3 Quick & Easy Ways to Use YouTube to Promote Your Business

by G.B. Oliver

This blog post made the New York Times Small Business page, May 13, 2014

This blog post made the New York Times Small Business page, May 13, 2014

Women’s Wear Daily (WWD), a major business magazine for the fashion industry, is reporting that 4 in 10 consumers visit a store either online or in person as a direct result of watching a video online. It also reports that fewer major fashion brands find Facebook to be a top driver of traffic in 2012, but rather YouTube, with referral traffic doubling from 20% to 40% in 2012 over 2011.

So are you using YouTube in your marketing efforts?

A lot of people treat YouTube like television on demand. There are various channels, you can search for things you want to watch, and, particularly popular, are tutorials. And if you think it is only young people on YouTube, guess again.

YouTube_MarketingWho is on YouTube (US stats only):

  • Ages 18 – 34 – 37.6 million each month
  • Ages 35 – 49 – 31.6 million
  • Ages 50 – 64 – 25.7 million
  • Ages 65+ – 12.3 million
  • Men– 59 million
  • Women – 63.7 million

3 Quick & Easy Ways to Use YouTube to Promote Your Business:

  1. Have Your Own Channel – If you have a Google+ account, setting up your own YouTube channel is pretty much already done. Just go to YouTube and if you are logged into Google+ you will see a channel already set up for you in the right hand corner. It acts as a profile for your business because it shows your Google+ account and other social media icons, as well as your shop url (make sure you are using the new layout). You can now curate other people’s videos onto a playlist or favorites list. If you want to add your own videos, I will cover creative ideas for that in an upcoming post.
  2. Comment - Using your shop name, add a comment on a popular video or one relevant to your business. Viewers may click on your name out of curiosity and they will be taken over to your YouTube channel, where they will see all your business information. You can also engage with people who comment on your videos.
  3. Place an Ad – There are a variety of ads you can run on YouTube, all typically on a cost per view. This article explains all the different types of ads.

I CAN HELP! If you  do not know how to market your online business and are not making sales, contact me at attentiongetting@gmail.com. You can also read an excerpt of my ebook, Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work! Jewelry & Accessories Edition, HERE.

FINAL WORD: Like all social media, YouTube is free so why not use it. Just don’t invest too much time in it if it does not pull in traffic for your business.

© 2013 G.B. Oliver. All rights reserved.

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by Attention Getting Marketing on May 8, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Attention Getting Marketing on May 8, 2013

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Is Your Online Shop Taking Advantage of the $4.7 Billion Market for Grad Gifts?

by G.B. Oliver

A 2012 survey by BIGInsight showed that Americans will spend more than $4.7 billion on gifts for students graduating college or high school. The average gift price is $99.94, and they predominant give cash, cards, clothes, electronics, and gift cards. So how does your online business cash in on this spending?

Screen shot 2013-05-06 at 10.02.42 AM

  • Alter Your Keywords – Here are some of the top searches on Google in the last 30 days: Gifts for Graduation, College Graduation Gifts, Graduation Gifts, Graduation Gift Ideas, 2013 Graduations Gifts, Personalized Graduation Gifts.
  • Change or Add Shop Sections – Add shop sections based on the keywords above. Also offer a graphic right on your landing page that directs visitors to the section.
  • Add Highlight Icons – I also feel adding icons to product photos, such as “Great Grad Gift” reminds people to buy, if that is not what they came looking for in the first place.
  • Offer Fast Shipping – For anyone buying online, a worry is that the item won’t arrive in time. So you have to be very clear that you can expedite shipping if necessary, that items are in stock and the minimal amount of time you need to get it there.Screen shot 2013-05-06 at 10.12.32 AM
  • Offer to Send Directly to Recipient – So many people leave shopping to the last minute, so your services will get you the sale over someone else, if you allow the gift to be sent directly to the gift recipient and not to the purchaser.
  • Ask the Question – Again, sometimes people need to be prompted. Add the headline, “Know Someone Who is Graduating This Year?” to your home page.
  • Offer Customization – This is a great time to offer customization, especially since it is shown above that personalized grad gifts are highly searched. You could offer it as a free service if you feel you need the sales, or if your competition is, but depending on the work involved people typically don’t mind paying for this service.
  • Pricing – This isn’t the time to offer discounts. If the average amount spent on a grad gift is $99.94 that means the range is typically $50 to $150. Buying a grad gift is like buying a wedding gift. There is a respectable range of what you should spend. So keep your prices in this range.
  • Card Pricing – One thing I never understand is why independent card vendors sell these beautiful, intricate, hand-made cards for so cheap. Again, not the occasion to do it. Graduation cards are a keepsake, and something you don’t have to buy too often, unlike birthday cards. So charging $6 to $12 for a 5″ x 7″ is perfectly reasonable. But don’t tack on too large a shipping fee or that could end the sale.

FINAL WORD: There are so few high buying times during the year, and graduation season is definitely one of them. So take advantage and start planning months in advance to get the full potential out of this sales cycle.

Ask Me a Marketing Question!

Is there something specific to marketing your small business that you would like me to cover on my blog? Let me know at attentiongetting@gmail.com or ask me a question on my Facebook page or Twitter.

© 2013 G.B. OLIVER

 

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by Attention Getting Marketing on May 6, 2013  •  Permalink
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Marketing I Love – Poppin.com

by G.B. Oliver

Have you checked out the online office supplies store, Poppin? If you think office supplies are boring, guess again. Poppin does an amazing job to make office supplies seem anything but. Here are just a few of their marketing tactics that I absolutely love.

Bright Colors – Their company name is in bright orange and when you go over to their online shop, you are hit with even more neon colors. In fact, they even encourage you to shop by color. Not typical for an office supply store and definitely living up to their slogan.

Screen shot 2013-05-02 at 9.10.24 AM

Simple, But Effective Slogan – I love the simplicity of their slogan, “work happy.” On their site, even the categories have short, fun descriptions, all written in lower case such as “write on” (their pen section), “shine on” (their lighting section) and “finish the room” (their decor section).

Fun, Clever Product Copy – From the whimsical advertising tag lines, such as “Go Ahead, Make Mom’s Day” to the very clever, but to-the-point, one line product descriptions, I wanted to read everything on the site. I especially loved how they changed the section that most sites label, “Previously Viewed Items” to “Deja Vu”.

Screen shot 2013-05-02 at 9.08.28 AM

Poppin.com

Screen shot 2013-05-03 at 7.34.35 AM

Poppin.com

Promotes Their Press – Poppin does a really great job promoting any major press one of their products receives, which always gives a shop instant credibility.

Gives Free Stuff – They have a section on their online shop just for free downloads. PDFs of to-do lists, calendars, even DIY office projects. They really don’t stop trying to make work fun.

Screen shot 2013-05-02 at 9.30.48 AM

Poppin.com

Makes Joining Mailing List Easy – They even manage to make signing up for their mailing list less intimidating with cutesy phrases. Plus, they don’t take you to a separate page. You add your email right there on the home page, hit submit, done.

Other Target Markets – They are targeting not just the home office user, but also the back to school market and the college crowd, all huge markets.

Design-a-Desk Feature – I saved the best for last. Poppin has a feature on their online shop called Design-a-Desk. You get a blank white desk with 9 of their items on it. You select any color or color combo and the photo automatically changes to show you the look. You then hit “Add to Cart” and you get all 9 items, already in the pre-selected colors. They can’t make it any easier.

Screen shot 2013-05-02 at 9.54.22 AM

Poppin.com

WHAT TO LEARN: Adding personality to your shop goes a long way in not only establishing your brand, but making customers feel comfortable shopping on your site, since shopping online does lack that personal sales touch. This is a great way to add it.

© 2013 G.B. OLIVER

GB OliverABOUT ME: If you want to learn all my tactics that will get your online shop noticed and your products selling, you’ll find them in my marketing ebooks, available at my Ebook Store. 
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by Attention Getting Marketing on May 3, 2013  •  Permalink
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New Trend: Selling Your Products in Online Magazines’ Marketplaces

by G.B. Oliver

Are you really thinking outside the box when it comes to where to sell your products? Right now, you probably have your own online store. But a wider distribution channel is always the best way to do volume and spread the word about your brand.

One trend I have been noticing is a lot of online magazines have their own online marketplaces. What this tells me is that content providers, such as magazines, blogs and newspapers, are trying to find more ways to maximize revenues, beyond advertising, and that may be an opportunity for you.

Some Online Magazines with Marketplaces

Screen shot 2013-05-01 at 11.23.12 AMCoastal Living Magazine Online has their own line of products that they sell, but they also act as a storefront for Wayfair, a large online home store.

 

Screen shot 2013-05-01 at 11.24.07 AMThis Old House‘s online magazine also seems to have a deal with Wayfair, and features their products for purchase directly from  the Old House marketplace.

Screen shot 2013-05-01 at 11.24.33 AMBetter Home and Gardens Online has a really interesting storefront that reminds me of ShopStyle, showing products for sale from a variety of vendors such as Williams-Sonoma and Crate and Barrel. When you select the item, it takes you over to the retailer’s website, so you are not buying from Better Homes and Gardens, but they obviously have a referral/affiliate program, whereby they get paid for the click and the sale.

Screen shot 2013-05-01 at 11.20.31 AMThe wedding magazine, The Knot, has had an online store for years. They feature a variety of products that they say are mostly their own proprietary designs, but considering the large number of items they stock, I have to imagine they use some third party vendors.

Everyone is looking to make more money from their online businesses, and online magazines, newspaper and blogs are no different. Amazon spread its reach further by offering its Amazon Associates program (getting online businesses to incorporate the Amazon store front into their website in exchange for a fee) so why should it be any different for you?

YOUR NEXT STEP: Approach a blog that reaches your target market, that is growing in popularity and see if they would be willing to include your products in their marketplace (if they don’t have one, suggest the idea) in exchange for a fee on each sale. It could be a win win for both of you.

Download More Advice in my EBOOK SHOP. 

© 2013 G.B. Oliver. All rights reserved.

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by Attention Getting Marketing on May 1, 2013  •  Permalink
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Mother’s Day Marketing Ideas for Your Online Shop

by G.B. Oliver

The North American Mother’s Day holiday (May 12th) is one of the biggest buying holidays of the year. If you have products that appeal to this target market, are you making it obvious on your online store? It’s not too late to get those late minute shoppers. Here are some Mother’s Day marketing suggestions you may want to implement to really drive sales:

Remind Visitors of the Date

Sunday May 12th is Mothers’ day this year, but not a lot of people remember. They know it’s May, but are not sure which weekend. A polite reminder gets them to buy right away, especially if the day is getting close.

Screen shot 2013-04-29 at 3.25.51 PM

Offer Free Shipping and Quick Shipping Screen shot 2013-04-29 at 3.13.50 PM

If buyers have left their shopping to the last minute, then an obvious worry is will you get it to their Mom in time. Ensure them that you will, and doing it for free is always a big plus.

Appeal to All Budgets Screen shot 2013-04-29 at 3.20.21 PM

Not everyone spends the same amount on Mother’s Day, so make sure you have divided up your product selection for all types of budgets.

Let Them Know You Have Something for Every Type of Mom Screen shot 2013-04-29 at 3.43.43 PM

A lot of people have to buy for a mother, mother-in-law, step mother, and they all have different tastes. Try to make your shop one stop shopping by appealing to their different interests or styles.

 

Give a Deal Screen shot 2013-04-29 at 3.36.03 PM

Everyone loves a sale so why not offer a special discount for Mother’s Day? Using a coupon code tracks the effectiveness of the offer.

Upsell Other Services Screen shot 2013-04-29 at 3.48.03 PM

You can either offer additional services for free, such as monogramming, personalization, adding a card or gift wrapping, or for a small additional fee.

YOUR NEXT STEP: If you did not prepare  properly for the Mother’s Day buying rush this year, then remember to make it a priority for next year. Start your marketing campaign in early April and use all of these suggestions to maximize your sales. And don’t forget to add “Mother’s Day Gift Guide” to your shop sections as they get read by Google and Bing.

MalloryHopeDesign_AGMarketing_eBook“Best buy ever!” . . “Cannot recommend this enough!” . .  ”You will not be disappointed!” . . “Incredible! .. AMAZING advice!” 

Find out why so many online sellers love my new ebooks, Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work!, available at my EBOOK SHOP. 

© 2013 G.B. Oliver. All rights reserved.

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by Attention Getting Marketing on April 29, 2013  •  Permalink
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How to Make Your Online Store’s Sections More Appealing to Busy Shoppers

by G.B. Oliver

Last week I wrote about altering your shop sections/categories to make them more in sync with seasonal buying habits. For example, adding categories for Mother’s Day, Prom, Cinco de Mayo, Memorial Day, etc. (in case you missed it: Keep Your Online Shop Categories In Sync with Seasonal Buying Habits).

But there are also other ways you can help visitors zero in on what they really want to find in your shop, in order to maximize purchases. People don’t have a lot of time these days. A lot of the reason online shopping is so popular is because it is easier to find what you want, due to searching capabilities. So consider some of these shop categories used by popular online stores that might work for you:

Screen shot 2013-04-25 at 11.23.04 AM

Piperlime

Piperlime is an online clothing store with all the typical categories such as Dresses, Tops, Pants, Shoes, etc. But they also offer the visitor other ways to shop with categories such as Spring Trends, Girl on a Budget (Everything Under $100) and New to Sale. 

West Elm

West Elm sells home décor products. In addition to searching by categories such as pillows, furniture, etc., they offer other categories such as Most Pinned Products, Eco/Green, and the Monogram Shop. 

Screen shot 2013-04-29 at 9.45.13 AM

 

Screen shot 2013-04-29 at 10.01.56 AM

P.S. Kids Aeropostale

P.S. sells children’s clothing. They have interesting shop categories that appeal to moms who are looking for something specific, the convenience of already put together outfits, or a bargain, such as: Mix & Match 2 for $12, $5 Fun Finds and Shore Things (items for the beach).

Screen shot 2013-04-29 at 10.05.11 AM

Victoria’s Secret

Everyone knows what Victoria’s Secret sells. What was interesting in their online store is how they really push the deals, with shop categories such as 2/$40 Tops and Tees, 2/$60 Shirts, and 2/$40 Yoga Bottoms. 

YOUR NEXT STEP: Think about how your typical buyer shops. Do they want something for a specific occasion, do they want a deal, do they want style advice? This is an opportunity to really facilitate that buying decision and generate more sales. For more great marketing advice, download your copy of Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work!.

© 2013 G.B. Oliver. All rights reserved.

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by Attention Getting Marketing on April 25, 2013  •  Permalink
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How Society6 is a Different Kind of Online Marketplace

by G.B. Oliver

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about finding new product uses if you sell art or photography (in case you missed it, New Product Ideas for Art and Photography). One company that seems to see this business opportunity for artists and photographers is Society6.

Society6_logo_white1-627x199

Society6 is an online community marketplace that will sell your artwork and photographs in traditional form, such as framed prints and canvas, as well as part of various other products such as iPhone cases, T-shirts, pillows, greeting cards, basically anything you can put a print on.

Society6 is not new, they have been in existence since 2009, although their business was a little different back then, focusing on getting grants for struggling artists. Currently, they feature tens of thousands of artists from all over the world and they produce, package and ship everything for the artist.

Vulpes vulpes iPhone Case by Robert Farkas on Society6

Vulpes vulpes iPhone Case by Robert Farkas
on Society6

So if you are a photographer or artist, is Society6 right for you?

  • They take care of the production, packaging and shipping, so you have more time to just create.
  • They will find other revenue streams for your art and photography, that you may not have thought of, or do not have the capability to do yourself.
  • You still set your own prices (and your profits), so you do not have to feel that your work is undervalued or compromised.
  • You don’t lose the rights to your artwork.
  • They have high-profile partners such as Threadless and Urban Outfitters, so you have exposure to an even wider market.
  • You do need to get some ♥’s (around 10 – 12) before your art makes it to the main shop.

FINAL WORD:  The key here is that most artists are not interested in running a business. The time it takes to produce, package, and ship products, not to mention dealing with customers, can significantly eat into your creative time. Plus, for a lot of small art shops, high shipping costs have become a huge obstacle to selling worldwide. With Society6, shipping is no longer your problem. Now you will still have to do some promotion of your items, but if one of your designs really takes off with the community, it will help upsell the other items in your shop. As long as you can digitize your art, you have an opportunity on Society6.

GB Oliver

ABOUT ME: I’m G.B. Oliver, a small business marketing consultant and author of the new ebook series, Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work!. I also do private consultations for online businesses. Feel free to contact me at attentiongetting@gmail.com.
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© 2013 G.B. OLIVER

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by Attention Getting Marketing on April 23, 2013  •  Permalink
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Are You Taking Advantage of Today’s Trending Hash Tags on Twitter?

by G.B Oliver

I bet the NFL draft is this week. How do I know that? Because NFL was been showing up in the trending box on Twitter all morning. In fact, when something major is going in the world, Twitter can act as your news feed.

So Are You Capitalizing on Twitter #Hash Tags for Your Online Business?

I’ve discussed this before in previous posts, but I wanted to give you some further insight. When a hash tag shows up in the Trends box on the left, it does peak people’s curiousity. So if they click on it they will be taken to a list of tweets using that hash tag.

I have been telling my small business clients (depending on what they sell) to be ready to take advantage of what I thought would be trending topics on Twitter this month for sure.

One is #Coachella. The popular California music festival has been on the last two weekends, and it always gets as much attention for its fashion as it does its music acts. So in the past two weeks #Coachella has been showing up as a trending hash tag. Great way for anyone selling boho clothing and accessories to get in front of this audience.

I also made them aware of #EarthDay, which is today (April 22nd) and is trending. So if you have eco-friendly, green or organic products, why aren’t you tweeting with the hash tag #Happy Earth Day? I even sent out a bunch of tweets of my followers who fit this description.

Screen shot 2013-04-29 at 10.18.26 AM

Besides annual events, there are weekly events you can take advantage of. If you have products relating to #GamesofThrones, you have to know that every Monday Game of Thrones is trending because everyone is talking about the episode that aired Sunday night.

Also, you will notice on Mondays the trending hash tag, #NewMusic. That is because new CDs drop only on Tuesdays in the US. So on Mondays, music lovers are trying to find out what #New Music will be available tomorrow. That is why the hash tag, #NowPlaying, is also popular on Mondays, as that is how new song clip tweets are tagged.

Trending Hash Tags to Expect in May: Mother’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, Memorial Day, Kentucky Derby.

FINAL WORD: Are you keeping an eye on those Twitter hash tags to make sure your products and services have a chance of getting seen by a target market relevant to what you sell? If not you could be missing out on a potential PR opportunity. Follow me on Twitter @AttentionGet.

GB Oliver

ABOUT ME: I’m G.B. Oliver, a small business marketing consultant and author of the new ebook series, Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work! – 145 Detailed Tactics. I also do private consultations for online businesses. Feel free to contact me at attentiongetting@gmail.com.
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by Attention Getting Marketing on April 22, 2013  •  Permalink
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6 Sure-Fire Tips to Still Get Sales When Things Are Slow

by G.B. Oliver

I hear online businesses complaining all the time why people aren’t buying. There is definitely a slow down after the holidays as people have bills to pay and spending may be limited. There is also another slowdown around tax time for obvious reasons.

sale_red_tags_4084

So if visitors to your store like your product, but dont’ feel they really need it, they won’t buy if money is tight. They may come back, but it you want to make the sale, you have to create a strong need to buy it now.

6 Ways You Can Still Make Sales in Slow Times:

  • Provide a Low Price Section – People always have that desire to buy something new, even when they can’t afford it, so have a category in your online store marked “Under $20″ if you can. Even call it something like, “Inexpensive Pick-Me Ups Under $20″. Highlight it with a ★.
  • Offer a Freebee – Buyers love to take advantage of free offers, but it has to be a limited time offer, and that is key. “Buy any 3 prints today ONLY and get the 4th for free”. Screen shot 2013-04-29 at 10.38.39 AM
  • Offer One Day Only Free Shipping – Shipping costs can be a real deal breaker, but, again, if you say it is just for one day only, people will take advantage right away. While it might take a toll on your bottom line, the key is to get that initial customer which will lead to repeat business.
  • Buy Now, Pay Later – If you can, allow buyers to purchase items, but you will not process the transaction  (or send the items) until the end of month (which is typically when they get paid again).
  • Last One – Put a “Last One Available” icon right on the product photo. If the buyer thinks they can’t get it again, or not for a few weeks, they will act quickly. Screen shot 2013-04-29 at 10.24.58 AM
  • Sold Out – Have a sale, but mark certain items with a “Sold Out” icon. This indicates to buyers that your items are selling quickly and they have to act fast.

FINAL WORD: If times are slow to keep making sales you’ve got to pull out all the tricks and appeal to buyers’ need for a deal.

 

GB OliverABOUT ME: I’m G.B. Oliver, a small business marketing consultant and author of the new ebook series, Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work! – 145 Detailed Tactics. I also do private consultations for online businesses. Feel free to contact me at attentiongetting@gmail.com.
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by Attention Getting Marketing on April 18, 2013  •  Permalink
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3 Easy Ways to Find Inspiration for New Products

by G.B. Oliver

Everyone wants to come up with that next great product idea. So how do you find the innovator in you and either start or identify that next big trend? Try these tips to get inspired.

Find Inspiration in Commercial Establishments

I’m sure you have noticed the huge “chalkboard trend” the last few years, whether it is in home decor products or wedding products or graphic design, do you wonder how it got started? Think of the proliferation of Starbucks and other coffee shops and how they turned their everyday chalkboard menus into works of art. The same trend is now with subway or transit signs. You’ve looked at these signs for years, but suddenly they have become decor chic.
Was it Starbucks Menu Boards that Launched the Current Chalkboard Trend?

Was it Starbucks Menu Boards that Launched the Current Chalkboard Trend?

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So go to the downtown core of your city and check out:
  • restaurants
  • retail shops
  • coffee shops
  • churches
  • museums
  • libraries
  • historical buildings
and really look at everything. From the art on the walls to signage to  light fixtures to packaging – try to note interesting design details and how you can apply to the types of products you create.
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keepcalm-225x300

Find Inspiration in other Eras

Another big product of the last few years has been the slogan, “Keep Calm and Carry On“, a propaganda poster made by the British government in 1939 during the start of the Second World War.  People love inspirational sayings and slogans, so when a British bookstore rediscovered this poster back in 2000, it launched a whole slew of products and reworkings of the slogan itself.
  • So go to a library or bookstore and pull out every pictorial book you can on every decade and really study the photos.
  • Ask to look in your parents or grand parents’ attics (or just look around their homes) to see memorabilia from their era.
  • Take a look at their old photo albums, even their wedding album.
  • Watch movies and television shows from other decades, but with an eye for detail. Don’t focus on the story, but instead look at the set design, the wardrobe, and see what can inspire you.

Find Inspiration in Currently Popular Products

A lot of inspiration can come from creating products as add-ons to currently top selling products. iPhone cases came about because of the popularity of the iPhone and now there are over 160,000 iPhone cases listed on Etsy alone.
All the different accessory products for the iPhone

All the different accessory products for the iPhone

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Take a journey over to Amazon.com and see what the most popular products are in any category – from food to baby to beauty to jewelry to gadgets – and see if you can find inspiration for a complimentary product for one of these top sellers. You now have a huge market to sell to.
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Of course, pop culture is always an influencer as well. Please see my post, How to Predict Trends Before They Happen.
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FINAL WORD: Sometimes all you have to do is stop and look around you to get inspiration. There are obviously many more ways to get inspired, these are just a few to get you started.
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PINTEREST BOARD: Product Design I Love
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GB Oliver
ABOUT ME: I’m G.B. Oliver, a small business marketing consultant and author of the new ebook series, Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work! – 145 Detailed Tactics. I also do private consultations. Feel free to contact me at attentiongetting@gmail.com.

© 2013 G.B. OLIVER

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by Attention Getting Marketing on April 16, 2013  •  Permalink
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4 Tips to Ensure Customers Join and Stay on Your Email List

by G.B. Oliver

One of the biggest revenue streams for any online business is repeat customers. Once someone has bought from you, if they are happy, it would seem obvious that they would likely buy from you again. Getting them to subscribe to your email list is a great way to keep customers coming back, but it can also turn people off in fear they are going to be inundated daily with messages from you.

email_signup

Email Sign-up at OldNavy.com

So, here are some tips to get customers to subscribe:

  • Explain Exactly What They Are Getting. It’s as simple as stating, “We frequently offer one-day sales up to 40% off. If you would like to be notified, please add your email to this list. We promise, no more than one email a week.”
  • Give Them Options. Better to have them a little, than not at all. For example, “If you would like to be notified when we are having a sale of 30% or more off, please subscribe to our 30%+ list. If you wish to be notified of all sales, please subscribe to our All Sales list.” OneKingsLane.com actually allows you to choose which days of the week and times of the day (AM or PM) that you wish to be notified of any sales. People like having options and being the one in control.
  • Allow Emails to be Product-Specific. Maybe you sell a variety of products and they are only interested in certain ones. So, offer customers the ability to select certain items that they would like to be notified if they go on sale. This is similar to the service Hukkster.com, which allows you to track your favorite products on any shopping site and be notified when that specific product goes on sale.
  • Maintain Email Etiquette. You can also offer a feature that Fab.com does, whereby Fab will stop sending you emails if they detect that they are going unopened. It is a new form of email etiquette as they are assuming you are away and they do not want to fill up your inbox unnecessarily.

If you are not selling on your own site, but a major marketplace, you can still have customers sign-up for Email Alerts through your Gmail Contacts Group.

FINAL WORD: If you want repeat customer business from your email marketing campaign, you have to be more flexible and scale it to what different customers want and need. People have become leery of email, so give them options and they will be more likely to subscribe. (By the way, did you know you can be alerted by email when I have a new blog post by just clicking on the Follow icon  in the  right side bar).

IF YOU LIKED THIS BLOG POST, please feel free to TWEET to your followers using the SHARE button below and hit the LIKE button so I know how I’m doing.

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Take your online business to the top TODAY, before your competition does. My expert, innovative advice, ideas and tactics will make you an online superstar! Download your copy of Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work!, HERE.

© 2013 G.B. Oliver. All rights reserved.

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by Attention Getting Marketing on April 15, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Home, Marketing 101
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Posted by Attention Getting Marketing on April 15, 2013

http://attention-getting.com/2013/04/15/4-tips-to-ensure-customers-stay-on-your-email-list/

Keep Your Online Shop Categories In Sync with Seasonal Buying Habits

by G.B. Oliver

As you know, your shop categories, whether on your own website or a major marketplace, are also picked up by search engines. Therefore, are they carved in stone or do you alter them depending on the buying season?

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Amazon adds an Earth Day shopping category this time of year

For example, I was on a site called Accessorize that sells jewelry and accessories and I noticed that they had an interesting shop category among the regular ones called, “Vacation“. When you clicked on this category all the items they sell that would work great on a beach vacation were listed here. Now, why I don’t think they optimized the title of this category ideally for SEO, I do think it is a great way to help customers zero in on what they want.

That has always been the beauty of online shopping. The fact that you can quickly search and narrow down what you are looking for, something you can’t do in a physical store. How many times have you walked out of a store because you couldn’t find what you were looking for? So spoon feeding your busy, time-strapped customers by tailoring your shopping categories to buying patterns at certain times of the year, really helps.

Another example. Obviously everyone is gearing up for Mother’s Day sales in May. A lot of online shops, such as Williams-Sonoma and Etsy have added Mother’s Day categories.

Online greeting card shop, Treat, has not only pushed its Mother’s Day category to the very front of the list, but it has also added, Graduation, obviously another top search this time of year.

At World Market, they have a product category entitled, Cinco de Mayo, helping out customers looking for products for this upcoming holiday.

Even Amazon has added an Earth Day category (April 22nd) for visitors looking for eco-friendly and green products, a big topic in the news this time of year.

FINAL WORD: Are you taking advantage of calendar buying habits to bring the buyers over to your shop? Your online shop should always be adapting to and anticipating buyer behavior if you want to be selling all year long. If you liked this article, please feel free to Tweet to your followers using the SHARE button below and hit the LIKE button so I know how I’m doing.

DOWNLOAD MY MARKETING GUIDES HERE

© 2013 G.B. Oliver. All rights reserved.

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by Attention Getting Marketing on April 11, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Home, Marketing 101, Online Selling Sites
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Posted by Attention Getting Marketing on April 11, 2013

http://attention-getting.com/2013/04/11/keep-your-shop-categories-attune-to-seasonal-buying-habits/

How to Use Google Autocomplete to Find the Features Your Customers Want

by G.B. Oliver

We all know Google is a pretty powerful search tool. Just start typing a phrase in the Google search box and their Autocomplete feature finishes your sentence for you with the most popular endings to what you are asking. What a great way to find out what your customers are looking for.
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Google Autocomplete showed that dog owners were looking for durable dog toys, like these from Moochews

Google Autocomplete showed that dog owners were looking for durable dog toys, like these from Moochews

Dog Toys That…

For example, I had a customer recently, Moochews, who was selling rubber dog toys. But I needed a value statement for the product. What problem was it solving? So I typed in the phrase, “dog toys that….” and Google offered a variety of endings, such as:
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  • dog toys that hold treats
  • dog toys that last
  • dog toys that can’t be destroyed
  • dog toys that are indestructible
  • dog toys that makes them think
  • dog toys that talk
After looking at these results, I decided my customer was best to position her product as a durable dog toy whereby she can ask the question of her customers, “Tired of dog toys that don’t last?” This quick bit of research not only gave me insight into what her customers were looking for, but how to solve a common problem that they were experiencing. When you can solve a problem, you usually have a sale.

iPhone Cases That…

I decided to try this theory with a few other types of products. So I typed in the phrase, “iPhone cases that…” and I got:

  • iPhone cases that charge
  • iPhone cases that light up
  • iPhone cases that hold cards
  • iPhone cases that protect the screen
  • iPhone cases that look like books
  • iPhone cases that change color
  • iPhone cases that are waterproof
It helps you to see the features that are important to iPhone users. They don’t want their phone to run out of power, they want to be able to find it in the dark, they want the phone not to get damaged. These types of features seem to be taking precedence over style.

Baby Car Seats That…

I tried one more. I entered the phrase “baby car seats that…” and I assumed the words “are safe” would come up. It didn’t. Instead I got:
x
  • baby car seats that swivel
  • baby car seats that rotate
  • baby car seats that turn into strollers
  • baby car seats that recline
  • baby car seats that lie flat
  • baby car seats that grow with baby
So these are the most important features to new parents. The focus is definitely on convenience and functionality. Maybe they are just assuming that they are all safe.
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FINAL WORD: Try it with your products and services and see what comes up (you may want to clear your personal search history first so it doesn’t taint the results). It may help you better position your business to the needs of your target market.

Get More Great Marketing Advice in My Ebooks

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“Best buy ever!” . . “Cannot recommend this enough!” . .  ”You will not be disappointed!” . . “Incredible!” 

Take your online business to the top TODAY, before your competition does with my expert and innovative marketing ideas and tactics! Download your copy of Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work!, available, HERE. Editions for Jewelry, Wedding, Home and Baby & Kids products.

PLEASE Tweet, Post to Facebook, Stumble, PIN & more this post using the SHARE button below. Thanks!

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© 2013 G.B. Oliver. All rights reserved.

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by Attention Getting Marketing on April 8, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Google Tips, Home
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Posted by Attention Getting Marketing on April 8, 2013

http://attention-getting.com/2013/04/08/how-to-use-google-autocomplete-to-find-what-your-customers-are-looking-for/

3 Tips Your Online Store Can Borrow From TV Shopping Networks

by G.B. Oliver

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TV shopping networks have been a huge industry for decades and continue to bring in billions of dollars a year. They can definitely be seen as the predecessor to online shopping, as people like the ability to shop from the comfort of their home.

So what do the TV shopping networks do correctly that you can apply to your online store?

They Create a Sense of Urgency

Basically, you get a limited time to buy an item, and there are limited quantities. So if you want it, you have to act. They have a clock going in the bottom corner with the time left to buy and the number of quantities available is ticking down quickly.

How You Can Apply This To Your Shop – Your online shop can do the same thing. You can have an icon, like a circle or star in the corner saying “Only 5 left” or “Almost Sold Out”. One Kings Lane does this and it will get people to act quickly.

They Create a Sense of Exclusivity

When you buy from one of the television shopping networks, they remind you that these are not products you are going to find in stores. So the buyer gets the feeling that they are buying something exclusive that no one else will have. That raises the value of the product in the buyer’s mind.

How You Can Apply This To Your Shop – Remind people, “Not sold anywhere else, exclusive to our shop”, or, even better, this is where customization can play a huge role. Tell people that if there is any little detail they would like changed, such as color, materials, size, etc., that you are able to do that (for an extra fee), but that will definitely ensure a one-of-a-kind piece. And the shopping networks can’t do that!

Double Team Sales Approach

When they are pitching products on shopping TV, they have got the creator of the product as well as an “objective” host both doing the sales pitch to you. The creator lets you in on their inspiration for the product and gives the story behind it, and is always the best person to describe the uniqueness, the special features, the benefits, etc. Then you have the host, who you have come to know and trust, and they are raving about it.

How You Can Apply This To Your Shop – In your product copy, do your pitch, just as they do on TV. All the features, all the benefits, what inspired you. Don’t run on too long or you will lose them, but you could refer them over to a blog post where you go into more detail, or, even better, a YouTube video. As for that host who is essentially endorsing the product, show your own endorsements by detailing all publicity that your product has gotten. If you don’t have any publicity, mention customer reviews or how many visitors have favored or “liked” your product. They want to hear from you, but they want to hear from other people too.

FINAL WORD: The TV shopping networks have had a lot of success not only getting people to buy, but to buy quickly. It couldn’t hurt to check them out once in a while, and see what factors make you want to buy from them, and apply these to your own business.

Get More Great Marketing Advice in My Ebooks

MalloryHopeDesign_AGMarketing_eBook_HomeProducts

“Best buy ever!” . . “Cannot recommend this enough!” . .  ”You will not be disappointed!” . . “Incredible!” 

Take your online business to the top TODAY, before your competition does. My expert, innovative advice, ideas and tactics will make you an online superstar! Download your copy of Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work!, HERE.

PLEASE Tweet, Post to Facebook, Stumble, PIN & more this post using the SHARE button below. Thanks!

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© 2013 G.B. Oliver. All rights reserved.

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by Attention Getting Marketing on April 5, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Home, Marketing 101
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Posted by Attention Getting Marketing on April 5, 2013

http://attention-getting.com/2013/04/05/tips-your-online-store-can-borrow-from-tv-shopping-networks/

How to Attract New Customers With “How To” Advice

by G.B. Oliver

I wanted to give an excerpt from my ebooks today, Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work!, because I want to talk about a popular trend in marketing – giving advice your customers are looking for, in order to bring them to your online business.

MalloryHopeDesign_AGMarketing_eBook_HomeProducts

Well, that’s kind of what I do here, but I am going to discuss it from an online retail point of view.

A lot of online retailers will offer sections on their websites or blogs that give expert advice on topics you are searching for on Google. The hope is that page will turn up in search results and bring these potential customers over to their website (and their shop).

A good example is World Market. They are a popular online store selling a variety of goods from all over the globe, and they have a section on their home page this month entitled, “9 Ways to Tie a Scarf” and each of the nine ways shows a different scarf they sell. Each way also includes a 40-second clip on how to do it.

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Why is this brilliant? Well, besides showing how to wear their scarves, they are capitalizing on the fact that the phrase, “Ways to Tie a Scarf” is searched over 8,000 times a month on Google. So when someone searches that phrase, there is a good chance their home page will come up.  Plus, visitors can now Pin, Tweet, Facebook this video tutorial (social media loves videos) and World Market can add it to their YouTube channel, spreading this advertorial even further.

Pottery Barn is another online store that knows what its customers are looking for. They have a page called, “How to Hang Curtains” because that phrase is searched about 3,600 times a month on Google. While it is a nice value added service to offer this information to customers, it is also a great hook to bring in new customers who are searching on this, especially when Pottery Barn products are used in the tutorial.

FINAL WORD: What do your potential customers want to know related to what you sell? Be a source of advice for them and they may “accidentally” discover you.

Get More Great Marketing Advice in My Ebooks (because I don’t give away everything here :) )

MalloryHopeDesign_AGMarketing_eBook_Weddings

“Best buy ever!” . . “Cannot recommend this enough!” . .  ”You will not be disappointed!” . . “Incredible!” 

Take your online business to the top, before your competition does. My expert, innovative advice, ideas and tactics will make you an online superstar! Download your copy of Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work!, HERE (versions for selling Home products, Jewelry / Fashion Accessories, Kids & Baby products and Wedding products).

PLEASE Tweet, Post to Facebook, Stumble, PIN & more this post using the SHARE button below. Thanks!

PLEASE LIKE this post using the button below and follow my RSS feed to know when new articles are posted.

© 2013 G.B. Oliver. All rights reserved.

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by Attention Getting Marketing on April 3, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Home, Marketing 101, Marketing I Love
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Posted by Attention Getting Marketing on April 3, 2013

http://attention-getting.com/2013/04/03/excerpt-from-my-ebook-how-giving-expert-advice-can-bring-you-new-customers/

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