Attention Getting Marketing

Small Biz Success Tips – Since 2012

Two Marketplaces for Artisans

Looking for new places to sell online? I have two.

You may or may not know that craft retailer Michaels now has an online marketplace called, MakerPlace, where small businesses can sell everything from jewelry and purses to pet products and furniture.

But another interesting thing Michaels is doing, is offering in-store appearances for artisans to sell their products directly to shoppers, with no commissions on sales. The appearances also allow the sellers to interact face-to-face with customers, get feedback, and take orders for custom items.

The other online marketplace you might not know about is 1800Flowers Marketplace. They have been offering this marketplace for a while now, and any product that would fit in the “gift” category can be sold here. They seem to particularly like food products, garden decor, baby items and bath & body. But keep in mind their commission rate is high, at 25%.

Cool Product Photography Ideas

I’ve said this many times, doing something different than your competitors is an easy way to stand out. It can be with the products themselves, or your marketing, such as your marketing copy, headlines, ads, even your photos.

I saw these two product photos, one for a barbecue sauce and one for an art print, and they both jumped out to me because they were non-typical. Now, I know that this quirky style doesn’t suit everyone’s brand, but it is a way to get attention. They are also very social media savvy.

Give it a try and do something more atypical with your product photos.

About Me

A 20+ year marketing professional and small business consultant, all of my services are very affordable. Read more about me here and view my services here.

 

 

 

© 2024 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. Cool Product Photography Ideas

Today’s Hot Marketing Idea

marketing ideas travel agentsA top trending Google search today is “Where is Malta?” This is because this was the location profiled in last night’s episode of The Bachelor (please don’t ask me how I know this).

Now, if I were a travel agent, I would be all over this, pushing any vacation packages I had to that region, basically striking while the iron is hot.

I would also be a little more forward thinking and see what other locations the show is going to profile in coming weeks. It turns out they will be: Málaga, Spain to visit the ancient cities Marbella and Ronda, then onto Montreal, Quebec, then Jasper, Alberta and finally Tulum, Mexico.

Trust me, these will all be top searches in the coming weeks, so get your social media and content marketing strategy ready.

For more marketing ideas, see my 12-Month Marketing Plan for Travel Agents.

About Me

A 20+ year marketing professional and small business consultant, all of my services are very affordable. Read more about me here and view my services here.

 

 

 

© 2024 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. Today’s Hot Marketing Idea. 

New Ideas for a Side Hustle for 2024

all new side hustle ideas 2024Happy 2024!

If you are looking for a side hustle this year, I have a few ideas for you based on recent rising search trends. They all involve going the “consultant” route and using your professional skills to provide services.

The Most In-Demand Consultants for 2024
  1. User Experience Consultant
  2. Medical Legal Consultant
  3. Healthcare Quality Consultant
  4. WordPress Consultant
  5. Human Resources Consultant
  6. Recruitment Consultant
  7. Sleep Consultant
  8. Leasing Consultant
  9. Nursing Consultant

side hustle ideas 2024Most consultants charge anywhere from $100 to $200 an hour, making it ideal for a side hustle, and you can advertise your consulting business on Upwork, Fiverr, and LinkedIn.

About Me

A 20+ year marketing professional and small business consultant, all of my services are very affordable. Read more about me here and view my services here.

 

 

 

© 2024 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. Side Hustle Ideas 2024.

Today’s Awesome Business Idea

I was curious when I saw that a top Google search this past week was, “Delicious Food Delivered Advent Calendar” so I had to check it out.

It turns out it’s a small business in Milwaukee that had a brilliant idea. They took the popularity of advent calendars, along with the desire to support local businesses, and created gourmet food boxes, in the form of advent calendars.

These beautifully packaged Christmas boxes contain one gourmet treat a day – from cookies to jam to cheese – for 24 days, each from a different local food company.

They currently have boxes promoting small businesses in various states, from Kentucky to Ohio, particularly with foods tailored to their respective state.

It is a brilliant idea because they make the perfect gift for family to gift to other family members who live somewhere else in the country, as well as for larger businesses or independent professionals to gift their clients, because not only do people love to receive food, but you feel good supporting the local community.

This idea is also viable for Valentine’s, Easter, Thanksgiving and Halloween, along with wedding gifts, college care packages and housewarming gifts.

If you’re looking for a new business idea for 2024, be sure to read my post, 54 Small Business Ideas for 2024.

©2023 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. Today’s Awesome Business Idea

15 Super Easy Social Media Posts for December Anyone Can Do

I know you don’t have a lot of time to think up social media posts this busy time of year.

Therefore, here are 15 super simple posting ideas for December from my brand new 365 Social Media Ideas for 2024 that will help.

15 Simple Social Media Post Ideas for December

  1. Post a #Funfact about a Christmas tradition like, “Why Do We Hang Tinsel on Christmas Trees?” (answer: Tinsel originally was strips of steel, used to reflect candlelight on the trees)
  2. Post an open-ended question such as, “The Best Gift I Ever Got Was ___________________________”
  3. Post a poll: “Vote for your favorite Christmas cookie: Sugar, Shortbread Butter, Gingerbread or Snickerdoodles” for national cookie day on December 4th.
  4. Post a This or That Poll i.e. Christmas Movie: Home Alone or Elf?
  5. Post an answer to a popular search such as, “Who was the first woman to win a Nobel prize”  for the ceremony on December 10th (answer: Marie Curie). 
  6. Post a #reel of beautiful Christmas lights in your city #christmasmagic. 
  7. Post a Yah or Nay: Mulled Wine?
  8. Post a “6 Sleeps Left Until Christmas!” graphic on December 19th.
  9. Post a photo of a frosted window and write in the frost: “Happy 1st Day of Winter” for #firstdayofwinter on December 21st. social media ideas for December
  10. Post a #reel showing the word “peace” in different languages on December 25th
  11. Post a #DidYou Know about Kwanzaa, such as “Did you know that Kwanzaa is a non religious, cultural celebration that only started in 1966?” on December 26th, when it starts.
  12. Post a #FunFact about the Eiffel Tower for the 100th anniversary of the death of Gustave Eiffel on December 27th, such as “The Eiffel Tower will be painted gold for the start of the summer Olympics in Paris in 2024″.
  13. Post a list of your 5 favorite movies of 2023 and ask followers if they agree. 
  14. Post a list of your 5 favorite books of 2023 and ask followers if they agree.
  15. Post an open-ended question on December 31st such as, “The One Thing I Want to Do in 2024 is___________________________”

Made your social media life easier and download my 365 Social Media Ideas for 2024 today. Happy posting!

©2023 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. 

Try This Super Smart Promotional Idea for Your Small Biz

I was waiting in line at the drive-thru for a coffee outlet called Tim Horton’s when I saw they were offering this mug that says, “Sorry for what I said before I had my Tim’s”.

 

I thought it was a brilliant way to promote their business. Instead of just putting their name on the cup, they actually made it more clever and interesting, and tied it back to the brand.

For example, let’s say you have a fashion brand. Why not print a t-shirt that says, “Sorry, this is all I have to wear until I go shopping at XYZ” as opposed to just putting your brand name on the shirt.

The point is, you can simply put your business name on a promo item – like pens, mugs, shirts, tote bags, etc. – or you can add something funny or clever that actually speaks to your brand and really get attention.

Another cool promo idea Tim’s had was this glow-in-the-dark Halloween bucket, for kids to take out trick or treating all while advertising their brand at the same time. Any promotional item that is holiday-inspired is always a good idea, and this will get used year after year.

 

If you need more creative marketing ideas, be sure to check out my 12-Month Marketing Plans, or ask me to create a custom marketing plan just for your business. Email me at attentiongetting@gmail.com for details.

©2023 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved.

Go Viral with This Social Media Idea

Last week I wrote about Haunted Car Washes and how I thought this was a brilliant idea as Halloween experiences have become big business. Now I have a cool social media posting idea for you that is related.

If your business is looking for an interesting Instagram Story (the most popular content on Instagram) why not go and film your own experience going through a Haunted Car Wash or other local Haunted Experience in your city, post it as a story and give a shoutout to the business (meaning they might repost).

You might be thinking, “what does that have to do with my business?”, but you can make it apply.

For example, if you sell kids products you could go and film a local Halloween experience that is for kids and post it to your Stories as if you are offering an informative post for other parents in your city. The story still shows your business name and might create enough curiosity for a viewer to click over to your website.

If you’re a travel business, film a Halloween experience in a popular tourist city and post that to your stories.

If you’re a realtor, post a story of how your turned one of your open houses into a Haunted House.

Not to mention, Instagram stories like these have an excellent chance of going viral. social media ideas september

Be sure to use hashtags such as #spooktacular, #halloweeniscoming, #halloweenspirit #scary #instahalloween to really get found.

Need more posting ideas? Be sure to download my 365 Social Media Ideas.

©2023 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. 

Awesome Business Idea of the Week

this weeks awesome business ideaSearches for “Haunted Car Wash Near Me” are up 950% this week on Google. It shows just how popular Halloween has become, and how a seemingly unrelated business can take advantage.

Basically drive-through car washes (the ones where you stay in the car) are hiring actors to dress up and scare patrons as the car makes its way through. They also get to charge a little  more than the traditional car washing fee, and customers are loving it!

It really is a brilliant idea because you have to get your car washed anyway, so why not turn it into a fun Halloween experience. It is also a great way for the car wash to get some free local publicity.

So, is there anything about your business that you can turn into a haunted experience? Why you’re at it, start thinking about Christmas!

Find all kinds of creative marketing inspiration in my Etsy store.

©2023 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. 

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