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Marketing Strategy Plan Template

February 16, 2017 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

marketing strategy plan template

Do you need an easy to follow, marketing strategy plan template for your small business?

I created these already-done-for-you 12-Month Marketing Plans to drive more traffic and sales to your small business.

Each month, you get tactics to do from publicity to content marketing to social media to advertising to SEO.

Each plan has 12 months, and each month has different tactics, as you can see in the photo below.

Scroll down to see if I covered your business. If not, ask me if it’s on the way!

Plus, they are ridiculously affordable at just $3.75, so download today at my Etsy store.

Restaurant Marketing Strategy Plan

My restaurant marketing plan comes complete with over 300 tactics to help your restaurant get seen and get business!

marketing plan template

Travel Agent Marketing Strategy Plan Template

If you’re a travel agent or agency, you’ll love the ease of my 12 Month Marketing Strategy Plan.

marketing strategy plan

Real Estate Agent Marketing Strategy Template

One of my best sellers, this marketing strategy plan will help both real estate agents who are starting out, along with established ones.

12 month marketing plan

Retail Marketing Strategy Plan Template

If you own a retail store, you’ll love all the ideas in my 12 Month Marketing Strategy Plan.

digital marketing plan

Life Coach Marketing Strategy Template

Life coaches are big fans of the creative tactics in my 12 Month Marketing Plan.

digital marketing strategy

T-Shirt Marketing Strategy Plan

Your tshirt business will get a lot more traffic and sales when you implement my 12 Month Marketing Strategy Plan.

marketing strategy plan template

Candle Marketing Strategy Template

The candle business is ultra competitive, so get the advantage with my 12 Month Marketing Plan.

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Fashion Brand Marketing Strategy Plan

If launching your own fashion brand, you’ll love my 12 Month Marketing Strategy Plan.

marketing planning template

More 12-Month Marketing Strategy Plans

Read more marketing advice, tips and ideas on my blog.

Cute Instagram Captions

February 1, 2017 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Are you in need of some cute Instagram captions, especially for selfies?

Below are cute Instagram captions for every season, holiday, selfies and more! Enjoy this list.

Cute Instagram Captions for Selfies

Today was a total waste of makeup
Just lovin’ life
I’m ready for my closeup
Can you take it?
Now you see me
You again?
Me without you
I’ll be seeing you
Me again
You got me
Are you ready?
Here I go again
You don’t say
Home alone
Sweats on, stayin’ in
Hello it’s me
Just rolled out of bed
Selfie-made woman
Mirror, mirror

Cute Instagram Captions for Christmas

Wish you were here
All I want for Christmas is you
Mistoe-ing
The most wonderful time of the year
Baby it’s cold outside
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas
It is a wonderful life
My Christmas story

Cute Instagram Captions for Valentines Day

We go together like a cupcake and sprinkles
Sending some xxx’s and a few ooo’s
Having each other is having it all
So happy together
Hope your heart is happy today

Cute Instagram Captions for St. Patricks Day

Rainbows Above You, Shamrocks Below
May your kilt be short enough for dancing, but long enough to hide your lucky charms
Up to Shenanigans
Hoping to get lucky
Looking for a pot of gold
Download here
Feeling lucky?
Eat, drink and be Irish
Drinks well with others
I’m magically delicious
Irish today, hungover tomorrow
Shaking my shamrocks

Cute Instagram Captions for Easter

Hoppy Easter
My Easter is egg-cellent
Don’t worry be hoppy
Bunny kisses and Easter wishes
Hangin’ with my peeps
Some bunny loves you
Hangin’ with my favorite chicks
I’m one cute chick
Hippity Hoppity
Some bunny to love
I have a bunny feeling
Egg-actly!
I’m an eggspert
Eggcuse me
I’m egg cited for Easter
Are you egg cited for Easter?
I’m egg ceptional!
I’m a chick magnet

Cute Instagram Captions for Halloween

What’s up, pumpkin?
Ghouls just wanna have fun!
Keep calm and scare on
Cutest pumpkin in the patch
Eat, drink, and be scary
Too cute to spook
Boo from the crew
Hangin’ with my ghoul friends
Bad to the bone
Having a boo-tiful night
This is where the magic happens
Absolutely fa-boo-lous
Resting witch face
You better work, witch
Here for the boos
Witch better have my candy
What’s up, witches?
The only time I wear a mask now
Hey boo-tiful
Bow down, witches
If you go it, haunt it

Cute Instagram Captions for Pets

Just me and my bestie
My fur baby
Chillin’ with my crew
Love you so dog-gone much
I wuf you
When you love a dog

Cute Instagram Captions Inspirational

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger
You only live once
Where will today take you?
Let it be
Let that sh*t go
Doesn’t mean I’m lonely when I’m alone
Today is where you book begins
Burn with the brightest flame
You are beautiful, no matter what they say
Be real, not perfect
Killin’ it every damn day
Enjoy the little things
Be fearless
I am enough
Time to woman up
Just keep going
Dream without fear
Love without limits
Perfectly imperfect
It is what it is
This too shall pass
Empowered woman
Good things are coming
Make today amazing

Cute Instagram Captions for Summer

Summertime fun
Fun in the sun
Sun’s out bun’s out
Beach hair don’t care
Soaking up the sun
Sun worshipper
Sun goddess
Ray days
Gettin’ some rays
Beach babe
Beach bum
Bitchin’ beach
Beach body
Beach bunny
Take me to the beach

Cute Instagram Captions for Fall

Fallin’ for fall
Fall-ing down drunk
Cozy sweaters in cooler weather
Fall vibes
Thankful, grateful, blessed
I’m in a fall state of min
Autumn leaves, pumpkins please
It’s ah – tum
Autumn is awesome
It’s all gravy baby
Eat, drink and be thankful
Autumn is my favorite color
Pumpkin spice and everything nice
Pumpkin spice girl
Let’s get basted
Leftovers are for quitters
Happy pumpkin spice season
Gobble til you wobble
Fall breeze, autumn leaves

Be sure to check out my 365 Social Media Posting Ideas.

Cute Instagram Captions for Winter

Chillin’ like a villain
Evergreen dreams
Not made for winter
Ski bummin’
Longing for a winter vacay
Stay cozy
Snow princess
Ice princess
Snowed under
Snowed out
Waiting on winter

Cute Instagram Captions for Spring

Blooming
Fresh as a daisy
Looking for a Spring fling
I belong among the wild flowers
Live life in full bloom
I need a Spring break
I need a little Spring in my step

Cute Instagram Captions for Friends

Unlike my plants, our friendship will never die
Better together
Together again
Thank you for being a friend
A friend for life
Waiting on a friend
True friends
Old friends are the best friends
Pal -ing around
Friends to the end
Seasons change, friends tay
Of all the things life bestows, there is nothing so precious as one true friend

Pretty Instagram Captions

Pretty as a picture
Not just another pretty face
Pretty much?
Sitting pretty
Pretty woman
Pretty in pink
All the pretty girls

Cute and Funny Instagram Captions

For a pessimist, I’m pretty optimistic
Why do they call it rush hour when nothing moves
It may look like I’m doing nothing, but in my head I’m quite busy
I’m not lazy, I’m just very relaxed
If you’re hotter than me, that’s means I’m cooler than you
A balanced diet means a cupcake in each hand
When nothing is going right, go left
I made a huge to do list today. I just can’t figure out who’s going to do it
I love ordering things online because when they arrive, it’s like a present from me to me
I love my job, only when I’m on vacation
Sometimes I pretend to be normal. When it gets boring, I go back to being myself
He who laughs last didn’t get it
Of course I’m in shape. Round is a shape

Hope you enjoyed all of these cute Instagram captions!

You will also like What to Post to Social Media in March.

20 Creative Real Estate Social Media Posts

January 2, 2017 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Want to keep the followers of your real estate business engaged and continue to follow you long after the sale?

Here are 20 creative real estate posts for social media from my best-selling 365 Social Media Posting Ideas for Real Estate Agents.

20 Social Media Ideas for Real Estate Agents

Post “Your Home’s Monthly To-Do List” with things homeowners need to do this month.
Download on Etsy
Post 3 hot home decor or design trends for the new year. Quote a local designer and have them share your post on their social media sites as well, giving you free exposure to their clients.
Post of a photo of a house staging fail #HouseStagingFailoftheMonth.
Post 3 reasons why you should rent your home over selling it.
Post a poll asking followers how much they plan to spend on home renovations this year.
Post a photo of a favorite winter cabin for #CabinoftheMonth.
Post the 3 best cities to move to when retiring.
Post a helpful moving tip for #MonthlyMovingTip.
Post a photo of a house with amazing curb appeal for #CurbAppealoftheMonth.
Post 5 color swatches of your favorite go-to paint colors.
Post 3 tips to save on a bathroom remodel, again quoting a local contractor so they will also share.
Post 3 key steps in “Building a Real Estate Portfolio”.
Post a photo of a favorite house for sale (nation wide) under $150,000
#AffordableHouseoftheMonth.
Post 3 fireplace makeovers for #TransformationTuesday.
Post a photo of a favorite house for sale (nation wide) over $2 million #MillionDollarHouseoftheMonth.
Post 3 tips on buying mortgage insurance.
Post your own listing of the month for #HouseoftheMonth.
Post 3 of your favorite home security systems, giving #shoutouts to the brands.
Post a photo of an organized kitchen pantry for #KitchenPantryoftheMonth.
Post photos of 3 of the best coffee tables for a small space for #apartment living.

Are you inspired? Get the rest of the ideas, one for every day of the year, in my best-selling 365 Social Media Posting Ideas for Real Estate Agents.

Be sure to also read: Killer Real Estate Marketing Ideas

If you want more marketing ideas, be sure to also check out my 12-Month Marketing Plan for Real Estate Agents.

Free Letter of Recommendation Template

December 7, 2016 / WordPress.com Support

Free letter of recommendation

If you are looking for a free letter of recommendation template, feel free to copy and paste the example I did below.

I do a lot of personal branding, which typically means writing brand stories and bios, but I also do personal branding for people looking for a job. From writing resumes, LinkedIn profiles and cover letters, you can really benefit from using a professional marketer and writer who knows how to market you, so that you stand out from the ground.

Free Letter of Recommendation Template

Today’s Date

Dear {Name},

It is my pleasure to recommend [Applicant Name] for a position with your company.

[Name] worked for me for {# of years} in the role of {position you held}. [Your Name] was a dedicated and reliable employee who performed her duties with the utmost quality, respect for her work and a positive attitude.

In addition to being very personable and easy to work with, {Your Name} could also work well on her own with little direction, and understood the importance of being on time, delivering a full day’s work, and rarely being absent. Her maturity and professionalism really are second to none.

I cannot recommend [Name] highly enough as an asset for your organization.

If you need further information, please feel free to contact me at [email address].

Sincerely,

[Name, Company, and Title]

Simply copy and paste the above text in Word or Google docs, and don’t forget to replace the copy in brackets with your information. Best of luck on your job search, and be sure to see more of my personal branding service below.

More Personal Branding

Be sure to read my blog.

Two Week Notice Letter Template Free

November 7, 2016 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Creative Packaging Inserts That Will Get Repeat Sales

October 21, 2016 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Today I have some creative packaging inserts that will get repeat sales.

Packaging inserts are a simple way to get people coming back to you for more business.

I imagine most of you are gearing up for the busy holiday selling season and you want to maximize sales as much as possible. But what you also want to be doing, is getting your customers to come back and buy from you for Valentine’s and Mother’s Day, the other two big gifting holidays.

Therefore, think about including an insert in each package that you send out to a customer. I’m not really taking a business cards or a coupon, but something the customer will keep, maybe even put on a wall, their desk, the fridge, etc., so that they will remember your business.

Some Creative Ideas for Package Inserts

If you sell kid’s products include a coloring sheet for the kids.
If you sell travel related products, include a “What to Pack” travel checklist.
If you sell home decor include a list of “Top 10 White Paint Colors“.
If you sell literary-related products, include a list of “10 Classic Books to Read in 2022″.
If you sell food or kitchen products, include a recipe.
If you sell beauty products, include a make-up tutorial printout.
If you sell fitness products, include a printout of yoga poses.
If you sell real estate, a list of the top trades in the area (you could even get ad revenue for this).

Other Ideas

A blank checklist that says, “My Resolutions for 2022“.
A 2022 calendar page.
An inspirational quote typography print.

All of these items are very simple to create using sites like Canva, Creative Market or your own graphic design skills. Now, for this to work, you have to make sure that your shop name and url are at the bottom of the insert. The key is that customers like getting “extras” in the package and if you can use them as marketing collateral, why not.

Need more creative marketing ideas specific just for your small business? I can help, so please check out my very affordable marketing services.

How Offering Weekly Specials Can Increase Your Sales

October 14, 2016 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

by Gail Oliver, Online Marketing Consultant

When I was working in the head office of a major grocery store chain I remember the president asking one of the store managers how sales were going and his response was, “The only thing that sells well are the specials”.

So, if your sales are hurting, have you thought about adopting the grocery store model of offering weekly specials? Now I don’t mean a weekly special across your whole shop, that would defeat the purpose. I mean just a few select products that are “on special” that particular week.

“On special” is little different from something being “on sale”. When something is “on sale”, it makes it sound like it has been permanently reduced in price. Therefore, unless there is a limited stock available, customers still don’t see the urgency to buy, and may wait to see if the price goes down further.

A “special offer” makes it sound like it is just for a limited time and it doesn’t always have to be just a price reduction. It can be a free gift, free shipping, free personalization or a free service.

Some Examples of Weekly Special Offers:

The Body Shop likes to offer specials such as, “Get any 3 Mini Body Butters for $10 ($18 value)” or “Complimentary Body Butter with your $60+ Purchase”.
Old Navy likes to offer specials such as, “This Week Only $15 Dresses”
J. Crew likes to offer specials such as, “30% off all jewelry” (in other words, just a particular shop section is on special).
Payless Shoes is known for their BOGO special, “Buy One, Get One Half Off” that they only offer every now and then.

Plus, if your customers see that you make a habit of offering weekly specials, like the grocery stores do, they may be more likely to check back with your store more often to see what the special is this week. Offering weekly specials will not only potentially increase your sales, but also your return customer business, so give it a try.

My Weekly Special!

october-online-cover As we are already half way through the month, my October Marketing
Plan for Online Shops (or Etsy Shops) is on special for $7 (regular $12) but only until October 20th when November’s Plan
comes out.

This Simple Trick Will Jumpstart Your Online Business

September 28, 2016 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

by Gail Oliver, Online Marketing Consultant

I have been doing a lot of phone consultations this week advising my clients that sometimes you need to do something for FREE in order to jumpstart your business.

this-simple-trick-will-jumpstart-online-business

For example, I give away free advice every week on this blog. While some people seem to think I’m just doing this for fun, no, this is my business but I realize in order to earn your trust as a customer, I have to give something for free first to prove that I know what I am talking about.

It’s no different when you are selling online where potential customers can hesitate to make that first purchase from you for so many reasons, but they will take something for free.

Now, don’t just blatantly give away anything for free without there being something in the offer that also benefits your business.

For example, doing a free giveaway of one of your products on social media is a great way to get people to notice your shop. The correct way to do it is to tell people that in order to enter the giveaway, they have to like and share the post. This way you are essentially advertising your shop to all of their followers for just the cost of one of your products (just to clarify, you are not giving away free products to everyone, you will draw a name from those who shared and liked the post at the end of the month).

I realize not every business may have a product that they can give away for free, therefore, in these cases you can consider giving a complimentary product for free or a service for free. One of the tips I give in my October Marketing Plan is to offer a free Christmas printable download, like holiday gift tags. This you can offer to everyone. Again, make the offer in a Facebook post asking people to share and like the post in order to receive the printable. The benefit here is that you get to make a personal connection with a potential new customer, as well as the exposure to their followers.

As I said, the key is to never just give something for free and get nothing in return. This is why people offer buy one, get one free offers because at least you get the one sale. Same with free shipping, don’t just offer free shipping, only offer it on orders over $50 or $100, because now there is an incentive to get the customer to buy more. Other ideas include free engraving with the purchase of 2 or more necklaces, free gift with purchase of $50 or more, free gift wrapping on purchases made before October 31st – you get the idea.

My October Marketing Plan for Online Shops (or Etsy Shops) is the best october-online-cover $12 you will every spend to really drive traffic and sales next month at your online shop.

Holiday Product Ideas for Your Online Shop

September 20, 2016 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

by Gail Oliver, Online Marketing Consultant

Are you ready to be inspired? My post today is definitely going to get you thinking! Christmas is the biggest buying season of the year, and, as an online shop, it provides you with new selling opportunities, particularly for holiday and Christmas-related products. Here are some ideas to consider:

holiday-products-ideas-for-your-online-shop

Christmas Decor Products

Think about all the places people want to decorate for Christmas. Beyond the obvious such as the holiday table, the mantle, the door, the tree and the exterior of the home, also realize that kids want to decorate their bedrooms, teens want to decorate their lockers, college students want holiday décor for their dorm rooms, and a lot of people want Christmas in every room of the house from the kitchen to the bathroom. Another hot trend is office cubicle decorating parties to bring a little festive fun to the workplace.

Holiday Card Photos

People are planning now for their holiday card photo, so they are looking for coordinating hats and outfits and they want a cool card design. Even if they don’t have a formal photo planned, just think of how people will be documenting every little aspect of Christmas day on Instagram. Holiday-related photography props could be huge!

Christmas Flavors & Scents

I think (and hope) the Pumpkin Spice Latte trend will start to fall off after this year because it is getting a little old, but Christmas does offer you opportunities to add flavors and scents to your products if applicable – gingerbread, candy cane, sugar cookie, christmas cookie, peppermint, eggnog, fruitcake, mulled wine, cranberry, nutmeg, eucalyptus, white spruce and apple cider are all the hot ones, but try combining two or more to really be unique. Peppermint Cranberry Eggnog anyone?

Christmas Fashion

Now, there is tasteful Christmas fashion, such as outfits needed for the holiday photo or something stylish to wear to the office party, and there is also the more whimsical Christmas fashion where everyone in the family wants to be draped in something with a Christmas theme (for those photos mentioned above). From ugly Christmas sweaters for your dog to “My First Christmas” baby bibs to light up Christmas tree earrings to family Christmas onesies – stretch your imagination to see if you can come up with the next hot fashion item for the holidays that is sure to attract press and attention on social media.

Christmas Movies and Songs

Quotes from classic movies and Christmas carols will once again find themselves emblazed across everything from napkins to t-shirts to mugs to phone cases. Which of your products could feature a memorable Christmas phrase?

Christmas Nostalgia

If you sell vintage, you still have plenty of opportunities at the holidays because people love reminders of their childhood Christmas. So dig up or even reinvent as many popular holiday items from Christmas past including vintage Christmas ornaments, art, cards, dinnerware, elves and toys.

Christmas Weddings

Wedding shops, these will be busy months for you as well as brides who are having a Christmas wedding will be shopping in October and November for Christmas place cards, Christmas cake toppers, Christmas pew bows and Christmas wedding programs.

Hanukkah and Kwanzaa Celebrations

Obviously not everyone celebrates Christmas and there are millions of people celebrating Hanukkah (December 24 to January 1) and Kwanzaa (December 26 to January 1st), so you may want to consider adding unique items reflecting these celebrations to your shop as well.

If you need creative ideas on how to market your shop for holiday buyers, including new products to add, try my 30-Minute Phone Consultation and I’ll come up with a ton of ideas! Be sure to also get my October Marketing Plan, which includes a Holiday Shop Checklist!

A Popular Search Phrase Your Online Store Needs to Use This Holiday Shopping Season

September 7, 2016 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

by Gail Oliver, Online Marketing Consultant

I was recently reading a report from Think with Google and it indicated that when people are holiday shopping, they can be completely overwhelmed by all of the choices out there. So to save time, consumers tend to rely on a popular search phrase that you may not have considered.

According to Google, in the top retail categories, mobile searches related to “best” products have grown by more than 50% in the last year.

In other words, most people don’t really have time to sift through 50,000 baby items on Amazon. They would rather just type “best baby gifts” and see what comes up.

So I went to Amazon and here is just a broad sampling of some “best’ searches:

best baby toys
best cat toys
best necklaces for girlfriend
best dad gifts
best gifts for 2 year old boys
best iphone 6s case
best kids water bottle
best organic toner
best jewelry organizer
best uncle gifts

Now, keep in mind that you have to be careful using the word “best” in advertising or promotion because you can’t really prove that you are the best, therefore it can be considered false advertising. However, you can use the phrase as a tag, as well in your product descriptions, if used in a non-challenging way. For example”

“Our goal was to create the best cat toy for your indoor cat.”

You can also include actual customer reviews in your product descriptions, where people have included the phrase, “the best cat toy“.

Also, you can add a shop category, even if just for the holiday season, that says, “Best Sellers”, so that when someone does land on your shop, they can quickly gravitate over to your most popular items.

✭MY RECENT REVIEWS✭

Your shop is not too late to benefit from my September Marketing Plan. There is one for Etsy Shops and one for non-Etsy Shops. Some reviews already for September’s Plan:

“OMG! This really works! I couldn’t wait to get started. I’ve bought a lot of Marketing Plans since I opened my shop, and this is the first one I’ve implemented that actually showed results right away.” Moments of Art

“Fantastic marketing advice as always. Can’t recommend Gail and her services enough!” Tanya Harrison Photography

“Highly recommend this marketing plan.” Naturelle Grow

More 12-Month Marketing Strategy Plans

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Cute Instagram Captions for Selfies

Cute Instagram Captions for Christmas

Cute Instagram Captions for Valentines Day

Cute Instagram Captions for St. Patricks Day

Cute Instagram Captions for Easter

Cute Instagram Captions for Halloween

Cute Instagram Captions for Pets

Cute Instagram Captions Inspirational

Cute Instagram Captions for Summer

Cute Instagram Captions for Fall

Cute Instagram Captions for Winter

Cute Instagram Captions for Spring

Cute Instagram Captions for Friends

Pretty Instagram Captions

Cute and Funny Instagram Captions

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20 Social Media Ideas for Real Estate Agents

Free Letter of Recommendation Template

More Personal Branding

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Like this:

Two Week Notice Letter Template Free

More Personal Branding

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Like this:

Some Creative Ideas for Package Inserts

Other Ideas

More Articles

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Some Examples of Weekly Special Offers:

My Weekly Special!

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Christmas Decor Products

Holiday Card Photos

Christmas Flavors & Scents

Christmas Fashion

Christmas Movies and Songs

Christmas Nostalgia

Christmas Weddings

Hanukkah and Kwanzaa Celebrations

Please Share on Social Media:

Like this:

✭MY RECENT REVIEWS✭

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