Once you find a niche idea using Google Trends, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, the next step is validation. You need to confirm that people are actually buying products in that niche and that competition is not too high.
🎯 Why Niche Validation is Important?
✅ Avoid wasting time designing t-shirts that won’t sell.
✅ Find untapped opportunities before they get too competitive.
✅ Ensure demand so you don’t invest in low-selling ideas.
🔍 5-Step Niche Validation Process
📌 Step 1: Check Demand on Amazon & Etsy
Since Amazon & Etsy are the biggest Print on Demand platforms, if a niche is selling well there, it means people are willing to buy.
How to Check Niche Demand on Amazon:
1️⃣ Go to Amazon.com → Search for your niche keyword (e.g., "funny dog t-shirt").
2️⃣ Look at Best Sellers Rank (BSR):
- BSR under 100,000 → 🔥 High demand!
- BSR 100,000 - 300,000 → ⚡ Medium demand.
- BSR above 500,000 → ❌ Low demand (risky).
3️⃣ Use tools like AMZScout or Merch Informer to check sales data.
💡 Example:
- If "Retro Gaming T-Shirt" has BSR 50,000, it’s selling well.
- If "Funny Cat Dad Shirt" has BSR 200,000, it still has potential.
How to Check Demand on Etsy:
1️⃣ Go to Etsy.com → Search for your niche (e.g., “Cottagecore Shirt”).
2️⃣ Look at the number of sales & reviews on similar listings.
3️⃣ If many sellers have 1,000+ reviews, the niche has demand.
✅ If Amazon & Etsy show good demand, your niche is VALID!
📌 Step 2: Check Google Search Volume (Are People Searching for It?)
If a niche has high search volume, that means potential customers are looking for it.
How to Check Search Volume for a Niche:
1️⃣ Use Google Keyword Planner (Link)
2️⃣ Type in your niche keyword (e.g., "minimalist aesthetic shirt").
3️⃣ Look at monthly searches:
- 10K+ searches/month → 🔥 High demand!
- 1K - 10K searches/month → ⚡ Medium demand.
- Less than 500 searches/month → ❌ Low demand (risky).
💡 Example:
- "Funny Cat Shirt" = 50K+ searches → 🔥 Good niche.
- "Space Alien Shirt" = 500 searches → ❌ Not enough demand.
✅ If search volume is high, the niche is VALID!
📌 Step 3: Check Competition (Can You Compete?)
If a niche is too competitive, your designs might never rank.
If a niche has low competition, you have a better chance of selling.
How to Check Niche Competition on Amazon & Etsy:
🔹 Search for your niche keyword on Amazon.
🔹 If there are less than 500 search results, competition is low (good!).
🔹 If there are over 5,000 results, it might be too competitive.
💡 Example:
- "Funny Engineer Shirt" → 800 results ✅ (good).
- "Funny Dog Shirt" → 20,000+ results ❌ (too competitive).
✅ If competition is low to medium, the niche is VALID!
📌 Step 4: Check Social Media Trends (Is It Growing?)
Use TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest to check if the niche is gaining popularity.
How to Validate on TikTok:
1️⃣ Search for #YourNiche (e.g., #Cottagecore, #FitnessHumor).
2️⃣ If videos have millions of views, demand is growing.
3️⃣ Check comments – are people asking for t-shirts?
How to Validate on Instagram:
1️⃣ Search for niche hashtags (e.g., #PlantBasedLifestyle).
2️⃣ Look at engagement → If posts get thousands of likes, there’s demand.
💡 Example:
- #BookTok (Book Lovers) has millions of views → Great niche for book-themed shirts.
- #DadBodLife is trending → A "Dad Bod" t-shirt could sell well.
✅ If social media shows strong engagement, the niche is VALID!
📌 Step 5: Check Paid Ads (Are People Paying to Advertise It?)
If other sellers are running ads on Amazon, Facebook, or TikTok, that means the niche is making money.
How to Check for Paid Ads:
1️⃣ Go to Amazon → If Sponsored Ads appear for your niche, that’s a good sign.
2️⃣ Use the Facebook Ad Library (Link) → Search for t-shirts in your niche.
3️⃣ Check TikTok Ads (Link) → Search for your niche.
💡 Example:
- If multiple ads are running for "Gym Motivation Shirt", it’s a hot niche.
✅ If competitors are spending money on ads, the niche is VALID!
🎯 Final Validation Checklist
✅ Amazon/Etsy has demand (BSR under 300K).
✅ Google search volume is high (10K+ monthly searches).
✅ Competition is not too high (Less than 5K search results).
✅ Social media trends are growing (TikTok & Instagram engagement).
✅ Paid ads exist for the niche (People are spending money on ads).
💡 If a niche meets at least 4 out of 5 criteria, it’s a strong niche!
🎯 Example of a Validated Niche: “Funny Plant-Based Vegan Shirts”
✔ Amazon BSR: Top shirts in this niche have a BSR of 60K-200K ✅
✔ Google Search Volume: “Vegan T-Shirts” gets 40K searches/month ✅
✔ Competition: 2,000 results on Amazon (medium competition) ✅
✔ TikTok Trend: #VeganLife has millions of views ✅
✔ Paid Ads: Multiple ads for "Vegan Humor T-Shirts" ✅
🎯 Result: This niche is validated and profitable! 🚀
🚀 Next Steps: What to Do After Validating a Niche?
1️⃣ Start designing: Create unique t-shirt designs.
2️⃣ Upload to POD platforms: Amazon, Redbubble, Teespring, Etsy.
3️⃣ Optimize titles & keywords: Use high-ranking search terms.
4️⃣ Promote on social media: Use Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest.
5️⃣ Test ads (optional): Run small ads on Facebook or TikTok.
If you have ads on your merch account use it, it better and cheaper.
