What do you get for the one that has every thing? Or the particular person you don’t know effectively? Or one thing you already know somebody will truly use? A espresso mug, after all! Espresso mugs are probably the most common objects to buy, and due to that, they’re additionally probably the greatest objects to promote on-line.
In case you are in search of a aspect hustle or a approach to construct a worthwhile and enjoyable enterprise, think about promoting espresso mugs! Right here’s the right way to promote espresso mugs on-line, from creating the design all the way in which to advertising and marketing and promoting your product.

Make Your Design
You not have to be a professional at Photoshop to create easy graphics. By far, probably the most accessible approach to create designs is through the use of Canva. Canva has a free tier and a paid tier. When you get extra choices for creating graphics with the paid account, there’s nonetheless a lot you are able to do with a free one, and also you shouldn’t must improve until you end up tired of the free choices.
In Canva, you possibly can create mugs made of easy quotes that require minimal work. You may also mess around by including shapes, switching up colours, and utilizing the massive graphics library to piece collectively a singular design in your completely customized mug. These are all free for business use.
One other common choice is Procreate, which is offered for iPads. This lets you draw your individual designs digitally and simply save them as a picture.
In fact, you possibly can nonetheless select to make use of Adobe Illustrator to create your designs. This has a sharper studying curve and the next value level, however there aren’t any limits on what you possibly can create.
A Notice on Copyright
When studying the right way to promote mugs on-line, many individuals don’t take note of copyright. It’s essential that you simply solely promote designs you could have the rights to. This implies not promoting any photographs or phrases that you simply didn’t write until you could have bought the rights to make use of them commercially.
This consists of:
- Pictures you didn’t take (together with photographs of well-known figures)
- Lyrics, quotes, or phrases you didn’t create
- Firm logos or slogans
- Sports activities workforce logos
- Meme photographs
- Film or TV present figures or photographs
- Pictures discovered on social media or search engines like google
What you possibly can promote is unique designs (together with these made on Canva), unique quotes, and generic sayings.
Disclaimer: we’re not legal professionals, so when you’ve got questions on copyright and business licensing, be sure you discuss to a authorized skilled.
Promote Print-on-Demand Merchandise
Print-on-demand (POD) espresso mugs are supreme for individuals who don’t wish to truly create the mug by hand. With print-on-demand providers, you possibly can add your designs, and your provider will print them onto mugs for you. Some mean you can checklist your product on the positioning for individuals to buy, whereas others allow you to hyperlink to it instantly by way of your individual web site or different platforms.
The good thing about that is that it’s comparatively hands-off. You by no means have to fret about holding stock or transport it to the shoppers. Print-on-demand firms deal with all of the printing and achievement for you.
On the draw back, this implies handing off a piece of your income as effectively.
In case you are all in favour of utilizing print-on-demand, listed below are some firms to contemplate:
1. Spring
Spring, previously Teespring, is likely one of the hottest print-on-demand providers for creators. You may create all types of merchandise, together with socks, cellphone circumstances, T-shirts, pillows, and, sure – espresso mugs! Utilizing their product launcher, you possibly can add your individual designs or use their design instruments to create your individual.
Spring is completely free to make use of, and so they don’t take any fee charges out of your income; you merely pay a set base value for every product you print, making it inexpensive to get began. In addition they supply bulk reductions for high-volume accounts.
When you can checklist merchandise on Spring, it really works finest to combine them into their boosted community. This enables them to be posted on huge hubs like Amazon and eBay. It’s essential to meet their {qualifications} first to be eligible for the boosted community.
2. Printify
Printify is one other big print-on-demand service that’s very fashionable with Etsy sellers. First, you possibly can both add your distinctive mug designs or use their instruments to make one. You then choose the kind of mug you wish to print your design on and set the sale value. With Printify, you possibly can select from a number of choices – white ceramic mugs, accent mugs, black mugs, two-tone espresso mugs, heart-shaped mugs, color-changing mugs, enamel mugs, journey mugs, and extra.
With Printify, you’ll must combine your merchandise with an e-commerce platform similar to Squarespace, eBay, Etsy, Shopify, TikTok Store, or one other one among their companions. Each time somebody locations an order, Printify will deal with all of the printing and supply—it’s as simple as that!
3. Spreadshirt
You can also’t go improper with utilizing Spreadshirt in your print-on-demand mugs. Whenever you start promoting, you possibly can select to promote on Spreadshirt’s market or open your individual Spreadshop. Of their market, your merchandise are instantly accessible to any Spreadshirt customer. With Spreadshop, you may make your individual customized web site utilizing Spreadshirt’s platform. In addition they have Spreadconnect, which lets you promote on a number of the most typical e-commerce platforms, similar to Shopify, TikTok, Squarespace, WooCommerce, OrderDesk, Magento, API, and Shopware. Like the opposite POD platforms, when you make a sale, they’ll print and ship for you!
4. Amazon Merch on Demand
Why not work instantly with the biggest e-commerce web site on this planet? Amazon Merch is Amazon’s personal print-on-demand platform. It really works very very similar to the opposite print-on-demand shops the place you add your design, choose your product, and fill out an outline. They may then print and ship any orders for you. The good thing about that is that Amazon will mechanically generate a product web page for you. You don’t have to fret about that further step of integrating your store over to Amazon.
5. Gelato
Gelato is a world print-on-demand firm that providers 32 completely different nations and provides sellers an enormous array of high-quality merchandise to design and promote on-line. From mugs and tote luggage to clothes for women and men, they’ve one thing for everyone. With this POD platform, you should use their design instruments to create your merch or add your individual designs to the platform. After you have your merchandise, you’ll join your e-commerce platform(Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, or BigCommerce) to Gelato.
6. Redbubble
With Redbubble, you possibly can select between 70 distinctive merchandise to promote, together with espresso mugs! To get began, create an account and add your designs to your store; when a client purchases an merchandise out of your store, Redbubble will customized print the merchandise and ship it on to the client. Redbubble is free to hitch, and so they solely take a small price out of your income once you make a sale.
Should you’re uncertain about promoting espresso mugs by way of a POD platform, be sure you take a look at Jessica’s story. She initially offered mugs and different merch straight from her residence however hated the storage of stock and the bodily act of transport merchandise to clients. Then, she determined to change to the POD enterprise mannequin, and now she has extra time and earns a pleasant aspect revenue from residence.
Create Your Personal Mugs
In fact, you may also make and promote your individual customized espresso mugs. The mugs that go for the very best value are these comprised of scratch, similar to hand-painted mugs. However you may also simply print your individual designs on Canva and put them onto mugs.
The house crafting model Cricut has a beautiful product that means that you can print designs onto your mugs instantly at residence. Utilizing the Cricut Mug Press, you first print your design utilizing their Infusible Ink switch sheets. Then, you connect the design to the mug and insert it into the press. On the click on of a button, the design might be transferred to your mug. Higher but, it fully holds as much as the dishwasher and microwave!
Should you plan on promoting your mugs in particular person, making your individual mugs means that you can management your inventory and simply create customized designs.
The place to Promote Your Mugs
Is promoting mugs worthwhile? It certain could be, so long as you truly take the time to market your mugs and get the phrase on the market about your merchandise. Listed here are a number of the hottest methods to generate gross sales in your mugs.
Amazon
You may promote actually every thing on Amazon. Promoting espresso mugs on Amazon provides you with the widest world attain (although it may be onerous to point out up in searches!). Fortunately, it’s pretty simple to change into a vendor on Amazon.
First, you could open a vendor account. You are able to do a free particular person choice (for those who’re solely itemizing a number of issues at a time) or an expert paid month-to-month account that means that you can checklist as many merchandise as you need and combine simply with print-on-demand web sites.
Etsy
Etsy is the biggest on-line platform to promote handmade items, together with mugs! You may select to print and create the mugs your self to ship or hyperlink a print-on-demand service, and they’re going to do all of the be just right for you. Like most websites, Etsy does take a small proportion of the revenue for utilizing its web site.
For brand spanking new sellers, it may be difficult to get these first gross sales. However when you begin getting critiques, the gross sales preserve trickling in! When creating the itemizing, be sure that to fill out as a lot info as attainable in order that your outcomes can seem within the search.
If attainable, supply a customized mug choice on Etsy. Mugs are an incredible reward for particular events, and other people like to customise the mugs to have names, footage, and so forth., distinctive to them. For instance, create a generic design for a bride to reward to a bridal get together. Then, add an choice to alter the identify on every mug – it seems like a way more particular reward. And the alternatives for this are limitless! You may supply customized picture mugs for Mom’s Day and Father’s Day or any variety of different particular occasions. Plus, it takes minimal work so as to add a reputation or picture to an present design on Canva!
Be taught extra about how to achieve success promoting on Etsy on this article.
Create Your Personal On-line Retailer
You should utilize lots of the print-on-demand web sites to create your individual on-line mug retailer utilizing a platform similar to Shopify, Wix, or Squarespace. This lets you actually look skilled and customise the positioning fully. You may make your individual branding and brand and have a clean-looking place in your clients to buy.
The one issue in having your individual on-line store is getting individuals to go to it. This methodology works finest for individuals who have already got a following you possibly can promote to or are ready to place within the effort to drive visitors to their web site.
Different Locations to Promote
Need much more choices? Try this text showcasing over 40 completely different locations you possibly can promote your handmade objects.


Advertising Your Mugs
After you have every thing arrange, it’s time to unfold the phrase! Probably the greatest methods to showcase your mugs today is thru social media. Each enterprise, together with your DIY mug enterprise, wants a number of social media accounts!
Promoting a few of your new merchandise on Instagram and Fb is a good way to get the phrase out about your on-line enterprise. Should you’re feeling courageous, additionally give TikTok an opportunity. Individuals love seeing behind-the-scenes movies of artists at work creating their merchandise. Social media will assist you to attain extra individuals past your neighborhood. You may even think about operating your individual advertisements on social media to advertise your mugs.
The opposite factor you wish to do is optimize your merchandise for search, also called search engine marketing (search engine marketing). Whether or not it’s on the print-on-demand web site instantly or a special e-commerce platform like Etsy or Amazon, you wish to fill out every thing attainable within the product description. Use key phrases you assume potential clients would use when looking for merchandise on-line, and embody these phrases in your product title and outline. This enables your itemizing to change into extra searchable and really get views on these web sites. Extra views imply extra gross sales!
The right way to Promote Espresso Mugs Wrapup
And that’s the right way to promote espresso mugs on-line! First, simply start designing and get the artistic juices flowing. Quickly sufficient, you’ll have loads of designs very quickly and might begin making a revenue promoting espresso mugs on the aspect.
Prepared to begin your home-based mug enterprise? Make sure to seize our free marketing strategy template.
Initially printed October 24, 2022. Content material up to date October 2024.




