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Peak Product Search Times

by Gail Oliver, Online Marketing Consultant

Are things slow in your online shop right now? Use this time to prepare for some key upcoming sales opportunities to get a jump on the competition, as well as tweak your SEO (because people start searching sooner than you think).

Upcoming Sales Opportunities

  • Searches for dorm décor start July 5 and peak August 18.
  • Searches for back to school start July 14 and peak August 17.
  • Searches for fall decor start July 21 and peak September 1.
  • Searches for fall fashion start July 21 and peak October 13.
  • Searches for winter clothing start July 21 and peak November 10.
  • Searches for Halloween costumes start July 28 and peak October 27.
  • Searches for Thanksgiving décor start August 12 and peak November 24.
  • Searches for Halloween decorations start August 25 and peak October 6.
  • Searches for winter décor start August 25 and peak December 29.
  • Searches for Christmas gifts start September 1 and peak December 21.
  • Searches for Christmas décor start September 15 and peak December 1.
  • Searches for toys (for Christmas) start October 6 and peak December 14.
  • Searches for Black Friday sales start November 3rd and will peak on November 26.

Other Things to Know This Week

LinkedIn Summary Examples

LinkedIn summary examplesAre you looking for some good LinkedIn Summary Examples?

I love writing LinkedIn Summaries because it’s a great opportunity to ensure that my client makes an awesome first impression. No boring introductions but rather a paragraph that has punch and personality. This is one of the benefits of being both a marketing professional and a writer – I know how to market you!

Here are some LinkedIn Summaries that I have written (remember, you only have 2,000 characters)

LinkedIn Summary Example #1: For a Salesperson

I love being in sales. This is what makes good sales people hard to find, because you have to love it. So no worries here, I am a salesman through and through.  

And it doesn’t matter what it is I’m selling. Throughout my 9+ years sales career, I have sold everything from home security systems to personal finance to event services. I easily adapt because I know how important it is to have a deep understanding of the market and the product I am selling, as well as what makes the customer buy, so I make this my first priority with any new sales role. 

A Utah State grad, I’ve been the top salesperson in many of the positions that I have held to-date, consistently meeting or exceeding my quota. I consider my positive, upbeat attitude one of my best assets when it comes to sales. It also makes me a great team player, as well as a coach and a leader (if the situation requires it) and helps me to cultivate strong, long-term relationships with my clients. My fluency in English and Spanish has been another helpful advantage, presenting me with a larger customer base to target.  

Right now, I am open and so ready to work. Therefore, if you have a need for a professional, enthusiastic and top performing Account Executive or Sales Representative, feel free to message me here on LinkedIn or by email at {email address}. 

LinkedIn Summary Example #2: For a Marketing Professional

A good way to describe me would be a Marketing “Chameleon”. This is because since graduating from Ohio State in 2016, I have spearheaded positions that required Digital Marketing, Content Creation, Brand Consulting, Event Planning, Project Management, Fund Raising and Sales, not to mention my art and design background. 

This wide range of hands-on experience and resourceful skill set makes me easily adaptable to any marketing or creative position, whether it’s a full-time or freelance opportunity. You are actually filling many roles just by hiring me!  

But also as important is my fierce work ethic. I’m a go-getter to the extreme. I thrive on hard work, I’m thorough and detail-oriented, and I get the job done – well and on time. 

I’m always up for the next creative opportunity, so if you or your organization wants someone who can fill many marketing needs in just one hire, please contact me here on LinkedIN or by email. I would love to hear how you would like us to work together! 

LinkedIn Summary Example #3: For a New Grad

I might appear to be a young, recent college graduate, but I am actually a seasoned business owner. A native of the beautiful country of Belize, moving to the US in 2009 meant adopting the American dream. So I ran a successful e-commerce company all while attending college and then Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. 

But now with my Bachelor’s degree in Business Management firmly in hand, I am so ready for the next phase of my career, as an Account Executive in Saas Technology sales. 

So why Saas? While running my own business, I discovered that my true passion is problem-solving and establishing meaningful connections – both ideal traits for a Saas Account Executive. I’ve even developed my own 3-step method of solving complex problems: 1. extensive research and analysis (which I love to do) 2. implementation and diligence (also love to do) 3. communication with the client (really love to do). 

Being immersed in the e-commerce world for the last six years meant that I developed the technical skills that make me ideal for the Saas industry. It also provided me with valuable experience in B2B and B2C sales, operations, sourcing, business development, lead generation and web design. 

As for my technology knowledge, that includes: Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoom, Google Workplace, Microsoft Office, Shopify, Squarespace, Mailchimp, Trello, Atlassian and Klaviyo.

While I know that I still have a lot to learn, I also have a significant amount of experience that I can definitely hit the ground running in any new role. 

Therefore, if you’re looking for a passion-filled up-and-comer, who is a creative problem solver, risk taker, relationship builder and strategic thinker who is ready to make a difference in your organization, then let’s connect. 

LinkedIn Summary Example #4: For an Outdoor Education Teacher

I’m not a fan of walls, so I think it’s fair to say that I’m happiest when I’m in the great outdoors. Therefore, when I decided to become a teacher, an Outdoor Educator was one path I wanted to follow. 

After acquiring my Bachelor of Education in 2020 (I also have a Bachelor of Psychology) I have spent the last two years working with primary school children as an Outdoor Educator, where I developed and facilitated nature-based language, arts and science programs as well as individual learning plans.

Whether I’m outside teaching kindergarten children at a renowned private wilderness school, or helping high school students develop practical leadership skills through outdoor excursions, or in a park leading people through a Pilates class, I’m a firm believer that learning alongside nature is one of the best ways.

But first and foremost I am a teacher, regardless of the environment. I pride myself on being devoted, patient, and enthusiastic. My priorities are to always lead by example and to foster positive relationships with my students and between my students. I am also extremely committed to reaching curriculum goals, all while staying true to my students’ individual strengths and various learning styles. 

I thoroughly enjoy teaching children of all ages and I’m confident that my wide range of experience will allow me to easily adapt to any type of classroom environment.

Therefore, I am ready for my next teaching adventure! If you have any educator positions in your organization, full-time, part-time or supply, please feel free to message me here on LinkedIN or by email at XYZ@gmail.com.

LinkedIn Summary Examples #5: For an Business Systems Analyst

I love challenging IT situations. I also love to find ways to deliver innovative solutions to challenging IT situations. 

As a Senior Business Systems Analyst in the fintech industry, I do just that, with more than 5 years of experience in Mobiliti ASP implementations and mass app upgrades. 

I’m a core player as well as founding member of the Enterprise Apps team, where I both lead and train junior associates.  I am also responsible for the company’s “high-touch” clients. 

My focus has been implementing new projects and updating the processes, and my achievements in my current role include:

  • Leading my team with 11 implementations and 3 in-flight projects this year. 
  • Creating the initial COASP and Architect process flow.
  • Helping to redesign and establish a new project intake process.
  • Designing an Enterprise Apps Dashboard to track and provide a central place for all projects information for both leadership and vendors. 

What else do I have to offer?

  • Extensive knowledge of financial and banking products and services.
  • Implementation and testing on variety of mobile devices and OS versions.
  • Experience leading process improvement projects with proven ability to identify problems, analyze possible solutions, and implement new processes.
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment while maintaining high-quality standards and exceeding the targets. 
  • Ability to manage several tasks at one time and prioritize duties correctly.
  • High sense of urgency when dealing with issues impacting customers or project timelines.

Did I also mention I’m fluent in Russian?

It’s great to have a career you are passionate about, and my goal is to always deliver a high-quality implementation experience with a focus on customer satisfaction, speed and zero defects. If you have a position you think I might be a fit for, please message me here on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn Summary Examples #6: My Own LinkedIn Summary

Marketing your own business is tough. I hope to make it easier.

After 20+ years in corporate marketing, I decided I wanted to work from home long before we had to. So, I started my own online marketing consulting business – complete with a weekly blog – with the goal of helping small businesses and budding entrepreneurs get attention.

My Blog: www.Attention-Getting.com

Hence the name of my innovative advice-filled marketing and small business blog, which I’ve been writing since 2012 (if you have little time for reading, you’ll love my 30-second reads).

Part coach, part mentor and part creative brain stormer, I love helping clients get encouraged again about their business, or lead someone through starting a new business endeavor with my one-on-one phone consultations.

I also love coaching new marketing professionals. I remember getting my first marketing job and realizing I had no idea what to do. If that’s you, I can help.

Finally, like my writing? This is probably the thing I love to do the most, because it comes so naturally. From composing your brand story to ghost writing your blog posts to drafting an effective publicity pitch to even crafting marketing-savvy LinkedIn profiles (like this one!) that get attention, I can write it all!

If you would like to work with me, I would love to work with you! Feel free to get in touch at attentiongetting@gmail.com, visit my website at www.attention-getting.com or with a note here on LinkedIn.

If you would like me to write your LinkedIn Summary, you can check out my LinkedIn Summary Writing Service here.

More Articles:

©2022 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. LinkedIn Summary Examples

My Killer Instagram Tip to Drive Crazy Traffic to Your Business

My Killer Instagram Tip to Drive Crazy Traffic to Your BusinessWant my killer Instagram tip to drive traffic to your business?

I give lots of awesome Instagram posting ideas in my Best-Selling 365 Day Social Media Posting Calendar, but one of my favorites is for your small business to try and take advantage of the Instagram hash tag #MySuperG.

What is this exactly? Google loves to repost and give a shoutout to anyone who posts a unique photo that features the letter “G” in a creative way.

Think about it. Google has 12.5 million followers, so even if only 1% of their followers clicks on your link, that’s 125,000 people!

For example, Google posted online plant store Greenery United’s video using their plants to spell out the “G”, as well as online bow tie store, Knotzland, who used their bow ties (in Google’s colors).

instagram tips

Some Ideas You Can Do for #MySuperG
  • With July 4th around the corner, if you’re an American business find a way to use your products to create out a red, white and blue “G”.
  • Take advantage of upcoming National days that do so well on social media. For example, if you sell bikinis, use them to spell out the “G” for #NationalBikiniDay (be sure to include #MySuperG in comments and post it the day before to give Google time to see it).
  • If you’re an online bakery, then use Google-adorned sugar cookies to spell out the “G” for #NationalSugarCookieDay on July 9th.
  • Cosmetic brands could color the “G” in various lipstick shades for #NationalLipstickDay (July 29th).
  • If you don’t have a product that works, try creating a “G” using the supplies that go into making your products. For example, a jewelry shop could use beads to create a “G”. Get creative!
Want More Awesome Instagram Posting Ideas?instagram social media posting ideas 2021

Download my best-selling 365 Social Media Posting Ideas Calendar, with more ideas like this one!

Make sure to follow my blog so you never miss out on hot tips!

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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.

 

 

 

© 2020 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. Instagram Tip to Drive Traffic

Up Your SEO Game With Most Searched Gift Ideas

Most Searched Gift IdeasWant to know the most searched gift ideas currently?

The COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine has led to a rise in the following types of gift searches:

  • Comforting / comfort gifts
  • Self-care gifts
  • Cheer up gifts
  • Pick me up gifts
  • Wellness gifts
  • Quarantine gift baskets
  • Lockdown gifts

Not only does this give you new (and possibly less competitive) search phrases to take advantage of, but are there any new products that you can quickly bring to market to address this demand?

I also thought I would point out some rising Father’s Day Gift searches, since it’s just 10 days away:

  • Black Father’s Day Gifts
  • Bonus Dad Gifts
  • Father’s Day Gift Baskets

With people only being able to shop online, there is a need to be able to send gifts to friends and family far away. These gift ideas would also be viable as monthly subscription box services as well.

Not making sales? My 12-Month Marketing Plans give you a detailed action plan for each month of the year. Easy,  cost effective and little known ways for you to drive more traffic and sales.

You might want to also read Hot Sales Opportunity: Retirement Gifts

Please check out my Shopify store to see the marketing products and services I offer.

Have a great week!

 

 

 

© 2020 Gail Oliver. All Rights Reserved. Most searched gift ideas. 

How to Come up with New Product Ideas

Wondering how to come up with new product ideas?

Sometimes finding success selling online is not about being an amazing marketer or having lots of social media followers, but rather just WHAT you are actually selling.

So, how do you find products that people want and come up with new product ideas?

Start with What You Are Selling

One of the easiest ways is to start with what you are currently selling, and use Google Trends to see if there are opportunities already in your wheelhouse that you are missing out on.

For example, the other day I had a client who is selling party invitations for all the basic events that every other shop has covered as well. So, I typed “invitations” into Google Trends and saw the RISING searches were:

  • Drive by baby shower invitationshow to come up with new product ideas
  • Virtual baby shower invitations
  • Birthday parade invitations

All of these rising searches are obviously due to the current situation and might be short lived, but if you can turn around a product quickly, why not; the demand is there.

Then I typed in “necklaces” in Google Trends for another client, and got the following RISING searches:

  • E-girl necklaces
  • Vsco necklaces
  • Shell necklaces

The first two searches are teen trends, so you can research those if interested, but when I checked on both Amazon and Etsy, I did see searches for all three, confirming that these might be good opportunities to jump on, even if they are just trends that last through the summer.

Drill Down to Find Specific Product Niches

Now, once you have done these basic searches, then you can expand upon them to see what further niches there might be.

For example, I typed “shell necklaces with” and “shell necklaces for” into the Google search engine and got:

  • Shell necklaces with pearl
  • Shell necklaces with gold
  • Shell necklaces for guys
  • Shell necklaces for vsco girl

You can do these “with” and “for” type searches on Amazon and Etsy as well and see what comes up. If you see similar searches on Google, Etsy and Amazon, then those would be the features I would tackle first.

Need Advice?

Please visit my Shopify and Etsy stores to see my small business marketing products and services.

You can also ask me a question at attentiongetting@gmail.com, follow me on Instagram for additional tips and learn more about me here.

More Product Articles

 

 

 

 

© 2020 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. How to Come up with New Product Ideas

A Quick Pricing Strategy Check

by Gail Oliver, Online Marketing Consultant

How long does it take you to make a product or execute a service? So many people leave their labor cost out of the price, and you need to determine this otherwise you will be working very hard to make little money.

Example of a Poorly Priced Product

For example, I’ll never forget this young girl who was making dog leashes and selling them for $10. She was knitting the leash and said it took her two hours to make one. Can you see right away why this is a terrible pricing model?

If it takes her two hours to make one $10 leash, she is essentially paying herself $5 an hour less the cost of materials, selling fees, free shipping, packaging and other business expenses. Does it seem worth it?  Surprisingly, it was not that obvious to her.

The Most You Can Earn in a Day

Now, another way to look at it, is if it takes her 2 hours to make 1 leash, and she wants to work an 8-hour day, then the most leashes she can make in one day is 4. This also means that the most leashes she can sell in one day is 4, as you can’t sell more in a day than you can make.

Therefore, the most she can gross in one day = 4 x $10 = $40, and again, this is GROSS not NET.

If you are the sole source of labor for your product or service, you have to factor your labor cost into consideration when determining your price. If your labor costs knock you out of being competitively priced, then this might not be the business for you.

Work Backwards When Pricing

Try working backwards to determine your price. For example if:

  • Your goal is to earn $40 an hour
  • Your product takes you one hour to make
  • Your total costs per unit are $10

Then you will want to price the product at at least $50. Then ask yourself?

  • Is a $50 price competitive?
  • Does this price make sense for the product or service?
  • Does this price offer wiggle room for discounts and sales?

If you need more help with your pricing strategy, be sure to check out the pricing strategy and planning worksheets in my 60-page Strategic Business Planner.

Want to talk about your business? Try my very affordable one on one Phone Consultations.

Other Things to Know This Week

  • Shopify and Facebook announced the launch of Facebook Shops where shoppers will be able to find, browse, and buy products through Facebook and Instagram, with checkout powered by Shopify.
  • If you sell face masks, have you thought about targeting brick and mortar stores that are reopening, as some have stated that they will provide masks to both their staff and customers, if need be. I wonder if they will see it as an advertising opportunity to have their brand on the mask? Is that a value added service face mask makers should offer?
  • Even Vogue says face masks will be the hot fashion trend of the summer.
  • Online daily sales for pajamas increased 49% in April, due to people working from home. The major fashion retailers have picked up on this trend and are offering pajama-style fashions, like this silky outfit from Zara.
  • I love how online stores like Old Navy, Nordstrom, Modcloth now have shop sections entitled, “Cozy at Home”, “All Day Comfort”, “Get Fit at Home”, “Self Care Shop” and “Work from Home”, zeroing in on people’s needs right now.

Have a great week!

 

 

 

© 2020 Gail Oliver. All Rights Reserved.

How to “Audit” Your Business and ReStrategize

by Gail Oliver, Online Marketing Consultant

How often do you do an “audit” of your business? This is where you take a look at what’s selling and what’s not selling, and why. This allows you to then strategize on how to exploit your successful products and fix the ones that are troublesome.

You need to examine which products have the highest and lowest:

  • traffic
  • conversion rate
  • orders
  • revenues
  • costs
  • profits

In my new 60-page Strategic Business Planner, I have designed planning pages that help you analyze these stats so you can identify new opportunities, expand the successful products, fix the problem products, as well as provide strategic tactics to reach these goals and then track the results. The planner also helps you do an audit of your current pricing strategy as well as your sales channel strategy.

When a Product Has a High Conversion Rate

For example, the other day I was looking at one of my own products and saw that it had a sales conversion rate of over 15%. A normal conversion rate is 1 to 5%, so a 15% conversion rate tells me I need to exploit this success. What are some strategies for doing this?

  1. Drive more traffic to the listing.
  2. Run ads on the listing, because ads are always more profitable on high conversion products.
  3. Possibly spin this product off into similar products with different features and/or targeting new niches.

When a Product Has a Low Profit Margin

Let’s take another example. I had a customer years back who was selling 10,000 baby headbands a month. You would think that sounds successful, but it was actually an unprofitable business. You see, in order to sell these 10,000 headbands month, she needed a staff of 8 people. Also, when other competitors saw how much she was selling, they flooded the market with similar, lower priced headbands, meaning she had to lower her price to stay competitive.strategic business planner

The result was she was barely breaking even. The high labor cost to produce the product, combined with having to charge a low price, meant almost no profit. So, what should be her strategy to fix this low profit margin product?

  • She could find ways to lower her material costs, to offset the labor costs.
  • She could find ways to speed up production time to lower labor costs.
  • She could risk raising the price just $1, as it could mean $10,000 more in profit each month, if sales volume is not impacted by the increased price.
  • She could move out of this niche altogether and offer a higher-end headband that she could charge more for, with better profit margins.

The point is, if you don’t analyze your stats, you might miss those rising stars, solid sellers, maturing products, non-profitable products or even just problem products.

My Strategic Business Planner covers 3 of the 4 Ps, of Product, Price, Place (Promotion is covered in my Marketing Planner). Therefore, it covers what you sell, how much you sell it for and where you sell it, and all of these need to be re-evaluated and re-strategized from time to time so that your business stays on top of the market and the competition.

Other Things To Know This Week

Have a great week!

 

 

 

©2020 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved.

How Shopify’s New Shop App Helps Stores Get Seen (Sort of)

by Gail Oliver, Online Marketing Consultant

One of the biggest problems my Shopify customers always tell me is getting traffic to their store, since Shopify does not have a marketplace portal like Etsy or Amazon does.

Well, this week Shopify attempted to change this by the release of their Shop Mobile Shopping App so if you have a Shopify store, this might be the solution you were looking for.

What It Does

While there are still limitations (such as no search function) what the free app does do is provide the shopper with customized product recommendations based on shops that they have already shown an interest in, either having purchased a product from their Shopify store in the past or by following their profiles in the app.

What It Doesn’t Do

Shoppers will NOT see a feed of products from shops they don’t know or care about, and the app will not allow shops to advertise. This is with the exception of a feature that allows shoppers to browse local merchants, see which ones currently support delivery and in-store purchase, and then make purchases to support them, mostly as a reaction to COVID-19.

Therefore, if you sell on Shopify, download the app and encourage your customers to do so as well. If they start shopping from the app, your products will then show up in their feed (because they have bought from you in the past), giving you an opportunity to stay in front of them.

Remember to follow my blog for weekly insider tips!

 

 

 

©2020 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved.

4 Online Marketplaces to Sell Eco Friendly Products

eco friendly products website

Eco Friendly Products Website

In honor of Earth Day tomorrow, I thought I would help entrepreneurs and other small businesses discover four online marketplaces for eco-friendly products. This is actually a post of mine from a few years back that I have just updated

Younger generations prefer eco-friendly products. A Forbes report showed that 62 percent of Gen Zs prefer to buy from sustainable brands. It also indicated that 54 percent of Gen Zs and 50 percent of Millennials even stated that they are willing to pay more for sustainable products.

The Ultimate Green Store

The Ultimate Green Store sells pretty much every type of organic and green product. From baby and kids products to home goods and beauty products, they currently feature hundreds of brands, both well known eco brands and indie brands. If you are an interested, this is a wholesale opportunity, not one where you set up a shop or listings. If you are interested in having them sell your products, contact them at vendorinquiries@theultimategreenstore.com.

organic sites

Leaf’d

Leaf’d runs the gambit from kids to clothing to pets to food and drink, and of course beauty products. Plus, for their sellers, they offer no monthly fees and no listing fees, just a commission fee on the sale (which they do not disclose until you are approved). There are a few restrictions. Currently, they only accept US or Canadian sellers, and they have a checklist of standards your company and products have to adhere to in order to be accepted as a vendor.

eco friendly online stores

Ecorigem

Ecorigem sells the whole range of eco-friendly products. You can even sell digital downloads. Their one caveat seems to be that sellers must always use eco-friendly packing and reduced use of plastic. They charge sellers a commission fee of 6.5% on each sale, with no monthly fees or listing fees.

eco friendly stores online

Veo

Veo is based in the UK, and like the other sites, they offer fashion, food & drink, health & beauty and home products in the green and organic categories, as well as crafts, gifts, garden – you name it. You can fulfill orders yourself or use their fulfillment services, but they do charge a 15% commission, with no listing or joining fees. For that 15%, they market your products to shoppers through paid search, outreach, blog, video, publicity, SEO and social media.

eco friendly products website

Earth Love

Not a marketplace, but rather a monthly subscription box so I thought it was worth adding. They curate products for categories such as food, wellness, bath & spa, home decor, aromatherapy, fashion, outdoor, art, and more. They also have a strict set of guidelines that your products must conform to. If you are interested in having one of your products included in their boxes, email them at hello@earthlove.co.eco friendly products website

Remember to sign up for my weekly blog posts, so you never miss an insider tip!

You might also like: Green Business Ideas for the Eco Friendly Entrepreneur.

 

 

 

© 2020 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. Eco Friendly Products Website

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