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Category: Holiday Marketing (Page 2 of 4)

5 Key Holiday Sales Tips

October 8, 2021 /

5 Key Holiday Sales Tips

Need some holiday sales tips?

The big holiday gift buying season is already starting, so here are 5 key holiday sales tips you need to know.

1. Start Your Black Friday Sale Now

I personally believe that this year’s holiday sales will be a mix of retail AND online because one of the biggest problems last year was the postal system was not prepared for the huge increase in online shopping.

As a result, many online stores had numerous customer complaints about packages not arriving in time for Christmas, even though the store themselves had shipped in plenty of time.

A lot of customers got burned by this, so they will either be shopping online MUCH EARLIER this year (way before Black Friday) or they will return to shopping in stores to ensure they have gift in hand.

This might be why Google searches for “Christmas gifts” have DOUBLED in the past week.

As such, I have been advising my ecommerce clients to offer their Black Friday sales as soon as possible, even now, and not make people wait until Black Friday. Even Amazon has already started.

The key is to let customers know this is the SAME OFFER you will be making on Black Friday, so if they are holding out for a better deal, there won’t be one. This way you get the early sales and not lose out to the bigger brands. So email all of your customers THIS WEEK with your early bird Black Friday offer.

2. Do Not Overestimate Demand

You might not want to base this year’s inventory on last year’s sales, since 2020 was an abnormality with retail shopping not being an option. Retail is not only back this year, but the number of online stores has also drastically INCREASED.

There are now 1.75 million Shopify stores, with 680,000 new stores opening in 2020. Etsy stores also increased from 2.7 million in 2019 to 4.3 million in 2020. On Amazon, 1.3 million additional sellers joined the marketplace last year.

So, I am advising my ecommerce clients to base this year’s holiday sales estimates on 2019 holiday sales to make sure they have enough in stock, but are not stuck with overstock, unless you think you can still sell your inventory for Valentine’s Day sales.

That being said, do DO NOT let Etsy listings get down to “1 in stock” or the listing will deactivate, fall out of search results and take forever to re-rank, and you will miss out on those holiday sales.

3. Fill Orders Quickly

Last year, a lot of Etsy shops had their shops temporarily put ON HOLD by Etsy, during the big Christmas rush, due to having too many outstanding orders. I am not sure what the magic number is before your shop is put on hold, but you will want to fulfill and close orders as quickly as possible, or else it could cost you days of valuable holiday sales.

4. Change Up Your SEO Game

You would be amazed at how many people search for Christmas gifts using the following adjectives: GOOD, BEST, COOL, THOUGHTFUL, HOTTEST, TOP, POPULAR, 2021, so incorporate these keywords into your holiday SEO. Discover hundreds more top holiday search phrases in my Best-Selling Etsy Holiday Sales Planner.

5. Up Your Social Media Game

If you want your business to get noticed on social media, try answering the Most Searched Google Questions in November, such as:

Or even just post the top searched recipes in November:

  • Pumpkins scones
  • Pumpkin bread
  • Hot buttered rum
  • Apple cider mimosa
  • Spiked hot chocolate
  • Thanksgiving leftovers

Always make sure that your shop url is on the post graphic!

Big Opportunity!

Last November, I wrote about Why Having Your Own Advent Calendar is an Amazing Marketing Tool. Well Etsy announced that searches for pet advent calendars have gone up 137% in the last 3 months, Google also shows that dog, beauty and kids advent calendars are breakout searches for the past 30 days. In fact, demand for advent calendars has DOUBLED in the last 4 years. Advent starts November 28th, so you need your advent calendar in your store today.

Book a 30-minute phone consultation with me to get personalized advice on how you can maximize sales this holiday season.


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© 2021 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. 5 Key Holiday Sales Tips.

7 Hot Product Ideas for Fall

August 10, 2021 /

Product Ideas for FallNeed some hot product ideas for fall?

In need of some fresh product inspiration for fall, the biggest buying season of the year? Here are seven products I found that I thought were innovative and served the needs of today’s consumer.

Product Idea for Fall: Uniquely Scented Candles

Searches for candles increased 35% last year, so the more clever the name of the scent, the more marketable it is, like these fall inspired candles from Anthropologie. If they are in containers in colors of the season, even better!

Product Ideas for Fall

Product Ideas for Fall: Halloween Countdown

Much like a Christmas countdown, this advent-style Halloween countdown calendar from Pottery Barn Kids allows you to place candy and small gifts in the pockets to get the kids excited about Halloween. Since a lot of kids didn’t really get to celebrate Halloween last year, this does make for a fun new tradition.

Product Ideas for Fall

Product Idea for Fall: Halloween Shape Pillows

Not your typical holiday theme pillows, these plush Halloween pillows from Pottery Barn actually take the shape and form of jack o’lanterns and ghosts.

Product Idea for Fall: Football Baby Hat

Fall is all about football, and this knitted football hat from MudPie is perfect for your little baby girl.

Product Idea for Fall: Pie Recipe Dish Towels

A great housewarming gift, these pie recipe dish towels from MudPie definitely mark the fall and Thanksgiving season.

Product Idea for Fall: Pumpkin and Candy Corn Earrings Set

If you can make Halloween theme jewelry a little more stylish, like this pumpkin and candy corn earring set from BaubleBar, then you will likely have a fall hit on your hands.

Product Idea for Fall: Candy Corn Dog Sweater

Anything holiday-related for your dog will always sell well, like this candy corn dog sweater from Mark and Graham. It will be even more popular if you can personalize it with the dog’s name.

How to Market Your Online Store

Marketing Strategy Plans TemplateEasily and affordably market and promote your small business with my sure-fire tactics, outlined in my 12-Month Marketing Strategy Plans, where everything you need to do is laid out for you, month by month. I have one for every type of shop. Download today!

About Me

As a long time marketing consultant who has been blogging about e-commerce since 2012, I advise, coach and mentor small businesses selling online.  I first got involved in e-commerce back in 2002, wanting to sell online a book I had written. After years of selling on Amazon I decided to take the experience I had in e-commerce, merge it with my professional marketing background and start a blog with marketing advice for small businesses selling online. My advice has been featured in the NY Times, Success Magazine, American Express Open Forum, Big Commerce blog, Business2Community and SheKnows to name a few.

 

 

 

© 2021 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. 7 Hot Product Ideas for Fall.

Tips for Getting Your Products in Holiday Gift Guides

July 15, 2021 /
holiday gift guide publicity

Holiday Gift Guide Publicity

Now is the time to be pitching to print media for inclusion in their holiday gift guides, due to their lead times. While appearing in a print gift guide might not have the immediate results that appearing in an online gift guide would, it does have its benefits. Being mentioned in a major print publication gives your shop instant credibility and can help if you are trying to get wholesale orders, as retail is taking off again.

This Year’s Tips
  • If you are a black-owned, Asian-owned, Latino-owned, LGBTQIA-owned or female-owned business, it will not hurt to mention this at the end of your pitch.
  • There is also still a big effort this year to support both local and nationally-based businesses, so mention your city, state/province and country as well.
  • “Personalized Gifts” was the top search on Etsy in November last year, so try to pitch a product that can be personalized with an initial, name, date, quote, photo, etc.
  • Family-oriented gifts (especially matching) will be popular this year, since many people didn’t get to spend last Christmas with their families. “Matching family swimsuits” is a top Google search right now (which could be people thinking ahead for the holiday photo) so think outside the box.
Gift Ideas to Pitch

Editors and writers also like it if you can position the product you are pitching for a certain gift category or recipient, such as:

  • Secret Santa, Stocking Stuffers, White Elephant Gifts
  • Gifts for Knitters, Sewers, Crafters, Bakers, Woodworkers
  • Gifts for Wine Lovers, Whiskey Lovers, Coffee Lovers, Tea Lovers, Chocolate Lovers
  • Gifts for Plant Lovers, Music Lovers, Nature Lovers, Gamers
  • Gifts for Dog Lovers, Cat Lovers, Bird Lovers
  • Gifts That Give Back
  • Gifts For You

Holiday Gift Guide PublicityMy Etsy 2021 Holiday Sales Planner has the names and contact information for 80+ writers who wrote gift guide editorial last year for major print publications and blogs.

Send out your pitches for print this week, and for blogs in mid-September.

About Me

As a long time marketing consultant who has been blogging about e-commerce since 2012, I advise, coach and mentor small businesses selling online.  I first got involved in e-commerce back in 2002, wanting to sell online a book I had written. After years of selling on Amazon I decided to take the experience I had in e-commerce, merge it with my professional marketing background and start a blog with marketing advice for small businesses selling online. My advice has been featured in the NY Times, Success Magazine, American Express Open Forum, Big Commerce blog, Business2Community and SheKnows to name a few.

 

 

 

© 2021 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. Holiday Gift Guide Publicity.

Why an Advent Calendar is an Amazing Marketing Tool

November 2, 2020 /

Advent Calendar IdeasNeed some creative advent calendar ideas, as it is a brilliant marketing idea.

Did you know that searches for advent calendars increased 2,000% over the year before? This is because more and more brands have realized what an amazing promotional tool it can be, and it can be beneficial for your small business as well.

Why You Should Offer an Advent Calendar
  1. It is a great way for a customer to sample your products and potentially turn into a repeat buyer.
  2. You can take advantage of enormous press opportunities, as over 50 major blogs have written about 2020 Advent Calendars in the last two weeks.
  3. You get those pre-Black Friday and pre-Christmas sales, because searches for advent calendars start in late September and peak November 9th (advent starts December 1st, so the customer needs it before then).

Most Popular Advent Calendar Ideas
  • Wine
  • Makeup / beauty
  • Chocolate
  • Beer
Other Ideas for Advent Calendars
  • Soap
  • Nail polish
  • Earrings
  • Cufflinks
  • Tea
  • Coffee
  • Spices
  • Stickers
  • Ornaments
  • Socks
  • Toys
  • Candles
  • Slime
  • Underwear
  • Art supplies
  • Cookies
  • Pet treats
  • Baby onesies
  • Scrunchies / hair bows
  • Face masks (why not?)

Now, I realize this doesn’t work for every type of business or product, but maybe for next year, think of a smaller scale product that is still in your wheelhouse, to add into your shop to take advantage of this annual sales opportunity. In fact, don’t be surprised if brands find a way to carry this tradition over to Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day and more.

UPDATE FOR 2021: Etsy says there’s been a 4,708% increase in searches for crystal advent calendars in the last 3 months (compared to the same time the previous year), a 282% increase in searches for wax melt advent calendars, a 137% increase in searches for pet advent calendars and a 96% increase in searches for alcohol themed advent calendars.

Want More Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Online Store?

 

 

 

© 2020 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. Advent Calendar Ideas.

Labor Day Sales Opportunity

August 31, 2020 /

Labor Day Sales OpportunitySo what is the Labor Day sales opportunity?

Did you know that “Labor Day Sale”, is one of the top “sales” searches of the year, usually about half a million searches in August?

And it is a more popular search than other long weekend sales, such as “Memorial day sale”, “President’s day sale” “Fourth of July sale” and “Columbus day sale” (but not as popular as “Black Friday sale”).

So make sure you are running one (if applicable) and plan your SEO accordingly.

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© 2020 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved.

5 Genius Holiday Marketing Ideas for Your Online Shop

August 17, 2020 /

Ready for some holiday marketing ideas? Did you know that searches for holiday gifts start as early as this month, so is your online shop ready?Holiday Marketing Ideas

Here are 5 marketing ideas from my Etsy Holiday Sales Planner that will help give your shop an advantage.

5 Genius Holiday Marketing Ideas
  • I always recommend posting on social media, curated content on How to Cook a Turkey, on the day before Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, as this is when searches for this phrase skyrocket. Make sure your shop name in on the graphic so if it gets shared, it can be traced back to you.
  • Have you created a one-page holiday gift guide featuring items in your shop and the gift recipients that they would be perfect for? Start including these flyers in all of your customer packages now.
  • Email is a large part of holiday marketing success, so it might be worth investing in some holiday theme email templates as well as adding call to action buttons in the email itself. 
  • Download a free holiday recipe card template, add in a favorite Christmas cookie recipe, and then brand the card with your business name, logo and url. Include in all customer packages as this is something they will keep, and pull out year after year, remembering your business.
  • Holiday Marketing IdeasAdd in a few holiday theme product photos, including ones featuring Elf on the Shelf. People will share on social media if it is cute enough, especially Etsy.
  • Discover more great ideas, planning tips, holiday SEO keywords and more in my Etsy Holiday Sales Planner. 
About Me

Do you need your Brand Story written or an SEO-Optimized Blog Post or a Personalized Business Consultation? As a 20+ year marketing professional and small business consultant, all of my services are super affordable.

I have consulted for thousands of small businesses since 2012, and my advice has been featured in the NY Times, Success Magazine, Yahoo Business, American Express, Big Commerce, Business2Community to name a few – so this is professional advice you can trust!

My Publicity Pitch service has also gotten my clients featured in Real Simple Magazine, Apartment Therapy, House Beautiful, Vanity Fair, Houzz, Martha Stewart, Glamour Magazine, LONNY, DesignMilk, Emmaline Bride,– just to name a few.Holiday Marketing Ideas

I also have a wide variety of business & marketing downloads you can check out at my Shopify store.

More Holiday Posts

 

 

 

©2020 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. 5 Genius Holiday Marketing Ideas. 

 

5 Tips to Get Your Products in 2020 Holiday Gift Guides

August 8, 2020 /

by Gail Oliver, Online Marketing Consultant

August is upon us, and if you are looking to get your products featured in holiday gift guides, for print magazines, you need to be pitching NOW and to blogs by mid September.

My 2020 Etsy Holiday Sales Planner has a list of more than 85 of the top gift guides, as well as other tips for success.

Here are just a couple of the tips to find success pitching your products this year:

1. Desire to Support Local

Whether it is your city, your state or your country, the movement to support local businesses due to COVID-19 is greater this year than ever before. Therefore, make sure you indicate this when pitching i.e. “If you were planning any holiday gift guides to support Portland small businesses / Oregon small businesses / American small businesses” (pick one) and so forth. At very least, you are putting the idea in their head and they might do a separate category just for this.

2. Desire to Support Minorities

If you are a black-owned business, this is your time (not to mention the fact that August is National Black Business Month). In the last two months, every major publication and blog has had some sort of editorial with a list of black owned businesses to support (Google it), so this will carry into the holiday season as well.

3. Comfort Gifts

The quarantine situation has definitely caused stress for many, so you will find that gift guides this year will want to feature products for isolating, comfort gifts, self-care gifts, mental health gifts, and stress relief gifts.

4. Small Gifts

Small gifts and inexpensive gifts will have a good editorial opportunity this year as most people will be on a tighter budget, plus the top holiday gift searches always include White Elephant gifts, Secret Santa gifts, gift basket fillers, advent calendar fillers and stocking stuffers.

5. What Else the Media Likes

For your best success, magazines and blogs tend to like to feature products that are:

  • Best sellers
  • Inexpensive luxury finds
  • Personalized & monogrammed
  • Gift sets, boxes & kits
  • Monthly subscriptions
  • Plush
  • Latest tech
  • Zodiac-related
  • Funny / whimsical / quirky

My 28-Page Etsy Holiday Sales Planner has 86 of the top holiday gift guides to submit to (complete with email addresses, saving you a ton of time), not to mention other advice, over 200 of the top holiday search phrases, and various planner pages.

Other Things To Know This Week

 

Galentines Day Marketing Ideas

January 16, 2020 /
galentines day marketing ideas

Galentines Day Marketing Ideas

Need some Galentines Day marketing ideas for your small business?

First of all, Valentine’s Day is the day before Valentine’s Day (so, February 13th), and it is a holiday that started on the TV show Parks and Recreation. It is a way for women who are single to celebrate being single, and not feel left out by the couple-centric Valentine’s Day holiday.

However, a lot of businesses like retail stores, spas, florists, restaurants and even travel agencies are now finding ways to benefit from this holiday, so that these two days in February cover off everyone with a prime marketing opportunity.

Galentines Day Marketing Ideas

  • For example, if you are promoting buying gifts for him or her, also have a category in your online store that is for buying a gift for your single friend.
  • Your restaurant could host a Galentine’s dinner special for single female friends to get together. This is a great way to get a group reservation, which is much more beneficial than just the two people in a couple’s reservation.
  • You could add tshirts or mugs that say, “Happily Uncoupled” or “Happily Single” to your online store.
  • If you’re a travel agency, and Galentine’s happens to fall on a weekend, it is the perfect opportunity to promote a girl’s weekend getaway.
  • If you’re a spa, offer a special spa offer for the day, and the more girlfriends they bring, the more the price goes down.

Any way you spin it, it is also a great angle to get some additional business, not to mention publicity and endear your business to this segment of the population.

You heard it here first!

Find marketing and business downloads at my Etsy shop.

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©2020 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. Galentines Day Marketing Ideas

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