All posts tagged etsy

Be Careful About Sharing Your “Success” Tips – Your Competition is Listening

by G.B. Oliver

I was on one a popular online store’s forums the other day where sellers talk to each other and share information. Here, I frequently see sellers who make grand declarations such as they’ve made 500 sales in a month and here is how they did it. And I scratch my head and think to myself, BIG MISTAKE!

I realize that a lot of these online marketplaces like to foster a sense of community, but, at the end of the day this is still business and many of these sellers are your direct competition. Why on earth would you want to tell them your success secrets?

That is the problem when your ego takes over from your business sense. You have a bit of success and you want to tell everyone. But now realize, you are telling everyone, including your competition, and that’s not good.

It is NEVER a good idea to share your secrets with competitors. I dare anyone to find me a business book that says to do that. Would Coca-Cola email Pepsi and say, “Here is everything we did last year that worked. Good luck”. You would be sabotaging your own business. You don’t have any control over who reads your posts or your blog or tweets, so why put information out there that can hurt you? You want customers to notice you, but quite frankly, when it comes to your competition, you want to fly under their radar.

I have marketing professionals follow me all the time on Twitter. They don’t need my services, obviously. They are keeping tabs on me, which is what the competition does. If I do something they think works, let’s be honest, they will probably “borrow” it.

This is just good seasoned business advice. Remember the saying, Loose Lips Sink Ships. If you have an amazing secret that you stumbled upon that is causing your sales to skyrocket – KEEP IT TO YOURSELF (but tell me, of course).

Now, luckily for you I share my marketing secrets that will help your online business, in my ebooks, Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work!, plus find other helpful marketing tools in my Etsy shop.

PLEASE Tweet, Post to Facebook, Stumple, 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 March 6, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Home, Marketing 101
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Posted by Attention Getting Marketing on March 6, 2013

http://attention-getting.com/2013/03/06/be-careful-how-much-you-share-with-your-competition/

Will Twitter Bring You Sales?

by G.B. Oliver

This was a tweet sent out this week by @gregorygarrick:

The biggest mistake a marketer can make is… Measuring success in terms of leads & NOT revenue

I couldn’t agree more. Leads, followers, likes, they are all pretty much the same thing. Don’t get mislead that having a lot of these means a ton of sales will be coming your way. I spoke about this a bit in a previous post, Traffic is Not Sales but I wanted to cover it again from a different angle.

As I have said many times, not all social media works for all types of products. While they are free mediums to use, they can be time consuming, so only spend time on the ones that are bringing you SALES.

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Does Twitter Bring Sales?

Twitter is an interesting social media platform. It is a great medium for communicating and getting the word out, but does it bring buyers to your website? (and remember, that was never the original intention behind the creation of Twitter or any of the social medias).

Based on my research, and backed up by other research, Twitter is really more effective for business to business selling. So if you are selling jewelry supplies for example, yes, you should be on Twitter because jewelry sellers are there and it is easy to find them (use the #jewelry hash tag) and easy to make them aware of your services simply by following them. Why are jewelry sellers there? One, because they have been told by the marketing world they have to be on there to be relevant, and two, because they are using it to search for new customers as well. I am sure there are other reasons, but, in all honesty, those are the main two.

Now, if you do not sell to businesses but rather to the end user, research has shown that end users for not using it as much for search (but that may change in the future), except on trending hash tags. So if you include a trending hash tag in your tweet, for example #HappyMonday, you can get seen in front of a large amount of people (I covered this in my post, Clever Ways to Use Twitter Hash Tags). But again, sheer exposure is no guarantee of sales, especially if it is not to your target market. I see a lot of wonderful products every day, but if I have no need for them, I’m not going to buy them.

So, are there ways to use Twitter that might lead result in sales?

  • If a Twitter account that has a large number of followers retweets one of your tweets or sends out a link to your website, that does expose you to a large amount of people, and if they are your target market, even better. So there is a definite potential here for sales.
  • If you have a large following of regular customers and you tweet out a special offer or a new product, that could definitely lead to a sale.
  • If you use it to engage in a conversation with someone who is asking a question that pertains to what you sell, that could also lead to a sale (maybe not right away).
  • If your followers love you enough to retweet your tweets, that exposes you to new people, which could lead to sales.
  • You can also pay and do a sponsored tweet that goes out to a targeted audience (probably your best chance for sales).
  • If you tweet something really witty or funny or inspiring, that could go viral as your followers retweet to their followers and then so on. Again, exposed to more people, but not necessarily your target market, could result in sales.

Now remember the steps that must occur in order to lead to a sale: The person on Twitter must even see your tweet, which can be difficult if they are scrolling through an ocean of tweets. Then, they must be interested enough to click on the link in your tweet. If there is no link that takes them to your website, then they must click on your Twitter name. Then they must read your profile to see what you do. Then they must click over to your website from there. Then they must look at your products. Then they must decide if there is anything they want or need. Then they must decide if they want to buy – that’s a lot of steps and you are losing people at each one.

Don’t get me wrong, Twitter can be great for businesses, just not all businesses. So have a presence, because it is free advertising, but keep your expectations in check.

You’ll find hundreds of innovative, but solid marketing ideas, in my ebooks, Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work! as well as other helpful marketing tools in my Etsy shop.

PLEASE Tweet, Post to Facebook, Stumple, 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 March 1, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Home, Social Media Marketing
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Attention Getting Marketing on March 1, 2013

http://attention-getting.com/2013/03/01/will-twitter-bring-you-sales/

Outsell Your Competition With This Checklist

by G.B. Oliver

I often have customers complain to me that they have too much competition. In all honesty, everyone does. But you can actually learn from your competition to make your products and services better, and that could put your business on top.

Unknown

Your Competition Checklist

Take a look at your competitors (just the successful ones) and compare to see where you falter and they succeed and vice versa. Then make the necessary changes.

√ Features – Are your products identical in every way? If not, you need to emphasize the benefits your products have that their doesn’t, and remember features are not always benefits if they are of no use to the customer. If you don’t have any benefits that your competition doesn’t, then you better add some. And the best way to do that is to ask your current customers for a wish list.

√ Services – What services do you offer that your competitors don’t? Again, these advantages you need to emphasize in your product copy to help your potential customer decide. Do you offer free shipping, discounts on multiple purchases, customization, etc.? Again, if you don’t have any advantages in terms of service, you need to get some. You’ve got to match the top players tit for tat.

√ Target Market – I am going to be writing about this more tomorrow, but more than likely you are targeting the same market, otherwise they are not really your competition. But does your competition have additional markets that they are selling to that you are not?

√ Price – Believe it or not, price is not always a deal breaker. You want to be in the same ball park, but a few dollars isn’t going to make a difference so don’t price yourself below your competition. What you want to do is show the value that comes with your price, and that is why you have to detail what you offer in #1 and #2 above.

√ Reputation – Have you won business awards, gotten amazing reviews, been in business a long time – all of these factors can give you an advantage over your competition in the mind of the consumer.

√ Branding – Do you look professional? Do you have a company logo, a positioning statement, professional-looking photos, well-written, grammatically correct product copy, contact information, etc. You’ve got to look legitimate, especially if your competition does, and it is worth it to make the investment to do so.

√ Promotion – Are you finding your competition everywhere? Are they on Facebook, Twitter, running ads on Google, hosting a blog, appearing in editorial… this list goes on. Take note of what they are doing and try to be everywhere they are (and aren’t).

Competition doesn’t have to be a bad thing if you choose to learn from it. It’s what fosters innovation.

If you liked this article, YOU’LL LOVE my marketing guides, with all my tactics and secrets to take your online business to the top. Click here for more information.

PLEASE Tweet, Post to Facebook, Stumple, 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 February 19, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Home, Marketing 101
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Posted by Attention Getting Marketing on February 19, 2013

http://attention-getting.com/2013/02/19/your-competition-checklist/

How to Get Blogs to Mention Your Products

by G.B. Oliver

★ THIS BLOG POST  WAS FEATURED ON NY TIMES SMALL BUSINESS BEST OF THE WEEK WRAP-UP

Blogs have taken over online content in a big way. According to Blogging.org, WordPress alone hosts 42 million blogs with 329 million readers. That is an unbelievable statistic!

My New Blog Lists for Fashion, Wedding & Home Decor

My New Blog Lists for Fashion, Wedding & Home Decor

Blogs range from everything from people writing their opinions on world events or their everyday life, to category-specific, informative blogs, including blogs for fashion, parenting, food, home decor, weddings, sports, entertainment, marketing – you name it.

Now, it is not easy to write a new blog post every day (trust me), so, as a result, bloggers are constantly looking for content. Writing about products they like is one possible content idea on those days when they have reached a blank.

So that is why I just launched a new marketing tool to help you. I’ve released up-to-the-minute blog lists covering Fashion, Wedding and Home Decor (more lists coming out later this week) where I painstakingly researched active blogs (active means they have posted something in the last week), that will take product submissions, if you pitch them a story the right way.

How to Submit to Blogs

Before you pitch your products to any blog, you need to check out their content first, and my list makes it very easy because it is hyperlinked to each blog. So you simply click on the name of the blog and it takes you either to the home page or their online submission form.

Typically, a blog’s editors will detail what they are looking for, and what they are NOT looking for. It is best to read this part and do what they say for the best chance of success.

Also, if they are asking for submissions by email (I include email addresses as well), they will tell you what to put in the subject header of the email. If you don’t follow their instructions, your email won’t get read.

Success Stories

I have a client who took my advice and got her products mentioned on a top fashion blog. As a result, she got hundreds of product views and several sales just in the first few hours that it appeared (this is a good conversion rate, remember not everyone buys right away).

I have another client whose product appeared on a shopping blog, resulting in 330 product views, but more importantly 49 sales, in just a few days. In other words, a 15% conversion rate (which is very good), mostly because it got directly to her target market, and not just to the masses. As an added bonus, her product got pinned to Pinterest from the shopping blog over 200 times. And almost a year later, she is still getting traffic and sales from that blog post.

Want one more reason why it is a good idea to make blogs aware of your shop? Because it has become a big trend for online marketplaces to have popular blogs pick their favorite products and act as guest pinners on Pinterest. Etsy recently did this with the blogs Camille Styles and Daily Candy. Fab.com has profiled favorite product picks from bloggers, as has One Kings Lane.

So, if you are ready to get your products out into the blog world, my new PDFs will help you do just that (just click the links below):

And, as always, my marketing guides will tell you everything you need to do to successfully sell online, including pitching your products to the media. The early reviews have been great! Click here for more information.

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

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by Attention Getting Marketing on February 12, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Getting Publicity, Home
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Posted by Attention Getting Marketing on February 12, 2013

http://attention-getting.com/2013/02/12/how-to-get-blogs-to-mention-your-products/

Storenvy, Another Player in the Online Marketplace

by G.B. Oliver

You know Etsy, Artfire, Lilyshop, Fab, but do you know Storenvy?

Storenvy touts itself as the only store builder and marketplace in one. They allow merchants to create an online storefront, for free, and then uses their social marketplace to reach customers. It is hoping to be the Tumblr for e-commerce.

Storenvy started in 2008, and in the last two years has grown from 2,800 stores to over 30,000.

Online Sellers Can Get a Customized Storefront for Free at Storenvy

Online Sellers Can Get a Customized Storefront for Free at Storenvy

The Facts about Storenvy:

  • Free – no listing fees, no commissions on sales, no monthly fees (however, on the site they talk about introducing a “Market Revenue Share” in the future, so not sure what that entails).
  • Independence – Here you can have a customized Storefront as well as a Storenvy store, so you have more control over the look and feel of your store.
  • Community – The Storenvy community promotes your products by “envying” them or buying them.
  • Promotion – Products appear on the front page in real-time based on their popularity (“Envys” and purchases).
  • Email Promotion – Storenvy emails their customers regularly with picks based on their likes, previous purchases, etc.
  • Connected – Storefronts include direct hyperlinks to a seller’s website, Pinterest, Wanelo, Tumblr, Facebook and Twitter pages.
  • Social Media – The Storenvy Facebook app gives merchants a free store on their Facebook page.
  • Followers – People can become a “Watcher” of your store. Basically this means they will get instant updates when you add new things to your store.
  • Extras – For $4.99 you can secure your own domain name, and there are fees such as $2.99 to use discount codes, but they do promote your discounts for you.
  • One Checkout – Customers can buy from a variety of stores on the Marketplace and they all appear in one shopping cart and one checkout.

As the online marketplace continues to be a billion dollar one, you will see more players and eventually it will shake out who stays and who goes. But, as as online seller, you have a lot of options!

Whatever marketplace you choose, you still have to promote!… My new guides that will tell you everything you need to do to successfully sell online, whether you are established or just starting out. The early reviews have been great! Click here for more information.

Marketing_Ideas_Etsy_Wedding

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

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

http://attention-getting.com/2013/02/11/storenvy-another-player-in-the-online-marketplace/

Product Photography I Love – February 2013

by G.B. Oliver

There are some photos that just make you want to have the product. Usually, it is when the product is shown in use, because then you can really visualize why you need it and how you would use it. Plus, with the popularity of Pinterest and Tumblr, great photos are really getting noticed. Here are some examples of what I think works and why.

Dancing Candy Garland from Modcloth

Dancing Candy Garland from Modcloth

Why It Works: This garland from Modcloth is shot it on an all-white background, so it really makes the colors pop. Also, they show it in use, so not only do you get an idea of how to use it, but you also get a better perspective of the size. Nothing worse that buying something online and when you receive it, it is much smaller than you thought.

Driftwood Candelabra from VivaTerra

Driftwood Candelabra from VivaTerra

Why It Works: I love this product shot from VivaTerra for a few reasons. They blurred out the background and objects to the side of the candelabra. As such, it really draws the eye to the piece and makes for a more artistic photo. Plus they show it in use. If I saw this candelabra, without the candles, not on the table, and not in a rustic setting, I probably wouldn’t know what to do with it. They really sold me on the whole look it could create.

Kate Spade Necklace at Nordstrom

Kate Spade Necklace at Nordstrom

Why It Works: When I first saw this Kate Spade necklace on its own, I had no idea what I could wear it with, and I also thought it was much larger, until I saw this shot. By showing it on a model, and giving a suggestion on how it can be worn, now I want it!

Fruit and Berry Bread from Harry & David

Fruit and Berry Bread from Harry & David

Why It Works: Foods products are so difficult to photograph, but Harry & David does it so well. I love when food products are shown in a kitchen-like setting, makes me think they were just made. I also love how the color of the tabletop and the plates compliment the food, don’t overshadow it, along with the soft lighting. More than anything it is the close-up that really show the texture of the bread – definitely makes you want to taste!

Drinking Straws from ButterCreamDream Shop on Etsy

Drinking Straws from ButterCreamDream Shop on Etsy

Why It Works: This photo is a good example of a product shot that will get pinned to Pinterest, because it doesn’t look like a product shot. What I love about this photo at Butter Cream Dream Shop is how the various colors of the straws have been pulled out by the lemons and the green in the flowers. Plus, it is shot from a different perspective, making it more interesting. Visually, you just like looking at this image. And, it shows the product in action on a lemon stand. Pretty cute.

Remember, great product photos can never hurt your business, so it is worth the investment.

I HAVE A LOT MORE MARKETING ADVICE… in my new guides that will tell you everything you need to do to successfully sell online, whether you are established or just starting out. The early reviews have been great! Click here for more information.

Just one of my Marketing Guides – Guides also available for Home, Kids & Baby and Wedding Products

Just one of my Marketing Guides – Guides also available for Home, Kids & Baby and Wedding Products

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

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by Attention Getting Marketing on February 8, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Home, Marketing I Love
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Attention Getting Marketing on February 8, 2013

http://attention-getting.com/2013/02/08/product-photography-i-love/

How Getting People To Ask You a Question Increases the Chance of a Sale

by G.B. Oliver

Have you heard the phrase “Engaging Your Customers?” The feeling is that once you make some sort of personal contact with a potential customer, the greater chance you have of selling to them. That is much easier when you are selling face to face, so how do you engage someone when you are selling online?

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Encourage People to Ask You a Question

Social media pundits will always say engage your audience by asking them a question. My theory is a little different. Engage potential customers by getting them to ask you a question.

The other day I was looking at the product copy of an online seller. For each of her products she had written a very long, detailed description. So detailed, in fact, that she answered every question I could possibly have if I had decided to read everything she wrote. So absolutely no reason for me to contact her unless I was going to buy. Now, this, in my opinion, is kind of a mistake.

Sometimes, not giving all the information, leaves the door open for communication. But you have to ask for it. Simply state, “If I have forgotten any details you need to know, please feel free to contact me (no obligation, I answer questions all the time!)”. When they do contact you, here is your opportunity to make the sale and close the deal with a friendly, helpful conversation similar to face to face selling.

Why do you think real estate agents never put the price of a house on the For Sale sign? So you’ll call them and ask.

Now, it can be time consuming answering people’s questions, but if you are just starting out and need those initial sales, it is a good way to get them.

Questions Help Create a Dialogue

When you answer a question, your customers can see that you are a real person that does exist and not just some online entity. Plus, it proves you know what you are talking about, which assures them that you are not just getting all your information from somewhere else. Plus, if you get back to them right away, they will see that you are serious about your customers.

So try to get your visitors to ask you a question, that will open up a dialogue, that can lead to a sale.

By the way, feel free to ask me a question at attentiongetting {at} gmail.com, but you can always get my very best marketing advice (I don’t put all my secrets on my blog!) in my new marketing guides that will tell you EVERYTHING you need to do to successfully sell online, whether you are established or just starting out. Click here for more information.

My Marketing Ebooks

My Marketing Ebooks

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

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by Attention Getting Marketing on February 1, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Home, Marketing 101
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Posted by Attention Getting Marketing on February 1, 2013

http://attention-getting.com/2013/02/01/how-getting-people-to-ask-you-a-question-increases-the-chance-of-a-sale/

Want to Expand Your Market Quickly? Repurpose Your Products

by G.B. Oliver

People are always asking me why their products are not selling. A lot of the time there is nothing wrong. Usually they are in a saturated market where there is a lot of competition. Then they don’t know what to do with the inventory they have sitting around. The answer is often simple – repurpose it. I’ll explain what I mean.

Glass Vase Fillers at Pottery Barn

Glass Vase Fillers at Pottery Barn

Christmas Ornaments Become Vase Fillers

The other day I was speaking to someone who had these beautiful acorn cap Christmas ornaments that were rolled in silver glitter. Really stunning. But Christmas is over and no one is buying ornaments so what to do. I told the vendor to sell the ornaments as vase fillers (just remove the ribbon). Vase  fillers have been a decorative trend for years now and these ones, because of adding the glitter (which just happens to be a big trend in 2013 – please see my post Product Trends for 2013) made them a unique entry in this market.

Necklace Pendants Become Drawer Pulls

Another person I was speaking with sells these lovely stoneware necklace pendants. At first look, I thought some of the round and square ones would actually make really beautiful and unique drawer pulls, especially for a kitchen or bathroom or on a rustic piece of furniture. Again, another possible revenue stream for the same product by simply repurposing.

w-white-crochet-classics-s-su12

TOMS White Crochet Wedding Slippers

Crocheted Slippers Become Bridal Slippers

Another person was asking why their crochet slippers were not selling. When I looked at the white ones they were offering, they reminded me of the white crocheted TOMS shoes that have become a huge wedding trend for brides to wear at the reception (on the TOMS website they have a section now called Wedding Collection as a result). So simply add a few pearls and start selling to the bridal market.

My point is, don’t give up on products that are not selling. They could have a new, very lucrative life in another form.

NEW SERVICE! My Product Consultation: I am offering a new service called my Product Consultation. It is very difficult to be objective about your own products because you are too close to them. So, if you have items that are just not selling and you don’t know why, please get more information here.

Product Consult

IF YOU LIKED THIS POST, please be sure to “like” it below and follow my RSS feed to know when new articles are posted.

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

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by Attention Getting Marketing on January 18, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Home, Marketing 101
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Posted by Attention Getting Marketing on January 18, 2013

http://attention-getting.com/2013/01/18/want-to-expand-your-market-quickly-repurpose-your-products/

Why Including Your Business Card Is NEVER a Bad Idea

by G.B. Oliver

★ THIS BLOG POST  WAS FEATURED ON NY TIMES SMALL BUSINESS BEST OF THE WEEK WRAP-UP

The other day someone asked me if including a business card in the package they were sending to a customer was in poor taste. Seriously? This is a person who just bought from you, why would that be in poor taste? Leaving business cards in church pews, now that is tacky. But giving a business card to a customer, that is a necessity, and if you even question that I am worried about your marketing savvy.

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Business Card by Mallory Hope Design on Etsy

Business Cards Help You Get Repeat Business

When I look at the bulletin board in my kitchen, there are many business cards attached to it. The electrician who just fixed my washing machine, my car mechanic, the barbershop where my son gets his hair cut, even my next door neighbors gave me a business card with all the phone numbers I can reach them at. They are there because all these companies will be getting business from me again. You want your business card to go on the bulletin board, and it can’t if you don’t give one out.

When You Can’t Put a Label on Your Product

Why do you think there are labels in clothing? Because people forget where they buy things. The label reminds you of where you bought that sweater you really love. Unfortunately, not all products, such as jewelry for example, can have a label. So your business card acts as your label so your buyer doesn’t forget you.

Business Cards Help You Get New Business

Not only should you give out a business card, but you should give more than one. If you really like a product or shop, wouldn’t you want to tell others? If someone sees the piece a customer bought from you, wouldn’t it be great if they could give the person your card? There is absolutely nothing wrong with it, it is just good business.

I’ll give you an example. I was at someone’s house for a party and she served the most amazing cupcakes, absolutely the best I had ever had. Beside the cupcake display were these bright pink business cards of the person who made the cupcakes. I took one. I didn’t think it was tacky, I was appreciative that I know where I can get them. This business card is now also on my bulletin board.

Now, if you want Marketing Advice on:

  • what to put on your business card to make it more effective
  • design ideas that will get it noticed
  • creative (but not tacky) places you can leave it to get more business…

… ALL OF THOSE TIPS are in my PDFs, Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work!  – because I can’t give away everything here :) and I have editions for shops selling Wedding products, Jewelry & Fashion Accessories, Home Decor and Kids & Baby Products.

★ THIS BLOG POST I WROTE WAS FEATURED ON NY TIMES SMALL BUSINESS BLOG IN THEIR BEST OF THE WEEK WRAP-UP.

Marketing_Ideas_Etsy_Baby

IF YOU LIKED THIS POST, please be sure to “like” it below and follow my RSS feed to know when new articles are posted.

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

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

Posted by Attention Getting Marketing on January 15, 2013

http://attention-getting.com/2013/01/15/why-including-your-business-card-is-never-a-bad-idea/

Will the Right Avatar Help You Sell More?

by G.B. Oliver

Ok, so right away you may be saying, what is an avatar – and we are not talking the movie. An avatar is the graphic image you use on all Social Media as well as on your online shop to represent who you are to others. The majority of people use a photo of themselves. Some people use a logo. Some people use a silly graphic. Some people don’t do anything and use the grey head image supplied.

The truth is an avatar is a great marketing opportunity so you should use it wisely.

My avatar - I use a photo in my online shop, but I use my logo in social media

My avatar – I use a photo in my online shop, but I use my logo in social media

Using Your Photo as an Avatar

Let’s take your shop for example. More than likely you are using a photo of yourself. Not a bad idea because it lets customers put a face to the shop and that may help them buy from you if they can visualize you. However, a bad, blurry or poorly taken photo will not help you. If your avatar is not top quality, why would your product be? So get a professional photo taken and ask the photographer to reduce it down to the avatar size to avoid pixelation, and you may see a difference in customer confidence.

Using a Photo of a Product as an Avatar

If you are a jewelry seller, for example, and you have a top selling or classic piece, then definitely consider using a photo of the piece as an avatar. When your avatar shows up on social media sites like Twitter and Pinterest, it clearly tells people what you are all about and that may peak their curiosity enough to click on your avatar, especially if your handle name states the name of your shop as well. It will not be poorly looked upon as everyone will try to tell you. The social media market has changed and it has been infiltrated with businesses who are doing it, including large players. All the major magazines like Martha Stewart and Glamor use their current issue as their avatar. Nothing wrong with that. It’s free advertising so why not.

Using Your Logo or Shop Name as an Avatar

While I do think your online shop benefits from some sort of personal photo, I don’t believe a personal photo helps much on social media. You will get lost in a sea of faces. Social media is a great free advertising opportunity, so as long as your company name can be clearly read in an avatar that is about 1/4″ size on Twitter and 1/8″ on Pinterest, it could serve you well because people see it and think, what’s that shop all about? One more tip. Avoid white backgrounds and light colored fonts. They will get lost on social media. You need strong colors and bolded text, even all capitals, to be attention getting.

★ I GIVE MORE TIPS ON AVATARS and how even minor changes to your shop and online appearance can help you make more sales in my marketing ebooks – a must-have for any online business with new ideas for today’s marketplace that you won’t find anywhere else (as always, I save the best tips for my books!)

Marketing_Ideas_Etsy_Jewelry

1 Comment
by Attention Getting Marketing on December 10, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Home, Social Media Marketing
Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Attention Getting Marketing on December 10, 2012

http://attention-getting.com/2012/12/10/will-the-right-avatar-help-you-sell-more/

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