All posts tagged how to market

How to Attract New Customers With “How To” Advice

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.

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.

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 )

“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).

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by Attention Getting Marketing on April 3, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Home, Marketing 101, Marketing I Love

Tagged advertising, blog, business, content marketing examples, content marketing tips, etsy marketing consultant, etsy marketing ideas, etsy seller advice, how to market, marketing, selling on Etsy, small business marketing advice, small business marketing tips, social media marketing, what is marketing

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/

Google Trends – Product Search Phrases On The Rise

by G.B. Oliver

★ THIS BLOG POST MADE NY TIMES SMALL BUSINESS, BEST OF THE WEEK

I love looking at Google Trends and seeing which search phrases are popular, but also which ones are on the rise. The great thing about Google Trends is you can customize it by country and by time period (i.e. last 7 days), so it is a great tool to keep on top of the marketplace. So I entered some product categories to see what the top rising search phrases were, for the last 3 months, worldwide.

For the jewelry vendors out there, and I know there are lots, these are the top rising search phrases:

Cheap Body Jewelry
Hematite Jewelry
Amethyst Jewelry (amethyst is the February birthstone)
Bridesmaid Jewelry

For wedding products vendors, typing in wedding was too generic, so here are the top rising search phrases, worldwide, in the last 3 months for “Wedding Invitations”:

Fun Wedding Invitations
Coral Wedding Invitations
Country Wedding Invitations
Homemade Wedding Invitations

For vendors of baby products, again, typing in baby was too generic. So I tried “Baby Clothes”, and these were the top risers:

Baby Summer Clothes
Neutral Baby Clothes
Crochet Baby Clothes
Handmade Baby Clothes
Unisex Baby Clothes

For vendors of art, I typed in the phrase “Wall Art” and this is what resulted:

Kitchen Art
African Wall Art
Bathroom Wall Art
Beach Wall Art
Kitchen Wall Art (Kitchen seems to be in big demand)

For vintage sellers, these were the breakout rising searches for “Vintage”:

Vintage Valentines
Modern Vintage Boutique
Vintage Swimwear
Vintage Prom Dresses
Vintage Bridesmaid Dresses
Vintage Style Dresses

For sellers of home products, it is a little tougher to narrow things down. So I entered “Decorative” and these were the results:

Decorative curtain rods
Decorative baskets
Decorative bird cages
Decorative wall hooks
Decorative ceiling tiles

FINAL WORD: When you look at searches in lesser time frames, like the last 3 months, it helps you to see popular cyclical searches, such as Valentine’s, and also how far in advance people start searching for different events or seasons. For example, people are already searching for summer items. Use Google Trends to help you find where that next opportunity lies for your online business.

★ If You Like My Blog, You’ll LOVE My New Ebooks (because I save my BEST ideas for in there!)

“Best buy ever!” . . “Cannot recommend this enough!” . . ”You will not be disappointed!” . . . “Incredible!” – just some of the customer reviews of my new ebooks, Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work!. Download today at my Etsy shop.

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by Attention Getting Marketing on March 19, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Google Tips, Home, Trends

Posted by Attention Getting Marketing on March 19, 2013

http://attention-getting.com/2013/03/19/google-trends-search-phrases-on-the-rise/

My Latest Pinterest Marketing Tip

by G.B. Oliver

I am not sure if your business is using the popular image gallery, Pinterest, but since it is free, you may want to consider it.

How it works, in a nutshell, is if one of your products gets pinned to either one of the main category boards (strictly by chance) or gets repinned by one of the popular pinners (some have over 5 million followers), then it can mean a lot of exposure and traffic to your shop, as well as continual exposure and traffic for months based on repins (when people see your product and repin it to one of their boards). Now, unfortunately that traffic doesn’t always translate into sales, but better some traffic than no traffic.

Now, I noticed an interesting trend on Pinterest that I thought I would share. 7 of the top 16 pins currently on Pinterest (and by top I mean the highest number of repins) were inspirational quotes. That is almost 50%. The others were food or fashion.

So here is my tip on how I think you can use this trend of inspirational quotes to help your business get noticed on Pinterest.

First of all, if you do wall art such as this, then you should have no problem getting your products pinned. Just make sure that you have a product photo that goes in tight on the saying so it is readable. Then, add a watermark of your url or shop name so people can trace it back. Sometimes when people pin your items from some of the mobile apps, the original source gets lost.

But what if you sell something else, like kids’ products? Well, here is where you can get a little creative. Simply find a cool or funny or inspirational saying that relates to your product and photograph your item against it or add the text to the product photo. For example, if I was selling baby booties, I would take a shot of the booties and to the side of the booties I would photoshop in the words, “I never knew how much love my heart could hold until someone called me Mom”.

FINAL WORD: You can do this for any type of product. If you sell food have a quote about food. If you sell jewelry, have a romantic saying. If you sell fitness products, have a motivational saying. It is almost like doing an ad with a tag line. But this is what gets pinned and repinned and will give you exposure.

Start Selling More Today with My New Marketing Ebooks!

You don’t think I put my best secrets here on the blog, do you? Find more marketing and social media ideas and tricks that will help drive your online business in my ebooks, Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work!, as well as other helpful marketing tools in my Etsy shop. Editions for Jewelry/Fashion, Wedding, Home and Kids & Baby Products.

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by Attention Getting Marketing on March 15, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Home, Social Media Marketing

Posted by Attention Getting Marketing on March 15, 2013

http://attention-getting.com/2013/03/15/my-latest-tip-for-getting-exposure-on-pinterest/

Products I Love – February 2013

by G.B. Oliver

I love smart and innovative product design for many reasons. One, it is inspiring. Two, it always gets publicity. Three, social media followers love spreading the word. Four, it sells!

I went over to one of my favorite shopping blogs, Outblush, and found some of their recent picks that I think are brilliant.

Deep Tea Driver Infuser

Deep Tea Diver by Kikkerland from Modcloth

How great is this $15 tea infuser from the online store, Modcloth? Even the name is smart. I love this because it is just so clever. How could you not want to buy this, whether you drink tea or not? Now, granted, you have to use it with a glass mug or it kind of defeats the purpose, but you have to admit it is just makes sense.

Recipe Writing Rubber Stamps

Recipe Writing Rubber Stamps from Paper Cookie

I love these stamps (4 for $24.95) from the Paper Cookie. This is a practical product that appeals to the person who still wants to write out their recipes the old-fashioned way, but made a little easier by the stamps. The stamp market is a big business, and it is nice to see a company finding a new, creative use for them.

Constellation Lamp

Constellation Lamp from Urban Outfitters

What kid is not going to love this lamp ($49) from Urban Outfitters in their room at night? Plus, it’s educational. Educational + fun always sells!

Teacup with Wood Saucer

Teacup with Wood Saucer from Scandinavian Brands Online

Smart product design is when you solve a problem for the user. That is why this teacup with wood saucer ($28) from Scandinavian Brands Online works. It solves two problems – needing a saucer for your tea when you are drinking it and keeping it hot when you are not. Plus, it looks good.

You Got Your New Dog Kit

Got Your New Dog Kit from Uncommon Goods

This New Dog Kit ($25) from Uncommon Goods is smart for so many reasons. The obvious is that it makes the perfect gift, and gift sets are big business and dog gifts are big business. But if you sell a variety of pet products, why not package them all together as a great way to up-sell your other products. This kit includes practical items like doo-doo bags (their words, not mine), a training clicker, dog treats and a quick start instruction card for the new owner, which to me acts like a very effective business card so the gift receiver knows exactly where to get more.

Be like these online sellers and take your business to the next level! I offer a variety of helpful marketing tools in my Etsy shop, the best advice to market your small business!

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by Attention Getting Marketing on February 22, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Home, Marketing I Love

Tagged advertising, blogging, business, clever product names, cool products, esty, etsy advice newbies, etsy marketing consultant, etsy seller advice, etsy top sellers, good product design, how to market, how to sell online, marketing ideas, product trends 2013, small business marketing, small business marketing tips

Posted by Attention Getting Marketing on February 22, 2013

http://attention-getting.com/2013/02/22/products-i-love-february-edition/

Do You Know Who Your Target Market Is?

by G.B. Oliver

I am always amazed by businesses who don’t seem to know who their target market is. These are the primary people who are most likely to buy your products and/or services. It is one of the first things you must identify before you can do any type of marketing.

Why is it important to know who is most likely to buy from you? Well, you can’t find them to sell to, if you don’t know who they are.

missed+target+dart

Your Target Market Q&A

1. Gender – Are your products for male, female or both?

2. Age – You just need a range. For example, if you are selling wedding products, the age range is probably 23 to 33, for the most part. If you are selling orthopedic shoes, then probably an age range of 60+.

3. Income – For example, are you selling luxury products? Then you need to target buyers in the higher income range.

4. Business or End User – Are you selling products a business or profession wants or for personal use? Maybe you have a product aimed at teachers, or in my case, small business owners. Maybe you sell art which you think is mostly for the home, but businesses look for art for their offices as well.

5. Primary Buyer – Is the buyer of the product not the user? For example, if you sell baby products, obviously you are selling to the parents, not the baby.

6. Location – Is this a product only of interest to someone in a certain city or country? For example, you have a product with the Union Jack flag on it. Would someone outside of the U.K. still be interested?

7. Needs – What are the current needs of your target market? Is it someone who is getting married, having a baby, starting a business, going to college, buying a new home, etc.

There are other factors you can consider as well, depending on what you sell, such as your target market’s style (traditional, modern, etc.), ethnicity, education level and so forth.

Once you have identified your primary target market, go back over this list and identify possible secondary markets. For example, my primary target market is small business owners, but I have actually had marketing students buy my ebooks. A secondary market can be the gift giver, an event planner, a fashion stylist, a daycare provider, etc. – basically, WHO could benefit from your products?

Once you have identified your primary and secondary target markets, now you have to go and find where they are and what makes them buy. I always recommend asking friends, family and colleagues who fit the description of your target market. It should NOT be guess work.

FINAL WORD: It is impossible to market your business effectively if you do not know who you are selling to. Make that your first priority to determine who wants your products and/or services, and everything else should work around that.

My New Marketing Ebooks

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

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.

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by Attention Getting Marketing on February 20, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Home, Marketing 101

Tagged advertising, blogging, business, esty, etsy advice newbies, etsy marketing ideas, etsy top sellers, etsy.com, how to find target market, how to market, marketing advice, small business marketing tips, target market definition, target market examples, what is a target market, what is marketing

Posted by Attention Getting Marketing on February 20, 2013

http://attention-getting.com/2013/02/20/do-you-know-who-your-target-market-is/

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.

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.

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by Attention Getting Marketing on February 19, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Home, Marketing 101

Tagged blogging, business, competitive analysis, competitive products, esty, etsy, etsy advice newbies, etsy marketing consultant, etsy top sellers, how to get traffic to your site, how to market, How to outsmart the competition, how to sell on etsy, marketing, matching the competition, selling on Etsy, selling online, small business, small business marketing tips

Posted by Attention Getting Marketing on February 19, 2013

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

Examples of Product Copy That Sells –Williams-Sonoma

by G.B. Oliver

When ever I come across effective product copy, I have to share. It is a skill, but if you can tell your product’s benefits, create a need and convince the reader to buy, all in just a few sentences, you’ve done your job. Williams-Sonoma is great at doing all of these things, so I thought I would show you a few examples from their website.

Carving Board at Williams-Sonoma

Monogrammed Carving Board

Personalized with one carved initial, our board makes a welcomed gift for your favorite barbecue chef. Handsome enough to double as a serving platter, it’s crafted in Vermont of solid maple. $150

Crafted from sustainably harvested North American maple, durable enough to withstand daily use yet gentle on knife edges.
Deep perimeter well collects flavorful juices.
Integral handles make the board easy to lift and carry.
Doubles as an impressive presentation piece for turkeys and roasts.
Made by the venerable J.K. Adams Co. of Vermont, specialists in finely made wooden kitchen wares.
May be monogrammed with a single initial.

Why It Works: First of all, they have positioned it as a Carving board, not a Cutting board. So this is the big strong board you need for carving meat, not some whimpy board for chopping vegetables, and therefore justifies the high price tag. They have sold me on the features of it being solid maple (a strong wood), told me what that perimeter was for (who knew?), given me multiple uses as it doubles as a serving platter, and the fact that it can be monogrammed suddenly turns it into a gift!

Valentine’s Day Petit-Fours from Williams-Sonoma

Dragon Fly Cakes Valentine’s Day Petit-Fours

An exquisite treat for sharing on Valentine’s Day, our petits-fours are adorned with hand-cut hearts. Prepared for us by Dragonfly Cakes in Sausalito, California, each is hand made with three layers of light, moist sponge cake and three layers of buttercream, topped with a thin layer of marzipan and then draped in chocolate. Delightful with dessert wines, afternoon tea or after-dinner coffee, our assortment includes three flavors: Raspberry: Layered with raspberry jam and raspberry buttercream; Chocolate: Layered with chocolate ganache filling and chocolate buttercream; Vanilla: layered with white chocolate ganache and vanilla buttercream. $45

12 petits fours (4 of each flavor); 10 oz. total.
Shipped frozen.
Made in USA.
A Williams-Sonoma exclusive

Why It Works: They definitely described in detail what I am going to get taste-wise if I buy these petit-fours. They also remind us they are handmade (better quality), and the different ways to serve them in case we have never had petit-fours before. The words exclusive and exquisite, again, are to justify the higher price. If you’ve noticed that they do repeat features from the main paragraph in the bullet points, it is to cover off the fact that some people will only read the bullets.

Baked Loaf Pan from Williams-Sonoma

Baked Loaf Pan

We partnered with legendary New York sweet shop Baked NYC to create a ceramic pan that turns out perfectly tender quick breads – and goes from oven to table with panache. The stoneware’s dark exterior glaze absorbs heat quickly, and the clay retains its temperature for even baking and a golden finish. $43

High-fired stoneware is exceptionally strong and ensures even heating for sweet or savory baking.
Safe for oven or microwave use and fits our Breville countertop convection oven.
Glazed with a chocolate exterior and a vibrant orange interior.
Angled handles offer a steady grip.
Will not absorb odors or flavors.
Pair with one of our Baked NYC mixes to create a sweet gift.
Dishwasher safe.
40-oz. cap.
Interior: 8” x 4″ x 2 1/2″ deep; 10″ x 4 1/2″ x 3″ high overall.
Made in China.
A Williams-Sonoma exclusive.

Why It Works: They have quickly answered any question I could have about a baking pan. The design of this loaf pan was overseen by a legendary bakery, so this is top of the line design. I can serve right from the pan it looks so good. Even I can’t screw up a recipe using this pan due to the clay allowing for even baking and a golden finish. Can I find a better pan out there? And this can also become a gift by simply throwing in one of their bake mixes (nice up-sell of their other products!).

So find the unique value in your products, show how you are the best out there, create a need and get them to buy!

IF YOU ARE NOT MAKING SALES, I can help! My new marketing guides 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.

My Marketing Ebooks

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by Attention Getting Marketing on February 5, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Home, Marketing I Love

Tagged advertising, blogs, business, esty, etsy advice, etsy blog, etsy marketing consultant, etsy marketing ideas, etsy seller advice, how to market, how to sell, how to sell online, marketing, selling on Etsy, small business, small business marketing advice, small business marketing tips, williams-sonoma marketing, writing product descriptions

Posted by Attention Getting Marketing on February 5, 2013

http://attention-getting.com/2013/02/05/examples-of-product-copy-that-sells-williams-sonoma/

Why The Wrong Advice Can Really Hurt Your Business

by G.B. Oliver

I have seen too many cases of small businesses seeking the advice of non-marketing professionals about their shop and products. While I understand your frustration at not selling, you have to be really careful of the advice that may result.

hands_silhouettes

Everyone has an opinion, and usually the best of intentions. However, without a clear understanding of your products and target market, people’s opinions can steer you down completely the wrong path.

I have seen it many times, advice given that makes me cringe. And while you are off taking their advice, your competition is doing things the correct way and eating up your share of the market.

You should NOT base your marketing or product decisions on random people’s opinions, unless they are your target market or a marketing professional.

Only Your Target Market’s Opinion Matters

Here is what I mean. If I am selling cutesy necklaces aimed at the teen market, am I going to ask a group of men in their 50s what I am doing wrong? When you go and ask people who are not your target market – friends, family members, people in forums – I am afraid that is pretty much the same situation.

That is why companies do focus groups. They interview candidates to first ensure that they are their target market (the age, gender and income, to name a few, of the people who the product is aimed at) and then ask their opinion on a variety of topics. Would you buy this? Why not? Is the price too high, too low? What influences you when buying jewelry? What magazines do you read? What blogs do you visit? and so on.

Professional Marketing Advice Will Give You the Advantage

Now, not everyone has the opportunity to do this, so that is where a marketing professional comes in, because they can do the research, they are out there in the marketplace on a daily basis, they do know why people buy, what they buy, the influencers and the appropriate media, just to name a few.

It is very difficult to market your own products because you are too close too them and, therefore, not always objective. That is why a professional opinion can prove invaluable, seeing things you may never have thought about.

You also have to be willing to take advice that may hurt or that you may not agree with. You don’t want people to just tell you what you want to hear. You won’t benefit from that. At the end of the day, if you are truly serious about your business and want to make sales that will allow you to quit your day job, professional marketing advice will get your shop on the right path.

I OFFER a variety of affordable marketing services from consulting to guides that will help you go from selling a little to selling a lot. You can get more information at my shop here. Also check out the variety of articles I have written here on my blog, that will help give you a better understanding of what marketing can do for your business.

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by Attention Getting Marketing on January 23, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Home, Marketing 101

Tagged advertising, blog, blogging, business, etsy marketing consultant, how to market, how to sell on etsy, how to sell online, marketing, marketing advice, marketing blog, publicity, small business, small business marketing, target markets

Posted by Attention Getting Marketing on January 23, 2013

http://attention-getting.com/2013/01/23/why-the-wrong-advice-can-really-hurt-your-business/

Use Local Press To Get Quick Sales

by G.B. Oliver

Do you know that your local newspaper reporter, the one who covers fashion, jewelry, home decor, weddings, food (not to mention the small business reporter) whatever it is that you sell, is DESPERATE for a story right now?

This was actually one of the best pieces of advice I received at the start of my marketing career. Reporters are always looking for stories so give them one and you’ll be their best friend.

Chicago-Tribune-Newspaper-350x220

Pitch them a story (not a product) and you could find yourself on the front page of that section of your local newspaper.

Do not discount the power of local media. Local media loves to support local businesses, and local customers love to buy from local businesses. Plus, publicity costs you nothing and could mean wide exposure, which typically results in sales.

How to Approach a Local Reporter

Email is probably the best way to approach a reporter with a story pitch. You can find their names and emails online at the newspaper’s website. You can also email the editor of the section, i.e. Food Editor, and they will assign it to a reporter.

If they have their editorial calendar online, even better, because they you can see upcoming articles and pitch accordingly.

Now if you live in a small town, you can approach your local town paper as well as the newspaper of the nearest largest city.

Stories to Pitch

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog post about How to Pitch to Editors, so you may want to check it out as a fresher, but here were some stories from my local newspaper this past weekend:

Local Women Find Success with their Gluten and Dairy-free Snacks
Our Top Picks for Cozy Winter Knits Under $100
The Off-White Wedding Gown Trend for 2013

Remember, the more specific the story pitch, the better. Don’t just give them a general, “If you are writing a story about Pet Products…” that won’t work. You want something more like, “If you are writing a story about Fashionable Dog Accessories for 2013…”

If you have success doing this, please let me know as I would love to include your success story in a future blog post.

IF YOU LIKE MY BLOG, you’ll LOVE my ebooks, because I save all my very best advice & secrets for in there – Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work! available here.

My Marketing Ebooks

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by Attention Getting Marketing on January 21, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Getting Publicity, Home

Tagged advertising, blog, blogging, business, etsy advice newbies, etsy marketing consultant, how to get press, how to market, marketing, marketing blog, promotion, selling on Etsy, selling online, small business, small business blog, small business marketing

Posted by Attention Getting Marketing on January 21, 2013

http://attention-getting.com/2013/01/21/use-local-press-to-get-quick-sales/

How to Pitch Your Products to Editors

by G.B. Oliver

Some sellers seem to be at a loss about how to submit their products to editors of blogs, magazines, newspapers, etc., in order to get editorial (have their product included in an article). So I thought I would give a couple of tips here – but, as usual, I save the best tips for my PDFs, Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work! – so you can see what will really get the attention of an editor or writer.

Pitch a Story, Not a Product

Writers are constantly running out of story ideas, so if you feed them one, they are very appreciative. So do not send them an email asking them to just blatantly promote your product, they will hit delete. Instead, give them a few editorial suggestions for which your product would fit in nicely.

Below are some real-life blog and magazine articles to help you get a better understanding of what ideas to pitch:

Examples of Product Editorial Pitches – Jewelry & Fashion

17 Red-Carpet Worthy Jewels
5 Winter Fashion Must-Haves Under $50
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Examples of Product Editorial Pitches – Home Decor Products

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Examples of Product Editorial Pitches – Kids & Baby Products

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Examples of Product Editorial Pitches – Wedding Products

[Note: Wedding blogs are very tough to pitch too, because they typically just want photos of real-life weddings and they want vendors to pay for ads. However, the bridal magazines are a lot more responsive]

Latest Wedding Trend: Embroidery
Emerald Green Wedding Inspiration
Passion for Pink Wedding Invitations

Examples of Product Editorial Pitches – Food Products

Christmas Cookie Decorating Ideas
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Keep in mind the more intriguing the story pitch, the more unusual the story pitch, the more current (in terms of time of year, what’s going on in the news) the story pitch, will all increase your chances of success.

IF YOU LIKE MY BLOG, you’ll LOVE my ebooks, because I save all my very best secrets & advice for in there – Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work!, available here, with copies for the Wedding, Kids & Baby, Home and Jewelry & Fashion Accessories markets.

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by Attention Getting Marketing on January 11, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Getting Publicity, Home

Tagged blogging, business, etsy advice newbies, etsy blog, etsy marketing consultant, etsy marketing ideas, etsy seller advice, getting editorial, how to get on blogs, how to market, how to promote, how to sell, how to sell online, marketing, marketing ideas small business, pitching to editorials, selling online

Posted by Attention Getting Marketing on January 11, 2013

http://attention-getting.com/2013/01/11/how-to-pitch-your-products-to-editors/

Why Quirky Products Always Sell

by G.B. Oliver

Do you ever find you are in need of some fresh inspiration when it come to creating new products? Do you also find that sometimes the right product is just quirky enough that it requires little marketing – that it will sell based solely on its own quirkiness?

I was at an online shop called Fred Flare. They sell some unique items and are definitely the place to go when you need a gift for that hard-to-buy-for person. I went to a section on their site called “Top Sellers” because I was curious to see what people are buying these days. Here is what I found that may inspire your own unique product ideas.

Where I’ve Been Scratch Map Travel Edition at Fredflare.com

Their current top seller is actually a product I think is quirky but also practical, which doesn’t always happen. It is a Scratch-off World Map Wall Poster. Every time you visit a country, you scratch it off the map the same way you do a scratch off lottery ticket. So now everywhere you’ve been is highlighted in red. Great gift for the world traveller.

Their next top seller is Hot Chocolate on a Stick. Since everything seems to be on a stick these days, I guess it makes sense. For $16 you get four cubes of Belgian Chocolate that you dunk into steaming milk. Not necessarily something I would buy for myself, but it could be one of those gifts you give a co-worker in a Christmas exchange. Definitely conversational.

Hot Chocolate on a Stick from Fredflare.com

Rounding out their top 3 selling items is the Mustachifier Baby Pacifier. We all know how trendy mustaches have become, and now your newborn can have one! It is a funny gift that will get people talking, and I am sure it makes a cute photo opp for your baby. How practical it is as a pacifier is another matter.

Mustachifier from Fredflare.com

The point I am trying to make is sometimes a product is so unique and unusual that people will buy it solely for that reason. It may not have a long product life cycle, especially when the novelty wears off, but it could make you a lot of money in a very short time. So are these ideas ingenious or just silly or both? Whatever they are, the lesson to be learned here is that quirky always sells and always get publicity. For example, I’m writing about it!

★ Do You Want To Know What Else Sells? Then check out my NEW marketing ebooks, where you get ALL my secrets that you need to succeed online in 2013 (because I don’t give away everything here!).

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by Attention Getting Marketing on December 17, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in Home, Trends

Tagged business, etsy advice newbies, etsy marketing consultant, etsy marketing ideas, etsy seller advice, how to market, how to promote, how to sell, how to sell online, marketing, marketing ideas small business, products that sell, selling online, unusual products

Posted by Attention Getting Marketing on December 17, 2012

http://attention-getting.com/2012/12/17/why-quirky-products-always-sell-well/

G.B. Oliver from Attention Getting Marketing

Attention Getting Marketing

Welcome! I'm G.B. Oliver, a Marketing Consultant specializing in helping small businesses selling online. If you want fresh, innovative marketing ideas and advice – with that guerilla marketing touch – this blog is for you! Click above to download my new ebooks – Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work!, – guaranteed to help you sell more online. I also offer a variety of affordable consulting services. Enjoy!

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