how do you make product content without ordering every item?
- Thread starter S_Nolan
- Start date
Thanks for the suggestion! Being able to create product images without a studio sounds really useful. Which of these tools would you recommend for a beginner?
as a newbie designer, I would recommend you to use canva becuz it is vry user friendly even for people who have limited experience in designing. In addition, you can recycle supplier images and change background, lighting or layout instead of creating the whole thing anew. It is imprtant to note that when using images created by AI some change can be done to small detail of the product design.
LurkMaster
Newbie
- Jun 23, 2026
- 28
- 15
Supplier pictures would work as a first step in gauging demand, but would not be my go-to strategy for the long haul because everybody else may have the same pictures too. Once the product becomes popular, I will purchase a sample and take my own pictures/ video.
cloud.nine
Newbie
- Jun 24, 2026
- 12
- 4
That’s how I would go about it as well. One additional point to remember is that you should experiment with various hooks and product angles using supplier materials, and only then order a sample, knowing what creative materials are worth producing.
- May 27, 2016
- 12,771
- 2,918
As @Noriaa has said Canva AI is the best for newbies because it is more beginner friendly and also has a faster learning curve.
- Apr 20, 2018
- 5,442
- 3,052
Start with supplier images and videos, but don't just copy them as is.
Create your own layouts, product descriptions, and comparison graphics, order samples only for products that start getting consistent interest or sales, so you don't waste money testing everything upfront.
Create your own layouts, product descriptions, and comparison graphics, order samples only for products that start getting consistent interest or sales, so you don't waste money testing everything upfront.
- Apr 13, 2025
- 713
- 251
before ordering samples i'd ask the suppliers for some raw phone videos rather than just their catalogue pictures. even a short clip can be more useful than the same product image everyone else has. for anything that starts selling, i'd definitely order a sample to check the actual quality.
- Jun 6, 2026
- 182
- 29
Before making an investment, leverage all available technological resources including AI tools and the products provided by the brand to identify potential customers, even before you know for certain which specific items will drive your sales.
- Jul 22, 2023
- 1,502
- 238
ai that. find some product videos and images online and edit.
arxixx
Newbie
- Sep 7, 2026
- 32
- 18
supplier images are fine for the testing phase, the thing i would avoid is generated product photos. an ai mockup is not a picture of the item you ship, and once a buyer notices the product does not match the listing you get the return, the chargeback and the review. for a store you plan to keep that is an expensive way to save a sample order
a workable middle: run the test ads on supplier media, then buy samples only for the two or three products that actually get clicks and shoot those yourself, even on a phone against a plain wall. an honest photo of the real item converts better than a polished render of something else
Just AI gen the images. Nano banana 2.1 works great. Make sure they match the size and quality of the real product. Look at labels and background because sometimes its wacky. I would never actually buy the product for content. The only times I do buy it is for using it myself
Aislinn Parks
Junior Member
- Sep 23, 2023
- 100
- 11
Start with supplier images, but order samples of promising products before scaling. That helps keep costs low while making sure your product content accurately represents what customers receive.
digitalhaven
Newbie
- Oct 16, 2026
- 14
- 8
Before using supplier photos or videos in ads, check that you have permission to use them commercially. Some suppliers allow listing images but may restrict their use in paid advertising, so confirming this upfront can prevent problems later.
I'd split it by stage. For testing demand, supplier images plus a short screen recording or a quick phone clip is enough, and it costs nothing. Once a product gets a few real orders, buy one sample and shoot it yourself on a window-lit table, because that's what you'll reuse for ads and listings. If you do use generated images, always compare them against the real sample first. Check the stitching, logo, colour and proportions, since the small details are what customers notice and return over. Also keep a note of which angle or hook got the clicks, so every new product starts from a format that already worked instead of from scratch.
- Feb 13, 2025
- 1,434
- 197
use the supplier photos and most of them will send u extra real photos or short videos if u ask.
set a kill rule before u spend. if it doesnt sell after a certain $, give it up and work on those that sell.
if its a winner, then order the product and shoot it yourself. a cheap lightbox is enough. short unboxing and handling the product with your hands usually beat studio-looking shots for ads usually.
if u dont want to film, u can send to to a UGC creator. many creators on tiktok are willing to do a clip for a small fee.
last point... the product will eventually be discovered by others and ran until the profits run dry. so in the mean time... u will need to develop the product to be better and different from what it originally was so that when everyone promotes it, the customers still come to you because u have the superior product. the ads method is short-lived
set a kill rule before u spend. if it doesnt sell after a certain $, give it up and work on those that sell.
if its a winner, then order the product and shoot it yourself. a cheap lightbox is enough. short unboxing and handling the product with your hands usually beat studio-looking shots for ads usually.
if u dont want to film, u can send to to a UGC creator. many creators on tiktok are willing to do a clip for a small fee.
last point... the product will eventually be discovered by others and ran until the profits run dry. so in the mean time... u will need to develop the product to be better and different from what it originally was so that when everyone promotes it, the customers still come to you because u have the superior product. the ads method is short-lived