So, you’re starting a band. You’ve got the talent, the people, and the drive. Practices have been going well, and you are ready to start booking gigs. The next step is to get the word out—generate a buzz, so people will want to book you or come see what you’re about. There are plenty of ways to advertise your band. In this technological age, the options can actually get overwhelming: posters, postcards, email, websites, online social networks and publications, newspapers, text messages, and more. Where to start? What’s going to help you the most for the least amount of money?

One solid option for advertising your band is to design and order custom t-shirts. Making your band’s name a brand image that people recognize can go a long way with word-of-mouth advertising. Also, t-shirts will give you many opportunities to talk up your band, and even to make money. Depending on what your top priorities are, you can sell the t-shirts at your shows or online, to raise money for your band. You can also just give them away if all you really want to do is spread the word as quickly as possible and give your fans a way to show their support. You can wear the shirts yourselves, at your shows, and just around town—maybe people will ask about your cool t-shirt and you’ll get to tell them about your band!

With t-shirts, you have the opportunity to design your own logo—a creative way to start putting your band out there visually. You can work simply with your band’s name, or you can add images and contact info onto the t-shirts to give fans even more of a chance to follow up. Making the t-shirts can be a great way to solidify your band’s image: how do you want the world to see you? What kind of band do you want to be? Creating a logo and images to go on a t-shirt can really help start this discussion between you and your band mates.

Some other ideas for band t-shirts include: creating a tagline for your band, as a kind of teaser to intrigue people; responses from fans or critics—nothing too long, just some simple glowing reviews; a list of past and upcoming dates; an advertisement for a specific upcoming show that’s particularly exciting; actual contact information for your band, like a website or phone number that fans can contact for more information.

If you have a band that you’re excited about, and you want to take your marketing to the next step, custom t-shirts could be the way to go. Designing the shirts will give your band a chance to get creative in a different way, to brainstorm about your image, and to be proud of what you’re doing. Wearing the t-shirts will help you advertise and spread your excitement. Plus, you can sell or give away the t-shirts to eager fans who will turn around and talk you up to more and more people. Give it a try: see what happens!