Small Business Marketing Strategist

Category: My Marketing Advice (Page 16 of 26)

7 Things Customers Want to See on Your About Page

customers want to see on your about pageWant to know 7 things customers want to see on your about page?

Writing an About page for your website is necessary, but tough to do when it is your own business. You can be too close to it to be objective and get your message right. You can also be leaving out vital information that might be stopping people from doing business with you. Also called a “Brand Story”, here are some of my tips.

7 Things to Include in Your About Page
  1. Introduce Yourself and Your Business – Customers want to know the business but also the person/people behind the business. Start with an opening paragraph that is keyword friendly (as Google may read this as your default text) that basically sums up quickly who you are and what goods and/or services you are providing.
  2. How Are You Better – Here customers want to know why they should choose you over the competition (without bashing the competition) so highlight your strengths and how you not only match, but exceed, the competition.
  3. How Long Have You Been in Business – This is important as the more years you’ve been in business, the less risky you seem. Now, if your business is fairly new, then spend some time talking about past successes you’ve had either in your career or other business ventures.
  4. Customer Testimonials – Visitors want to hear from people who have done business with you. Don’t just give a first name, that’s seems made up. You have to give a first and last name and a city. Not all of your customers will go for this, so give them an incentive to do so.
  5. Other Testimonials – Be sure to include any press your business has received, any business awards it has won, any major sales records (10,000 copies sold to-date!), and any other milestones such as, “Voted one of the top businesses to watch in 2023 by Yahoo Business” and so forth.
  6. Contact Information – I actually think you should have contact information on every page on your website. You never want people to have to search for how to contact you. So give your email, a phone number (if you have one), a mailing address, a fill in contact form and even a live chat (if you can implement it on your site).
  7. Images – Customers want to see your personal photo (I know some people hate this, but it can be a side profile shot or action shot), as well as photos of the business, your workspace, logos of the awards you’ve won and covers of the publications you’ve appeared in.
Example of a Good About Page (that I wrote for a client)

I love telling stories. But not just any plain old story.

Maybe it’s an awe-inspiring PowerPoint presentation for your brand that will blow the roof off …. or a poignant video montage to celebrate a major life event sure to bring a lump to the throat …. or a revamp of your professional profile guaranteed to have employers jumping through hoops to hire you. As a visual storyteller, I thrive upon creating artistic, captivating and memorable narratives for both personal and business needs.

In my 20+ year role as a branding professional for a Fortune 500 company, I have always been recognized for having a rare talent for being able to magically transform either super complex topics into easy-to-understand visuals or basic content into information that wowed – and always with a keen understanding of the intended audience and desired result. Being that this company is also one of the world’s leading athletic brands, I learned firsthand the role emotion plays in telling a story and making that connection with your audience.

Therefore, I decided to turn my unique skill set into my own business, and hence the creation of LuLu Stories, where I take a strategic, creative and emotional approach to visual storytelling. I intuitively understand how to blend a harmonious combination of captivating writing and innovative design into an impactful and compelling story that resonates with the emotional needs of the audience. I believe in making and leaving a lasting impression!

As someone who is never happy with the ordinary or the boring, I guarantee that you will be amazed by the level of thought, passion and personal connection that I pour into each and every one of my visual stories to ensure you get both the creative “WOW” factor and audience reaction you’re seeking.

I would love to have you trust me with telling your story. So, let’s get started!

LuLu

about page brand story writer

Click to learn more about my writing service.

Hire Me to Write Your About Page

I have written hundreds of about pages and brand stories like the one above. As a marketer and a writer, I know how to tell your story in a way that will engage, compel, and make people want to do business with you! Just email me at attentiongetting@gmail.com if you would like to see more samples of my work.

FINAL TIP: Always write your About page in the first person. You want to be talking to your customers, not act like some distant, mysterious figure. It will make them feel more of a connection.

About Me

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!

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© 2024 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. Customers Want to See on Your About Page

5 Ways to Promote Your Business at Popular Summer Events

 

Summer is almost here and it provides a ton of opportunities to promote your business at every type of popular, well attended event. This is a great time to use your friends and family members to get the word out about your business, and it won’t take much of an investment but could offer big returns.

 

For example, every city and town has some sort of big race – a 5k, 10k, half marathon, full marathon, Spartan race, triathlon, bike race, walk – you name it. These events typically have a high attendance (and media coverage) and gives you a chance to get your business seen by your local market.

5 Ways To Get Your Business Noticed at a Major Event

  1. If you know anyone (or even yourself) who is participating in a race, it is a chance to get your business name and website url seen on a t-shirt they wear, a headband, a hat, the side of a baby jogger – so many possibilities!
  2. Think about parking your car in a spot where the majority of spectators will be walking, both towards and away from the finish line (so get there early) and make sure it has a large windshield sun visor that displays your company name and website url.
  3. Have a friend or family member that lives close to the finish line? Ask it they will display a lawn sign, window sign or banner promoting your business. Get creative!
  4. If taking public transit to the big race (along with crowds of other people), wear your t-shirt or even carry a large canvas bag that has your business logo on it.
  5. If the race is getting covered by the local news, be sure to have someone wearing your company t-shirt standing behind the reporter when reporting.

Other Big Summer Events

  • Outdoor Concerts
  • Music Festivals
  • Outdoor Movies
  • Farmer’s Markets
  • Art Festivals
  • Food Festivals
  • Film Festivals
  • Children’s Festivals
  • Bazaars
  • County Fairs
  • Parades
  • Trade Shows and Conferences
  • Museum Exhibitions
  • Traveling Amusement Parks
  • Yoga in the Park
  • Fourth of July Events
  • Public Bike Days
  • Major League Baseball Games
  • Golf Tournaments
  • Tennis Tournaments
  • Air Shows
  • Boat Shows
  • Fishing Derbies
  • Rodeos
  • Proms
  • College Graduation Ceremonies & Events
Also to Read:

© 2015 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved.

Marketing Mix 4P Example

marketing mix 4p exampleNeed a Marketing Mix 4P Example? This tends to be a popular marketing question so I thought I would answer it.

The four Ps are Product, Price, Place, Promotion, and they should also occur in that order when starting a new business.

Why? Because all the promotion in the world is not going to help you if the product is no good, the price is way off, and you are not selling in the right places.

The “Product” in Marketing Mix

So let’s start with your product. It all really does have to start here. I have so many clients who jump ahead and start designing logos and doing the fun things, but it has to start with the product.

Does the product (or service) serve a need, have a purpose, offer value, is good quality, has desired features, has features competitors do not have, comes in a variety of options targeting various markets and customers?

In other words, have you done your research? Even if the product or service is not new, but one you have been selling for a while, when was the last time you looked at your market and competitors to see what’s new in terms of what customers want.

For example, let’s say you sell graphic t-shirts. So what makes your product special? Is the material good quality? Are they for men, women or both? Are they in sizes from XS to XXXL? Are they in a variety of colors? Does the shirt come in long sleeves and v-neck? Is the graphic design high quality? Will the design stay on the shirt or peel and fade?

I’m not saying you have to have a shirt that covers all of this; it depends on who the target customer is. But they are the things you need to think about.

The “Price” in Marketing Mix

The next P is price. This is based on a variety of factors. First of all, cost of production is number one as you have to make money. If the t-shirt costs you $12 to make, you can’t really charge $13. If all of your competitors are charging $20, you need to stay in this range to be competitive, unless you can justify the higher cost (i.e. luxury branding, higher quality material).

The “Place” in Marketing Mix

The next P is place and it is all about where you sell. There are so many options these days from online to retail to out of your car. Again, where does your ideal buyer shop and where do they expect to find products like yours? Never sell just in one place, it is way too restrictive and your whole business is dependent on that one channel. You really want to sell as many places as possible to widen your reach.

The “Promotion” in Marketing Mix

The final P is promotion, and this covers another type of mix, the promotional marketing mix. This is where your marketing strategy is comprised of advertising, SEO, email marketing, publicity, social media and sales promotions.

Be sure to download my 96-page Marketing Planner and check out my Marketing Coaching.

You might also want to read How to Start a New Business Step by Step.

© 2015-2022 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. Marketing Mix 4P Example

How to Stay Inspired and Motivated When Your Sales Suck

As I have said before on my blog, if you are going to have your own business, you have to know the success can come and go. As a result, it is very easy to get down on your business and lose motivation when those sales slumps occur. Every business has slumps, so here are some tips to stay inspired and motivated when business isn’t going so great.

Read About Others’ Failures Not Successes

Stop reading about other people’s successes and instead read about other people’s failures, before they had success. The majority of entrepreneurs were not successful right out of the gate. They had failure after failure until something finally worked. The key was, they did not give up, they kept trying.

People who have immediate success usually do so due to a fluke. Also, the people who brag about how successful there, typically are not. Why else are they trying so hard to convince you that they are?

These people are not the norm, so don’t focus on them. Focus on those who have failed and then went onto success as this is much more motivating. Here is a good article, 13 Business Leaders Who Failed Before They Succeeded from American Express Open Forum.

Think Only Positive Thoughts

Seems like such easy advice but it isn’t always easy to do. If I can recommend a book that did wonders for me, it was The Power of Positive Thinking. It is based on the theory that the mind is much more powerful than we realize and positive thoughts bring positive results, whereas negative thoughts bring negative results. Sounds simplistic, but it does work.

So get up each morning believing that you will get new customers and new sales. Don’t even doubt it. As I have said before, it doesn’t matter if anyone else thinks you will be successful, it only matters that you do. But if you don’t believe it, then it probably won’t happen.

Try Something New

On the odd occasion, I will have a client who will dismiss my advice because they think it won’t work. They won’t even try it, and they instead they decide to just keep doing what they have been doing that hasn’t been working for them. I guess it is safer to keep failing. Remember the saying, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.

Therefore, make a list of new tactics to try (my Marketing Plans have hundreds of them) and stop wasting time on things that have proven not to work for you because you already know the results.

Encourage Someone Else

We all need a pep talk every now and then, so why not help out someone else who may be feeling down about their business. Post a nice message on their social media sites, recommend their business to a friend or just email them a compliment. You will probably get kind words back, which goes a long way in keeping us motivated and a little good karma never hurt anyone.

If you need encouragement about your small business, try my one-on-one consultations.

© 2015 – 2022 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved.

4 Amazing Free Publicity Opportunities for Your Small Business

by Gail Oliver, Attention Getting Marketing

You may not have heard, but next week (May 4 to 8) is National Small Business Week (be sure to use the hash tag #DreamSmallBiz) and it is a good time to pitch a story about your business to your local press. Anything can be a possible story pitch, including if you have:

  • An innovative product or service idea
  • An eco-friendly business
  • Rapid growth in the last 6 months or year
  • New facilities or location opening
  • Engaged in a charitable endeavor

national small business week 2015Now, I also came across four awesome opportunities to get free publicity for your small business.

1. Get Included in an American Family Insurance Ad

At the dentist office I was looking through a copy of People Magazine (which has a readership of 46 million), and the opening 3-page color ad was from a company called American Family Insurance, with their “Dream Fearlessly” campaign promoting the work of a photographer, a writer, and an artist who are all trying to turn their dream into a business. So, if you have pursued or fulfilled a business dream, submit it to American Family Insurance (scroll down to the form at the bottom of the page) and maybe you will be profiled in an upcoming ad.

2. Share Your Pinterest Success

I don’t know about you, but Pinterest brings a huge amount of traffic to my blog. Therefore, if you have a Pinterest success story of how it has helped your business, submit it to Pinterest and they just might profile your story in emails, on their blog and more, so other businesses can learn from your success. 

3. AT&T Wants to Know Your Business Story

Telecom giant AT&T has a “Real Stories” feature that profiles business owners who have a great story to tell and insights to help other entrepreneurs. Submit your business story to AT&T and you could be featured on their blog (called The Business Circle) and their social media pages (250,000 followers) – a great way to drive more traffic to your site and gain more customers.

4. Be Part of the Globe and Mail’s TakeOff Series

If you are a Canadian small business or entrepreneur, you have from now until July to submit your story to Canada’s national newspaper, the Globe and Mail, to be profiled in their “TakeOff series. Essentially, they want to know what helped or hurt your business from “taking off”. You can get more details about what and where to submit here.

Things to Note

© 2015 GAIL OLIVER ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

3 Awesome E-commerce Tips of the Week

By Gail Oliver, Online Marketing Consultant

I found some really effective tactics being used at some online shops that I thought I would share, that may add value to your e-commerce site.

Make Your Email Sign Up More Attention Getting

The Palm Tree Boutique did something smart. When I land on a home page of an online shop, I typically get an annoying box asking me to sign up for their newsletter that I almost immediately click shut. But Palm Tree did something different and put up a very large photo image instead, plus offering 20%, which is quite generous. It was much more effective.

effective marketing

Let Customers Make Their Own Product Bundles

I love this idea by the makeup company, Benefit, of allowing customers to create their own bundle of products. The price is set at $79, but customers get to choose three products from three different options, plus they also receive free gifts. Great way to up-sell more products.

ecommerce tips

 Give Previews of Your Social Media & Incentives to Follow

I have long recommended to clients to instead of just say, “follow us on social media” to give an incentive to do so, as well as a preview of what you post. The online store Furbish Studios does a nice job of both. letting people know that if they follow on Instagram they will get exclusive discounts, Furbish favorites and design inspiration.

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May Marketing Calendar

Online Shops May Calendar CoverThe May version of my very popular Marketing Calendar for Online Shops is available now. I also have a version for Etsy shops available here.

© 2015 GAIL OLIVER ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Social Media Acronyms and Internet Slang

Are you confused sometimes when you see a group of letters in the caption of an Instagram post?Social Media Acronyms Internet Slang

These are called social media acronyms and Internet slang.

I’ve compiled a list of the most popular ones below, and maybe some of these will help you to connect with your target market:

  • AFAIK – As Far As I Know
  • AMA – Ask Me Anything
  • ATP – At This Point
  • BAE – Before Anyone Else
  • BTS – Behind The Scenes
  • BTW – By The Way
  • CSL – Can’t Stop Laughing
  • DAE – Does Anyone Else
  • DFTBA – Don’t Forget To Be Awesome
  • DYK – Did You Know
  • FTW – For The Win
  • FUTAB – Feet Up Take A Break
  • G2G – Got To Go
  • GRWM – Get Ready With Me
  • HIFW – How I Feel When
  • HMB – Hit Me Back
  • HTH – Happy To Help
  • IB – Inspired By
  • ICYMI – In Case You Missed It
  • IFYP – I Feel Your Pain
  • IKR – I Know, Right
  • IJBOL – I Just Burst Out Laughing
  • IMHO – In My Humble Opinion
  • IRL – In Real Life
  • LMK – Let Me Know
  • MTFBWY – May The Force Be With You
  • NBD – No Big Deal
  • OOMF – One Of My Followers
  • OOO – Out Of Office
  • POTD – Photo Of The Day
  • QOTD – Quote Of The Day
  • SMH – Shaking My Head
  • SSDD – Same Stuff, Different Day
  • SWMBO – She Who Must Be Obeyed
  • TFW – That Feeling When
  • TIL – Today I Learned
  • TTYL – Talk To You Later
  • WDYMBT – What Do You Mean By That
  • WFH – Working From Home
  • WOM – Word Of Mouth
  • WYWH – Wish You Were Here
  • YKWIS – You Know What Im Saying

I hope you find interesting ways to use these Social Media Acronyms Internet Slang to connect with your audience.

Be sure to read more of my small business advice on my blog here.

Visit my Shopify and Etsy stores for affordable and informative small business planners, guides and downloads.

 

 

 

© 2023 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. 

How to Get Valuable Research from Your Customers

research your customersResearch your customers on their social media sites to learn vital information you can then use to get new customers.

New clients always ask me how to get in front of their target market and get more customers. One of the problems may be that you don’t know enough about your current customers. Luckily for you, social media has made it very easy for you to find out more about the people who are buying from you (and from your competitors).

Follow Taylor Swift’s Lead

For example, a few weeks back I wrote a post about What Your Business Can Learn from Taylor Swift because she really gets it in that she understands that her fans are her customers. So when she wanted to send some of her die-hard fans Christmas gifts, she went onto their social media pages to learn more about them.

Now, as a business owner, have you done this? Have you tried to learn as much as possible about the people who have already bought from you?

What You Can Learn From Your Customers’ Social Media Pages

It is not as creepy as it sounds, but basically is an exploratory exercise to research your customers. Someone who has bought from you is likely representative of other people who would buy from you. By checking out their social media pages, be it Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc., you will find out a lot of information about them such as which blogs they read (because maybe they sent out a link to a recent post), what TV shows they watch (because they have liked their fan page) even what stores they shop at (because they posted a photo of a recent purchase).research your customers

Tactics to Try

All of this information is really helpful in not only marketing your business, but also in creating future products and services your customers might like. Start by looking at their Facebook posts to see the type of content they have liked and/or shared. Then go to their Pinterest page and see which pins they have repined or liked or what type of boards they have created on what types of subjects. Go to their Twitter profile and see which media outlets they follow, which is really helpful if you are trying to find new places to advertise or get publicity for your business. This is why I always recommend to my customers to follow their customers on social media.

You can also use these same tactics to find out more about the people who are buying from your competitors, as likely their customers are following them on social media.

The more you know about your customers, the better chance you have of not only finding them, but selling to them.

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.small business seo

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.

More SEO Articles

 

 

 

© 2015 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. Research Your Customers. 

6 Ideas for Your Retail Marketing Strategy

retail marketing strategy

Retail Marketing Strategy

Need a better retail marketing strategy?

There is a local retail store I really love, but I tend to only visit when I know that their seasonal and/or holiday products are in. So how do you keep customers coming back to your retail shop on a more regular basis? This is just one of the topics I cover in my 12-Month Marketing Plan for Retail Stores, but here are six ideas to help you out.

1. Always Have Changing Inventory

I know this is a challenge, but your regulars may not be coming back to your store because they assume it is just the same old, same old. So make it known that on the 1st of every month there are new items in the shop (through social media and putting signage in the windows and a sandwich board sign on the sidewalk), even dedicating an area of the store to “New In Shop” (a trick online shops do).

2. Consistent Deals

Everyone loves hunting for a bargain. That is why stores such as TJ Maxx have thrived. So try to have an ongoing “bargain hunter” section in your shop (maybe a back room) with discount priced or discontinued items.

3. Take Advantage of the Seasons & Holidays

People are definitely more likely to buy at certain times of the year, such as for fall decorating, clothes for a summer vacation, items for back to school, and these events are more time-sensitive, meaning customers may not want to take a chance on online purchases arriving in time. So make sure your shop capitalizes on these occasions in terms of product offerings and sales promotions.

4. Support Local Designers or Artisans

If once a month you profile a different local designer in your store in the form of a pop-up shop that they host (you get a percentage of sales), you now bring their customers to your shop (not to mention their friends and family).

5. Hold In-Store Events

The nice thing about in-person shopping is that it is more of an experience. Bring customers in by offering one-day demonstrations, special guests, exclusive services or a limited collection. Get creative such an in-store Easter egg hunt for the kids or a live in-store streaming of New York Fashion Week – whatever suits your business.

6. Email & Social Media Alerts

Email is still effective if used properly. Simply ask customers if they wish to get your monthly email alert showcasing new items in the shop, in-store events and one-day sales. Alternatively, ask them to follow your social media pages where you will post new items in the shop on the first of every month. Offer them a 15% coupon if they share the post with their followers. Put all of this information on a business card to give them, as well as put the information on the tags of the products you sell, on the final printed invoice and even on your store bags.

Retail Marketing Strategy

Retail Marketing Strategy

Time will tell if shopping habits change again, but for now, brick and mortar stores still have hope as long as they get a little more creative. Download today my PDF , 12-Month Marketing Plan for Retail Stores, to get more awesome ideas!

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© 2012-2022 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. Retail Marketing Strategy.

T-Shirt Business Marketing Plan

Are you selling t-shirts online? Then you need an easy, tactical T-shirt Business Marketing Plan to follow, with new tactics for every month of the year. I created just that with my best-selling 12-Month T-Shirt Marketing Plan.  Below is the plan for January so you can see what it’s all about!

T-Shirt Business Marketing Plan

Click to download all 12-Months!

T-shirt Business Marketing Plan for January

T-shirt Publicity Ideas for January
  • Email a story idea pitch to Buzzfeed or other media contacts for the story idea, “Favorite Romantic Tshirts for Valentine’s Day” or “Cute Couple Tshirts for Valentine’s Day”.
  • Check and submit daily to HARO (Help a Reporter) requests that apply (sign up for these PR requests for free).
T-shirt Social Media Marketing Ideas for January
  • Post a photo of a tshirt that says, “Happy New Year” (even just mock one up) on January 1st.
  • Post a photo of a blank tshirt for #NationalNothingDay on January 16th. 
  • Post a tshirt with a quote about freedom for MLK day on January 17th.
  • Post a photo carousel of any of your tshirts in the color blue every Monday for #MondayBlues.
  • Post a different video / reel to TikTok and/or YouTube on “How to Style Tshirts with Jeans” every Tuesday for #TuesdayTips.
  • Post a photo of a female celebrity in a tshirt every Wednesday for #WomanCrushWednesday.
  • Post a quote that is on one of your tshirts every Thursday for #ThursdayThoughts.
  • Post a winter fashion mood board featuring one of your tshirts every Friday for #FashionFriday #ootd. 
  • Create a Pinterest board called, “Cute T-Shirts” as this phrase gets searched 5 million times a month on Pinterest. Pin to it daily and make sure that pin descriptions also include the hash tag “#CuteTshirts”.
  • Comment daily on the Instagram and Facebook posts of lifestyle blogs so that their followers take notice you, such as Upworthy. 
T-shirt Email Marketing Ideas for January
  • Create a free email signature (use WiseStamp) and include a linkable shop banner, links to your social media and your latest blog post. 
  • Email your customers an after-Christmas sale on deeply discounted tshirts as well as any Valentine’s offers (particularly tshirts for couples), and your latest blog posts. 
  • Change up your email opt-in incentive to include a free calendar printable for the new year that has your shop name and url on it as a constant reminder.
T-shirt Promotional Ideas for January
  • Ask a few local clothing shops or shops on a college campus if they will carry your tshirts on consignment or as wholesale.
  • Start planning for selling opportunities at spring fairs, festivals, farmers market and clothing shows.
  • Consider selling your tshirts at Bonfire or TeePublic.
  • Comment daily (and leave your shop url in the comment if allowed) on the latest blog posts of popular fashion and lifestyle blogs, like PureWow.
T-shirt Content Marketing Ideas for JanuaryT-Shirt Business Marketing Plan
  • Write a short article on your favorite ways to wear t-shirts as part of winter fashion (including one of yours) and submit it to LifeHacker. 
  • 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’, even if your posts are something as simple as curated content, such as “Quote Roundup: Our Favorite Quotes of the Week”. It also gives you a reason to email your customers monthly.

Isn’t my t-shirt marketing plan awesome? And this is just January. Get the entire 12 months and download my 12-Month Tshirt Marketing Plan today!

Also Read: Do You Need to Offer Free Shipping on Etsy

© 2012-2015 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. T-Shirt Business Marketing Plan

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