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Small Business Marketing Strategist

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A Hot PR Tip if You Sell Dog Products

October 12, 2017 /

by Gail Oliver, Online Marketing Consultant

Did you realize that 2018 is the Year of the Dog, according to the Chinese New Year, which starts February 16th. So, if you sell dog products – or even products that feature dogs such as throw pillows, t-shirts, etc. – then you should be pitching your products as part of a story idea for “Celebrating Year of the Dog” to print publications NOW, as they work on issues a few months in advance. You can pitch to blogs in late November.

Not sure how to write a pitch? If you wish for me to write a winning one for you, I do offer a Publicity Pitch Writing Service and I have a pretty good track record. I’ve written pitches that have gotten my customers into Real Simple Magazine, Apartment Therapy, House Beautiful, Vanity Fair, Houzz.com, Glamour Magazine, LONNY, DesignMilk, DogMilk, Emmaline Bride, just to name a few.

If you don’t have any products featuring dogs, you may want to consider adding one to your shop if applicable, just to take advantage of this publicity opportunity that could last all year long.

© 2017 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved.

How to Start an Online Business

September 18, 2017 /

how to start an online businessWant to quickly and easily start an online business? Luckily for you, there are a wide range of options.

Back in 2000, when I wanted to start selling a book I wrote online, it was very difficult. The only marketplace was Amazon, and I did sell there for awhile. But I also really wanted to start selling off my own website. Being a small business back then, your only option to sell was to set up with a credit card payment processor, through your bank, and they wanted $10,000 as a security. I wasn’t even sure I was going to sell $10,000 worth of books. Thank goodness, today there are so many options.

Where You Can Sell Online

Obviously there are the main marketplaces and e-commerce platforms, such as Amazon, Etsy, Facebook, Instagram and Shopify.

There are also other smaller Online Selling Sites you can try.

You could also sell on your blog, as I do, and simply use a payment processor.

What To Sell Online

A lot of people think that to sell online, you need to make your own products. Not true. You can sell vintage or used goods. You can also sell wholesale, white label and drop ship goods.

Again, what you want to sell will be determined by where you want to sell, as sites like Etsy do not allow wholesale or drop shipping, but Amazon does. Amazon doesn’t sell vintage or used, but Etsy and eBay do.

How to Start Selling Online

My 34-Page How to Start a Business Planner is a printable download, that will walk you through all the major decisions of WHAT and WHERE to sell online, including all of your various selling options.

  • 34-page printable PDF.
  • Each page 8.5 x 11 inches.
  • Created by a long-time marketing and small business consultant (me).
  • Planning pages for determining product, pricing, finance, start up costs, promotion, supplies & equipment and more.
  • Includes list of wholesales, drop shippers, private labels, print on demand, used/vintage, digital selling sites, marketplaces, course platforms and e-commerce providers.
  • Includes detailed start up checklists for setting up a business, setting up an e-commerce site and setting up an Etsy shop.

how to start an online businessWhether you want to sell handmade, wholesale, private label, drop shipping, second hand, vintage, my planner will help you determine, plan and launch your new online business in no time! Download today!

© 2021 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. How to Start an Online Business.

2 Hot Tips for Pitching Your Etsy Products to Blogs

September 1, 2017 /

by Gail Oliver, Online Marketing Consultant

As I have said many times, to get press for your Etsy products you have to pitch a story that would incorporate your product, not just pitch the product itself. Editors want a story, so here are two story ideas.

Seasonal Stories

Seasonal stories are always popular. If you have my 2017 Etsy Shop Marketing Plan, then you knew to pitch fall theme stories to blogs around the end of July (May for print media). For example, here are a few fall theme blog posts that just came out this week that promoted some Etsy products:

  • “Pumpkin Spice Latte Candles Are Already Here for All Your Sweet and Spicy Fall Needs” from Time.com.
  • “Pumpkin Spice Highlighter Will Let You Take Your Fall Obsession to a New Level” from Bustle.com.
  • “The Top Fall Jewelry Trends According to Etsy” from Refinery29.com.

By the way, I told you back in 2014 that Pumpkin Spice products are always hot fall editorial for blogs.

“Etsy Finds” Stories

I have also always said to leverage the Etsy name by pitching a story as part of an overall “Etsy Finds” type article. Here are some recent blog posts that did just that:

  • “13 Etsy Wedding Dresses We Love” from Bride.com
  • “The Best Deals from Etsy’s Labor Day Sale” from The Insider
  • “These Disney Princess Blanket Patterns You Can Find on Etsy Will Make You Feel Like Cozy Royalty” from HelloGiggles.

I will caution you. Do not promote a product that has any type of copyright infringement. I have seen many products lately (especially Harry Potter related products) get amazing press and then the listing is shut down within days of that press appearing due to copyright infringement.

Get your holiday gift guide pitches in NOW!

© 2017 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved.

Back to School Marketing Ideas

August 15, 2017 /

back to school marketing ideasThese creative Back to School marketing ideas will help your small business get a jump on things, as promotion always starts as early as late July.

Back to School Marketing Idea #1:

If you sell home décor items:

  • Move all affordable decor items (typically under $50), such as art, pillows, bedding, etc., up to the forefront for the college crowd looking for dorm décor.
  • If you sell art, a “College Wall Collage Kit” is essential.
  • Create a “Dorm Room Decor” shop section.
  • Offer a “Dorm Decor Bundle” to sell more at one time.
  • Create bundle categories, like “Dorm Laundry Bundle“, etc.
  • Create a special banner for your landing page that links right to the products (as shown below)
back to school marketing ideas

Dorm Laundry Bundle from Bed Bath & Beyond

Searches peak August 18th to 24th, and most popular searches are for wall decor, lighting, storage/organization and dorm essentials.

Shop banner at Target

Back to School Marketing Idea #2: First Day of School Outfits

If you sell kids clothing:

  • Create special back to school outfits, including shirts for little ones that say, “My First Day of School” (great for photos).
  • Move these items to the forefront of your shop.
  • Add a banner on the product photo that says, “Great for Back to School”.
  • Add flyers for any fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving clothing into the package.
Back to School Marketing Idea #3: Backpacks Are a Must

Click to download on Etsy

If you sell bags/purses:

  • Move all backpacks and cosmetics packs to your featured products.
  • Make a special offer, “Buy 1 backpack, get a second of equal or lesser value for 50% off”.
  • Offering personalization of any of these items (i.e. adding name, initials) is always a good value-add.
  • See my post, “August Marketing Ideas” to see what the hottest backpack is for 2022.
Back to School Marketing Idea #4:

If you sell beauty products:

  • Put together your own “Teen Pack” of items for the college or high school crowd and focus on acne products, skincare and shower products.
Back to School Marketing Idea #5:

If you sell gadget accessories:

  • Phone cases, iPad holders, charging stations and even laptop stickers all need to be at the forefront of your shop.
  • Again, offering personalization of any of these items is always a good value-add.
Back to School Marketing Idea #6:

If you sell kitchen/housewares:

  • Kids always need a new lunch boxes and food containers.
  • Post a reel to Instagram showing one of your lunch boxes getting packed, like this one.
  • New college kids want an entire kitchen supplies kit.
  • A great add-on to sell with any of these products is personalized labels.
Back to School Marketing Idea #7:

If you sell printables or courseware:

  • Teachers are looking for lesson plans, but also calendars, coloring pages, worksheets, classroom signs and decorations.
  • Offer a special discount for teachers just until the end of August.
  • Ask them for a shoutout on social media to get a special discount on a future order.
Back to School Marketing Idea #8:

If you sell party supplies:

  • Teachers and parents are looking for ways to celebrate the first day of school with banners, balloons, and yard signs.
  • Parents also like to throw a neighborhood party for themselves.
  • Always make sure to add the current school year i.e. Back to School 2024!
More Marketing Ideas
  • If you live near an outlet mall, this is one of their busiest times of the year, so leave flyers or cards for your store on windshields in the parking lot (if allowed).
  • Create back to school categories for every type of budget.
  • In all packages, always include flyers for any early Black Friday specials in your store.
  • Optimize your SEO by always including the current year in your keywords i.e. Back to School 2024. 
  • On your social media, promote all opportunities for free back to school supplies in your area, a top search this time of year.

I hope you will benefit from these back to school marketing ideas!

If you need more creative and affordable ways to promote your small business, try one of my Personal Phone Consultations or check out my 12-Month Marketing Plans.

Read More

 

 

 

© 2020-2024 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. Back to School Marketing Ideas. 

Coffee Shop Marketing Strategy Plan

July 12, 2017 /

Do you own a coffee shop and are wondering how to drive more traffic to it? I have just the solution? My 12-Month Coffee Shop Marketing Strategy Plan gives you easy tactics to follow for each month of the year. Below I cover January so you can see what it is all about.

January Coffee Shop Marketing Plan

COFFEE SHOP PUBLICITY TACTICS
  • Email a story pitch to Eater to be included in their cities feature, “Essential Coffee Shops in {Your City}”
  • Check and submit daily to HARO (Help a Reporter Out) requests. 
COFFEE SHOP ADVERTISING TACTICS
  • Add your coffee shop to LocalEats.com
  • Add your coffee shop to Zomato.com
COFFEE SHOP SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING TACTICS
  • Post a photo of a busy morning at your coffee shop for #manicmonday.
  • Post a photo of a #sunrise with your coffee shop in foreground.
  • Post a favorite local blog every Sunday for #sundayblogshare (tag the blog so they repost). 
  • Post a This or That type post i.e. Dark Roast or Light Roast? #thisorthat #coffeeaddict.
  • Post a carousel of your favorite coffee mugs and give a #shoutout to the stores. 
  • Post a #freecoffee offer for your gourmet blend for #nationalgourmetcoffeeday on January 18th.
  • Post a #quote every Friday that has to do with coffee for #fridayfeeling #goodmorning #coffeetime #coffeebreak.
  • Set up a YouTube channel or TikTok and post a video/reel of your #barista making one of this week’s specials. 
  • Comment daily on the Instagram and Facebook posts of local media, local sports teams & popular local businesses to get seen by your local audience.
COFFEE SHOP EMAIL MARKETING TACTICS
  • Create a free email signature (use WiseStamp.com) and include a linkable banner to your coffee shop’s website, links to your social media sites and your latest blog post. 
  • Email your customers your winter theme menu as well as any early bird Valentine’s day offers and any upcoming events in the shop. 
  • Change up your email opt-in incentive to include a free one-page printable calendar for the new year clearly labeled with your coffee shop’s name and url, as a frequent reminder. 
COFFEE SHOP CONTENT MARKETING TACTICS
  • 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. 
COFFEE SHOP SALES & PROMOTIONS TACTICSCoffee Shop Marketing Strategy Plan
  • Comment daily on the latest blog posts of popular local news media and magazines.
  • Create a rewards card by linking the points accumulation to various things i.e. 20 points for buying a coffee, 20 points for downloading your app, 5 points for leaving a review, 15 points for signing up for your email, 10 points for posting a photo of your coffee shop (with shoutout) to Instagram, etc. 
  • Offer a travel mug that has your coffee shop logo and address as part of your rewards program to garner free advertising.

Isn’t my coffee shop marketing plan awesome? And this is just for January. Get the entire 12 months by downloading my 12-Month Coffee Shop Marketing Plan today!

Also Read: Fun and Easy Local Marketing Idea

© 2023 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. Coffee Shop Marketing Strategy Plan.

Not Making Sales? Time for a Marketing Checkup

June 27, 2017 /

time for a marketing checkupHave sales at your business stalled? Then maybe it’s time for a marketing checkup.

SEO

When was the last time you updated your keywords and search phrases? The way people search is always changing, particularly since a lot of people are now speaking their searches into their phones as opposed to typing them. So try typing your main product word, i.e. “dog collars” into the search boxes of Google, Amazon, Etsy, even Pinterest and see what types of searches fill down, and then update your keywords accordingly.

Advertising

You have to advertise your business as it is still the number one way to drive traffic that actually converts into a sale. The money you invest you will make back and then some, so don’t fear it. A good rule is to make sure that advertising costs are no more than 25% of the revenue the ad generates. You have a variety of options Google ads to social media ads to online or print ads. If sales have stalled it is time to try at least one and measure the results.

Publicity

If you are not sending out at least one publicity pitch a week, you are missing out on free traffic. Make a list of all of the blogs that your target market reads and pitch the blogger a story idea that would include your product. Start with the smaller blogs as they are more receptive to submissions. Need a refresher? Read my blog post, “How to Pitch Your Products to Editors“.

Email Marketing

What about all those people who have previously purchased from you? Maybe it’s time to get in touch with a special offer (buy one, get one half off), seasonal sale, a giveaway or just to show new product releases.

Social Media

Which social media site brings you the most traffic? Then double your “posting” and “following” efforts on this site and you will likely double your traffic. Maybe there is a social media site you haven’t tried yet, like Instagram. Now is the time to see what traffic it can drive. If you can’t come up with interesting content ideas try my 365 Social Media Ideas Calendar, which gives you creative content ideas for every day of the year.

 

© 2017 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. Time for a Marketing Checkup

6 Killer Marketing Ideas for Your Lularoe Business

June 6, 2017 /

by Gail Oliver, Online Marketing Consultant

Lularoe is a direct sales clothing brand that has become a billion dollar business in just 5 years, selling their vibrant fashions through home based consultants. Direct sales businesses can be lucrative, but it can take time. So here are 6 killer marketing ideas for your Lularoe business, from my new ebook, Direct Sales Marketing Ideas. 

6 Killer Marketing Ideas Lularoe Business

  1. Since one of Lularoe’s most popular products is their leggings, attend free yoga classes in the park (or other free exercise classes in your town) wearing a pair of Lularoe leggings, along with a gym bag full of the leggings for on-the-spot sales.
  2. Have your yoga mat printed with, “Like My Leggings? They’re Lularoe”. Any print shop can do this for you onto a plain yoga mat. Free advertising!
  3. Repackage older items, out of season items or stock that didn’t sell into value bundles for sale or “grab bags”.
  4. Post a countdown graphic daily on your social media sites, leading up to your next Lularoe Facebook Pop-up Store to create momentum.
  5. Suggest to your Lularoe consultants that they hold a home party to coincide with a TV show viewing party, like the finale of the Bachelor or during the half time at a Super Bowl party.
  6. Create paper door hangers to hang on neighbour’s doors (or hit up an apartment building) inviting people to your next Lularoe Facebook pop up shop. There are many Etsy shops that can create custom door hangers inexpensively for you.

Get hundreds of more awesome ideas in my ebook, Direct Sales Marketing Ideas from my Selz store. Watch your sales skyrocket!

© 2018 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved.

Marketing Ideas Lularoe Business

How to Create Products Editors Love

May 30, 2017 /

 

 

I have always recommended to my clients to come up with at least one product that is trendy, unconventional or whimsical in nature because these are the types of products that blog and magazine editors love. This product acts like a lure for your shop because it gets the media attention that brings the traffic to your shop to see what else you sell.

Here are some products (courtesy of Anthropologie) that editors would love and why:

Make It Useful and Pretty

Tassels on purses or backpacks are cute accessories, but why not give them a dual purpose and add a USB cable for charging on the go. If you make them out of leather or suede, then they are a little more luxurious as well.

Products Editors Love
Put a New Twist on Seasonal Items

These sandals are interesting simply because they don’t match, have lots of bling and are right on theme for any summer editorial. They would also be great for wedding editorial for stories on beach weddings.

Products Editors Love

Design It Intelligently

Why would editors like this pencil case? Because it doubles as a pencil holder simply by standing it on its side. This is truly clever design because it makes the pouch stand out from other pouches because it has a multi purpose design.

Give It a Fun Name

Funny product names are always editorial worthy, like this facial mask that will get rid of under eye bags called, “Lost Baggage”, a curse of the weary traveler.

Find a New Use for a Popular Idea

If you sell on Etsy, you know the demand for monogrammed products. Well doesn’t it just make sense that the best way to get members of the family to hang up their stuff is to give them their own monogrammed hook?!

Make It Clever

What can I say; this “Love U Berry Much” bracelet is silly but clever and editors love clever products.

© 2017 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved.

How to Improve Click Through on Your Products in Etsy Search Results

May 16, 2017 /

by Gail Oliver, E-commerce Marketing Consultant

how-to-improve-click-through-on-products-in-Etsy-search-results

So you have optimized your Etsy SEO and your products are now coming up on the first page of search results, however, you still are not getting any traffic. It is one of two things – your price and/or your photos, as these are the only two visible factors in search results. Therefore, here are some potential reasons and solutions:

  1. Your price is way off the competition. If someone is searching for a trendy necklace, typically expecting a $25 to $40 price range, and your necklace is $200, they are probably not going to click on it. Solution: Try adding a circle or banner that says: “Less Expensive Necklaces in Shop” or “See our Under $50 Section”. This might encourage the customer to at least click on the photo to see what else you offer in their price range as opposed to dismissing your shop altogether.
  2. It is not the color/size/material they want. As a result, the customer assumes this is the only color/size/material it is offered in and doesn’t bother clicking on the image. Solution: Add a banner that says, “More Colors Available” to the photo. Same for size, style, pattern, etc. 
  3. Your photos look like everyone else’s. You do not want your photos to blend in with everyone else’s because it then appears to the customer as all the same product and it just doesn’t stand out. Solution: Do a search on your main search phrase and see the images that come up. If they are all on white backgrounds, then put your product in a stylized setting, and vice versa. In other words, do the opposite, not the same. Maybe even something as simple as adding a color border around the image might make it stand out more and differentiate it from others.
  4. There are too many other objects in the photo. I see a lot of product photos where people put all of these other objects in the image and the customer is not sure which one you are selling, so they don’t click on it because they assume the wrong product is the one for sale. Solution: There is nothing wrong with a stylized photo, but don’t over do it. Make sure your product is front and center, use no more than two other objects in the photo, and make sure that the objects are softly blurred out.
  5. The product appears too small. A larger image of a product will stand out in search results much more than a smaller one. Solution: Etsy has a built in cropping tool so use it for the shop view photo. See the difference below:
  6. Quite simply, the photo sucks. It doesn’t look professional, is poorly lit and/or poorly cropped (not all of the product is in the frame). Good photos sell products so invest in this area of your business. Solution: If you can’t afford professional photos, then just keep the photo simple in terms of styling as it is harder to mess up, such as a trendy overhead shot on a natural surface background like marble or concrete, and make sure to shoot the product in natural light using a flash, as in the example below.

2 more ways to improve click through!

☀My Etsy Shop Critique will improve upon every aspect of your Etsy shop – including a review of your photos – as well as advice on your Etsy SEO, your Google SEO, your products, your pricing, your listing descriptions and so much more! Get all the details on my Etsy Shop Critique and start seeing results!

☀Whatify.com increases traffic to Etsy listings by 10% on average by using cutting edge data analytics that tell you which of the first two images in your listing should be in the primary image spot in order to get the best click through. Get set up in less than 30 seconds and then sit back and let them gather and analyze your traffic data. Learn more.

☀FREE OFFER! Mention my blog with a link (Attention-Getting.com) on a Facebook Etsy Team page that has 5,000+ followers and I will rewrite one of your weakest product descriptions for free!

 

© 2017 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved.

How to Maximize Sales for Every Gift Buying Occasion

May 3, 2017 /

by Gail Oliver, Ecommerce Marketing Consultant

If you want your online shop to succeed, you have to advertise. There is no way around it. Your competitors are advertising, so you need to as well. I am not sure why so many shops fight it when it is one of the most effective and proven ways to drive traffic and sales.

Now, I also believe in spending your ad dollars wisely, especially if they are limited. Therefore, if your shop does the best during the high gift buying times of the year, such as Valentines Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas and so forth, then save your advertising dollars for these occasions to get the most bang for your marketing budget.

The key is to look at when people start searching and when those searches peak. Below are my recommendations for when you should run ads to maximize your sales opportunities as well as cash in on those early shoppers. Be sure to bookmark this page for reference.

Teachers Gifts                       

Searches start in November and reach their peak in December. They start again in early May and peak in late May, with some searches still in June, but searches are highest in December overall, so we can assume that Christmas gifts for teachers are more popular than end of year gifts.

RUN YOUR ADS: mid November to mid December; all of May.

Valentines Gifts                       

Searches start in late December right after Christmas and reach their peak the first week of February.

RUN YOUR ADS: late December to February 9th. 

Mother’s Day Gifts

Searches start around Valentines Day and then hit their first peak mid March, likely for the UK Mother’s Day. Searches start up again mid April and peak the first week of May.

RUN YOUR ADS: mid February to mid March; mid April to the first week of May.

Graduation Gifts                       

Searches start in early April, peak in mid May, with still some searches in June.

RUN YOUR ADS: early April to first week of June.

Father’s Day Gifts

Searches actually start in April as the second wave of people who are searching for a Mother’s Day gift likely decide to look for a Father’s Day gift at the same time. Searches peak by mid June.

RUN YOUR ADS: mid April to first week of June.

Christmas Gifts

Searches start in October, grow through November, but forget about what you heard about Black Friday. December is still when searches for Christmas gifts is the highest (those last minute shoppers).

RUN YOUR ADS: mid October to December 20th. 

Wedding Gifts

Searches for wedding gifts are popular all year long but particularly strong in December, November and May (in that order).

RUN YOUR ADS: early November to last week of December; all of May.

LATEST CUSTOMER REVIEW

“Some wonderful ideas to put in place and I know that in time, Gail’s advice will pay off in spades. Many thanks!”. Jill, FantailsandFeet on Etsy.

© 2017 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved.

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