![[WEBINAR] Print-on-Demand Industry Trends for 2025](https://www.lumaprints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/unnamed-25.jpg)
The print-on-demand (POD) space continues to expand rapidly. In this webinar, we explored what’s driving that growth, the emerging trends to watch, and what store owners can do to stand out and stay competitive in 2025. With more creators and platforms entering the space, success now relies not just on the quality of your art—but on your ability to personalize, automate smartly, and build meaningful customer connections.
If you like reading more than watching, we’ve got you. Read on for all the instructions. You can also jump to any topic you want from the list below.
A Growing Industry—With Growing Competition
Personalization and Automation: A Powerful Combo
Niche Spotlight: What’s Hot in 2025
Social Media: Choosing the Right Channels
Conclusion: Stand Out by Showing Up
A Growing Industry—With Growing Competition
The POD industry is projected to grow another 25% this year. This continued expansion brings opportunity—but also saturation. To stay ahead, artists and store owners must focus on refining their brand, personalizing their storefronts, and adapting to new customer behaviors. Stores that feel authentic, transparent, and human-led are the ones that will stand out in the noise.
Rather than just uploading a few listings and hoping for the best, today’s top-performing sellers are thinking deeply about the customer experience—leveraging personalization, automation, and niche targeting to drive meaningful engagement and long-term growth.
Personalization and Automation: A Powerful Combo
Smart automation isn’t about removing the human touch—it’s about optimizing the customer experience. For example, heatmaps and AI-powered recommendation engines can help guide buyers to the products they’re most likely to purchase, all in real time. Email personalization—even something as simple as including a customer’s name and a human signature—goes a long way in reinforcing that your brand is powered by real people.
One powerful tool discussed was heatmaps, which visually show where customers are clicking and hovering. Use this data to redesign key pages, highlight top-selling products, or optimize product pairings.
Transparency matters too. If you’re collecting behavioral data or using cookies, make sure customers know. Being clear builds trust—and improves your conversions.
Why Sustainability Sells
Consumers are increasingly conscious of the environmental impact of their purchases. Print-on-demand naturally supports sustainability thanks to made-to-order production, which avoids inventory waste. Highlight this in your messaging—especially when your prints are made domestically. For example, Lumaprints ships from facilities in Anaheim and Kentucky, reducing cross-country shipping emissions.
Framing your business as an eco-conscious alternative to mass-produced goods can differentiate your store and appeal to more values-driven shoppers.
Niche Spotlight: What’s Hot in 2025
This year, several themes and niches are seeing strong momentum:
Personalized pet art: Americans spent over $100B on pets in 2023. Personalized pet portraits or gifts are surging.
Literary and book-inspired art: Book communities (especially on TikTok’s “BookTok”) are massive. Art inspired by quotes, characters, or iconic scenes resonates deeply.
Social cause merch: Art that reflects political, environmental, or social passions taps into high-emotion buying.
Long-distance or family-themed gifts: Think custom maps, coordinates, or portraits that connect loved ones.
Humor and meme culture: If you understand internet trends, use them. Clever, ironic, or viral-style art thrives online.
Food and music-inspired art: Art for kitchens, themed around favorite meals or music genres, continues to grow in popularity.
The key isn’t just picking a niche—but understanding its culture. Talk in the language your audience uses, and immerse yourself in their community.
Be Human. Be Authentic.
One key takeaway from the webinar: Authenticity wins. In a landscape increasingly filled with AI-generated or mass-recycled content, customers crave realness. That means writing thoughtful product descriptions, showing your creative process, and connecting with buyers in a way bots can’t.
Even small touches—like saying “thanks” in the comments, or sharing behind-the-scenes videos—reinforce your human brand. Lean into storytelling and personality. People buy from people.
Social Media: Choosing the Right Channels
Different platforms serve different demographics. Here’s a quick guide:
Facebook: Popular with 25–34+ age groups. Great for community-based marketing (e.g., Facebook groups), especially for family-oriented or hobby-based niches.
Instagram: Universal appeal. Focus on Reels and video content—time-lapse art, studio tours, or customer shout-outs. It’s all about visual storytelling.
TikTok: Fast growth, younger users. Its algorithm offers huge visibility—sometimes overnight. Use it to test content and products. The built-in TikTok Shop feature allows seamless in-app purchases.
You don’t have to choose just one. Repurpose content smartly: a video made for TikTok can be reused on Instagram or Facebook with minor tweaks in tone.
Adapting to Algorithm Changes
Many sellers have noticed shifts in social media performance, especially with platforms like Meta and TikTok adjusting their algorithms. This can feel frustrating—but it also opens new doors.
You might be showing up in front of new audiences you hadn’t targeted before. This is your chance to test different product mockups, new niches, or updated messaging to appeal to a broader demographic.
A smart approach? Split your efforts 50/50—maintain what’s worked historically, while experimenting with new content, styles, and platforms to uncover new growth paths.
Conclusion: Stand Out by Showing Up
With more artists, marketplaces, and content than ever, the stores that succeed in 2025 will be those that feel genuine, adapt quickly, and know their customers deeply.
Whether it’s through storytelling, smart automation, sustainability, or niche targeting, there are countless ways to differentiate your store. Be proactive. Be human. And keep experimenting.
Watch this webinar through this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWjB4WojMDs
All previous and upcoming webinar videos are available on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lumaprints
