You could watch me cook, but you're on TikTok
This edition of The Hungry is in partnership with ConvertKit
On Monday I'm making a big announcement. Today you get a behind-the-scenes look at that, but only because I like you the most. Find that in the Small Bites, but first…
I'm Building in Public and You're Missing It
This newsletter is growing and I couldn't be happier, but it's not osmosis. The success is due to a dedicated of creating a flywheel that requires manual operation at first, and as it grows, will turn itself, like a subscriber machine.
I wrote about this recently on The Dave, my second newsletter where I share the insider secrets on how I'm building all aspects of my business. Here's an excerpt:
Let’s Talk About Flywheels
I’ve always got a long list of projects in a running list in my Notes app, and these are the current ones hovering in my head:
Choose Your Words - I plan on rebranding this content and turning it into a video course sometime later this year, but it’s been on the back burner for reasons explained in a moment.
Content Bombs - I’m about halfway through with this one, but it’s also in a holding status for the same reasons.
Selling Art Online - This is a radical adaptation of a book I published in 2013. The book was popular but needed a complete overhaul. Instead of making it a book project, I’m building it as a more robust resource/wiki where people can buy a subscription as the content is added to and updated as necessary.
Undisclosed Email Course - This will be a free lead magnet that I offer to get people onto The Hungry’s email list. I may do something similar here on The Dave, but that’s later.
Over the last several weeks, I’ve leaned into messaging/storytelling and engagement topics. Even though The Hungry is about creative business news and information, the underlying tone of what I share is about turning random viewers into fans, followers, and eventually buyers.
Read the rest of the article and then subscribe to The Dave.
[Partner]
ConvertKit Is the Perfect Shopify Partner
As a seasoned user I can attest that Shopify is a top-tier e-commerce platform, but their internal marketing tools are not great, especially their email marketing feature.
That's where ConvertKit comes in. All the gaps that Shopify leaves can easily be filled with ConvertKits integration, allowing you to talk to your customers and fans on your terms. You can share new products, sales, and important updates, directing your efforts to particular groups of people, and pull in sales directly from your emails.
The process is seamless and easy to get started, and you can test ConvertKit for free for up to 1,000 email subscribers.
Start Here!
Art Snack: Aaron Beebe
I had the pleasure of chatting with Aaron this week about magazines and how to integrate advertising. Aaron is retired Coast Guard (thank you for your service, Aaron), and a self-taught graphic designer who when exited the service, decided he wanted to make a magazine representing the style of art/design he appreciated.
That magazine is Plastikcomb and it's one of my favorite publications ever. He teamed up with Thomas Schostock and together they've produced several editions of the book, with another one coming to stores and online shops very soon.
Website | Instagram | Plastikcomb IG
Sides: 1-Product POD Shop
Skill Level: ⭐️⭐️ /5
Cost to start: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ /5
Potential: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ /5
I read this article about a guy who made $38,000 a month by selling print-on-demand candles, and it got me thinking about using this model to create a shop filled with a single type of POD product, but I don't know if I would use candles.
The Model
Open a Shopify* store that carries a single product that allows for a higher profit margin and works with many popular passions or hobbies. Use Facebook ads to sell directly to those fans.
How I Would Do It
The product will dictate the direction of this side hustle. Research products thoroughly on Printify* looking for items with a potentially high profit margin (2-3x costs). Some examples are hoodies and other fleece, blankets and throws, pillows, socks, pet products, things for babies, home decor, and of course, art prints. Picking a product with a high margin will allow for more flexibility when you start placing Facebook ads.
When picking a product, consider how that product works for a single niche (golfers, coffee lovers, microbrewers, pickle ballers, minimalists) and start designing with them in mind.
Unironically, kitsch and cute designs sell best, but if that's not your style, lean the opposite direction and take the classier approach, maybe even go upscale and increase your pricing (only works for select products).
Open a Shopify* account and link it to Printify. Keep your shop design simple and try to bring in graphical elements that complement the product listings.
Imagery is everything and product listings will be the main way people judge your product. Buy samples for testing and use those to take your own product photos, or use a service Placeit*, to create mockups. Just make sure the item in the mockup is identical or very similar to the original product.
Start an email list, but DO NOT use Shopify's email marketing. The open rate on those emails is atrocious. Instead, pick an email service that allows you to integrate your products, like ConvertKit. Klaviyo is another option I know other shops use.
Invest in getting your marketing and learn how to use Facebook ads for brands (YouTube has everything you need). The learning curve can be a bit steep but not horrible. However, they are a necessity for success unless you already have a dedicated customer base.
Once sales start coming in consistently, add new designs to the same product. Consider adding a niche relatively adjacent to your first niche (golf dads/BBQ dads, dogs/cats, baseball/football).
Consider adding seasonal designs, limited editions, or customized products (Printful provides automated customization, but not Printify).
Tips
Do your research on the price points of what's selling using Etsy, Amazon, or even eBay.
The more rabid the fanbase, the better. Maybe start with one that you appreciate to make it worthwhile for you.
If Shopify is too much of a leap to start, you can use Etsy, but you'll be competing with a lot of businesses that compete heavily on price. Your margins will be lower.
Small Bites
💪 - This week on the Dave, I shared how I'm building a secret project, both the idea and the launch strategy.
🧂- In a story that will surprise absolutely nobody in the art world, Jerry Saltz doesn't like AI art, but he still believes it will create the next Francis Bacon.
⁉️ - Meta added tiers to its Verified for Business program, and the world decided misinformation was more important than reading. (TL;DR: It's NOT about paid reach).
▶️ - Growing a YouTube channel has always required a lot of work, time, and luck. Now, the platform is making it easier to pay to win by adding paid promotions to all accounts. The word to remember here is leverage.
📝 - ConvertKit released their State of the Creator Economy report for 2024; the significant result is that written content is king again! (Disclosure: I was one of the people polled this year).
🤑 - Do you have a Ko-Fi page (or ready to start one). The company offers a chance to win $250 just for sharing your Ko-Fi account creatively.
📧 - Are you new to email newsletters or looking to start one? This list of 25 newsletter rules is a cheat sheet for winning. It's so good. I thought I had written it myself.
💰 - If you have an established email list and you're wondering how to make money from it beyond asking people to buy your products, these seasoned pros will give you some ideas.
🖼️ - I do not like activists who damage or destroy art, but I almost believe this graffiti is an improvement.
