Ready to Up Your Embroidery Game?

If you want to increase your shop’s embroidery sales this quarter, there are some simple pivots you can make today, so your decorated wares stand out next to your competitors. These seven proven tips will help you pump up the volume-and your profits-in your shop.

1. Get stoked about multimedia. Multi-decoration design still has a higher perceived value and retail feel. If your shop offers other decorating options, via a D2 printer, screen printing equipment, sublimation printer, laser, vinyl cutter, heat transfers or chenille, combine one or more of those methods with your embroidery work.

Tip: Display your best multimedia work in your showroom, and post images on your website and social media channels to attract higher-end buyers. This is also a great way to upsell current customers.

2. Shiny’s so in. Whether your design is just embroidery or embroidery paired with D2, take it a step further by adding bling. Rhinestones, spangles, sequins, and nailheads. Try adding some glitz and glam to T-shirts, headwear, and hoodies, and watch your customers get excited about what else you have to offer.

Tip: Don’t get too sparkle-happy though. Add shine to just one or two key areas on your garment or accessory.

3. Getting foiled can be great. If you have a D2 printer, have you ever experimented with foil inks, which essentially look like liquid metals? Combining these printed designs that pop with embroidery makes for T-shirt, hoodie, and tote bag designs that get noticed.

Tip: Use D2 foils to make one or more elements of your design pop.

4. Add foam to your embroidery. If your shop offers superior three-dimensional embroidery, you’ll be more competitive. Whether you puff up a team’s name on headwear or a piece of your design on a sweatshirt, 3D puffy foam adds height, depth, and visual interest to a garment.

Tip: Dimensional embroidery requires a specific set of digitizing and embroidery skills. Mastering them in your shop can get more customers in the door.

5. Offer specialty threads. Special-effect embroidery is one of the easiest ways you can get funky fast. Embroider samples of variegated, glitter, glow-in-the-dark, textured, neons, fluorescents, and more. These threads add dimension, depth, and flair to entire designs or just select elements.

Tip: In addition to various threads, offer more than just a few standard lettering fonts. When you avoid run-of-the-mill ideas, your customers will come to you first when they have a project.

6. Great product photos sell. Whether prospects first browse your embroidered work on your social channels or e-commerce store, first impressions are everything. Plus, considering that customers can’t pick up and inspect the embroidered garment, your photos need to be crisp, well-lit, and compelling. Invest in quality product photos for your website, and if you can, enable clients to zoom in or even rotate the product to view it the way they want. The care you put into great product photos ups the perceived value.

Tip: Consider also creating product videos, where you show off the product from different angles, or it being worn or used. You can even add voice-overs or subtext to offer more details about the decoration and the product.

7. Work it on social media. When you spend just a few minutes a day on social media, you can engage with current customers and attract new ones. It’s also a free or low-cost way for you to build brand awareness and keep yourself on your potential customers’ radar.

Consider that 59 percent of Americans believe that customer service via social media has made it easier to get their questions answered and issues resolved, according to Lyfe Marketing. That means that even if you don’t have as many followers as Katy Perry or Justin Bieber, you’ll score brand loyalty and more sales by interacting quickly and thoroughly with the people who follow you.

Tip: Don’t forget to post lots of great product photos on social. Nearly 50 percent of buyers view at least three to five images and pieces of content before deciding to buy or speak with a sales rep, according to Demand Gen Report. Update interesting images, often.

It’s always a good time to make small changes in your business to spark growth and get your customers excited about how you can help them achieve their goals. Start today!

Also check out:

• 4 Ways to Boost Your Embroidery Business’ Bottom Line
• Hiring a Skilled Embroidery Operator