Category: Platform Integrations

Instagram is a powerful promotional channel for creators. Use its visual based content to let your products shine. Check out our promotional tips below to ensure you’re using all available features and tools to maximize your sales.

Add the Linktree Integration

Linktree is a great way to make your Spring store easily discoverable within your Instagram profile. Embed your Spring store directly within your Linktree—driving more traffic and increased sales. The Linktree Integration is available to all creators. Get started below.

Use stories and highlights

Instagram stories allow you to share key moments and in-feed posts instantly, lasting 24 hours. Use your stories to create direct call-to-actions, like “shop now” and send followers straight to your store.  All Instagram creators have the ability to add “link stickers” to their stories—allowing you to send fans straight to your product listings.

Use Unfold or Canva to create imagery using flawless Instagram story templates. Simply upload photos and videos to the app and customize them using Unfold’s features.

If you’d like stories promoting your products to last longer than 24 hours, add them to your ‘highlights’ so they’re always visible on your Instagram profile. Customize highlights to follow a specific aesthetic. Many creators feature stories showing off products or fan selfies who purchased and shared images on Instagram.

Use swipe up/IGTV

This feature on Instagram stories allows creators to add their website or product link to a story. Fans can ‘swipe up’ on the post to visit the link you’ve added.  You need 10,000 followers or more to unlock this feature on Instagram. 

If you haven’t got access yet, you can utilize IGTV to replicate the swipe up feature. It allows for longer videos to be posted (between 15 seconds and 10 minutes). Use IGTV instead of the swipe up feature by uploading your video and adding your preferred link into the caption of the IGTV post. Unlike Instagram stories, IGTV videos are permanent and will stay on your profile. Let followers know to click on the title at the top of the video to go to your store or listing URL. 

Re share fans content

Fans sharing photos of themselves with your products is a great promotional tool and affirms the quality of your products. Ask fans to use personalized hashtags or tag your Instagram handle in their posts so you can easily keep track.

In this example, @ALLISON [158k subscribers] features a fan wearing her product and incorporates it into the Instagram feed of her brand, Magic Dwells Here.

YouTube is a powerful platform for creators to promote your products and connect with fans. Spring offers a powerful YouTube integration that enables you to sell your products directly below your videos, on end cards, in your YouTube shop and more. If you haven’t unlocked the merch shelf yet don’t worry, there are tons of other ways you can promote your products. Check out the video below to learn more. 

Add brand elements

As with all social platforms, it’s important to create a seamless branded consistency between your store and your social platforms. YouTube gives you the option to personalize your profile icon and banner image, allowing fans to quickly recognize you. Your banner and profile icon are the first things they’ll see on your channel, so utilize this space to create a lasting impression. 

Create banner links

When customizing your channel you can choose to overlay up to 5 custom links over your banner, creating easy access to your store. Head to the ‘About’ section of your channel, click ‘Customize channel’ and add your Spring store URL. @SIAMES [450K subscribers] added their store as their featured link, naming it ‘Online Store’.

Spring tip for YouTube: Spring tip: If you’re running a promotion or have mentioned a new product launch in your content, link directly to the listing in your bio, rather than your store URL. It removes one step for the fan, and has been shown to almost double conversion rates, meaning more completed sales (easy win). Switch your ‘Online Store’ banner link temporarily to point to your new launch during your promotion too, naming it ‘New Products’.

Activate merch shelf

Activate the Spring x Youtube merch shelf integration to sell your products directly below your YouTube videos. You’ll need at least 10,000 subscribers to be eligible for this feature, learn more here.  You can visit the Integrations section of your Spring account to complete setup.

Your newest products are displayed on your merch shelf by default (they normally appear within 3 days of launch), but you can also choose specific products to display on your video by pinning them, especially if you’re launching a new product and call it out or are discussing it via livestream. (learn more). Visit your YouTube Studio, click on Monetization and follow the prompts through to Merchandise.

Control your product’s visibility settings too; If you change a listing from private to public it can take up to 24 – 48 hours for the product to appear in your YouTube merch shelf. Also, when you make a listing private it can take up to 10 hours for the product to be removed from YouTube.

Customize your store

Once you’ve activated your merch shelf, you can create a channel store. Go to YouTube Studio, select ‘Monetization’ from the left side menu. Open the Merchandise tab, and within the status section, click ‘Organize’. From there you can choose the products featured in your store and the order they’re displayed in.

These same products will appear under all of your videos, unless you customize the merchandise displayed on the video level. @Aphmau [4.92M subscribers] has her channel store set up so fans are able to find products in a centralized location.

Promotional tips for YouTube 

When you wear your products, it can help increase your sales by 50%. If you feature it in your video content, even better. The top 3 ways creators promote their products on video include:

• Wearing or using your products while filming video content
• Mentioning your products within your video content
• Publishing a dedicated promo video 

@GardenAnswer [684K subscribers] always wears products from her Spring store in her video content. Featuring them without specifically mentioning or calling them out while using the merch shelf means her community easily see where they can buy the same product.

Use your video description

Add links to your products in your video description. You can direct your community to the ‘link below’ to find your store. If your channel is using the merch shelf, link to your store in your video descriptions—this way fans who click the store link will  get a preview of your products on YouTube without having to leave your channel.

Add end screens 

Adding an end screen to the last 15-20 seconds of your YouTube videos is a great way to promote other videos, playlists, and increase channel subscribers. With the merch shelf integration, you’re also able to use end screens to feature a direct link to your store and products.  

Promoting on livestream

Livestreaming is one of the most popular ways for creators to promote their products to their entire community. With the merch shelf, you’ll also have access to live merch alerts during your livestreams. This means a real-time alert will automatically appear in chat when one of your products are purchased. This pop up will display an image of the design and links to the listing.

Also, you can ‘pin’ merch to the top of chat while live streaming. Spring’s integration with Streamlabs also empowers YouTube creators to reward fans with live OBS alerts for every purchase. See below for more livestreaming promo tips.

• Wear products on stream: Order samples of your products ahead of time and show them off while streaming to get your community excited.
• Offer limited time promo codes: Another great way to drive sales and engagement while streaming is to offer promo codes that expire in a short amount of time (like after the stream ends). 
• Announce limited edition products: Make your new listings are only available for a limited amount of time, creating urgency, hype, and exclusivity. If you’re planning a launch, update the listing’s visibility setting to ‘public’ ahead of time so your products will be added to your Merch Shelf product catalogue.  

Utilize your community tab

YouTube’s community tab creates more opportunities for creators to engage with fans. It’s a great space to announce sales, get people to vote on products or design ideas, and share new product releases. You’ll need to acquire 1,000 subscribers to unlock this feature on YouTube.

You can share products seamlessly with your community through our platform integrations.  Use the Integrations tab to activate and customize your products on Instagram, YouTube, Twitch, Discord, and Streamlabs.

YouTube merch shelf

If you’ve got 10k+ YouTube subscribers you may be eligible to sell your products on the YouTube merch shelf. Visit your YouTube Studio, click on Monetization and follow the prompts through to Merchandise. The Merch shelf appears below your YouTube videos, in your channel store, on end cards, and more. Pin products under specific videos and feature them during livestreams. Check out the YouTube promo guide to learn how to use this tool.

Linktree Integration

With this feature, fans can browse your top products or head to your full Spring store—all from your Linktree in your social media bio. This means seamless shopping for them and tons of new traffic for you. Learn more.

Instagram shopping

The Instagram shopping integration allows you to promote your products by tagging them in your Instagram posts, stories, reels, and more. Your fans can browse and purchase straight from your profile. You’ll be able to track insights and habits to better understand your fans. And that’s just a few of the benefits. If you have access, you’ll see an “Add shop” button on your Instagram profile. Learn more and register your interest below.

Twitch store 

The Spring  x Twitch merch store panel extension gives fans a fully integrated experience and enables them to discover your products without having to leave your stream. Creators can drop subscriber-exclusive products to reward loyal followers and encourage more subscriptions. Your products will be visible to international viewers within 15 minutes of adding them to your store. Check out our Twitch promo guide to learn more. 

Streamlabs

Spring’s live merch alerts are available on every streaming platform integrated with Streamlabs—including YouTube, Twitch, Mixer, Facebook Gaming, and more. What’s more, you can customize their appearance within Streamlabs too. Once activated, your community can add a personalized message post-purchase that is visible in real-time to you and all of your fans watching your stream.

To customize the look of your alerts, go to the sidebar and select Features > Alert Box > Merch. You can use Streamlabs for merch alerts while using other alert providers too. Make sure there’s no overlap with activated alerts on each platform—for example, if you’re using merch alerts on Streamlabs, make sure they’re deactivated on StreamElements. 

Discord

The Spring x Discord integration allows your fans to create and push custom alerts to a Discord channel of your choosing whenever they purchase your products. Alerts feature a link to the product they purchased as well as a personalized message from your fan.