Page 15 of 50

Low Sales? This Might Be Why

December 1, 2021 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

I consult for hundreds of small business and e-commerce clients each year. I had an Etsy client a while back, who was so focused on Etsy SEO and felt it was the only key to their success on the platform. They were wrong.

I did some SEO work for them, and did manage to get their listings on the first page of search results. However, their traffic and sales did not increase. As a consultant, I tried to explain to them why, but sadly they just didn’t want to listen.

Here were the REAL reasons for their low sales:

They were selling a product that was in a dying market. Looking at Google Trends, I showed them that searches for the product had steadily decreased over the last five years, with demand now one-fifth of what it was 5 years ago.
They were in a saturated market with not only many competitors, but also many people offering their product for free (it was a digital product). Low product demand combined with a lot of competitors is never a good mix.
Even though I managed to get their listings on the first page of results, they did not see an increase in traffic because they were not getting click-through. They were not getting click-through because their product photos looked exactly like their competitors. They were not doing anything different in terms of the product offering, so they did not stand out.

The moral of the story. Sometimes, the problem is simply what you are selling. Not your SEO, not your marketing, but the product itself. If you don’t accept this, you will continue to have low sales.

I will give you another example. I have a client that sells scented candles. At the time, they were a new shop and things were taking time to get going. In doing my research for them, I saw a breakout Google search for a particular scent. They didn’t have this scent in their shop, so I recommended they add one in, especially since there were only 200 listings for this type of scented candle on Etsy at the time. They took the advice, we optimized the listing for SEO and the candle quickly became a best seller for them.

The demand was high and the competition was low. That combined with good SEO does mean success!

Sometimes the solution to your business problems can be quite simple. If you wish to discuss any issues your business is having, please set up a phone consultation with me.

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.

6 Marketing Ideas for Your Airbnb Listing

November 20, 2021 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Need marketing ideas for your Airbnb listing? Want easy, affordable and sometimes even no cost way to attract more guests to your Airbnb? Well, luckily, I have hundreds of marketing tactics to try in my PDF 12-Month Marketing Plan for Airbnbs.

Below is just a snippet of the hundreds of marketing tactics you’ll find for your Airbnb for advertising, promotions, social media, publicity, content marketing, email marketing and more, so download today!

Marketing Idea Airbnb Listing #1

Give your Airbnb a name, such as The Cozy Airbnb Atlanta. It will make it much easier for guests to remember as well as get found in Google search.

Marketing Idea Airbnb Listing #2

On the first of every month, on social media, post a list of all of the major events happening in your city this month, with a byline on the graphic that says, “Courtesy of the Cozy Airbnb Atlanta”.

Marketing Ideas Airbnb Listing #3

Sample page. Click to download all 12 months.

Add your Airbnb listing to CozyCozy.com.

Marketing Idea Airbnb Listing #4

Make friends with restaurants close to popular hotels and ask to put table tent cards for your Airbnb on their tables, in exchange for you putting cards or menus for their restaurant in your Airbnb. Restaurants near popular hotels are more likely to get out-of-towners as diners, who might want to use your Airbnb next time they visit.

Marketing Ideas Airbnb Listing #5

Post a different photo of your dog (or any cute dog) in front of your Airbnb every Wednesday for #WoofWednesday, especially if you allow guests to bring their dogs.

Marketing Idea Airbnb Listing #6

Ask local small businesses if they wish to sponsor a “Shop, Eat & See” board in your Airbnb.

This was just a sampling! Download my complete marketing action plan for your Airbnb listing in my 12-Month Marketing Plan for Airbnbs.

About Me

Click to download.

Do you need a Personalized Business Consultation? As a 20+ year marketing professional and small business consultant, all of my services are super affordable.

I have consulted for thousands of small businesses since 2012, and my advice has been featured in the NY Times, Success Magazine, Yahoo Business, American Express, Big Commerce, Business2Community to name a few – so this is professional advice you can trust! Be sure to read an article on Yahoo I was recently quoted in: “4 Businesses to Start in the Fall ”.

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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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

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

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

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.

Life Coach Marketing Plan PDF

November 9, 2021 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

If you are a life coach looking to get more clients, my Life Coach Marketing Plan PDF is really all you need!

My 12-Month Life Coach 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.

Life Coach Marketing Plan Tactic: Publicity

Email a story idea pitch to lifestyle blogs like PureWow, or other lifestyle blogs on my contact list, early in the month for “How to Stay Motivated in the Winter Months, according to a Life Coach”.

Life Coach Marketing Plan Tactic: Advertising

Consider listing your business with Trusted Coach Directory.

Life Coach Marketing Plan Tactic: Social Media

Post a 30-day #MentalHealthChallenge on January 1st for the entire month, challenging followers to do something positive for themselves or someone else every day for #MentalWellnessMonth (January).

Life Coach Marketing Plan Tactic: Social Media

Post a carousel or reel of your tips for “How to Have Your Best Year Yet” for #NationalMentoringMonth in January.

Life Coach Marketing Plan Tactic: Email

Email a monthly newsletter to customers featuring tips for getting through January, especially a dry January challenge, along with any new services or products.

Life Coach Marketing Plan Tactic: Content Marketing

Write a short article on “Is a Life Coach Worth It?” and include a byline with your name and business website url and submit it to Buzzfeed.

Life Coach Marketing Plan Tactic: Sales & Promotions

Consider offing a special coaching session or workshop just for January called, “How to Get the New Year Off to a Great Start”.

Start marketing your life coach 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.

What to Post to Social Media in December

November 7, 2021 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

December Social Media Post Ideas

Need some December Social Media Post Ideas?

Below are a few creative ideas from my best-selling 365 Social Media Ideas for 2023.

I have just released my 365 Social Media Post Ideas for 2024 which you can download today on Etsy for just $2.97 – it’s a steal and the inspiration will make your social media marketing for 2024 a cinch!

December Social Media Post Ideas

December 1: Post a quote about freedom on this 67th anniversary of Rosa Parks not giving up her seat on the bus.
December 2: Post a DIY reel from a craft blogger for “How to Make a Christmas Bow”, which is a top Google search every December #instareel.
December 3: Post a carousel post of your favorite advent calendars for 2023 (it starts today).
December 4: Post a recipe carousel for one or more of the top Google searched cookies this month, which are sugar, shortbread, gingerbread and peanut butter blossoms for national #cookieday today.
December 5: Post a poll “How Long Do You Leave Up Your Christmas Tree?”
December 6: Post a “Yay or Nay: Peppermint Bark?”
December 7: Post a time lapsed reel of holiday lights turning on – either on a street in your neighborhood or just a prominent Christmas tree in your town #waitforit #instareel #christmaslights #holidaylights.
December 8: Post a list of the “Best Christmas Family Games for 2023”.
December 9: Post a carousel of merry Christmas wishes to write in holiday cards for national #christmascardday today.
December 10: Post an answer to a popular search such as, “Who was the first woman to win a Nobel prize” for the announcement today.
December 11: Post your 3 favorite social apps for national #appday.
December 12: Post a list of the top 5 family Christmas movies on Netflix (a top search this month), for a post that is sure to be liked and shared #currentlywatching.
December 13: Post a poll asking people their current holiday mood using an emoji #christmasmood.
December 14: Post a “11 Sleeps Left Until Christmas” graphic .

Get all the brand new ideas for 2024 in 365 Social Media Post Ideas for 2024!

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Top Google Trends Searches in November

October 20, 2021 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Why is it important to know the top Google Trends Searches November? As an online seller it can help you:

Determine social media content that might get more engagement;
Get ideas for your store blog that you might be able to optimize for SEO and drive more traffic;
Identify a hot new product idea or service.

Below is a list of the top Google searches last November, that may give you a heads up for next month. I get a list of the top Google searches today, and it can be a real eye opener as to how people search.

One of the interesting things I noticed for both Black Friday and Cyber Monday trending searches is how people search for these sales for a specific store or a specific product i.e. weighted blanket Black Friday, Amazon Cyber Monday.

You will also see how many of these trending searches on Google are actual questions. Maybe this is because people are use to asking questions into their phone now.

Anyway, I hope this list of top trending Google searches for November helps your marketing efforts.

Want More Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Online Store?

My 12-Month Marketing Plans are packed with tactics that work.
My Best-Selling 16-Month Social Media Post Ideas Calendar will make posting to social media super easy.
My Best-Selling 2022 Etsy Holiday Sales Planner that has tons of holiday selling tips, stats, top search phrases, planning pages & more for an incredible price right now!
Book a 30-Minute Phone Consultation with me for one-on-one advice.

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Page 15 of 50

Low Sales? This Might Be Why