Category: My Marketing Advice (Page 4 of 26)

Time Management Tip: Dedicate Certain Days for Certain Tasks

May 5, 2022 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Need a time management tip?

When you’re a small business owner, you have a variety of daily tasks from product fulfillment to marketing to accounting to customer services, it goes on and on.

So what does your typical work week look like, and is it possible to tackle it in a different way so that you work more effectively?

For example, instead of trying to do a bit of everything every day, why not establish certain days for certain tasks:

Maybe Monday you focus on marketing, creating all of your social media posts for the week, your blog posts for the week, sending out publicity pitches, etc.
Tuesdays, you focus on development of new products and services.
Wednesdays, you focus on improving your SEO.
Thursdays, you focus on administrative tasks.
Fridays, you focus on finances, cost cutting, revenue building, etc.

Obviously, you have certain tasks that have to be done every day, but maybe some of these other tasks that have to do with growing and maintaining the business, can be divided up by days of the week. This way you can focus more effectively on the one thing you have to do that day.

Also read: Is a Recession Coming? Tips for Your Small Business.

Be Sure to Also Check Out:

Do You Really Need to Offer Free Shipping on Etsy?

May 3, 2022 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

free shipping etsy If you sell online, it has been drilled into your head that offering free shipping on Etsy will raise your sales conversion rate. But, this has been a little blown out of portion.

Published research from a variety of sources has continually showed that the number one reason for cart abandonment was HIGH shipping charges, which is not the same as saying shipping charges altogether.

For example, I was buying flowers from an online florist. The florist offered “free shipping” but when I went to checkout, while the shipping was free, there was a $15 transaction free. I went ahead with the purchase anyway, because I have ordered flowers many times and I expect a shipping fee. I did think this was kind of a slimy way of doing it.

But again, it is perspective. The flowers were $75, so if the transaction/shipping fee had been $30, then I would have abandoned the purchase because I am not going to pay another 40% of the price in shipping. In other words, a reasonable shipping fee will not likely stop the purchase.

I recently had a client whereby another “consultant” had told her that she absolutely had to offer free shipping on Etsy, and this was difficult as her product was heavy as it was made of cement. Looking at her stats, I saw that she had a good sales conversion rate of 3.3%, so to me, shipping did not seem to be an issue. As long as she kept it reasonable, she was better off to keep charging it. Otherwise, adding the free shipping into the price was going to substantially increase her product price, making it much higher than her competition, and that’s not a good thing either.

If you would like professional advice, please see my small business consultation as well as my other services.

©2012 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. Free Shipping on Etsy

Why You Need an Engaging LinkedIn Profile Summary

April 27, 2022 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

There are many reasons why you need an engaging LinkedIn Profile Summary. This is why I started offering a LinkedIn Profile Summary Writing Service.

Whether you’re a small business owner, an entrepreneur or actively looking for employment, your LinkedIn Profile Summary is a valuable marketing tool.

Most social media sites only give you about 150 characters for a bio, but LinkedIN gives you over ten times that, up to 2,000 characters, so there is a real opportunity here to show your personality, tell your story and add a little marketing flair.

Trust me, hiring managers get sick of reading the same old tired summaries. A fresh approach will get their attention and keep them reading.

Plus, if you are looking for employment, you can use the same wording in the profile for your cover letter, exploratory emails to prospective employers as well as on your personal website or blog.

Here’s my own LinkedIn Profile, for example:

I really believe in writing your LinkedIn Profile Summary in the first person. It’s more personal and relatable, and it feels like you are speaking directly to the reader.

I like a statement-making opening line to engage them immediately.

Then, it is up to you whether you want to just talk about your unique abilities and/or your “wins” and/or your experience and/or what you do and why you do it. You can break it up with headings like I did here.

Finally, I close with a call to action about what it is that you hope the person reading will do next.

Now, I’m only using half of the allotted characters, but I just want to quickly get across what it is I do in an interesting way, to attract potential clients and business partners.

If you would like to add a little marketing savvy to your LinkedIN, check out my LinkedIn Profile Summary Writing Service.

Be Sure to Also Check Out:

How to Market Yourself

April 26, 2022 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

People ask me all the time to help them market themselves.

This can take on a variety of forms:

New college grads (or their parents) hiring me to write a marketing savvy LinkedIn Profile.
An influencer needing an attention-getting Bio for their Media Kit.
Upstarts asking for a Business Plan Executive Summary that will land them a loan.
Small business owners wanting an engaging Brand Story.

Have you ever thought about the need to market yourself, particularly as a small business owner?

Some Ways to Market Yourself

Apply for a small business award. Check with your local small business bureau to see what opportunities are available.
Have a profile piece written about you in a local trade publication. Simply pitch a compelling story about how or why you started your business to your local small business writer and they might see value in writing a profile on. you.
Apply to speak at a local or industry event. Try an online place like Event Brite to find opportunities near you. Remember, you need to apply for these opportunities at least six months in advance.
Have a professional head shot taken. It is worth it to hire a professional photographer to take several good head shots of yourself. You can use these in your marketing material, as social media avatars, on your About page in your blog, and on your business cards to name a few.
Try to get quoted. Check HARO (Help a Reporter Out) requests daily to see if you can contribute a quote to an article being published. If you do get quoted, promote links to these articles on your website, blog, social media, and so forth.
Have a personalized and stylishly written bio. This should always be ready to go, and always be part of all of your marketing collateral.

I have been doing these types of writing services as custom orders for a while now, so I decided to add them to my Shopify store and Services.

Green Business Ideas for the Eco-Conscious Entrepreneur

April 21, 2022 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Green Business Ideas

In honor of Earth Day tomorrow, I thought it would be appropriate to write about “green” business ideas, especially since demand for eco-friendly and sustainable products and services has more than DOUBLED in the last five years.

Most in Demand Eco Products

In terms of products, the most demand, according to Google Trends, is for eco-friendly packaging, gifts, cleaning products, personal care products, cars, homes, furniture, clothing and phone cases, along with things like balloons, backpacks, mattresses, and yoga mats.

Make sure that you are clearly stating and showing your eco-friendly products in all of your marketing materials, along with any eco-friendly packaging and manufacturing practices if you wish to use this “green” marketing opportunity.

Most in Demand Eco Services

In terms of services, searches for eco-friendly tourism jumped 5,000% in the last couple of years, along with eco-friendly event planning companies, beauty salons, cleaning services, grocery stores, hotels, transportation companies, landscaping companies and wedding planners.

Again, if customers have a choice between a non eco-friendly service and an eco-friendly service, they will likely go for the latter. It is a competitive advantage.

Eco-Business Idea I Love

One eco-business I love is Inhabitr, where you can rent furniture and home décor items nationwide with the goal of keeping used home items out of landfills. Depending on the piece, customers can either rent it monthly or buy new, used, or later, after their rental period has started. Inhabitr even offers delivery, installation, pickup, cleaning and repair. It’s an ideal option for anyone who needs to furnish temporary housing, student housing, businesses, or rental properties, even house staging.

The Opportunity for You

This is a also great idea you can do locally if looking for a business idea. A few years back when visiting my niece who was graduating from college in Boston, and all of the graduating students just left their unneeded furniture on the sidewalk, presumedly to be picked up by the garage truck. The majority of the furniture was in perfectly good condition, they just didn’t want to haul it back to their home town. We are talking streets full of furniture. I remember thinking, someone could easily resell all of this, if they just had a truck. Maybe that’s you!

You might also like: 4 Eco Products Marketplaces and Free Business Card Templates.

Be Sure to Also Check Out:

How This Los Angeles Hotel is Helping Artists

April 14, 2022 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

How This Los Angeles Hotel is Helping Artists I loved an article I read recently about how a Los Angeles Hotel is using its public areas to showcase female artists.

The Hotel Figueroa chooses one female artist a year to profile their art throughout their main floor hallways and even their signature suite.

I have mentioned a similar idea to this previously in many of my 12-Month Marketing Plans.

If you’re an artist, approach a local hotel or other type of business like a restaurant or office building, with this same idea. It is a win-win for them because they get free art to decorate their walls, plus it shows a measure of corporate good will as they are supporting a local business, and it provides for an excellent publicity opportunity for them as well.

Have You Tried Offering a Guided Selling Experience?

April 13, 2022 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

guided sales experience Have you ever landed on a website and there are so many products and options, you’re quickly overwhelmed.

Therefore, especially if you sell online, the more you can craft a “guided” sales experience, the better your sales conversion rate will be.

To do this, you have to think about HOW your customers search for your type of products, and then guide them accordingly.

For example, most dog owners search for products by gender and/or size, sometimes even breed. So organize your store that way instead of just by product category. i.e. Dog Collars for Large Dogs, Dog Tags for Girl Dogs. Even multiple criteria narrows it down more for the customer i.e. Dog Collars for Small Girl Dogs.

In most book stores, books are sorted by Mystery, Suspense, History, etc., but people actually search more niche things like, “books with strong female leads”, “books with plot twists”, “books with civic issues”, so this might be a better way to guide them to the book they really want, and increase the chance of making a sale.

Therefore, do your research on how people are searching for your products or services, and that might be a better way to restructure how your business is laid out both online and in-store, and improve your sales conversion.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed as a small business owner, let’s create an action plan to save you valuable time and money by focusing on what you really need to do.

©2022 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved.

28 Free Business Card Templates

April 8, 2022 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Free business card templates from Canva

Are you looking for some free business card templates for your small business? I’ve found 28 awesome ones and they are all free designs!

Choosing a business card design is very important to the grab attention of potential customers as well as convey the right message and details about your brand or business.

All of the business card examples below are all available for free at the online design site, Canva, and they are all editable if you wish to change fonts, colors, graphics and so forth, as well as upload and add your business logo.

Free Minimalist Business Card Template

I love this free template on Canva because of its soothing blush background, readable calligraphy font and minimal text (more details are on the back side of the business card). This type of business card is perfect for a salon, clothing boutique, or beautician, where you just want to create a sleek and chic impression.

Portrait Business Card

A really great way for your business card to really grab attention is to turn it the other way, portrait style instead of landscape. I like this free template below, not only for this reason, but the dark background against a simple but bold graphic make this card an eye catcher. Great for any type of business, like a food business, beauty business or professional services.

Colorful Business Cards

I love this business card design below because it so colorful and playful – perfect for a kids or baby business or for a graphic artist. You could simply change the colors to match your branding. Plus, I really love how large the name is in a whimsical lower case font. Related Content: 54 Business Ideas for 2022.

Photo Business Card Template

This business card design below features a stylish way to incorporate a personal photo, which is necessary if you are the face of the business. These types of free business card templates are ideal for anyone offering professional services of any kind, especially real estate agents. Again, Canva has over 3,500 free business card templates, and at least a third of them have photos.

Simple Graphic Business Card

Again, simplicity can be just as eye-catching as something busy. This type of free business card template, like the one below, feature a slightly faded black graphic (that you can swap out for your own) but the hand drawn nature gives it a home-spun feel. It’s the ideal business card for a kid’s business, meditation business, retail gift shop or maybe even a small coffee shop. Related content: How to Choose a Business Name.

Free Restaurant Business Card Design

If you have a restaurant, food truck, catering, chef or other type of food product business, it does help to show the type of food. A clear professional photograph along with a positioning statement about the type of cuisine you offer is your best bet, as with this card design below. Related Content: Creative Restaurant Marketing Ideas.

Bold Business Card Template

I love this design below because it is bold by using only one bright color against black and white, so it really pops. Plus, the simple graphic makes it obvious what the business is, without even having to mention it, but it is still a good idea to do so as they have done here. A great card for any kind of artistic type service. Related Content: Try This to Find a New Business Idea.

Photography Business Card

If you have any type of vintage business, whether it is a vintage store or restoration business, I love this card design below because it uses a black and white photo and a retro font to keep with the feel of the business. As such, it quickly conveys what you are selling. Related Content: 101 Small Business Promotional Ideas.

Business Cards with Positioning Statement

This business card below is very engaging because it makes use of an old school photo giving the essence that this writer has classic writing skills and is a true professional. The graph paper background adds a whimsical touch and then I like that they include a positioning statement about the business itself. It makes it feel a little more like an ad. Obviously, it is perfect for a writer, but you could sub out the photo for a hammer and make it for a contractor, or electrical wires and make it for an electrician.

Graphic Business Cards

This business card below is fun, because anytime you use homey graphics like this and a familiar school house type font, you create a certain amount of comfort in the viewer. The customer might look at this business card and feel this is a builder they can trust. But you could also use this card for a house cleaning service or lawn care business as well.

Old School Business Cards

Right away I know what this business is for the card below, before I even read it. Framing the business name with traditional imagery that has represented the business for decades, and again using a retro font, makes you take notice. You could sub out the barber poles for symbolism of another type of classic profession, like a plumber, lawyer, leather crafter, etc.

Fun Business Card Designs

If you have a fun product, the card should be fun. This card for a cupcake bakery makes use of colorful sprinkles to grab attention. The reverse side of the business card is the turquoise blue, so either way it lands on a table, it catches the eye. Related Content: 12-Month Marketing Plan for an Online Bakery.

Subtle Imagery Business Card

When the imagery on a card is subtle but clever, it really does make the business card more enticing. This is such a great design below for an actor (but would also be great for a theater) because the stage curtains and stars are so subtle.

White Business Cards

A stark white card can be attention getting. This card design below for a beauty salon evokes a feeling of clean and fresh, with goes perfectly with their aesthetic. Simple imagery and a sleek handwritten font gives it a fairly timeless look.

Free Tone on Tone Business Card

There is something about a tone on tone, monochromatic business cards that really gets attention. This design below features a simple line graphic, the business name and a clear positioning statement.

Black and White Business Card

This is another black and white, minimalist design, and it suits the nature of this music studio business because it is clean and elegant. But another advantage to a black and white business card design is that your cards will be significantly cheaper to print. You could even print yourself.

Pretty Business Cards

It is important to think of your target market when designing your cards. This business card design below features a floral water-colour design for a wedding specialist. Obviously the target audience is women, so this card’s pretty design will definitely get noticed by them. The use of the rings is also a good idea, to quickly convey what the business is about. But this design could also be used for an artist or florist.

Detailed Business Card

What I like about this free business card template, is that all of the key information is on the front. You could duplicate this on the back as well, so whatever side appears always has your info, and no one has to turn it over. Related Content: Try This Trick to Find a New Business Idea.

Photography Business Card

Here is another type of photo business card, but this time the photo has to do with what the business is selling. This sort of design has more of an Instagram overlay feel, making it right on trend. But you could do something similar for a craft business, or any type of business that uses small-scale supplies that you could take a photo of.

Cute Business Cards

Sometimes cute works, as in this card for a dental center below. If the dental centre was specifically for children, this card design would be even more appropriate, with a smiling tooth that makes the dentist seem less scary. The bright blue color even has a nursery-type feel.

One Color Business Card

This simplistic card below is one color, and the benefit of this is that one color business cards are much less expensive to print. This design is minimal, but it works by using a stylish hand written font, a basic sans serif font for the business name and a line graphic. Ideal for any kind of professional. Related Content: How Covid Hobbies are Turning Into Business Ideas.

Free Floral Business Card

I love this business card design because it uses only two colors, both in a vintage hue, but the bold floral design makes a big impact. Here it is for a textile designer, but it would be great for a boutique, florist, or artist.

Yoga Business Card

This is a well designed card, because it takes a classic symbol but only shows part of it, making more of an impact. The color combination is eye-catching as well. This is a great card for a yoga studio, herbalist, and meditation studio.

Cityscape Business Card

If your business focuses on your city, then a cityscape business card design like the one below is effective. This one creates a moody effective. It would be a great card for a restaurant with a view, an office park, a condominium, and an events company.

Luxury Business Card

When you need to promote a luxury business, black and gold is always the way to go, like this business card template below. A simple line graphic will entice with all of the major particulars on the back.

Floral Business Card

Again, if your target audience is women, a floral watercolor business card is hard to resist, like this card template here. Ideal for a wedding business, clothing store or spa.

Loyalty Business Card

Another popular use for a business card is to also include a royalty card, which will save you creating two cards. Plus, they are more likely to hold onto this card.

Unique Business Card Template

This is an interesting take on a business card template, because it doesn’t appear to be one. The statement is sure to intrigue people to look at the card, and then all of your information is on the back.

Need More Help with Your Business?

I offer super affordable one-on-one consulting services or visit by business and marketing download shop.

And be sure to read more of my blog.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about these free business card templates.

How a Blog Drives Crazy Traffic to this Small Business

March 31, 2022 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

How a Blog Drives Crazy Traffic to this Small Business If you think a blog can’t help your business, I’m about to show you an example of how it can.

I recently read a story about an ecommerce business with over $1 million in annual sales.

I was able to see their traffic stats and it turns out that they get over 95,000 organic visits a month. This is just traffic that comes strictly from Google search – not social media, advertising, publicity, email or other links.

So their overall monthly traffic will be obviously higher than this, but having this much organic search traffic for an independent online store is very good.

One of the main sources of their organic search traffic was their blog, bringing them at least 30,000 of these monthly visits (or 1/3). This is because they were able to optimize a few blog posts and these posts made the first page of Google for three very popular “gift” search phrases.

Therefore, if writing just 3 blog posts could bring you 30,000 free visits a month, doesn’t it seem worth it? By the way, I offer this service. I will write an SEO-optimized 500 word blog post relevant to what you sell. Hopefully, it will bring you free, qualified and endless traffic for years to come!

If you missed it, be sure to read my post, 365 Blog Post Ideas.

Need advice? Ask me a question at attentiongetting@gmail.com. Follow me on Instagram for additional tips and learn more about me here.