Archive for May, 2010
Marketing Monday - Lucky Letters
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Last week I spotted a fantastic promotion - it’s on now so you can still get involved. Natty Jane Designs is having a “Lucky Letter” Countdown promotion.
Basically, over the course of 26 days, they will announce a random letter and if your business name or name starts with that letter, you are eligible for a special offer that is available for that day only.
You can read more about this promotion here.
This is a fantastic promotion and one that will get people joining their Facebook business page and visiting their website to see if their letter is called out that morning. It is also a fun way to attract new clients as people who have been thinking about using their services can try them out when their day comes up.
I’m sure this promotion will work out well and I look forward to reading the results on their blog.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums DailyFriday Five - Things to put on your Facebook page
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I see a lot of Facebook business pages, and am invited to join a lot of them. There are a few things I look for in a business page when deciding whether or not to join them.
For this weeks Friday Five, I thought I’d share some of these with you as they may help you attract more “likers” to your page.
- Location - where possible, I like to support Australian businesses. If I can’t see where you are (even if it just a country or a state) I may not join.
- Description - there is a place to add a brief description about your business. If it is not obvious what your business does, make sure you complete this. It will help get potential visitors interested in your business and they will want to find out more.
- Image or Logo - many businesses have a custom image created for their Facebook page. These look great, however if you don’t have one, make sure you upload your logo or an image that represents your business.
- URL - I’m amazed at the number of businesses that have a website that don’t add it to their business page. In the Info tab there is a place you can add the URL of your business, your blog, and other sites you sell your products, such as Etsy or Made It.
- Posts & Updates - there are a number of pages I have been invited to join that have no messages on their walls. To attract new “likers”, add some posts & updates to your wall. This also gives potential “likers” an idea of what to expect when they join your page.
I hope this will help you attract more “likers” and have a busier and more effective business page.
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Use the discussion for blog posts
Yesterday I read a great post on the Backpacks 4 Aussie Kids blog. Backpacks 4 Aussie Kids puts together backpacks full of necessities to give to kids in care, many of whom have left home with nothing.
The post I read was about the carer allowance foster parents receive - you can read the post here.
The reason I am talking about this is the post came after a discussion on their Facebook business page. You can view their business page here. The discussion is posted on their wall.
Starting discussion on your business page can be great inspiration for blog posts. You can use the responses to do further research and blog about reality vs perception on a topic, or even blog about the topic in general.
There are a few different ways you can use your business page to generate discussion. The most popular seems to be posting a question on your wall as it will show up in the news feed of your “likers”. The other way is to use the Discussion board feature of the pages. If you do use the discussion board feature, write a wall post letting people know it is there and invite people to take part in the discussion.
If you are a member of a few different business pages, there may be discussions on other pages that can spark blog posts, just as the Backpacks 4 Aussie Kids discussion inspired this post.
One thing to remember, if you quote people in the discussion, make sure you acknowledge them. It is also a good idea to ask their permission to use their quote.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums DailySelling ebooks & reports
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Selling reports & eBooks is easy with e-Junkie
I have written a number of reports that I sell online - many you will have seen as Friday Five reports. I have recently had a number of people ask how I sell them online.
A friend recommended a service to me called e-Junkie. It starts at only $5 US a month, and for most of us, if we sell a couple of reports we have made our money back.
You can set whether you want to accept payment in US or AU dollars, the amount, even the quantity. You can upload your report or eBook as a PDF and then add the code to your website. Customers then buy your eBook or report using PayPal and they can download the report instantly. You can also set discount codes, so you can reward customers by offering a discount, or as a promotion. There is also the option to create affiliate links so others can sell your products for you.
I have found e-Junkie very easy to use and I recommend it to anyone who asks me about selling eBooks & reports. Click on the button below to sign up - they even have a 1 week free trial so you can have a play before you commit.
Marketing Monday - Blog Link Up
Posted by: | CommentsOn one of my other blogs, I have been participating in the Childhood 101 “We Play” link up. This link up happens each Tuesday - everyone involved posts about something they have been playing with their kids, along with photos, then we post the link back to Childhood 101.
While most of those taking part have preschoolers, I’m still having fun sharing the things my older boys (6 & 8 ) are doing. The traffic on my blog has also gone up, as has the number of comments as the participants go and read the other posts and leave comments as they go.
As well as new readers and extra traffic for my blog, I’m sure Childhood 101 has received more traffic and readers as everyone who takes part includes a link back to Childhood 101 in their posts.
If you are interested in getting involved in the We Play link up, click here.
I was thinking about doing a business mum link up - maybe along the line of marketing ideas or similar - anyone game?
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Posted by: | CommentsThis post is inspired by a status update I saw on Facebook from Vintage is Beautiful last weekend. And yes, I did create this post when I saw it. Some of the points are the same and others are different. I hope the owner of Vintage is Beautiful doesn’t mind me borrowing her idea.
Here are five reasons to choose hand made products:
- You are supporting a small business - most people who sell home made products are small businesses, and many of those are work at home Mums. By buying from them, you are keeping these people in business and helping these Mums support their family.
- You are getting a unique product - even if the designer of the product has made 5 items the “same”, there are still aspects of the creating process that means no two items are exactly alike. For example, dress fabric is cut on a different place in the pattern, or flowers are placed in a slightly different spot on the front of a card. No two items are exactly alike.
- You can find them in unexpected places - have you ever been to a little craft market and found the perfect hand made gift for someone, or in a little nick nack shop somewhere? There are many places you can find hand made products - markets, on the Internet, in boutique shops, expos, and more. You never know when you will come across something that is exactly what you are looking for.
- Hand made items are made with love and attention to detail - the creators of hand made items are making them because they love to create. This love and attention to detail comes through in the designs and the quality of the products. It also comes through with the materials they use to make them.
- You can get things personalised - if you have a little girl who has recently become obsessed with a particular football team, or a friend is decorating their baby’s room in an unusual colour or theme, you may be able to contact some of the businesses who create hand made products and get things made to suit. Not all hand made businesses accept custom orders, and they will want a deposit up front and it will take longer to get to you, but there is no harm in asking. You will end up with a special gift or product that exactly suits what you are looking for.
So, where do you find these home made businesses? A great place to start is local craft markets. There are markets on almost every weekend and some week nights. Check your local paper for markets and fairs in your local area. You can also do a Google search for craft markets.
Other great places are Etsy and Made It. These are like online craft markets. You can search by item or by shop to find the goodies you are looking for.
There are also many directories of work at home Mums, such as the Business Mums Directory, where you can find business mums with their own websites who sell home made products.
Happy Shopping!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your daily dose of business mums websites and blogs, check out Business Mums DailyIt’s all about how you present it…
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How do you present your products?
Nappy cakes - they were the latest thing a few years ago and it seemed every business mum was trying her hand at nappy cakes. The ones that stood out were the ones who had something different in the way they presented their gifts.
S.O.H. Sleepy Baby Bouquets presented their gifts as a bouquet of flowers rather than a cake, and Novelty Nappies has created some nappy trains.
Monique over at Your Cheeky Monkey packages her gift bundles in a Fregie Sack, a resuable bag.
Essentially the gifts consist of similar products - nappies, socks, singlets, and other baby items - however it is in the way they are presented that makes all the difference.
With a product such as cross stitch patterns, there are not a lot of creative ways you can present these, however Bernadette over at the Needlework Boutique wraps all her orders in light blue tissue paper and makes sure they look good before putting them in an envelope to send out.
Tania at Green Room Interiors sends her quarterly newsletter out in a green envelope. The green envelope really stands out in a pile of plain white envelopes.
So, how do you present your products? Whether it is a creative way to do gift hampers or a special way you package your products before posting them. What is it that sets your business apart?
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Posted by: | CommentsA new business has moved in to my local area. It’s a personal training business called Step Into Life.
I first started seeing the car of the business owner driving around the area. Then I saw it parked at a local park. This park is one that I pass every morning when I drop the kids at school. They are there with their branded car, a banner/flag and what looks like a board with brochures people can take (I haven’t been close enough to know for sure). The trainer is in her uniform t-shirt.
I have also seen them at a second park nearby, so I assume they are running their sessions at more than 1 location. Or they were trying out parks when they first started. There was a similar set up with the car parked at the park, their flag and t-shirt on display.
Shortly after I saw them in the park, they did a letterbox drop and there was a flyer in our letterbox announcing their arrival in the area.
Given how close they are to the local primary school, I’m expecting to see an ad in the school newsletter any day now! I am also expecting another flyer in the letterbox soon.
So, why am I sharing this with you? Simple. They are a good example of sending a consistent message, and being consistent with their branding.
Their logo is on everything - the car, t-shirts, flag - and they are visible. It’s hard to miss the car and flag by the side of the park every morning. When I received the flyer in my letterbox, I had already heard about them, so it wasn’t a completely cold sell (though it did end up in the recycling bin, mostly because I’m not looking for a personal trainer right now).
Whatever you do with your marketing, be consistent with your message and your branding.
I’ll let you know if they do end up putting an ad in the school newsletter.
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Posted by: | CommentsIt’s been a busy week this week, so I haven’t been doing much blogging.
Facebook is a great place to promote your business, especially if that’s a place where your target market hang out.
This week, I’ll share 5 useful links to help you promote your business through Facebook.
- Promotion Guidelines - This is something I stumbled on. It’s hidden where you edit your fanpage and is well worth a read. It contains guidelines of how you are allowed to promote your fanpage outside Facebook.
- Competitions Guidelines - If you have a fanpage, you must read this. It’s regarding competitions and promotions on Facebook. There are a number of things you are not allowed to do, including having a competition to grow the number of fans! If you currently run promotions, READ THIS!
- FAQ, Business Accounts - While it makes sense to have 2 profiles - one personal and one for business, this is against the Facebook TOS. This link has questions & answers about having a business account on Facebook.
- Username for your Page - Once you have 25 “likers”, you can get a username for your fanpage. This means people can find you at www.facebook.com/yourbusinessname instead of a long URL.
- Facebook Pages - Yes, Facebook Pages has their own page. It has a lot of hints and tips to help you with your page.
I hope these links are useful for you. If you have any other links or tips for Facebook Pages, share them by adding a comment.
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Posted by: | CommentsToday I’m going to share a cool tool that I found - I found this through a number of my Facebook friends and fan pages I’m a member of.
It’s a random number generator and you can find it at www.random.org
If you run a competition based on Facebook fans (this is against the Facebook terms & conditions, but I’m using it as an example), or any other list, this an easy way to do it.
Simply enter in the maximum number, for example, you may have 973 on your list, and it will generate a random number - whoever is at that spot on the list is the winner.
You may want to include a screenshot image of the result when you publish it.
This makes drawing a competition easy, and also shows entrants it is truly a random drawing.
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