. With a weekly run, it was clear that I would only need to find 20 products and be done. With that, it forced me to be critical of which products I pulled to run vs. just throwing the kitchen sink at them, which can create decision paralysis for customers. Think about how easy it is to grab an outfit from a packed suitcase on vacation vs. being at home with your entire closet. 

Further, it is easy for creative entrepreneurs not to know when to turn off the lights and call it a night. By creating a daily system, I knew when my work was done and could call it a well-done job.

10 / New exciting themes

The best part of all... new, fresh product offerings! Changing up the weekly product category each week will leave your audience on edge, wondering what you will have the next week! If this feels a bit overwhelming, don't worry; I have already mapped out 52 weekly drops for you for the entire year of 2024 in my Product Drop Organizer. Get your copy today!

If you want 20 mock-ups to match and a voucher for a Content Calendar every month, join the Product Drop Organizer Club!

So What

Be mindful of the marketing rule of 7. This rule states that a customer needs to be exposed to a product an average of 7 times before buying. Think about how often you look in the fridge before deciding on an item. Think about how continually you scour the closest before deciding on an outfit. 

With the marketing rule of 7 in play, make all 20 products available on your website simultaneously when you release the first product. While your customers will be able to see all of your products for the week, it will increase their exposure to the product and increase the chance of buying when they see the scheduled item later in the week and remind them of the product. This adds to why you should share your products on stories, via email, and more. Which you have the freedom to do since your baseline scheduling and weekly run tasks are handled. 

Get into a routine with your business tasks and watch the creativity and freedom flow back into your business. Then, finally, the weight is off your shoulders; let's sell and scale!

______________________________________________

Podcast Episode: "22 | 10 Reasons You Need Weekly Runs For Your T-Shirt Business"

This blog post was updated and converted into a Podcast episode on Feb 22, 2024.

APPLE | SPOTIFY | AUDIBLE 

In today's fast-paced entrepreneurial world, where the hustle is glorified, it's easy to get lost in the grind. But what if I told you there's a way to work smarter, not harder, especially in the bustling arenas of wedding preparation and T-shirt businesses?

In my latest podcast episode, I delve into the strategic intricacies of these two seemingly disparate fields, uncovering the synergies that drive success.

By embracing a weekly structure and creating a consistent routine, T-shirt entrepreneurs can build a reliable foundation for their business, ensuring no detail is overlooked.

Imagine unveiling 20 fresh T-shirt designs each week, each drop creating a ritual of excitement among your customer base. This isn't just about keeping your line fresh; it's about creating a brand that thrives on anticipation and loyalty. A weekly drop instills a sense of urgency and scarcity, compelling customers to act fast. But it's not solely about the drop—it's about the narrative you weave around it, the marketing finesse that ensures your T-shirts are seen at least seven times across various platforms before they're snatched up by eager buyers.

Marketing in the fashion industry is no simple feat. With countless brands vying for attention, it's imperative to leave an indelible mark in the minds of your customers. By leveraging the power of stories, email campaigns, Instagram, and live sessions, you create a multi-channel presence that not only showcases your products but also cements your brand's image. It's about crafting a marketing blueprint that resonates with your audience, ensuring your T-shirts are more than just apparel—they're a statement.

Yet, it's not all about the hustle. Finding balance is crucial. A well-oiled work schedule liberates you from the confines of a never-ending to-do list, granting you the freedom to reignite your creative spark. It's in this space—where structure meets creativity—that the next big idea is born. And when it comes to weddings, this balance allows you to savor the process, transforming wedding prep from a frantic race to a journey of joy.

My podcast doesn't just share ideas; it provides a roadmap for transformation. I delve into the benefits of weekly runs, the art of setting customer expectations, and the magic of planning ahead. I discuss the financial savvy of combining orders and the psychological wisdom of setting an 'enough' point to prevent decision paralysis. Each strategy is designed to streamline your operations, save you money, and free you up to do what you do best—create.

To sum it up, success lies in the details. It's about embracing a strategy that elevates your hustle to an art form. So tune in, take notes, and get ready to revolutionize your approach to business and creativity. The journey to mastering the T-shirt market domination begins with a single play button. Are you ready to transform your hustle into a harmonious symphony of success?

Links mentioned in this episode

• Turn Down The Hustle Facebook Group
• Product Drop Organizer
• Product Drop Organizer Club
• Content Calendars

_________________________________________________________

*This podcast contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them – but rest assured, I only recommend products and services I truly believe in and think will bring value to you.