Build a bigger audience and get more sales for your product business
Hi! I’m starting a new series on the Podcast that’s all about real entrepreneurs with REAL business problems, who need real coaching.
Want a free coaching session?
1. Tell me your biggest struggle with marketing, sales, and building an audience
2. I give your your next 3 action steps
Apply here:
http://bit.ly/AskJanesBrain
Jane
Do you ever wonder when you should start promoting a new product? Or, when is it too soon and when is too late to tell people?
It doesn’t matter if it’s your 1st or your 50th product launch, we all want customers to buy as soon as we have something new to sell. We all worry that we won’t have enough customers – kind of like when you throw a party and worry that no one will show up and you’ll be stuck with all this food and drink and embarrassment…
Anyway…I recently got this question in the #askjanesbrain bin…
Q: “I’m getting ready to start my accessories line and I also inspire women over forty to live their best life. I’m at the early stages of developing my product and I won’t be able to sell for many months. What should I be doing in the meantime?” – Anonymous
A: Well, Anon…May I call you Anon? I get this type of question a LOT. I’m happy to hear you know there are things you can and should be doing even without a product ready to sell yet. Before I give you my answer, here’s a short story…
A while back I read about an author asking a book promoter how and when she should start promoting her book. She asked,
“I’m writing a book and it should be ready in about three months. When do I start promoting it?”
The expert answered…
“3 years ago.”
Ummm…what?
The author followed up with,
“But how can I promote my book if people can’t actually buy it yet?”
If you’re feeling puzzled like the author was, you’re not alone.
There’s a simple mindset shift that will make this clear. Instead of thinking about promoting your actual product, consider gathering a group of like-minded people together.
***NOTE: I have a COMPLETE online training on this topic – a LIVE online class to help you GET SALES from day one of a new product launch.
Here’s an example of how to do it…
If you want to sell activewear, ask yourself — what kind of activewear? Who’s the person who will buy it? Is it the soccer mom Lululemon type? Or is it women who rock climb, mountain bike, more hardcore? Maybe it’s activewear for a healthy mindful Yoga type.
Whatever target customer you choose, I encourage you to be very, very specific in which type of person you pick.
After you pick your PERSON, here’s what to do next…
Every other week, produce bits of content that will attract the person who will eventually buy your product. Just try to add value to their lives in some small way — entertain, educate, connect. My suggestion is to house this content on a blog. You can use social media as well, of course, but the main hub of your content is on your blog.
Your goal is to build a following, a community, of like-minded people based around the LIFESTYLE of this person, not the actual product.
But coming up with all this content doesn’t have to be as hard as you think.
Here are some simple types of blog posts / content you could produce that won’t be scary, annoying, or take too much time:
The key is to work it backwards.
Now imagine this…you’ve been consistently putting useful, awesome content for 3 months (6, 9, 12 – whatever you can do) before your product is ready. What you’ve actually done is created a TON of trust within your community. When you have people’s trust, it’s much easier to say…
“Hey guys I know you already like seeing my tutorials and reading my quick tips, how ’bout you buy this?”
See how this works? Then you GET SALES form the very first day you launch your product. Bam!
If you’re interested to learn more about getting a following of paying customers, we have a course for that.
How to Build a Following for Your Brand EVEN if Your Product Isn’t Ready to Sell.
As always, thanks for reading!
Jane
Recently I started a new series on my blog, called STEAL THIS IDEA. The point is to share with you FANTASTIC marketing and sales ideas you can “steal” and tweak to use in your own creative business.
I’m not suggesting you actually STEAL the specific strategies in the videos, but what I want you to do is watch the videos, see the examples, and then ask yourself…
“How can I use this for MY business? How creative can I get to try something different with my marketing?”
Today’s video gives you 2 real-life examples of customer service that WORKS. Both of the companies I feature in the video have added their own personality to their email responses after I contacted them with an issue.
Watch it now.
.
The first example of email awesome-ness in the video is Crowdrise. The 2nd company – HUGE personality being shown here – is SamCart.
Your assignment: Did you like the video? Yes or no? What’s the ONE thing you could use form this video to tweak and make it your own to improve your customer service? eave it on the comments below – I read every one!
As always, thanks for reading and watching,
Jane
Yahoo!! Registration is now open for the Marketing for Fashion Designers “20 Up” course.
“20 Up’ is designed to help you find more customers, keep them longer, and make more sales. You’ll learn my proven 6 Step process to marketing your product and getting FOUND online.
Let me ask you, would your sales go up if more prospects simply knew you existed?
Right.
The course includes 7 video training modules, an easy-to-follow printable Workbook to keep you organized and on track.
Click over to see what past students have to say about the course and get all the details here: https://fashionbrainacademy.com/blog/twenty/
Your business is doing OK, you’re rolling along, But are sales where you want them to be? When you send an email to your list, do you get the response you’re looking for? Are the people who buy from you just regular customers or raving fans?
Let’s take a look and see if it’s time for a Marketing Makeover. Oh an by the way, here’s my definition of Marketing (because it’s a confusing term sometimes):
“Marketing is everything that your company does to connect with the outside world. Everything. The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself.”
Here are 3 signs that your brand is ready for a change.
1) You don’t know how to connect with customers
If you’re not sure who you need to connect with and where to find them, then you could be wasting a truckload of time and energy building relationships with prospects and spending time in places that won’t drive sales. What you want to do is define your perfect customer (target audience) and decide how to talk to them in THEIR language, so they really understand what you sell is for THEM and only them. Do you know what kind of information they want to get from you? What conversations they want to have with you?
2) You only talk about yourself
I see this all the time with emerging designers as well and big brands. In Emails, Facebook posts, Tweets – it’s all ME ME ME! Look at my brand! Look how wonderful my product is! Want to know what’s new with ME?! The trick is to strike a balance between promoting your brand and actually being social. Just like in real life, if you only talk about yourself all the time, no one will want to hang out with you. People do not go to social media just to hear your marketing message. It’s a place to get to know people and build a relationship with your customer. One that goes both ways, like an actual conversation. Your role should be to engage people in meaningful conversation, provide value, and share information about yourself and your business.
3) The “me too” problem
If your competitors’ message look just like yours then it’s time to wake up and make a change. I know it’s safer and easier to make your marketing look like everyone else’s, but it’s a sure-fire way to lose your voice. Determine what differentiates you from your competitors and what actual benefits you can deliver to customers that your competition doesn’t. The idea is to understand what people really LOVE and want from you and then do it YOUR way. Dare to stand out. Dare to be criticized for your marketing. At least people will notice it – rather than blending into the vanilla crowd of designers out there who aren’t willing to take a risk. Once you know what makes your brand truly different, it’s time to make sure the world knows about you in a BIG way.
So maybe you’re wondering if your marketing needs work. Perhaps you’re thinking,
“Jane, I KNOW I need a change but I don’t know what to do.”
No worries, help is on the way. Join me for a free Webinar on Thursday, January 16th, 2014, at 1 pm EST. It’s all about how to GET FOUND online – by the right people (those who like what you do and can afford to pay for it).
Here’s what you’ll learn on the Webinar:
FREE Webinar
“The Online Marketing Strategy That’s Working RIGHT NOW for Fashion Designers”
Thursday, January 16th, 2014, at 1 pm EST (10 am PST, 12 pm CST)
Click to register now (it’s free!): http://bit.ly/1cUVxBk
Did you like this post” The click the LIKE button and tell me… What’s the ONE thing you took from it that you can start using right away in your business? Just leave a comment below – I would love to hear from you.
Are you tired of creating kick-ass products that no one knows about? If you want to GET FOUND by the right customers and learn what’s working right now for designers, then join me for a free Webinar on Thursday, January 16, at 1 pm EST.
For a few months now, I have been testing out some simple marketing strategies with a small group of designers. Turns out it’s working – and working well – so I’m ready to share it in a bigger way.
Click here to register for the free Webinar.
“The Online marketing Strategy That’s Working RIGHT NOW for Fashion Designers”
FREE Webinar
Thursday, January 16, 2014 at 1 pm EST
Register here: http://bit.ly/1cUVxBk
A few weeks ago, I was on the phone with an accessories designer who asked me, “What’s the difference between a newsletter and a blog? And do I need both?” I’ve heard this question many times – and I understand it can be confusing – but I was surprised she asked it because she’s a well-established fashion designer, not a newbie. So let me explain…
What is a Blog?
A business blog is an ongoing series of (usually) short articles (pictures, video, graphics) that you publish online. The word blog comes from web-blog. Blog posts are generally displayed in reverse-chronological order. Your blog is where you share value-added information and you can indirectly market your product. It’s not the place where you make a direct sales pitch, it’s more about giving information that will help your target customer, sharing behind-the-scene details and tips to help your readers’ lives. (Not sure what to write about? Here’s a post to help).
A blog is an informal mode of communication and you can add your personality to what you write. This casual interaction can help you build relationships with your readers so they know you’re out there and keep you top-of-mind when they’re ready to buy.
Business blogs are usually hosted on your business website. Sometimes they are the website (like mine). It’s worth mentioning that you do not have to write every article on the blog yourself – you can have guest bloggers and other people in your company write posts too.
What is a Newsletter?
Most of us understand the old-fashioned newsletter, which was (and sometimes still is) mailed out every month to customers and prospects. I still get one from my financial planner and it’s pretty clear they use a newsletter service with canned articles – the cure for insomnia, if you ask me.
Today’s newsletter is usually sent through email (also called an e-zine) which reduces costs, is faster to produce, and can reach more people more effectively.
Your newsletter is a direct marketing tool. It gives your customers some educational information, but it also tells them what’s happening with your business and what you’re up to. A newsletter shares upcoming events you’ll be participating in, news and big happenings in your business, tips and value-based info relevant to your target customer, new products, any specials you’re offering, and a link back to your website.
Your Blog vs. Your Newsletter
Here are some simple guidelines on the differences between blogs and newsletters (e-zines). And remember, you can use the same articles that you post to your blog in your e-zine.
Your Blog:
Your Newsletter:
The Wrap Up
You want a blog because they are extremely attractive to search engines like Google. The goal of your blog is to attract your target customers to your business via keywords in the blog content.
But then you want to get these readers on your e-zine (newsletter) list so that you can keep in touch with them, build a relationship, make offers to them sell more of your product. And please know this… it’s OK to re-purpose the content on your blog in your e-zine. Using the same article on both platforms is OK.
Now it’s YOUR turn. Are you using your blog or newsletter in a creative way to help find and keep customers? Do you have a question for me? Leave a comment below and let me know!
This is really a pet peeve of mine.
Designers: Why do so many of you resist putting a photo of yourself on the “About Us” section of your website?
And it frustrates me not just because I personally like to see the picture of who I’m dealing with or who I’m going to buy from.
Here are a few of the main reasons YOU, indie designers, need to put your picture on your site:
Also, you want to put the same picture on each social media platform. This way a quick glance tells the consumer it’s you. There’s a certain comfort and safety to it that we like. It’s just human nature.
And here’s another tip. Consider what your photo says about yourself. If you look at mine above, it tells you things. It says:
Then it gives the consumer a choice. Does this look like a person you’d want to work with or not? If she’s not your style, click away and save the tire-kicking. If she is your style, keep exploring the website and let’s see if we want to connect.
Here’s a terrific example of a designer who understands that part of why people buy from him is because he’s cool. – Diego Rocha gets it and uses it to his advantage. Check out this picture below – who wouldn’t want to buy from this dude? The message we get is “My coolness factor will go up and I’ll be in style if I buy one of these bags”.
So what do you think? Do you agree with what I say or not? Leave a comment below and let’s get a discussion going! You can also post comments here, on facebook.
I really want to know what you think!
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What is Fashion Brain?
We offer online training courses and private coaching for fashion designers and creative entrepreneurs.
Our primary focus is the business side of things, including startup planning, finding a profitable niche,
finding customers, selling your line, costing and pricing, and getting your product found online.
You love designing. We love business. A perfect match.
