While it’s true that distributing stickers to customers for free can be a vital part of your marketing campaign, did you know that you can also create stickers to sell as a retail item? It is considered a gold standard of marketers to create a sticker that not only promotes a brand, but that also generates a profit. Think about the many sports teams that sell their team stickers. People purchase them because they want to be associated with that team, and this also helps the team make money.
If your business/product/brand is an integral part of people’s lifestyles, you may also want to use this strategy. The ultimate goal is to design a sticker that people will want to buy. Since they’re relatively inexpensive, the design needs to be captivating enough to your niche so that they’ll make an impulse buy. Here are some tips that will help you create stickers that will not only promote your company, but can also turn a profit.
Create the Sticker With Your Customer in Mind
Even though you will create the sticker to increase the brand awareness of your business, since the customer is going to pay for it, you need to come up with a sticker design that puts them first. You want every element of the sticker to be something that they resonate with. That means the slogan, design, and even the size needs to connect with them in some way. How do you do this?
There are several tactics you can use to figure out what they want. These include asking them (you can use social media or even ask them in person), holding contests that encourage them to create their own designs, having them vote on which of several designs they like best, and studying the market extensively to generate ideas.
Boost the Quality of Your Sticker
Any sticker you create, whether it’s for free distribution or for sale, needs to be of a very high quality. However, if your end goal is to convince your customer to pay for it, you will need to enhance the quality even more. The sticker should be well designed, durable, and special enough to justify the purchase. How do you do this? Well, it starts with creating a design that people will enjoy. However, there’s more to it than that.
There are a few ways to add to the perceived value of the sticker. Here are some ideas:
• Ink coverage thickness. The thicker the coverage, the higher the quality. Screen-printing is considered the thickest.
• Material matters. If the sticker is on the thicker side, it can imply higher quality. However, the material does matter. For example, a thin vinyl can be a higher quality than a thick vinyl, depending on the type. Work with your printer to go over all your options.
• Die-cutting. Custom shapes can increase the perceived value of the sticker and may encourage people to buy. Custom shapes are a design element that will help the sticker resonate more with your customers.
• Alternative design elements. Using different materials can also help add to the value of the sticker. These include brushed chrome, doming, and vinyl cut shapes on a masking sheet.
Your end goal is to take the time to create a sticker design and a finished product that your customer will pay for. When done right you will increase brand awareness while also generating more revenue for your business. Everybody wins!
Sticker Case Study – Heart Stickers
Jeff Nicholson is the founder and Creative Director at 
