Category: Home (Page 5 of 34)

Free Download – Holiday Sales Success Tracker

December 17, 2021 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

For those of you who sell online, how were your holiday sales? I know things haven’t quite wrapped up yet, but I thought I would give a free download, which will help you put the holiday season into perspective.

My Holiday Sales Success Tracker helps you record and evaluate what you sold this year compared to last year, including what was your top seller and what was even your top selling day.

It compares Black Friday this year to Black Friday last year, as well as Cyber Monday and the key selling months of October, November and December overall. You can download it for free here. It will help planning your strategy for next year.

This tracker is from my Holiday Sales Planner, but it is a sample of the type of success trackers I offer in my Marketing Planner Bundle, as well as the type of “audit” pages I offer in my Business Strategy Planner.

How’s your small business doing? Were things going well and have fallen off? Are you still struggling to get things going? What are your business goals? Feel free to ask me a question at AttentionGetting{at}gmail.com.

5 Ways to Get Rid of Excess Product Inventory

December 8, 2021 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Did you possibly over estimate your holiday sales and now you have excess product inventory that you need to get rid of? Here are 5 things to try:

Do a flash sale for people looking for those after-Christmas deals; but they expect a big discount – at least 40% off.
Offer the products to a monthly subscription box service at the wholesale price.
If possible, repurpose the products into another product.
Package them into a Mystery Box (a hot trend).
Offer as a free gift with purchase of another item.

An inventory audit is just one of the business audits I cover in my Strategic Business Planner. I also include pages for doing a brand audit, customer audit, competitive audit, cost audit, sales channel audit, traffic audit, product audit and pricing audit.

How a Product Collaboration Can Quickly Expand Your Market

December 5, 2021 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

You can easily broaden your market if you partner on a product with another non-competitive business.

For example, if you’re an illustrator or artist why not offer some of your designs to a ceramics seller. This holiday plate from Anthropologie is a good example. Not only do you split the profits, but your art is now exposed to their customers and vice versa. Twice the marketing power!

Best Trending Hashtags Instagram

December 4, 2021 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Want to know the best trending hashtags Instagram or on Tiktok? Well it depends on the day. But it is a great opportunity for your small business to get seen.

In fact, a really great hashtag strategy for you to jump to the front is by starting your own trending hashtag based on anything that is going on in the world, in pop culture, top searches and more.

How to Find Potentially Trending Hashtags

Start by taking a look at the day’s news:

Is there a new #royalbaby born
Has a certain celebrity done something special i.e. #britneyswedding
Is it the anniversary of something historic i.e. #dday77thanniversary
Is it a fun national day i.e. #happynationaldogday

How about is there a question someone wants answered? Questions are particularly popular hashtags on Tiktok as people like to search for “how to” videos:

How to make banana bread? #howtomakebananabread #bananabreadhack #bestbananabread
Why is a tomato a fruit? #tomatofruitorvegetable
Where can I get free stuff on my birthday? #freestuff #mybirthday #birthdaydeals

Other Ways to Find Trending Hashtags

Another awesome way to find trending hashtags is to set up an account with Google Trends.

Every day you will get an email whereby Google Trends will tell you yesterday’s hot searched topics. Likely, these searches stick around for a few days, maybe even weeks, so you can quickly turn into a hashtag that might start trending or already is.

They might be bizarre, but they are what people are looking for. Some examples of popular Google searches:

Golf hats for big heads #golfhats #largegolfhats #oversizedgolfhats
Easy undo for medium length hair #easyupdos #promhair #hairstylesprom
Run rule in college baseball #runrule #collegebaseballrules

Hashtag PDFs

What is Social Media Marketing?

November 29, 2021 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

What is social media marketing? I get asked this a lot. It really is a marketing tactic that only started less than 20 years ago, when Facebook started. Now we have Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr, YouTube and TikTok.

These social media platforms are free to use and to post to. They all have audiences in the millions, so that makes them very attractive for small businesses.

What is Social Media Used For?

But business was never social media’s original purpose. The original intent was for people to be able to communicate and share information with friends and family. However, business has taken over. Every business has set up a profile on at least one if not all of these social media platforms. They post content daily promoting their business, and they advertise on these platforms as well.

Each of these social media sites has a different format, and a different audience, but the goal for small business is to use social media to get infront of their customers.

Social Media Marketing Tips

To be successful on social media, especially if you are a small business, is to just focus on the platforms where your customers lie. Otherwise it will become too time consuming for you.

For example, Facebook tends to have a audience of people ages 35 to 60. Instagram is more for 18 to 35, and Tiktok is quite young at 12 to 25.

Social Media Marketing Ideas for Small Business

The key to making social media attract attention for your small business, is to not just post your products. What you want to do is post content that interests them, as well as answer questions.

For example, if you sell jewelry, post a graphic that features various ways to organize your jewelry, as this is a top Google search.

Alternatively, post pieces of your jewelry as part of an entire outfit, using the popular hashtag #ootd (stands for outfit of the day).

Social Media Examples

If you need some good examples of how businesses use social media, here are some of my favorites:

Social Media Marketing PDFs

Social Media Marketing Articles

Online Home Bakery Marketing Plan

November 23, 2021 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

If you’re an online or home bakery looking to get more traffic to your business, my Online Home Bakery Marketing Plan is really all you need!

My 12-Month Online Bakery Marketing Plan gives you hundred of tactics to do each month focusing on advertising, publicity, content marketing, social media, promotions, email marketing and so much more.

There are over 300 creative tactics in all. Here are just a few example tactics from the January page (you get all 12 months in the plan):

Bakery Marketing Plan Tactic: Publicity

Submit an email pitch to your newspaper’s food editor asking them to mention your shop in honor of National Baking Month (January), for a story about local bakeries that sell online.

Bakery Marketing Plan Tactic: Social Media

Sample page. Click to download all 12 months.

Post a cake with icing that reads, “Happy New Year” on Jan 1st #cakesofinstagram #cakestagram #cakedesign #cakeart #instacake.

Bakery Marketing Plan Tactic: Social Media

Post a carousel or reel of a favorite baking tool or accessory every day for #NationalBakingMonth (January).

Bakery Marketing Plan Tactic: Email

Change up your email opt-in incentive to include a free one-page printable calendar for the new year clearly labeled with your shop name and url as a frequent reminder, even marketing dates for holidays and what appropriate baked good gift they could send to someone.

Bakery Marketing Plan Tactic: Sales

Ask a few local coffee shops or food trucks if they will carry your baked goods, even if just for National Baking Month (January).

Bakery Marketing Plan Tactic: Content Marketing

Click to download.

Write a short article on “Great Food Gifts to Send to a Friend” with a byline that mentions your bakery name and website url, and submit it to Buzzfeed.

I hope you enjoyed these online bakery marketing plan ideas. Start marketing your online or home bakery business! Download the plan today!

If you’re a small business and you need more marketing advice, be sure to see my products and services. Be sure to also read: 101 Promotional Ideas for Your Small Business.

Personal Trainer Marketing Plan

November 15, 2021 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

personal trainer marketing plan Need a marketing plan for your personal trainer business?

If you are a personal trainer looking to get more clients, my 12-Month Personal Trainer Marketing Plan is really all you need!

My plan gives you easy, low cost and no cost tactics to do each month focusing on advertising, publicity, content marketing, social media, promotions, email marketing and more.

This plan is all filled in for you so I make it super easy!

There are over 300 tactics split up by months so that the entire year is covered. Here are some examples.

Personal Trainer Marketing Tactic: Publicity

Email a story idea pitch to various wedding blogs, particularly local ones with your tips on “Easy Ways to Get in Shape for Your Wedding”.

Personal Trainer Marketing Tactic: Advertising

Leave coupons, business cards or flyers for your business on cars parked outside local gyms, yoga studios and fitness events/shows.

Personal Trainer Marketing Tactic: Social Media

Post a 30-day #fitnesschallenge on January 1st for the entire month, challenging followers to do at least 20 minutes of cardio a day, and have followers comment if they completed their challenge today.

Personal Trainer Marketing Plan Tactic: Social Media

Post your workout #playlist and ask followers theirs for #musicmonday.

Personal Trainer Marketing Tactic: Email

Change up your email opt-in incentive to include a free one-page printable workout calendar for the new year clearly labeled with your business name and url, as a frequent reminder.

Personal Trainer Marketing Plan Tactic: Promotions

Consider offing a special class for couples on Valentine’s Day or for singles on Galentines.

Personal Trainer Marketing Tactic: Promotions

Ask a local Weight Watchers group if you could speak at their next meetings, offering low impact fitness tips.

Start marketing your personal trainer business! Download the plan today!

If you are a small business and you need more marketing advice, be sure to see my products and services. Be sure to also read: 101 Promotional Ideas for Your Small Business.

Travel Agency Marketing Plan PDF for 2024

November 14, 2021 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Click to download!

If you’re a travel agent looking to get more clients, my best-selling 12-Month Travel Agency/Agent Marketing Plan is all you need, with hundreds of tactics to do each month focusing on advertising, publicity, content marketing, social media, promotions, email marketing and more.

Travel Agency Publicity Ideas for January

Email a story pitch to the travel writer at your local newspaper (with a quote from you) for “The Best Places to Visit in the New Year” in hopes of getting your agency and name a mention.
Check and submit daily to HARO (Help a Reporter) requests that apply (sign up for these PR requests for free).

Travel Agency Advertising Ideas for January

Add your travel agency to Trip Advisor if you have a physical store presence where tourists can drop in off the street for tourist advice. Then you might be able to get listed as a “Tourist/Visitor Center”.

Travel Agency Social Media Ideas for January

Download

Post your Travel Bucket List for the new year and ask followers to comment on the one place they want to go to.
Give a #shoutout to a favorite travel blog every Sunday for #SundayBlogshare (tag the blog so they repost).
Post a mood board of your favorite travel products for #NationalShopforTravelDay on January 14th and give shoutouts to the shops.
Post a poll asking followers their favorite all-time vacation spot for #GetToKnowYourCustomersDay on January 16th.
Post a list or photo carousal or reel of the top cities to visit in Florida for #NationalFloridaDay on January 25th.
Post your favorite travel booking tips for #NationalPlanforVacationDay on January 28th.
Tweet out a #quote every Friday for #FridayFeeling that has to with “escaping” or “getting away” (quotes are very popular on Twitter)
Set up a YouTube channel to show “2-Minute Virtual Vacation” videos.
Comment daily on the Instagram and Facebook posts of local media & sports teams to get seen by your local market.

Travel Agency Email Marketing Ideas for January

Create a free email signature (use WiseStamp) and include a linkable banner to your agency’s website, links to your social media sites and your latest blog post.
Email your customers your winter or Valentine’s day vacation specials, spring break getaways and any new blog posts.
Change up your email opt-in incentive to include a free one-page printable calendar for the new year clearly labeled with your agency’s name and url, as a frequent reminder; or do a 12-month calendar, each month showing an amazing place to visit at that time of year.

Travel Agency Content Marketing Ideas for January

Write your own article on “The Best Places to Visit in the New Year” with a byline that has your business name and submit it to Buzzfeed,
If you haven’t already, create a blog to drive traffic to your shop. You can then circulate your blog posts on social media as well as on blog sharing sites like BLOGLOVIN’ and BLOGARAMA even if your posts are something as simple as mentioning events going on in your city each weekend, such as “What to Do in {Your City} This Weekend”. It also gives you a reason to email your customers weekly.

Travel Agency Sales & Promotion Idea

Comment daily on the latest blog posts of popular local news media and magazines as a great way to get seen by their readers.
Create a monthly or seasonal Travel Trend Report, great for handing out at trade shows, posting to social media, emailing to clients. Use my template.
Find additional revenue potential signing up with Travel Agent to earn 8% commission on all tours and activities you sell on their site.

Download the entire 12-Month Travel Agent Marketing Plan! Read some of the reviews below.

Travel Agency Marketing Plan PDF

Click to download

Start marketing your travel agency business! Download the plan today!

If you are a small business and need marketing help, please see my services and product pages.

travel agent agency marketing plan pdf

Black Friday Ecommerce Checklist

November 11, 2021 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Black Friday Ecommerce checklist

Need a Black Friday ecommerce checklist? It is a great way to make sure you are ready for the biggest selling time of the year with this handy checklist.

Black Friday / Cyber Monday Checklist

Host a giveaway on social media, two weeks before Black Friday (so tomorrow) to attract the attention of potential new customers.
Check product inventory and supply inventory levels.
Check packaging and shipping supplies inventory levels.
Update store inventory levels if they are getting low, so you do not sell out and cause listings to deactivate.
Check all expired, sold out and inactive listings to see if there is anything that needs to be re-listed.
Update social media shop banners and avatars for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa & New Years products & sales.
Update store banner & avatar for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa & New Years products & sales. Be sure to add “Last Day To Order By” date.
Update shop owner photo to a festive one, just for fun.
Change email signature to show holiday, Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.
Consider increasing daily ad budget for the month of November or just for November 25th to November 29th.
Only run ads on listings that have the highest sales conversion rate to maximize ad dollars.
Email customers Black Friday offers on November 25th.
Email customers Cyber Monday offers on November 28th.
Post to social media daily, and several times a day from November 25th to November 29th.
Comment daily on popular Facebook and Instagram posts that your target market reads, to get seen by their followers.
If you sell on Etsy, close orders as soon as they ship, to avoid shop getting paused.
Check that all links are working. Links from your social media sites to your store, and vice versa.
Include coupons or gift guides for Valentine’s Day in all packages.
If comfortable, encourage local buyers to do curb side pickup.
Email your local business writer(s) today and ask to have either your Black Friday, Small Business Saturday or Cyber Monday special mentioned in any write-ups they are doing.

Book a 30-minute phone consultation with me to get personalized marketing advice for your online business!

New here? Learn more About Me.

Category: Home (Page 5 of 34)

Free Download – Holiday Sales Success Tracker

Like this:

5 Ways to Get Rid of Excess Product Inventory

How a Product Collaboration Can Quickly Expand Your Market

Like this: