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Marketing Plan Template Example

March 12, 2021 /

Marketing Plan Template Example

If you need a marketing plan template example, my 12-Month Small Business Marketing Plans can help.

I came up with my 12-Month Marketing Plans for small businesses, as a way to inspire you with my easy, proven and sometimes out-of-the-box tactics, so you can effectively market and promote your business – especially if you have little marketing experience and a limited budget.

Marketing Tactics That Really Work

Now, I have been in marketing a looong time. I can tell you first hand that the three most effective forms of marketing, in terms of actually generating sales, are:

  • SEO
  • Advertising
  • Email Marketinglife coach marketing plan template example pdf

Again, I am talking about generating sales, and agreed, this could vary depending on the type of business.

If you are just looking to create brand awareness, then Social Media definitely plays a bigger role. But, as I have proven in past blog posts, both social media and “influencer” marketing does not always result in sales (see my post: Proof that Social Media Mentions Don’t Always Results in Big Sales).

I am also a big believer in free Publicity, but again, that can go either way. It might not always result in a ton of sales, but it has longevity in providing you with creditability.

Add to that Sales Promotions, Alliance Marketing and Content Marketing and you have a well-rounded tactical plan:

  • Social Media
  • Publicity
  • Sales Promotions
  • Alliance Marketing
  • Content Marketing
Some of the Tactics in my Marketing PlansJewelry Marketing Plan Template Example

I have 12-Month Marketing Plans for all types of businesses (with more coming), so here are some sample tactics to try:

  • If you sell baby products, pin a collage of your favorite baby items (include ones you sell) to Pinterest and entitle the pin, “Having a Baby” as this search phrase gets 5 million searches a month on Pinterest. You also need to use the hashtag #HavingaBaby in the pin description. 
  • If you sell skincare, bath or beauty products, ask local AirBnB owners if you could be their official supplier or even just leave free samples for their renters to try.
  • If you sell vintage items, consider also selling your items on the vintage selling app, Evintage.
  • If you sell eco-friendly products, sponsor a reader poll with the blog Earth911 based on a question you provide. You get the exposure as well as the data gathered from the poll.
Try This Idea!

So, let me give you an tactic that can result in free publicity for you. Let’s say that you sell swimwear. Why not have a few product photos taken at a local hotel’s outdoor pool. You give a shoutout to the hotel and they will likely repost the photos on their social media sites as well, giving you exposure to their followers.

You can do this with almost any type of product. If you sell dog collars, for example, post a photo of your dog wearing one of your collars while sitting with you at a popular local outdoor bistro, and give a shoutout to the restaurant. Use location photos to your advantage!Marketing Plan Template Example

I hope you’ll try my 12-Month Marketing Plans, and if there is a business you would like to see a plan for, please let me know!

Download One of My Plans
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© 2021 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved.Marketing Plan Template Example.

My Favorite Marketing Ideas of the Month

March 2, 2021 /

Favorite Marketing Ideas

I love writing about my favorite marketing ideas.

So, I’m always on the lookout for effective marketing tactics that online stores are trying on their websites to make more sales.

Here are three good marketing ideas I found this week that you might want to try with your online store.

Favorite Marketing Idea #1: An Effective Rewards Program

Rewards programs are a great way to maintain customer loyalty, but they can also get your customers to do your marketing for you. Look at the effective way that Urban Outfitters uses their rewards program below, with points for everything from downloading the app to writing a review. I would also add points for sharing purchases on social media and referring to friends. 

favorite marketing ideas

Favorite Marketing Idea #2: New Location for Email Opt-In

Are you finding that people are just not signing up for your email list? Then put the email opt-in right in with your product photos, the way Society6 does below.

favorite marketing ideas

Favorite Marketing Idea #3: Use the Sidebar on Your Blog

If you have a blog as part of your ecommerce site, you should be using your sidebar to direct customers back to the shop, the way the blog Food52 does below, especially if you focus the ad graphic on one product category and add a “SHOP NOW” button.

favorite marketing ideas

About Me

A 20+ year marketing professional, small business consultant, ebook author & blogger, my advice has been featured in the NY Times, Success Magazine, American Express, Big Commerce, Business2Community to name a few – so this is professional advice you can trust!

I have consulted for thousands of small businesses since 2012. It really does help to talk to someone who is objective to get a new, but professional, perspective. I have also written publicity pitches for clients that resulted in them being 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. Learn more about my services here. 

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My Etsy Store
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© 2021 Gail Oliver. All right reserved. Favorite Marketing Ideas.

Two Proven Marketing Pricing Strategies To Try

February 24, 2021 /

marketing pricing strategiesToday I am giving two proven marketing pricing strategies to try. A lot of people still do not understand how the law of supply and demand impacts their business, and how it can also affect your pricing strategies. So here are two proven pricing strategies to try based on when times are busy and times are slow.

When Demand is High

For example, if your business is crazy busy right now and you have more sales than you can handle, do not turn any business away (because these customers might never come back). Instead raise your prices, if only temporary, and especially if your supply or resources is limited.

Another good time to raise your prices is close to the last days of any major buying time for your business. For example, people who wait until the last minute to buy Christmas gifts or Mother’s Day gifts, will pay a premium for their procrastination, likely due to diminished supply.

Remember, people will spend more when supply is scarce and when the need is urgent. That is why toilet paper and hand sanitizer shot up in price during the initial stages of COVID-19. I am not saying to gouge people, that’s wrong, but a reasonable increase in price of 10 to 25%.

When Demand is Low

Now, what about when demand for your products is low? This happens when a product is nearing the end of its life cycle or the market is saturated with competitors. This is when you should have a sale, especially if your supply is high, and a significant sale to get rid of inventory so you are not stuck with it.

For example, winter fashions featuring a trend that might not be around next winter, are best to get rid of at deep discounts of 40 to 70% in February and March. Better to make some money then to get stuck with the inventory. Plus, these new customers might turn into return/repeat customers.

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© 2021 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. Proven Marketing Pricing Strategies To Try.

Free Profit and Loss Statement Template Google Sheets

February 8, 2021 /

If you’re a small business in need of a simple profit and loss statement template, I have a free one that I did in Google Sheets. Just click the link below to use and edit and customize for your business:

Profit and Loss Statement Template Google Sheets

free profit and loss statement template google sheets

Free Profit and Loss Statement Template Google Sheets

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© 2024 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. Free Profit and Loss Statement Template Google Sheets

Product Inspiration: Cool Ideas of the Month

February 3, 2021 /

cool product ideas for 2021

Sometimes the best way to find a new product idea is to fuse two popular products together. Instantly, you double your market. 

Quilt + Game Board

People are staying home and playing games, so I saw these quilts that have game boards as the pattern and thought it was brilliant!

Other products that could incorporate a game board: a wooden cutting board, a serving tray, a throw pillow, floor pillows, placemats, table cloths, dish towels and beach towels.

Planter + Phone Charger 

Everyone wants a phone stand for the bedside table, but there is only so much space. So why not combine it with a planter!

Other products that could incorporate a phone charger stand: a lamp, bookends, an alarm clock, a tissue box, a Kindle holder, and an eye glasses holder.

Anklet + Ankle Weights

You want to add weights to your walking routine, but you don’t want them to look obvious. These stylish white stretch bangles are one pound each (.45 kilos), and you can wear them on your wrists as well.

Other fashion accessories that could incorporate light weights: belts, socks, gloves, sandals, fanny packs and tank tops.

 

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© 2021 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. Cool Products Ideas Inspiration.

How to Stay Connected with Customers When Business is Slow

January 21, 2021 /

How to Stay Connected with Customers Want to know how to stay connected to customers when business is slow?

The pandemic has not been kind to a lot of businesses, however, how you use this time can have a positive impact once it’s over and things get back to normal.

Right now, your customers, and people in general, appreciate genuine contact as well as acts of kindness.

For example, in November, when I released a new version of one of my downloads, I sent a free copy to anyone who had purchased the 2020 version in the last quarter of the year, just because I thought it was the right thing to do.

I was amazed by the response. One person even told me it brought them to tears. It was not the reason I did it, but it showed me how much a simple kind gesture means to people, especially when times are difficult.

My feeling has always been when you put out positive it does come back to you. Put out negative, that can come back to you too.

My Advice to Stay Connected with Customers
  • Give a shoutout on your social media site to a local business, charity or organization that you feel might be struggling. Your customers and followers will appreciate you looking out for a business other than yours.
  • Post a kind review about any business you have recently purchased from to your social media sites, encouraging others the importance of giving positive feedback (we all get enough negative).
  • Email your customers a kind message of hope without any type of promotion for your business.
  • Send your customers something free, like a 2021 calendar page download, which really doesn’t cost you anything but might mean a lot to them.
  • Simply post to social media asking your customers how they are doing.

I hope everyone is doing well, considering the circumstances, and that 2021 is a profitable year for your business.

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.How to Stay Connected with Customers

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.

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© 2021 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. How to Stay Connected with Customers

5 Big Mistakes I Saw Businesses Make This Year

December 18, 2020 /

mistakes businesses made in 2020

I do A LOT of small businesses consultations each year, and since it is the end of the year, I thought I would wrap-up with some common mistakes that you might wish to avoid making in 2021.

Too Much Dependence on Social Media

I have so many customers who just want more social media traffic, even though it has proven to not be the top source for converting into sales (it’s not even in the top three). But it also depends on the nature of your business.

If you run a blog, then yes, social media traffic is a very good thing for you. However, if you are running a shop, social media traffic can be hit or miss. A lot of the time when I’m analyzing a shop ‘s low conversion rate, I typically find that their top traffic source was from social media.

My Advice: I am not saying you don’t need social media, but if I wouldn’t focus 100% of my marketing efforts there.

Paying for Traffic

There are certain sites out there (that shall remain nameless) that will send you traffic if you pay for it. It’s FAKE traffic, just bots. I have seen it many times, stores showing me their stats whereby they got tens of thousands of visits in one month from this traffic source they paid for, and not one sale! Given the 1% rule, this is pretty much impossible. So it means it is not real traffic.

Besides being a waste of money, there are other reasons why you do not want fake traffic. If you sell on Amazon or Etsy, conversion rates play a factor in how your listings rank in search results. Your fake traffic hurts your conversion rate, so you are also hurting your SEO.

My Advice: This also takes me back to my point about social media. Too much social media traffic that doesn’t convert, will also hurt your SEO. So stop paying for fake traffic.

Not Pricing for Labor

The handmade business can be a tough one if you are the sole source of labor. I have spoken of this many times, but if you are not including your labor in your prices, you will find yourself working really hard to make little money.

In other words, taking one hour to make a product that you are going to sell for $15 is not a great business model, as you are essentially paying yourself $15 an hour less materials, less fees, less marketing costs, less packaging, less other business expenses.

You also have to think of the scalability. If you can only physically make ten $15 products a day, then 10 x $15 = $150 is the maximum daily revenue of your business, as you cannot sell more than you can make – and this is still gross, not net.

My Advice: Make sure you are pricing to make the net amount of money you want to make in one day, yet still be competitively priced.

Not Doing Anything Different

You know the expression of doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results? People do this with their business all the time. Have you been hesitant to run a sale? Do you fear spending money on advertising? Do you keep making products that just aren’t selling?

My Advice: If what you are doing isn’t working, it’s time to make some drastic changes and take a few risks, or expect more of the same lack of success in 2021.

Not Pivoting When Business Fell Off

It was a very difficult year for a lot of businesses due to COVID. But, as a business, you always have to be prepared for the unexpected and be willing to pivot quickly in a new direction.

For example, a lot of my clients who offer textiles did exactly this, and pivoted over to making face masks and found success as a result. Travel businesses were greatly impacted, so I saw clients pivoting to offering virtual travel experiences as one way to stay afloat. I also had clients that pivoted to teaching their craft (as opposed to using it to create products) to take advantage of the interest in Zoom learning.

My Advice: You have to be able to react quickly to sudden business changes and always have a plan B, C and D waiting in the wings.

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© 2020 Gail Oliver. All Rights Reserved.

Proof that Social Media Mentions Don’t Always Result in Big Sales

November 29, 2020 /

by Gail Oliver, Online Marketing Consultant

Proof that social media mentions do not mean big sales

I was never a big believer in using social media “influencers” to get your product in front of thousands of people, because, the truth is, it just doesn’t convert into sales as highly as people think.

Actual Results When Products Were Mentioned on a Popular Account

To prove my point, I started watching products that were posted to Etsy’s Instagram account, which has 2.5 million followers. I would definitely call Etsy an influencer, except they are doing it for free.

Here is what I found when I checked back on individual shops, 24-hours after their product appeared on Etsy’s Instagram:

  • Shop A got 0 sales.
  • Shop B got 99 sales, but there is no evidence that all of the sales came solely from the mention, and not from their normal sales efforts as they were already a successful shop.
  • Shop C got 43 sales, again, no evidence that all of the sales came solely from the mention.
  • Shop D got 7 sales.
  • Shop E got 18 sales.
  • Shop F got 40 sales.
  • Shop G got 24 sales.
  • Shop H got 2 sales.

Now, I am not saying that getting a mention on Etsy’s Instagram wouldn’t be good for your business. I am saying that paying to be mentioned on someone’s Instagram account may not bring you the results you expected.

Getting mentioned on social media is not the same as getting publicity.  On social media, people are flipping through their posts, mostly looking at their personal posts and not necessarily in a buying mood. A mention on a blog is different, because now SEO is involved.

For example an article that appeared in USA Today online entitled, “60 Best Gifts for Mom” gets 50,000 hits a month of continual traffic. If people are searching “gifts for mom”, then they are obviously in a buying mood. Plus, getting publicity with a creditable blog is typically free.

Therefore, tread carefully before you spend money with an “influencer”. Spending the money on a social media giveaway (read my post: Best Tips for an Instagram Giveaway) might be a more cost-effective option.

Ask My Advice!

If you sell online (or want to) my very affordable Phone Consultations are a great opportunity to get personalized advice and get your store on the right path for 2021.

 

 

 

© 2020 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved.

How to Determine Your Daily Online Ad Budget

November 20, 2020 /
How to Determine Daily Online Ad Budget Etsy

Daily Online Ad Budget

Confused by what to make your daily online ad budget? A lot of clients ask me how much should they spend daily on ads. The truth is, it can be complicated and one approach does not work for all businesses.

Whether it is on Google, Etsy, Amazon or social media, one simple way to look at it, is to analyze your ad impressions, ad clicks and the sales that result.

If you take the basic conversion rate rule of 1%, this means 10,000 ad impressions → 100 clicks → 1 sale (worse case scenario).

Breaking Your Daily Online Ad Budget Down

For example, let’s say your sales conversion rate is 2% (orders/clicks). Then 50 clicks → 1 sale.

If you are not getting enough ad impressions to get at least 50 clicks, then it is unlikely that you will get that one sale, and the money spent that day will be for not.

So, your ad budget needs to be high enough to get at least 50 clicks.

If a click on average is costing you .20 cents, this means you need to spend at least $10 day to get the 50 clicks (50 x .20 cents = $10) to result in the 1 sale.

Now, if you are not getting enough ad impressions to get the required clicks, the cause might not just be budget, but also the range and variety of keywords you are choosing.

Therefore, using this as a baseline will help you decide what to budget, as well as if the ads are even effective for you. But sometimes spending too little, is just a waste of money.

If you sell on Etsy, Amazon or your own website, book a Phone Consultation with me and we can review your ad strategy and make sure your daily online ad budget is working for you. Also, visit my online store for downloads and planners.

 

 

 

© 2020 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. Daily Online Ad Budget.

 

 

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