Custom Hang Tags for Your T-Shirt Business
When working the day-to-day operations of your t-shirt business, it’s easy to overlook some of the smaller details. Some of these smaller details though, can have a big impact on your business.
Take a moment and map out every touch point a customer or prospect can have with your company. Think of each way someone could come in contact with your business.
For example, a few of these may include if you are running ads, or your website, social media, your packaging, hang tags, business cards, receipts or invoices, and even your vehicle.
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You want to make the most of each of these touch points. It is chance for you to make some sort of impact on your customer. If you haven’t really considered or thought about your brand, this would be a good time to do so.
Each of these touch points should tell a cohesive story about your company and brand. It should be a consistent message.
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Hang Tags for Your T-Shirt Business
As we mentioned above, one of these touch points is your hang tag, which is many times overlooked. Do you even use hang tags?
Hang tags aren’t just for big box retail stores. It isn’t just a price tag either.
This hang tag can be used for much greater purposes. Put on your marketing cap for a moment.
A hang tag is a mini flyer with every shirt you sell. Since it is physically attached to your apparel, your customer has to take the time to remove it, and in which case, will also view it. It’s almost impossible for your customer to remove it without looking at it, especially if you make it flashy enough. If you make it worthwhile, your customer will take the time to look at it.
Keep that marketing cap on – we’re not done.
Don’t do anything for your business without first thinking about the advantages or why you are doing a particular task. You don’t want to throw away money, or leave money on the table.
This includes designing your hang tags. This can be fun, also, so get creative.
The Benefits of a T-Shirt Hang Tag
A nice hang tag attached to your printed t-shirt immediately adds perceived value. It gives it a retail look and can aid in a sale, especially if you are selling in person at a brick and mortar location, or at an event. It just feels more expensive.
Even if you are selling online, make sure your hang tag is attached and visible in the product photo of the shirt. When someone cannot step foot in your retail location, a hang tag is another way to bring your brand to them, especially when they receive the shirt in the mail.
There are also retail benefits to t-shirt hang tags. When in a physical store, it can show a price, but you can also add a barcode for easy checkout and inventory management.
What to Put on a Hang Tag for T-Shirts
What information should a hang tag include?
Of course, you will want to include your company name or logo. Use color and graphics when you can, as opposed to just text. This will help your tag stand out and get noticed. Like mentioned above, give your customer a reason to look at it.
It is cheaper for you, marketing wise, when your customers repeat a purchase, as opposed to trying to acquire new customers. With this in mind, use your hang tag to try to get a customer to buy again.
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This can be done by adding a call-to-action or a promo code, for instance. Maybe you will offer free shipping with a purchase greater than X amount of dollars.
This get spur the next sale. If they liked the first shirt, they’ll love the second!
If you are selling group shirts, offer a complementary item, such as a tote bag, with their next purchase.
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Another option is to ask for a referral on your hang tag using an incentive. You can do this by adding a spot for your customer to write in their name and number. When they give this to a friend and that person makes a purchase, the person that referred them gets a percent off their next order.
Make the Hang Tag Stick Around
Hang tags are great as a point of purchase “display” and adding branding to your shirt, but the longer your hang tag can stay with your customer, the better.
A popular trend on the rise is to have sticker hang tags. You can get these through online printers or even through a local custom print shop.
Sticker hang tags generally have a branded sticker on one side, with a printed liner on the back side.
This is a nice added bonus surprise for your customer, and who doesn’t love stickers? Not only does it give an extra delight to your customer, but it adds value for you, too. When the sticker is used, it has become a new mini traveling billboard for your brand.
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Besides sticker hang tags, something inspirational would be a good choice as well. This would give a reason for your customer to keep your hang tag and not throw it away.
Do you serve a particular niche? Use something that will speak to your customers. For example, if you sell to a lot of fitness groups, include an inspirational quote on your hang tag. Your customer may find encouragement from it and hang it somewhere where they can see it often for motivation. As a result, your name/logo is also continually in front of them, too!
Other information you will probably want to include would be your contact information or your web address. This will enable someone to return to your site to buy again even if an extended period of time has passed. They will know exactly how to get back in touch with you.
Using your business card as a hang tag is another way to make the most of your hang tag. This would be beneficial if you are doing lots of group orders. The person that ordered is the only one that may know about your business. However, once they pass out the shirts to each member of their group, every person in the group now has your business card because you attached it to each shirt.
And people typically keep business cards.
Buying Hang Tags or Making DIY Hang Tags
Finally, hang tags are not expensive. If you don’t have a big budget, you don’t need to go fancy with a special die cut shape (though this type will definitely get noticed!). A simple square or rectangle will suffice just fine.
Business cards make a great size for hang tags. Business cards are not expensive either. If you aren’t using your business cards themselves, use this type of printing to get hang tags made. Search online for custom business cards, but when you submit your art, you can use the artwork you made for your hang tags instead.
If you feel brave or crafty or are on a very tight budget, you can even make your own diy hang tags, if you want to. Cut out pieces of card stock and use a custom stamp. Or print your tags on your home printer on card stock and cut them out.
Use a small 1/8″ hole punch that you can get at the local craft store or Amazon to punch out smaller holes.
How to Hang Tag Your Shirts
To attach the hang tags to your printed apparel, there are a couple options. The easiest, quickest, and cheapest is to use a hang tag gun.
You can get these on Amazon for $10-15 and come with the plastic barbs. You can get refill packs of 1,000 or more, too.
Another option that can raise the bar is to use twine and safety pins to attach them to your shirts. This can give a nice added touch to your hang tag that can add that additional perceived value.
You’ll want to be strategic where you add the hang tag to your printed shirt. You won’t want to poke the hang tag gun through the fabric. It will leave a visible hole.
Instead, adding in a seam will hide any small holes left from the applicator, barb, or safety pin. It will also be a stronger spot when the customer rips off the plastic barb, preventing the fabric from tearing.
Popular spots include under the sleeve on the seam, in the armpit seam, or in the ribbed neck collar seam area.
Conclusion
Hang tags are an easy way to add value to your printed t-shirts, get more business, and help tell your brand story.
They don’t have to be expensive or complicated. You can even go the diy route.
Coupled with an inside tag print label, your hang tag will set your t-shirt brand apart.
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Even as simple as a hang tag is, don’t overlook the possibilities it can have for your custom apparel business. Use each touch point as a way to communicate with your customer. Each and every time you share your brand story, is another time of reinforcement in your customers’ minds.