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Quirky Products That Sell

February 14, 2013 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

quirky products that sell I love quirky products, and they sell. To me they show innovation and creativity and are so inspiring in terms of product ideas. Plus, as I’ve said many times, quirky products always sell and always get publicity!

Quirky Product: Word Search Dish

Word Search Crystal Dish by Kate Spade New York

I love this crystal dish by Kate Spade. There are also matching mugs with crossword patterns as well. It is fun, colorful and conversational, which is perfect when you are using a dish like this to serve to guests.

Quirky Product: BFF Pendant Set

Zelda and Becky Play Telephone from Flapper Doodle

Just when you thought there were no more ways to do a BFF necklace (Best Friends Forever), Flapper Doodle comes out with this adorable pendant set. What I love about this is the originality. No heart divided in two that has to fit together or one pendant says “Best” and the other says “Friend”. Instead they really did something fresh and eye catching.

Quirky Product: Skeleton Shirt

Quirky Products That Sell

What I like about this Skeleton shirt from Romwe, is that it is definitely not something you would normally see on a traditional white shirt. Now, it is made to be street fashion, but you could probably get away with wearing it to work on Halloween.

Quirky Product: Office Chair Cell Phone Holders

Office Chair Cell Phone Holders from the Lakeside Collection

Cell phones have created quite the cottage industry, and unusual holders have been one of the most popular products to result. This set of 3 office chair holders from the Lakeside Collection is pretty whimsical if your daughter doesn’t steal them for her Barbies.

Quirky Product: Cat iPhone Case

Grey Wool iPhone Case from TokyoInspired on Etsy

There are so many creative iPhone cases out there, but you have to love this one from TokyoInspired on Etsy, especially for the cat lady in your life. Really creative design by incorporating the zipper as the mouth and using wool fabric. Love it!

How to Get Blogs to Feature Your Products

February 12, 2013 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Ever wonder how to get blogs to feature your products?

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

So, if you sell fashion, you would love to have a top fashion blog mention your products. If you sell wedding items, you would love to have a top wedding blog mention your products. So how do you do this?

Bloggers are constantly looking for new and exciting story ideas. Therefore, the key is to pitch a story, not a product.

How to Submit to Blogs

Before you pitch your products to any blog, you need to check out their content first, mostly to make sure that you are not submitting a story idea that they have already recently done.

So, think of something timely (bloggers are looking up to six weeks in advance) like an upcoming holiday. An example story pitch would then be “10 Great Finds for Your Easter Dinner Table”.

Then read their submission guidelines. Typically, a blog’s editors will detail what they are looking for, and what they are NOT looking for. It is best to read this part and do what they say for the best chance of success. NY TIMES SMALL BUSINESS

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

Keep the pitch short and to the point. Link to your product. Insert, do not attach, a photo (it will go into spam otherwise).

Customer Success Stories

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

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

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

My Publicity Pitch Service

I’ve written pitches that have gotten my customers featured in Real Simple Magazine, Apartment Therapy, House Beautiful, Vanity Fair, Houzz.com, Glamour Magazine, LONNY, DesignMilk, Emmaline Bride, Martha Stewart, just to name a few. My publicity pitch service is just $59 USD where I will write a story pitch with 10 top media contacts for you to send to.

New Product Ideas for Artists and Photographers

February 5, 2013 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

product ideas artists photographers Want some product ideas for artists and photographers?

Art and photography can be a tough sell these days. Thanks to the online marketplace, it is becoming even more saturated and as a result, prices have dropped. It is a wonder that artists can make any money any more.

But that is when you have to get creative! Just like any product that is in a saturated market, you need to find new ways to repurpose your art for different markets in a manner you don’t feel hurts your artistic integrity.

Everyone has gone in an art museum gift shop and seen Van Gogh’s The Starry Night, among others, repurposed onto umbrellas, note cards, coasters, you name it. Now, I have found a few other unique ways art and photography have been “repurposed” that may inspire the artists out there.

Add Art to Textiles

There are so many opportunities to add your original art and photography designs to various types of textiles for resale, from dish towels and duvets to shower curtains and pillows. Just look around you to see the opportunities.

Add Art to Everyday Items

The water bottle market is a hot one, with people paying big dollars for decorative bottles. So why not put your own art or photography on water bottles, tumblers, coasters, and coffee mugs. It also serves as a great way to promote your business as a promotional items.

Add Some Class to Your Cell Phone

Again, your art is ideal for a cell phone cover, not to mention a laptop case, even tech backgrounds and digital calendars. The possibilities are endless!

Wear Your Art

So many art designs and fine art photography are being used in fashion, such as the boots below, t-shirts, skirts, headbands, hats, beach coverups, even flip-flops.

More Ideas

Find hundreds of more great marketing tactics in my 12-Month Marketing Plan for Online Art Stores.

Be sure to also read: More Ideas to Promote Your Art Business

How to Increase the Chance of a Closing a Sale

February 1, 2013 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Want to increase the chance of closing a sale?

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

Encourage People to Ask You a Question

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

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

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

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

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

Questions Help Create a Dialogue

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

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

Label Your Products So Future Buyers Can Find You

January 30, 2013 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

How Do I Label My Product? Is that something you are asking yourself?

Let me give you an example of why labelling is so important.

We recently had a family photo taken and one of the primary reasons was to use it as a Christmas card. After we got the card back and I was about to send it out to people, I realized that our wonderful photographer missed out on a great opportunity.

The photo we were using for the card could have easily included a line below, “Photo by Starmark Photography” because I am sure that some of our friends and family are always on the lookout for a good photographer. Free advertising.

How do you make sure that people, who did not buy your product but may see it in a customer’s home, at a wedding, wearing it, etc., know that it’s from your shop? Sometimes when you are a small vendor, you forget to label your work.

Ways to Label Your Products

If you do greeting cards, or essentially any type of paper product, it is easy to include text on the back, “made by XYZ company”.
If you make clothing, hats or scarves, you can easily attach a fabric label.
If you make ceramic or wood products, you can imprint your company name on a part of the product that isn’t clearly visible (like the bottom of a vase) but there if people are looking for it.
My husband bought this great iPad cover and luckily the vendor was smart enough to include a label with his company name sewn on the inside flap, because we just remember that we bought it on Fab, not who from.
A lot of people sell iPhone covers, where are you putting your label?
Sometimes you have to get creative about how to sneak your name in. Maybe if you sell soap or candles, insert a small plastic disc (the size of a quarter) with your name on it into the middle of the bar of soap or candle that will appear when it starts to run down so they know to buy more (and where from!). This is really helpful if the item was given as a gift.

Now some products are not that easy to label, such as jewelry (unless you put a small metal tag on the clasp of a necklace) smaller scale products and edible products.

My point is, are you remembering to label your products? If you haven’t, start now to get that referral business and repeat customers.

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.

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

How to Effectively Use Your Photos to Sell Your Products

January 24, 2013 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Using Photos to Sell Products Are you using your photos to sell your products in the most effective way?

Take a look at the photo below. It is from a wedding blog called, Style Me Pretty. The photographer took a photograph of the bride holding a variety of clutch purses, which are obviously gifts for her attendants. This photo caught my eye because I actually thought it was an ad for the shop selling the purses. It wasn’t, just a good photographer capturing every detail of a wedding.

Now, if I was selling clutch purses, I would add a photo like this to my shop. Why? Because with one photo I just gave a visitor another reason to buy that they may not have thought about.

Show Who the Product May Be For

What if a bride is visiting my purse shop, but just looking for one for herself. She sees a photo like this and it automatically registers that, yes, these purses would make a great attendant gift. Much more effective then just putting it in the product description because photos convey the idea so much faster than words. While you need photos that are strictly of the product (as these are the ones that tend to get picked up for editorial) you also need photos that quickly tell visitors the need and uses for your product.

Show Uses for the Product

Another example for you. I recently saw a lot of baby onesies online with a Santa or Christmas motif. Every shop just had a photo of the onesie, or the onesie on a baby. However, I thought why doesn’t anyone have a photo of the baby wearing the onesie sitting on Santa’s knee? Wouldn’t it be the perfect thing to wear for baby’s first photo with Santa? A visitor to your shop would see a photo like this and think, I will get more use out of this than just Christmas morning, I can use it for the Santa photo. Therefore the product now has more value, and I am more likely to buy. So think of all the people who would buy your product, or all the reasons someone would buy your product, and see if you can come up with a photo that conveys this to visitors. It may do your selling for you

About Me

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

How to Get Local Publicity for Your Small Business

January 21, 2013 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

local publicity small business Want some free local publicity for your small business?

Did 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.

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. You can also use local publicity and turn it into national publicity.

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.

It can also be a local magazine, blog and/or lifestyle TV show.

Story Ideas 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 are some story ideas, just so you understand what to pitch:

Local Woman Finds Success with her Gluten-free Desserts Business
Valentine’s Gift Ideas from Local Shops
Local Artisans Finding Success on Etsy

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 How Fashionable Dog Accessories has become a billion dollar market…”

How to Repurpose Your Products to Expand Your Market

January 18, 2013 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

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

Glass Vase Fillers at Pottery Barn

Christmas Ornaments Become Vase Fillers

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

Necklace Pendants Become Drawer Pulls

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

TOMS White Crochet Wedding Slippers

Crocheted Slippers Become Bridal Slippers

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

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

Why Including Your Business Card Is NEVER a Bad Idea

January 15, 2013 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Business card promotion is an effective marketing tactic.

The other day someone asked me if including a business card in the package they were sending to a customer was in poor taste.

Seriously? This is a person who just bought from you, why would that be in poor taste? Leaving business cards in church pews, now that is tacky. But giving a business card to a customer, that is a necessity, and if you even question that I am worried about your marketing savvy.

Business Cards Help You Get Repeat Business

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

When You Can’t Put a Label on Your Product

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

Business Cards Help You Get New Business

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

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

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

About Me

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

How to Pitch Your Products to Editors

January 11, 2013 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

by Gail Oliver, Online Marketing Consultant

Some small businesses seem to be at a loss about how to submit their products to editors of blogs, magazines, newspapers, and so forth, in order to have their product included in an article. My biggest advice is always, “pitch a story, not a product”.

Pitch a Story, Not a Product

Writers are constantly running out of story ideas, so if you feed them one, they are very appreciative. 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 article headlines to help you get a better understanding of what ideas to pitch:

Examples of Product-Related Editorial Pitches

17 Red-Carpet Worthy Jewels
5 Winter Fashion Must-Haves Under $50
15 Hostess Gifts Under $20
10 Great Finds for a Nautical Theme Kids Room
20 Baby Products That Will Make New Moms Lives Easier
Emerald Green Wedding Inspiration
12 Fantastic Gifts for Foodies
Eco-Friendly Products Perfect for Celebrating Earth Day
Our Favorite Online Vintage Shops
New Pet Products That Will Keep Your Dog Trim

Keep in mind the more intriguing the story pitch, the more unusual the story pitch, and 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.

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Gail

Quirky Product: Word Search Dish

Quirky Product: BFF Pendant Set

Quirky Product: Skeleton Shirt

Quirky Product: Office Chair Cell Phone Holders

Quirky Product: Cat iPhone Case

MORE PRODUCT ARTICLES:

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How to Submit to Blogs

Customer Success Stories

My Publicity Pitch Service

More Posts

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Add Art to Textiles

Add Art to Everyday Items

Add Some Class to Your Cell Phone

Wear Your Art

More Ideas

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Encourage People to Ask You a Question

Questions Help Create a Dialogue

MORE SALES ARTICLES:

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Ways to Label Your Products

About Me

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Show Who the Product May Be For

Show Uses for the Product

About Me

More Product Photography Posts

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How to Approach a Local Reporter

Story Ideas to Pitch

MORE PUBLICITY ARTICLES:

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Christmas Ornaments Become Vase Fillers

Necklace Pendants Become Drawer Pulls

Crocheted Slippers Become Bridal Slippers

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Business Cards Help You Get Repeat Business

When You Can’t Put a Label on Your Product

Business Cards Help You Get New Business

About Me

More Fall Theme Posts

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Pitch a Story, Not a Product

Examples of Product-Related Editorial Pitches

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