Society6 and Redbubble are online marketplaces where artists upload their artwork and sell it on a variety of printed products and the customers may order custom printing of their products. To get started, you create an account on the platform of your choice, upload your design, and select the products on which you want your designs to be printed - it's that easy. You, the artist, keep all of the rights to your work, while the platform promotes your designs to a larger audience and gives you a percentage of the revenue generated by those designs.
Society6 Explained
Founded in 2009, Society6 allows artists, individuals, fledgling businesses, and designers to sell their artwork on products through a print-on-demand marketplace. Custom-printed Society6 goods from other artists are also available for purchase on the marketplace. It's interesting to note that hundreds of thousands of distinct independent artists sell their wares through the Society6 platform.
Redbubble Explained
Redbubble was founded in 2006 as a print-on-demand marketplace. Print-on-demand products designed by graphic designers and visual artists can be sold through this platform. More than half a million independent artists are represented on Redbubble, which offers printing services for more than 60 different types of items.
Differences between Society6 and Redbubble
Redbubble and Society6 have wildly different pricing models. With Redbubble, you have the option to set your prices and keep the extra revenue you earn over the suggested retail price. Every sale you make through Society6 earns you a 10 percent cut of the profit margin. Redbubble and Society6 have different profit margins, therefore pricing your things right can make a big impact. Ultimately, it's your decision. Redbubble is the only site that provides metrics. Artists, especially beginning vendors, can benefit greatly from knowing where their customers are coming from.
Sellers who are short on time will appreciate Redbubble's auto-sizing feature. The system will automatically resize your design for each product after you upload it only once. The resizing is handled by Society6, but you have complete control over the aesthetics of each product you make.
Retail Product Lines
Each shop has a diverse selection of merchandise for you to use as a canvas for your creativity. Society6, on the other hand, carries a selection of retail items that Redbubble does not.
Look at the goods that each website has and think about how your artwork might look best on them. Depending on your artwork, you may discover that it sells better on cards than on calendars, or the reverse is true as well.
Application of your design to unlimited products
When it comes to applying a design, Redbubble limits the number of products that each design can be used on, but Society6 allows this on a limitless number of products.
No platform allows for CSS customization yet, however, Redbubble has hinted at developing themes and other forms of customization.
Business Analytics
Marketing analytics may not be your cup of tea if you're an artist. Learning how to use analytics can, however, provide valuable information that can help you grow your business. As far as I know, Society6 doesn't have any analytics. Redbubble has. The choice you make now will have a lasting impact on your business, so make it wisely.
The main distinction is whether or not you intend to turn your art into a full-time job or just something you do on the weekends.
Sign Up Fees
While there is a one-dollar sign-up fee required for Society6, creating an account on Redbubble does not cost anything. This is a relatively basic option; nevertheless, you should consider how much money you expect to make from each website before truly deciding which one you join up for. This will help you determine how much money you will make.
Society6 Has Furniture
At first, each platform offered a distinct range of products that were exclusive to itself. Society6 offered unique products such as clocks and shower curtains, whilst Redbubble had metal prints and tote bags among its offerings.
Nevertheless, at this point, both websites offer equally outstanding products, and there is not much that differentiates them from one another. It is getting more and more difficult to name things that are exclusive to one platform or the other.
However, there is one category in which Society6 outperforms Redbubble, and that category is furniture. You can place designs on finished pieces of furniture using Society6.
Pay Schedule
As a creative professional, you'll soon discover how critical it is to have a steady stream of income. Payouts are made on the first of every month by Society6. But only after a 30-day grace period for purchases. Between the 7th and 10th of each month, Redbubble pays its artists for their work via PayPal. To receive your compensation, you must meet sales criteria.
Uploading multiple similar artwork versions
Society6 allows artists to post up to eight iterations of the same design. Allows for the simple addition of alternate sizes and color variations of the same design, which can then be chosen and applied to different products. It's also possible to create numerous variations of the same design.
Each design variation on Redbubble needs its entry, which gives you an indication of how different the artist studios are from one another. As far as we know, they are the only ones like them. You'll have to go through the upload process several times if you want to use different versions of the same image for different purposes.
Society6's new artist studio is slightly better than Redbubble's, but it's nowhere like as good as Photoshop. Artists can only adjust the image's dimensions and location using their image editor, and the maximum file size is 150 megabytes.
Pricing System & Artist Commissions
Redbubble and Society6 have minor differences in the artist experience, but the price scheme is the most significant distinction between the two platforms.
Redbubble's pricing approach is fairer to sellers for three key reasons, despite the websites' comparable price models.
Higher margins are offered by Redbubble - It's up to vendors to set their prices on Redbubble. All other products at Society6 have a predefined artist margin of 10%. For products with the same retail price, an artist selling their design on both Redbubble and Zazzle will make about 5% more money.
Discounts by Society6 - Any time Society6 decides to run a discount, whether it's for a specific business or the entire site, they can do so. You won't be able to rely on the platform for regular income if your artist margin is being reduced during a sale without your knowledge. There is no time restriction on the Society6 discounts, so the income from your store will continue to diminish continuously.
Redbubble's cheaper base prices - Producing and distributing a product through Redbubble is much less expensive than doing it through Society6. Customers are more likely to return to Redbubble's website when their orders are delivered quickly, which is great for artists. Framing prints from Society6 are cheaper than those from Redbubble.
Language Options
Consider the perspective of your customers, even if you don't know who they are. More than 160 nations around the world are represented by Redbubble, which allows sellers to run their storefronts in different languages. Society6 only allows English but they also offer a German version of their site.
Over 25 nations are served by Society6, but the company only accepts US dollars as a medium of payment. This means that overseas clients, won't know the full cost of your things until they check their bank statements after purchasing. Redbubble's most profitable areas, Europe and Oceania, are underserved by Society6.
Redbubble Pros And Cons
There are many different ways to make money online. Some people sell physical products through sites like Amazon, while others sell digital products through sites like Clickbank. And then there are sites like Redbubble, which allow you to sell your own designs on a variety of products.
The great thing about Redbubble is that it's very easy to use. You simply upload your design, choose the products you want to sell it on, set your price, and start promoting your products.
There are a few different ways to promote your products on Redbubble. The first way is to create a store and add your products to it. This is a good way to get started, but it's not the most effective way to sell your products.
The second way to promote your products on Redbubble is to create a blog or website and write about your designs. You can then include links to your products in your blog posts or on your website. This is a much more effective way to sell your products, because you're able to target a specific audience and get your products in front of them.
The third way to promote your products on Redbubble is to create a social media account and share your designs with your followers. This is by far the most effective way to sell your products, because you're able to reach a large number of people with your designs.
Now that we've covered the three different ways to sell your products on Redbubble, let's take a look at the pros and cons of using Redbubble.
+ Redbubble Pros
- The platform is user-friendly with a minimalistic design. An easy-to-navigate interface makes finding what you need quick and simple.
- A repeat or half drop repeat pattern can be made. Allows for the creation of fewer files for designs that may be repeated on multiple platforms.
- A background color can be selected for your designs. For example, it is possible to come up with a variety of variations on the same theme.
- The artist margins can be marked up or down. It's up to you how much you charge for your goods.
- Your website or social networking networks can have links added to it.
- Redbubble Cons
- Redbubble has the potential to offer a far wider range of products going forward. However, more options would be nice.
- A lot of the designs on there are copyright or trademark infringements; there is a lot of that on there.
- It takes time to get found unless you offer trending designs. There are too many fresh infringements for the Redbubble crew to keep track of them all.
- There are a lot of other competitors on the platform.
Society6 Pros And Cons
SOCIETY6 is an online marketplace that connects artists with consumers who are interested in purchasing art. The company offers a wide variety of products, including prints, posters, phone cases, tote bags, and more. SOCIETY6 also offers a wide variety of artist-designed products, which are produced and shipped by the company.
The company has been praised for its wide selection of products and its ability to connect artists with consumers. However, SOCIETY6 has also been criticized for its high prices and for the low quality of some of its products.
+ Redbubble Pros
- Many different products are available for you to use in the creation of your projects.
- Once you submit your design, it is instantly matched onto all the products. You only need to adjust the ones that aren't immediately aligned with the best picture or if a different placement would appear better. This upload takes a few minutes.
- In contrast to Redbubble, there is no minimum payment threshold.
- The products appear to be of a high standard.
- Redbubble Cons
- Society6 requires a wide range of file types to be uploaded. For such a large file, this slows down the computer that is running Photoshop. There is more work involved in uploading a new design on Society6 than there is on Redbubble.
- A fixed commission rate means that you can't tamper with the artist's margin like on Redbubble.
- It's not possible to repeat a pattern or pick a backdrop color. On Redbubble, you have a little more leeway when it comes to situating your design.
Benefits of using Redbubble and Society6
- Quick store setup. To get started selling online, all you need is an internet connection and an account with either Society6 or Redbubble. These platforms come with the full setup, including the storefront and payment processing, as well as product descriptions and other elements.
- Easy design upload. You can upload your design in bulk on several different products all at once. This is especially handy if you intend to sell a vast assortment of products that all share the same design.
- Access to the existing customer base. It's not uncommon for customers of both Society6 and Redbubble to seek out unique designs on the products they purchase.
Drawbacks of using Redbubble and Society6
- Limited branding options. Your work will be partially associated with Society6 and Redbubble if you want to sell it through either of those platforms. Personalizing your storefront is possible; however, you are not allowed to have a customized Web address or product packaging. Because of this, there is very little that can be done to deliver a branded experience for the clients of your business.
- Stiff competition. Although there is a significant volume of new visitors to these platforms, there are also hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of artists vying for the attention of those newcomers.
- You have less control over what you earn. Putting a price on your wares in one of these markets might be challenging, as was previously mentioned. If you sell an item through Society6, you will receive a discount of ten percent off the suggested retail price; however, the margin is predetermined and cannot be increased. Redbubble products start at a base price, but the artists are free to set their markup on top of that.
- You only receive your money on payout days. There are only a handful of days during the month on which you will be able to access your profits from Society6 and Redbubble simultaneously. In addition, the minimum amount required to purchase from Redbubble is approximately $20.
Conclusion: Between the two, which platform is better to sell on?
The user-friendliness and straightforwardness of Redbubble's website, in addition to the analytics and greater visitor counts, make it the greatest option to begin with. After you have made a name for both yourself and your business, you might want to think about starting a second shop on Society6 and selling your wares to a wider audience there.
You need to be personally responsible for driving traffic to your shop from both social media and other online platforms, such as blogs and websites. Which is difficult for a novice who does not yet have a brand presence. Additionally, each website has its affiliate program, which means that you have the opportunity to earn a little bit more money through either one of them if you are interested in doing so.
Both Society6 and Redbubble have a lot to offer artists who are interested in turning their artistic abilities into a profitable business. Both platforms provide aspiring creatives with a method to get their work exposed without having to pay for a gallery slot; the question is, which platform should you use? the market is already overcrowded.
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