Did you know the custom lapel pin market brings in over a billion dollars each year? For creative people seeking a profitable online business, learning how to sell custom lapel pins might be your perfect opportunity. These little personalized items are wanted everywhere, from companies needing branding to fans wanting merchandise. Starting a pin business is not as hard as you think, and with some smart planning, you can earn a good profit.
I will guide you through each step, from designing your first concepts to setting up your online shop and delivering orders. Let us jump in and see how to sell custom lapel pins like a pro.
Step 1: Find Your Niche
Before you start using design programs or finding manufacturers, figure out your market and create pin ideas that speak to your audience. Think about these things:
- What You Love: What subjects do you truly enjoy? Designing pins about your passions makes it more fun and authentic.
- What is Popular: What is trending now? What are people searching for? Use tools such as Google Trends, EtsyRank and Pinterest Trends to get some good ideas.
- Who is the Competition: Who are your biggest competitors? What works well for them? How can you make your pins different?
Here is what I do to choose a niche:
- List Your Loves: Make a list of 5 to 10 things that you are passionate about. For example, this could be cats, old motorcycles or science fiction.
- Look into Each Love: Use Google Trends and EtsyRank to see how popular products related to those interests are. Search for things such as “cat enamel pins,” “vintage motorcycle pins” or “sci fi lapel pins.”
- Check out the Competition: Search for those things on Etsy and other online shops. See what your competitors sell, what their prices are and what customers say.
- Spot an Opening: Look for chances to offer something special or better. You could focus on one type of cat, design pins with a unique artistic style or ship faster.
For example, instead of just selling “cat enamel pins,” you could focus on “sphynx cat enamel pins” or “gothic cat enamel pins.” Narrowing your focus helps you get noticed in a busy market.
Step 2: Designing Pins: Tools and Ways
Once you have a niche and some ideas, turn those ideas into real designs. You do not need to be a great artist or buy expensive programs to design pins. Many easy to use and affordable choices exist:
- Canva: A well known graphic design site with a free option and many templates and design pieces. Great for beginners.
- Adobe Illustrator: The best program for vector graphics. It gives you more accuracy and advanced tools than Canva, but you need to pay for it, and it is harder to learn.
- Procreate: A digital painting app for iPad. Great for making pin designs that look like hand drawn art.
- Affinity Designer: A professional vector graphics editor that is cheaper than Adobe Illustrator.
Here is what I suggest for designing pins that look good:
- Keep it Simple: Pins are small, so do not use designs with very tiny details.
- Use Bright Colors: Use bright, contrasting colors to make your pins pop.
- Consider Size and Shape: Think about how the design will look on a real pin. Do not use thin lines or tiny details that might disappear when manufactured.
- Make Options: Offer different colors or small changes to your designs to appeal to more people.
- Prepare for Manufacturing: When your design is done, make sure it is in vector format (such as AI or SVG) and has a separate layer for the metal lines that define the enamel colors.
Quick Guide: Designing Pins in Canva
- Start a Design: In Canva, choose “Custom size” and enter the pin size you want (for example, 2000 x 2000 pixels).
- Add Design Pieces: Use Canva’s search to find graphics, drawings or text that match your design idea. You can also upload your own images.
- Change the Colors: Pick colors that are bright and stand out. Use Canva’s color tool to choose specific colors or enter codes.
- Add a Line: To copy the metal lines that separate the enamel colors, copy your design and make it a bit bigger. Change the copied design to black or another dark color to be the line.
- Download Your Design: Save your design as a high resolution PNG file. Saving it as a PDF for printing is also smart.
Step 3: Finding a Pin Maker
When your designs are ready, you will need a maker to create your pins. Some choices exist, each with pros and cons:
- Makers Overseas (for example, China): Usually offer the lowest prices, especially for big orders. However, talking with them can be hard, and shipping can take longer.
- Makers in the United States or Europe: Usually cost more, but they ship faster and communicating is easier.
- Online Shops (for example, Alibaba or Etsy): Some shops connect you directly with makers. This is helpful if you want a certain pin style or want to compare prices from different makers.
When picking a maker, think about:
- Price: Get prices from different makers and compare them.
- Minimum Order: Some makers have minimum order needs, which can be bad for new businesses.
- How Long it Takes: See how long the maker says it will take to make your pins.
- Shipping Time: How long will the pins take to arrive?
- Quality: Ask for examples or pictures of past work to see the maker’s quality.
- Talking: Make sure the maker is easy to reach and answers quickly.
- Reviews: Check reviews online to see what other customers say about the maker.
I suggest starting with a small order to see the maker’s quality and communication before ordering a lot.
Important Questions to Ask Pin Makers:
- What pin types do you make (hard enamel, soft enamel, die struck)?
- What is your minimum order?
- How long will it take?
- What shipping choices do you offer, and what do they cost?
- Can I see examples of your work?
- What file types do you accept for designs?
- What is your plan for fixing changes or mistakes?
- Do you offer any promises?
Step 4: Setting Up Your Online Shop
With your pins ready, set up your online shop and start selling. Many ecommerce sites exist, each with its own good and bad points:
- Etsy: A popular shop for handmade and old items. It is easy to set up, and it has an audience built in, which makes it great for new people.
- Shopify: A strong ecommerce site that gives you more control over your store’s design and tools. A good choice if you want a special, branded online store.
- Squarespace: A website builder that has ecommerce tools. Think about this if you want a nice looking website with ecommerce.
- Big Cartel: An ecommerce site made for artists and creators. It is simple and cheap, so it is good for selling a few products.
If you are new to online selling, I suggest starting with Etsy. It is easy to set up, it has many users and it has marketing tools.
Tips for Making Your Etsy Pin Shop Great:
- Pick a Good Shop Name: Your shop name should be easy to remember and related to your niche.
- Create a Good Shop Banner and Logo: These are the first things customers see, so they should look professional and show your brand.
- Write Great Product Details: Your product details should be detailed, correct and persuasive. Show the special features and good things about your pins.
- Take Good Product Photos: Your product photos are important for getting customers, so use good light, clean backgrounds and different angles to show your pins well.
- Set Good Prices: See the prices of similar pins on Etsy and price yours the same way. Include your costs (making, shipping and fees) and the profit you want.
- Give Great Customer Service: Answer customer questions fast and kindly. Fix problems fairly and quickly.
Step 5: Marketing Your Pins
When your online shop is ready, you need to market your pins to get customers. Some ways to do this include:
- Social Media: Sites such as Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok are great for showing your pin designs and talking with possible buyers.
- Etsy SEO: Make your Etsy listings better with good keywords to improve your search rankings.
- Paid Ads: Think about running paid ad campaigns on Etsy, Google or social media to reach more people.
- Email Marketing: Make an email list and send newsletters or ads to your subscribers.
- Influencer Marketing: Work with influencers in your niche to show your pins to their followers.
- Content Marketing: Write blog posts, make videos or create other content about your niche to get possible customers.
I have learned that using social media marketing with Etsy SEO is very helpful to sell custom lapel pins.
Social Media Tips for Pin Businesses:
- Use Good Photos and Videos: Your photos should look good and show your pins well.
- Use Good Hashtags: Use hashtags that match your niche and target audience.
- Talk with Your Followers: Answer comments and messages quickly and join in conversations.
- Run Contests: Contests are a good way to get people excited and get new followers.
- Work with Other Creators: Work with other artists, designers or businesses in your niche to show each other’s products.
Step 6: Delivering Orders and Giving Great Customer Service
As orders come in, shipping fast and giving great customer service is key. This means:
- Packing Your Pins Well: Use packaging that keeps your pins safe during shipping. Think about using branded packaging to look professional.
- Shipping Orders Fast: Ship orders as soon as possible after they are placed. Give tracking information to your customers.
- Talking with Customers: Keep customers updated about their orders. Answer questions or problems quickly and kindly.
- Handling Returns: Have a clear return plan. Be fair and understanding when handling returns.
- Asking for Reviews: Ask your customers to leave feedback on your Etsy shop. Good reviews will get you more customers.
I have noticed that giving small gifts to our customers often gets them to buy from us again and tell others about us.
Packing Ideas for Pins:
- Backing Cards: Attach your pins to backing cards with your logo and brand.
- Cellophane Bags: Place your pins in cellophane bags to keep them safe from scratches.
- Bubble Mailers: Use bubble mailers for extra protection during shipping.
- Gift Boxes: For special times or expensive pins, think about using gift boxes.
- Thank You Notes: Add a handwritten thank you note with each order.
Step 7: Growing Your Pin Business
When you have a good pin business, start thinking about growing. This might mean:
- Selling More Products: Offer new pin designs, sizes or styles.
- Selling in More Places: Sell your pins on more sites (Etsy, Shopify, Amazon).
- Hiring Help: Give tasks such as design, making or customer support to others to free up your time.
- Spending on Marketing: Spend more on marketing to reach more people.
- Making a Brand: Make a strong brand that people love.
I have learned that focusing on making a strong brand and selling in more places is key for our success.
Ways to Make a Strong Pin Brand:
- Know Your Brand: What are your rules? What makes your brand special?
- Make a Good Look: Use the same colors, fonts and images in all your marketing.
- Talk Well: Talk with your customers in a real and interesting way.
- Make a Group: Make a group around your brand by talking with your followers on social media and doing events and contests.
- Give Great Customer Service: Always give great customer service to build trust.
Pin Design Tricks for Special Designs
Ready to make your pin designs even better? Let us see advanced tricks that can make your designs truly special:
- Glow in the Dark: Use glow in the dark enamel for a cool and unique look.
- Glitter Enamel: Add glitter to your enamel for a shiny and fancy look.
- See Through Enamel: Use see through enamel to make it look like stained glass.
- Lower Metal: Make lower metal areas to add depth to your designs.
- Screen Printing: Use screen printing to add small details to your designs.
- Moving Pieces: Add moving pieces to your pins to make them fun.
Try these tricks to make pins that are truly special.
Legal Things to Know
Before you start selling your pins, know the legal things. This means:
- Copyright: Make sure you are not using any copyrights. Do not use copyrighted characters, logos or ideas without getting permission.
- Trademarks: Do not use trademarks without permission. This includes brand names and logos.
- Licenses: If you are selling pins based on movies or games, you must get a license from the copyright owner.
- Sales Tax: You might need to collect sales tax.
- Business Licenses: You might need a business license to run your online shop legally.
Talk with a lawyer to make sure you follow all rules.
Fixing Pin Design and Making Problems
Problems can happen. Here are some common problems and how to fix them:
- Design Problems: Your designs might look different on the real pin than on your computer. This could be because of small details or colors. Make your designs easier and better for making.
- Making Problems: You might get pins with scratches or bad enamel. Contact your maker to ask for new pins.
- Shipping Delays: Shipping problems can be bad for you and your customers. Tell your customers what is happening with their order.
- Customer Problems: Customers might have problems with pin quality. Fix problems quickly and professionally, and try to make the customer happy.
Mistakes will happen. Learn from your mistakes and make your work better.
Pin Shop Pricing Tips
Good pricing helps your shop a lot. Here is how I price my pins:
- Add Up Costs: Add all your costs, including making, shipping, Etsy fees and your time.
- Check the Competition: See the prices for similar pins.
- Think About Value: Special pins can cost more.
- Try Different Prices: Change your prices based on sales.
- Sell Bundles: Sell pins together for a cheaper price.
Making a Pin Design Video
Making a pin design video is a good way to get customers. Show how to make a pin design. Share helpful tips. Put the video on YouTube and on your Etsy store. This builds trust.
Working with Other Pin Designers
Talk with other pin designers. Work together on a pin design. This helps you reach more people. Show each other’s products.
Showing Your Designs with Mockups
Show your designs with mockups. Mockups are images that show your designs on clothes or bags. This helps customers see how the pins will look.
Making Your Etsy SEO Better
To make your Etsy search rankings better, try these SEO tips:
- Keyword Research: Use tools such as Marmalead to find keywords.
- Use Longer Keywords: Use keywords such as “unique cat enamel pin”.
