Product Tags and Labels: How They Can Help You Sell More

As crafters and artists selling our own products, we all really want to get our name out there. We want people to see our logo and recognize it instantly, but there are only so many ways that we can advertise without starting to spam people.

Let me remind you about an often-forgotten advertising friend – the product tag.

Product tags are like mini advertisements that go along with your products. Not only do they reinforce your name and your brand but, if designed correctly, they should look like an extension of the product you’re selling. They are like a punctuation mark for the product. Usually, buyers see the tag before they see the actual item – so make sure that first impression is a good one! Here are a few pointers for designing a good product tag.

Cohesion: Pauline Grayson, a successful graphic designer, and owner of the adorable Etsy store Mufn Inc, has a lot of experience when it comes to designing an effective product tag (see above). According to Pauline, the most important thing is to stay true to your brand. With her product tags, she made sure to include the same elements as her logo, blog header and packaging to keep the brand uniform and cohesive throughout her line of products. Make sure that the colors and fonts you choose echo your brand image.

Small Details: I have an online Etsy store called City of Dionne, and I use product tags for everything I sell (see above). My tags are on simple white card stock and feature my business name, logo and email. To add substance and weight to the design, I include a metal eyelet after punching a hole in them – this gives a more polished look. Many customers have mentioned that they love my tags.

Pauline Grayson adds a nice touch to her product tags by including a “to” and “from” section, so they can be used as gift tags. There are many other details to think about, such as how you are going to attach your tags (with ribbon, twine, raffia, etc.), and whether you are going to include any other bells and whistles (hand-stitched elements, buttons, etc.). Small details speak volumes. Some great places to buy embellishments are Papermart, Nashville Wraps, and even at scrapbooking stores like scrapbook.com (scrapbookers are all about little details).

Unusual Shapes: The tags created by Lynn Palmer at Lillybonbon are like mini works of art (see above). Not only does she have lovely tags for her products, she also sells charming gift tags in her Etsy store (see below). For Lynn, tags are like a special gift to her customers. She uses whimsical hand-cut layers, scalloped edges and lovely textures to make them stand out. Lynn says a tag should be “simple, yet unique, adding a special pop of creativity and a focal point that can perk up an otherwise plain package.” If she notices tags that are well-crafted, unique or handmade, she keeps them for her "inspiration board".

You know your tag is a success if people want to keep it! And if they keep it, they're much more likely to remember you. If you are able to incorporate all these pointers, you’re off to a good start!

Dionne Christiansen is a graphic designer based in Houston, TX.  She is the face behind the Etsy store City of Dionne and writes at her blog Notes From Dionne.

Photos courtesy of Pauline Grayson, Lynn Palmer and Dionne Christiansen.