The Passive Shirt Profits Podcast: Recent Episodes
Lisa Irby
This podcast discusses news and strategies to help you make money online through various print on demand (POD) websites such as Merch By Amazon, Zazzle, Spreadshirt, and more.
Michael Essany of MerchMomentum.com wrote a thought-provoking article about the FUTURE of Merch By Amazon. I loved everything about it, and have always wondered if anyone else felt the way I did. Glad to know I'm not alone.
In this episode I share my thoughts on the future of MBA and work does/doesn't work today.
Amazon is making big changes. They are ranking more sponsored ads in the results and boosting the rankings of their larger partners like Disney.
Here's my take on the latest changes and the one regret I have about how I've used the program so far.
In this episode, I will be comparing my upload to earning ratio with someone who has 8 times the amount of products uploaded. The results may surprise you.
The bottom line is this. You cannot put much stock into how much someone makes with X amount of uploads unless they show you EVERYTHING about their designs and sales.
To enroll in a course go to....
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com
When you've been earning online for as long as I have, the patterns start to look very familiar.
A free, money-making program like Merch By Amazon (MBA) gets hot quickly, and everyone flocks to it.
After a few years, people begin complaining it "no longer works" or "it's too saturated."
I told you this would happen, and to just hang in there because Amazon will start being more selective about who they let in, and the copycat problem will get better.
Is it more competitive? Of course it is, and they still need to get the theft/copycat problems resolved.
However, things have improved, and I'm optimistic based on my recent earnings and changes they've made.
I've sold a ton of phone cases in 2021, and noticing some positive trends with my earnings after things started to slow down in 2019.
In this episode I'm talking about everything good about Merch By Amazon in 2021. I hope you haven't given up on it!
It's not just keywords and saturation that's plaguing you with print on demand. Let's get real and discuss other unspoken factors that's hindering your success.
To enroll in a course go to
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
Now that RedBubble has finally admitted that the mass suspensions were a glitch, I'm weighing in on the careless way they handled the situation, and how I feel about it.
Everything I address is all opinion-based, so please keep that in mind.
Looking to enroll in a course? Go to...
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
Do you know what happens when you teach people how to make money online?
It opens the door for spammers and people who find loopholes in "the system."
So what does that mean? Am I going to stop teaching? Should you avoid print on demand in 2021 and beyond?
Nope...and nope again!
You just have to take long-term approaches and utilize strategies that are unpopular.
If there's one thing I've learned about making money online is people always gravitate to the popular strategies that appear to be fast and easy.
This can work to your advantage if you're willing to go the extra mile.
That's what I've done with print on demand, and I have no regrets about teaching this OR utilizing different traffic strategies.
In this episode you will discover how you can stabilize your print on demand T-shirt income in a space that is becoming very crowded and filled with spammers.
If you are new to print on demand, no doubt you've felt intimidated -- especially if you don't come from a design background or formal training.
It's very easy to fall into the trap of assuming you need to be a skilled artist to make any worthwhile money.
This could not be further from the truth.
In fact, I know several trained artists who struggle mightily with print on demand in spite of all their education and design experience.
The reason is that making money with print on demand is not just about the art. It's often more about the message and finding a niche to serve.
So when should you consider investing in software?
Do you even need to?
The answer will vary, and I'll share my story to hopefully help you make a decision that is right for YOU.
If you'd like to enroll in one of my courses and learn the print on demand business quickly, head on over to http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
One gripe I've always had about Merch By Amazon is they don't do a good job of highlighting the products our designs are available on.
Well, that is about to change, and I am loving the update!
To enroll in a course and learn quickly, go to
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
I've noticed a lot of new sellers who struggle to get any sales often believe it's because of their tags and keywords.
Yes, this is part of it, but the tags end up being ineffective for reasons you don't even realize.
In this episode, find out what a lot of people do wrong with their tags, and how to make them work better for you.
Enroll in my courses and learn quickly at
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
If you want to profit with print on demand (especially without paying for advertising), you have to play the long game.
Selling stickers can be a VERY big part of the long game if you understand how the RedBubble algorithm works.
In this episode I share why you should be happy about ANY sale, even if it's a sticker. In many cases, it's a like a gateway to more sales down the line.
To enroll in my courses go to
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
The 2016 election generated TONS of income for Merch By Amazon participants. Due to the rocky political climate in the U.S., I predict there will be ample opportunities for you to earn, in spite of our unstable economy.
You can use the public's anger, passion and frustration to your advantage this year.
In this episode I share what I did wrong in 2016 with regards to the election and how you should strategize in 2020.
In this episode I share what happened with my brand that allowed me to pull in 5 figures in June.
I'll also share a short story of why you should never give up, and how to know if you're on the right track or not.
I also react to a comment from a designer who doesn't understand why his talent is not netted him the earnings he desires.
In this episode I share a quick way you can use your art for good and I have a personal story to share that illustrates why there is still work to be done in terms of equality and the law.
RedBubble sales and stock are on the rise. They actually benefited from malls being closed as more people flocked online to buy gifts and home decor.
One of my accounts definitely saw an increase in April, and it was something I was NOT expecting given the downturn.
In this episode I'm sharing more tips on what I've learned from uploading to RedBubble. I reveal why editing products may give you a boost, my opinion on the new RedBubble feature they are testing and what I do with my art to make it more desirable to RedBubble customers.
Hope you enjoy!
One of the best decisions I made in late 2017 and early 2018 is to start creating more niche shops -- where all the designs cater to a more specific audience.
My stats show on every POD site that I upload to that the niche shops outperform the multi-topic shops.
Listen as I share some details about two of my RedBubble accounts for the month of April 2020. Both shops were created around the same time and the performance is not even close.
How you decide to setup your shop and who you target will make a DRASTIC difference in how it performs over time.
Sign up for my courses at
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com
We're gonna get through this PSP!!
In this episode I'm sharing some short term strategies you can use during the pandemic as demand for some niches slow. What should you do if you haven't found niches that you can consistently sell in?
I'll also be diving into why being early on trends is SUPER important on RedBubble. It has to do with their algorithm. It's unique from many of the other POD sites with regards to how they refresh designs.
It can either hurt or help you, depending on your timing.
Let's not fool ourselves. Merch By Amazon will never be what it was in 2016 and 2017. However, I'm sharing some info about some older best sellers that have suddenly been revived and why I think that is.
To enroll in a course go to
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
In this episode I'm sharing what I'm up to in 2020 that will help me illustrate what I'm doing with my brand and niches. This is the year of the brand, and I hope you will follow me on this journey as we continually grow our brands and focus on our most profitable niches.
Let's make it happen!!
Enroll in my courses at
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
In this episode, I share what you should be using MBA for instead of complaining or focusing on how competitive it is. If you are only focusing on the state of MBA today, you could be missing the big picture which can help you earn steady long term income without the ups and down.
My new POD Niche Shop Success course is launching on November 29th. Sign up to be notified!
https://passiveshirtprofits.com/freeguide/
See all my courses here...
https://learn.passiveshirtprofits.com/
This will be the 5th Christmas for Merch By Amazon (my 4th), and as you can imagine, competition is thicker than ever.
Nevertheless, there is still good money to be made and MBA is definitely STILL worth focusing on. Even if you do nothing else with Merch the rest of the year, this is the time of year to upload.
In this episode I share what my strategy will be based on what I've learned in the previous years two years.
I'll be launching a foundational course for Print on Demand that will be super helpful if you are new or struggling. Make sure you are on my list so you don't miss the one-time-only launch discount during Black Friday.
Sign up on the homepage @ http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com
There's always more than one way of promoting your work. But I'm very glad I didn't tackle Pinterest and social media until I already had some organic sales under my best. I have created a lot of different POD accounts over the years and I typically approach them the same way in each case. I focus on building up organic sales FIRST.... then I branch out to social media. In this episode I will explain why I operate like this.
Enroll in a course and learn quickly!
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
Pinterest is one of the most popular search engines on the Web. Not only is it free, but it CONVERTS sales. I now know this and you can see the results in a YouTube video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17C8bjk6nr8&lc
In this episode I share why some people don't like Pinterest and why it may or may not be a fit for you. No matter if it works or not, it's definitely worth trying. There's too much traffic potential to ignore it!
If you're not getting traffic or sales, perhaps you're ignoring the 4 things Pinterest's algorithm looks for when it comes to ranking images. I'll discuss what those are in this episode.
If you're brand new to Print on Demand, take my Starter Course for a great overview of how POD works.
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
Keyword research is THE most important step of earning with print on demand if you are only relying on free, organic traffic.
I find that many people either try to skip this step because they don't realize the necessity. Too many people focus on what they like to design versus what is in demand. It's why so many never meet their income goals.
In this episode I'm sharing my 3 favorite tools and a little bit about how I use them.
Also, as promised, here's the link to my detailed brand building post.
You can enroll in a course at
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com
I just hit my first $2000 month with my POD brand that I built up by starting with free POD traffic. In this episode I'm sharing some strategies I use.
Enroll in a course here...
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com
In March 2019, I had my lowest Merch By Amazon month since January 2017. However, my income is growing on other platforms and so is my brand. If you want to earn with POD in the long run, you better follow in my footsteps or you'll be left behind chasing keyword after keyword after keyword. Keyword chasing will make you short-term money, but building a brand will keep you in the game for the long haul. Let's get it!
On Friday, April 12th, Merch rolled out tank tops, V-necks and raglan tees. I'm sharing my upload strategy and offering some tips you may want to follow when you get access to the new products.
Merch Wizard is an amazing tool. It organizes all your listings with the click of a button, and lets your sort and report by any criteria (revenue, royalty, returns, you name it). But there are some drawbacks, and in this episode I'm giving you the good and the bad.
If you're going to buy gifts for someone anyway, why not let the gift boost your Merch income? In this episode I share how I use a gifting strategy to sell more evergreen designs. I also discuss my thoughts and strategy on the new royalties for long sleeves.
If you want to enroll in my courses go to
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
In this episode, I'm sharing how things are going with Valentine's Day, which is typically a big sales month for Merch By Amazon.
To watch the videos I referenced in the episode go to the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/lisairby
To enroll in a course go to
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
In this episode I'm going to share my thoughts on Merch By Amazon Q4. You'll also discover a better way to set goals and stick to any resolution you may have. Most people abandon their goals and resolutions by February. Here's how to prevent that from happening and stay on track so you learn more (software for POD, for example) and become more productive.
On Cyber Monday, Amazon updated the ASINs to older Merch By Amazon shirts. I was impacted by this update, but I believe there's good news for all of us. I choose to look at the positive side and just keep moving.
Sign up for my courses at
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
This is one of those times where I wish I had taken advantage of a privilege I had with Merch By Amazon now that the Holiday shopping season is officially here.
By the way, I'm having a Cyber Week sale on all my courses! Just go to http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
USE Code CYBERWEEK18 when you checkout to get 20% off any course or bundle.
Today I'm sharing my experience with using automation software to upload to a few of the popular print on demand websites. You've GOT to give this is a go! It's going to save you so much time.
In this episode I'm addressing topics like: the weight of the Merch By Amazon title and your rank, how late is too late to upload for a Holiday, why I don't focus on Holidays as much now, length of titles and more.
To enroll in a course go to...
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
I got early access to the UK/DE markets and have a ton of designs uploaded there now. Today I'm sharing how I'm doing and my early experience with AMS.
To enroll in a course go to...
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
I'm sharing what I've experienced the last two years during Q4 with Merch By Amazon. Learn what we may have to deal with it during the busiest shopping season of the year. Also learn how to attend my first live Q&A sesssion!
To enroll in a course go to
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
In this episode, I share a common habit newbies and struggling PODers have. This kind of thinking really hurts your creativity and keeps you from developing your own path that you can learn from.
To enroll in a course, go to...
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
I've become a big fan of RedBubble over the last few months. Sales have steadily picked up, and I've really been impressed with the product variety that sells.
At first, I was only selling T-shirts and stickers. Now I sell, tapestries, posters, notebooks and so much more.
In this episode I will share how you can discover what keywords your products get found for, and how they will inspire new design ideas.
Want to enroll in a course? Go to
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
I've noticed a lot of you compare yourselves to others and get frustrated when you don't have success in X amount of time.
You want some kind of guarantee or estimate of how much you can make or how long it will take.
Or maybe you have analysis paralysis and are afraid to start uploading because you believe you have to get everything right first.
If you can relate to any of these statements, you've GOT to listen to this podcast.
You're forgetting something very important about what it takes to succeed with POD.
It's something everyone has to go through, and you need to get comfortable with it before you find success.
Here's a revealing look at where I am now with Merch compared to where I was last year when it comes to my upload/earnings ratio. Bottom line? It's time to start building a brand. This is something I've put off for so long, but as competition increases I need to take what's working and scale. If you're selling on Merch, hopefully you're thinking of doing the same.
I got approved for pop sockets on Monday, June 18th and sold my first in 3 days. In this episode, I share why I won't be uploading everything I have on shirts to pop sockets. I'm taking a more methodical approach to the art I choose.
Enroll in one of my courses at...http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
You may have noticed that certain Merch By Amazon shirts display an Amazon's Choice label next to the listing. I'll be sharing what that means and why it's not as big of a deal as it may seem at first. I'll also be sharing my 2 cents on the speculation of Amazon's changing algorithm and how they rank/display shirts.
In this episode, I share my opinion on the new wrinkle to help prevent theft of our T-shirt designs on Merch By Amazon, how many returns I've gotten thus far and tips for selling a high percentage of your designs.
I also share why I don't spend too much time in many Facebook groups and why it helps me stay focused.
Sign up for a course at
https://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
In this episode, I'm sharing a Spreadshirt tip that most people don't know. Spreadshirt is my 2nd highest earner behind Merch, and I received some helpful info about how customers use the site. I'll also share how they go about publishing designs to Amazon. I also reached out to my Amazon contact about the recent issues with Merch by Amazon.
In this episode I share why I'll be taking a short break from podcasting and why I'm feeling very, very blessed given the circumstances. I also share how my March has been going with Merch By Amazon.
I uploaded a handful of tees with no bullets just to see if I could get any of them to sell out of curiosity. I just packed the title and brand with keywords. In this episode I talk about the results.
Enroll in a course
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
In this episode, I'm sharing about what I did last month to help break a personal record. I am happy but share why I'm always cautiously optimistic and also address the Merch is Dead rumors.
To sign up for a course go to
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
My candid thoughts on purchasing pre-made art for Merch.
To enroll in a course, go to
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
People search RedBubble a lot differently than they search some of the other print on demand (POD) sites. Here are some tips on how to describe your designs that you upload.
Sign up for my courses and learn the POD biz quickly!
https://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
CreativeMarket.com has really helped me with my T-shirt text designs, and not in the way that you might think. Yes, you can buy fonts from them, but what I'm discussing in this podcast won't cost you a dime. If you are tired of creating very basic T-shirt designs that never sell, learn how Creative Market can help step up your design game for free!
Sign up for my courses at...
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of ranking your products internally (Amazon) and externally (Google). Here are some tips for optimizing your shirts/products and an explanation for why Google ranks certain POD sites higher than others.
Sign up for a course at
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
Last week, I was invited to an exclusive meetup by the Merch By Amazon team. Even though I cannot share what they disclosed or what we saw (we signed a Non Disclosure Agreement), here's why the meetup motivated me and made me feel even better about Merch By Amazon's future.
Sign up for my courses at
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
In this episode, I share my opinions on the new application process and what I would do on my application if I were applying for Merch By Amazon today.
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Check out http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com for free book on print on demand and more tips.
Sign up for my courses at...
http://www.passiveshirtprofits.com/courses
I have a couple of designs that sell really well on RedBubble, and couldn't understand why since they don't typically fit the style that sells well there. After doing some research, I discovered where the source of the sales are probably coming from.
Happy new year, PSP listeners! In this episode I'm sharing my results of December 2017 on Merch By Amazon and Etsy. One was a surprise, the other was a bit of a disappointment. I'm also sharing my Sweatshirt and Hoodie strategy now that I have access to them.
This is a hodgepodge podcast of tips and lessons from this year. I discuss what I'll be doing about the price increase, how my strategy has changed since the 1,000 tier, what you need to know about the Merch By Amazon freeze last year and more.
This is the last podcast for season 1 of the PSP Podcast. I will resume on January 8th for season two! I really appreciate you for listening.
You can sell T-shirts on Etsy and integrate with Printful. Printful does all the shipping and handling and you simply design and upload the image. Some parts are similar to Print on Demand, but other parts are not. You can see my two part video series here https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=0ywIUUUzZB4
In this episode, I'm sharing a strategy I used over Halloween when I had a T-shirt that performed well early on. Try this out for your Holiday designs or any design that sells well to help minimize copycats and people capitalizing on your keywords and original ideas.
When you are new or not selling with print on demand, it can feel overwhelming and frustrating. With so many places to upload and not knowing what kinds of designs to upload, it can demotivate you. After having even more success on Zazzle since Podcast 21, I developed an action plan I will use from now on with NON Merch By Amazon sites. It's called the S.H.I.R.T. strategy and it will help ensure you are not wasting too much time uploading designs that have no chance of selling. It's about doing more of what works and less of what doesn't.
Zazzle has never been my top earning POD website, but I sold 2 of the 5 Halloween shirts I uploaded. I took a look at everything I sold this year and came to a conclusion about what my strategy should be going forward. I was approaching Zazzle all wrong, and in this podcast, I share what I will do differently.
Merch Informer is a research tool with a monthly fee that helps you easily find what T-shirts are selling well on Merch By Amazon. It also helps you quickly scope out how competitive a keyword is. I don't use Merch Informer, but wanted to make a quick point about people who criticize others for buying products (or the people who create them) just because they don't need them. We all value different things, and Merch Informer has helped a lot of people from what I've seen.
Here's my opinion of buying your own shirts and what I would do if I was on the 10 tier on Merch By Amazon.
One of my first outsourcing experiences was a nightmare. The design ended up being stolen from someone else. In this episode I share how you can guard against that and other advice for when you hire a 3rd party to create your design for Merch By Amazon or any other POD site.
If you aren't succeeding with Merch, it's not because it's saturated. You are doing something wrong and probably not niching down enough. In this episode I share an example of a top-selling T-shirt that illustrates why creativity and ideas are paramount!
In this episode I give my ranking of the three most important components of Merch By Amazon success. If you want longevity with Merch and POD in general, I believe you need to be efficient at 2 of the 3.
In this episode I share my unique Halloween sales situation from last year and I share another way you can buy very reasonably-priced Halloween images to use for your shirts.
It's always best to diversify, and I've definitely done that with print on demand websites. In this episode, I share my ranking of six print on demand websites.
At the end of the month, Zazzle (another print on demand site) will begin uploading some of the products to Amazon, but they will be selective about which products get pushed. In this episode, I'm sharing my strategy and why I won't be uploading the same shirts I have on Merch By Amazon.
Are you making these common mistakes with your T-shirts and stifling your sales? I hope you have a few a-ha moments after listening to this podcast.
There is no right or wrong when it comes to pricing. A lot of it comes down to your main goal (some price low for volume or higher for profit). In this episode, I share my strategy.
Don't wait until your Merch approval comes in before you get busy. Here are a couple of things you can do right now to prepare so you aren't overwhelmed and you're ready to upload.
In this episode I share my journey to the 1,000 tier on Merch By Amazon. I hope this episode inspires you.
If you are having trouble getting started with POD and you feel overwhelmed with what you need to do (or not do) then this show is for you! I answer a comment from a blog post and share some encouraging info that a private group member shared with another member that helped encourage her.
If you've found yourself thinking you aren't succeeding with Merch because it's too saturated or you're lacking design skills, you must listen to this episode. It may be the kick in the butt you need to get moving on this wonderful opportunity! Don't miss out!
It's a known fact that the Anvil T-shirts for Merch By Amazon run incredibly small. As a result, customers leave 1 star reviews due to poor fit. I used to inform shoppers to order a size larger, but here's why I stopped.
In this episode I'm sharing some quick tips and regrets I have to help clarify and prevent you from making some mistakes I made when I was a new Merch user.
In this episode I'm discussing five different ways to either deter theft or make it more difficult for people to steal your designs. I use most of these strategies, and since Amazon's upgraded copycat detection software has been announced, I've noticed less theft overall.
Merch By Amazon lets you select up to 5 colors, but find out why I don't always choose the max. Also learn about my favorite color for text, how to make your design look great on a variety of colors and more.
In this episode, I will be sharing my thoughts about Amazon's improved copycat detection software they announced in May. This update has caused quite a bit of paranoia among Merch users, but here's why it's your friend and not your enemy.
In this podcast, you will learn why I started Passive Shirt Profits, and I'll be discussing my experience with Merch By Amazon after nearly 8 months. I share some keys to my early success, and offer up some tips for those who haven't made much progress with Merch.