In the last issue of Style Sample, Alicia of Instant Vintage shows us how to set up an online shop step by step. Setup is relatively simple, but once you have your store up and running, you have to get out there and promote it! Here are some easy and (mostly) free ideas:
1. Put a link to your shop in your email signature, blog comments, and forum and message board signatures.
2. Create a Facebook fan page for your shop or line. Post pictures of customers wearing your products, links to articles about your shop, and info about how you create your merchandise.
3. Create a behind-the-scenes video like this one about The Brush Factory. Post it on YouTube, Metacafe, MySpace, blip.tv, Vimeo, and others using an all-in-one video posting service like tubemogul.com.
4. Use descriptive keywords in your item description so people searching can find it easily. Instead of “vintage dress”, try “red cotton vintage sundress size 6.”
5. Post classifieds on free sites like Craigslist and Kijiji.
6. Send email newsletters announcing a new line or collection. If you have a small list (under 500 subscribers), try a free service like MailChimp.
7. Promote offline, too! You can get inexpensive business cards from Moo.com or OvernightPrints and hand them out to friends, family, and potential customers.
8. Participate in area craft fairs or trunk shows. Hand out those cards!
9. If you’re interested in selling offline, create postcards to mail to businesses and publications who might be interested in selling or writing about your products. Be sure to do your research when preparing your pitch.
10. Write press releases when something big happens–a new collection comes out, you snag an investor, or you’re carried at a new store. Submit your release to writers who would be interested in your story and online newswire services like iNewswire and PRLog.
11. Join an ad network–as an advertiser.
Besides blogging, how do you promote your store?
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