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100 ways to promote – Part 7
Niche Engine Promotion
Pay per Click Promotion
Trade Shows
Business Cards
Thanking Your Customers

100 ways to promote – Number 23 Niche Search Engine Promotion

THE CONCEPT
There are thousands of search engines on the net. Many of them are becoming more focused as they target in on a ‘niche’ market. This allows surfers to find related sites more easily.

o THE GOOD
Adding your site to these niche engines not only will bring you some targeted traffic, but they will also add to your link relevancy.

o THE BAD
There is really nothing bad that I can see, it does take a bit of time to find, and submit to them. Think of this as an investment in your business and you can smile while you work.

o OPTIONS AND LINKS
Some examples of places to find niche engines include: http://allwebdirectories.com/
http://www.searchenginecolossus.com/
You can also do a specific search using your favorite search engine. Example – I would search for web promotion directories (or search engines).

100 ways to promote – Number 24 –Pay per Click Search Engines

o THE CONCEPT
People visit a search engine and search for your keywords. When they click on a site a fee is deducted from your account balance.

o THE GOOD
Pay Per Click (PPC) search engines are a great way to drive targeted traffic to your site, for a reasonable cost. We use several PPC engines to bring us traffic (and sales) each and every month. o THE BAD On occasion you may get a flurry of clicks from competitors or not so targeted advertising. (See how to do it below for more information on targeting)

o OPTIONS AND LINKS AND HOW TO DO IT
Ok time to roll up your sleeves and get down to business.

Step 1 – Figure out how much each of your visitors is worth.
The way to conquer the PPC engines is to a)figure out how much your visitor is worth b)never bid above that amount Gather up your traffic and sales reports for last month.
1. Jot down your total amount of traffic for your sites main page – we will call this VISITS
2. Jot down your total profit from sales (numbers not amount) for the month, we’ll call this SALES
3. Divide your VISITS by SALES.

Here is an example.
VISITS – 1000
SALES – $500.
Now following the formula 1000 / $500.00 = $2.00

Now to be on the safe side take 75% of that number. - $1.50. So $1.50 is the most we can bid on a keyword. This number should be adjusted at least monthly as you try different paid methods of advertising.

Step 2 – Finding your keywords
Many of the PPC engines provide options for finding more keywords. I suggest you start compiling a list of 20 or 30 good keywords and terms. Then work on expanding them a bit. A complete mini guide for doing this can be found at the following link. http://www.blitzpromotions.com/keywords.htm

Step 3- Picking your PPC engine.
There are more than 170 pay per click search engines. I would suggest that you start out with Goto – they have the most expensive keyword bids but they also have the broadest reach so you will get the most traffic from them. After profiting a bit from Goto you can explore some of the other search engines. A huge list of them can be found here:
http://www.payperclicksearchengines.com/

Step 4- optimizing your traffic
You can help to decide when folks click on your link. The more information you include in your ad listing, the more targeted your click will be. This could include – price of your service etc. When I included the price in my ad – the quantity of my clicks decreased, but their quality improved greatly.

Step 5 Making your bid
You don’t have to pay for the top bids, but you will find some useful gaps within the bids. Here are some recent listing costs on Goto for web design. Gaps are noted with a -->

0.95
0.94
-->
0.81
0.80
0.79
0.75
0.73
0.69
-->
0.63 etc.

So you wouldn’t want to bid 68 cents when you could have the same bid for 64 cents. There are some software packages that will help you optimize your listings, however they are pretty expensive.

Good Luck and Happy Promoting. Questions please feel free to send us a note. Need help starting your PPC campaign. We offer help. Find out more by clicking on the link below. http://www.blitzpromotions.com/websitepromotion.htm#goto

100 ways to promote – Number 25 – Using Trade Shows and Events

Since we have never participated in a trade show we ask our readers for advice. I’m sure that you’ll agree with me that we got some excellent tips from them.

First is an interview with one of our long time readers and promotion clients Dave Collins.

--->How do you find relevant trade shows for your products. I don't actually do trade shows.

I do "Arts and Crafts Festivals" Up to now, I have always only done shows in North Carolina. Next year, I am thinking about branching out to do shows in South Carolina and Virginia also. I try to do "Fine Arts and Craft" shows that lean toward artists.

When I first started out, I contacted the Chambers of Commerce and/or the Tourist Bureau for several of the towns and cities around the area. From them I got lists of events, which included arts and crafts festivals. (This is a way to find out about trade shows in the area, also) I tried several and each year I drop shows that aren't quite as good and try new shows that I have learned about.

Now, I generally find new shows in several ways:
a. I use the Ronay Guide to shows in the Carolinas and Virginia. There is also a guide to Georgia and a comprehensive guide to the South. You can get a feel for what they have by going to their web site which is www.events2000.com.

b. Shows are also listed in Sunshine Artist Magazine. Most of those are more national than I am looking for although one promoter whose shows I do does list in the magazine. You can visit them at www.sunshineartist.com.

c.The best source of information about which shows would be good is other artists at shows. I often find out about shows that are good but that I have never done by talking to other artists at the shows I am doing. I share information about good shows with other artists and craftspeople and generally, they do the same.

---> What are your average costs for the shows (a breakdown for this would be great i.e. fees, setup costs, brochures, etc.)?

This is a little hard to answer. There are shows for as little as $30.00 for a one-day outdoors show. I do shows that range in cost from $65.00 for a one day outdoor show to $460.00 for a 4 day indoors show. Generally, indoor shows are more expensive ranging from about $75 to $120 per day for the booth fee. I own my own tables, chairs and display equipment so I don't need to rent any of that, but at many shows you can rent equipment and cut down on setup time and travel weight.

For outside shows, I have my own tent, as well. If a show is not close enough to home to commute each day, there is the cost of a motel ($50 - $65/night) for however many nights are required. If a show is less than about 2 hours from home, I usually commute.

So, for me and my show schedule, the average per day cost would be between: Show cost $65* $120*
Motel 65 Per day cost $65 $185 *

usually, this is paid months in advance of the show at the time of application.

3. On average how many new customers do you get from these events. Again, this is hard to put a handle on.

When I do a show in a new area, I will get many new customers. The last show I did was a new show for me, in a part of the state I had not done any shows before. Every sale was to a new customer. Even at shows I have been doing for several years, most of the sales are to new customers though I have several very loyal customers who buy from me at certain shows each year. Anytime anyone writes a check I ask them if they would like to be on my mailing list to get information on upcoming shows and discounts. I have never had anyone say no. In addition, I usually put out a clipboard with signup space and suggest to people that they sign-up for future discounts and information.

I probably add between 10 and 20 people to my mailing list at each show. Also, I generally will have at least one potential wholesale customer stop by my booth at every show I do.

They don't always end in sales, but one of my best wholesale customers walked up to my booth at a Fine Arts Festival and discussed wholesaling my cards. Before she left, she placed a large wholesale order and has been reordering regularly since.
Dave Collins
D. C. Photographic Images
www.dcphotoimages.com

*****Now some hints and tips from our readers *******

I do craft shows and gun shows around the Pacific Northwest and in addition to the obvious things like making sure I have business cards with me

a) I take catalogs which have Visit our Website stickers on them with the website URL.

b) I have postcards which offer a 25% discount on sales from the website or if they prefer to send in a mail order - if they return the postcard they get 25% off their order.

c) I put small Visit our Website and the URL stickers on the bottom of every item we sell and on the boxes they go in.

d) I make sure that everyone who buys from us at a show gets a catalog in the bag. For many of the craft shows we are not present so the stickers on the bottom of the products is the only way we have to advertise.

Some of the products do have hang tags which include our URL. I'm not sure how effective these methods are but at least we are getting the name out there. AccentsoftheWest.com is dedicated to bringing a little of the great western outdoors into your home or office no matter where you live.
http://www.AccentsoftheWest.com

Research your target audience before signing up to participate in these "shows" If you are trying to sell milk to diary farmers your are certain to not sell many of your items. Make sure you don't under price your items. Price them to sell but don't under estimate the quality of your work. A must is to have a Unique Item. Something that is different than all others. Also, to draw alot of traffic and crowds, offer something FREE. A raffle, or some candy, even a pencil. Everyone likes to get something free.

Hope these help!
Beth Kalish
HankyKids.com

Before I do a big Art/Craft Festival, I send postcards to everyone on my mailing list and offer them 5% off anything they buy from me at the show, or if they can't make it to the show, 5% off any order from my website if I receive the order by a certain date. Some shows I get a pretty good return and they tend to make larger than average purchases. I always see a jump in my web site traffic, although not necessarily in orders.
Dave Collins
D. C. Photographic Images
www.dcphotoimages.com

We also have a brick and mortar shop in addition to our web site. For the holidays each year, we have a huge Open House.

Two weeks prior to the event we send out a direct mailer brochure to announce the date and give a "peek" at what we will have to offer in general terms, like traditional decorations, Victorian tree ornaments, reproduction redwork pillows, etc.

We close the shop 3 days prior to the event, cover all the windows with paper so no one can see in side. We do not put any holiday merchandise on our sales floor before the Open House, so no one knows what we will have to offer. Covering the windows heightens the excitement and ensures that no one gets a look ahead of time.

The Open House is held either the first or second Sunday of November every year (this year will be our 11th Open House). Sales generally fall off a bit during that 3-day period following Halloween, so closing for three days doesn't do much damage in the sales area, and really adds to the anticipation around our town. We work with a crew of about 8 people for those 3 days, pretty much 24 hours a day (I average between 2-4 hours sleep a night - but myself and my partner are the ones putting in the longest hours).

All "every day" gift and decor items are removed to our store room. We set up around 12 Christmas trees and decorate each with a different theme. All the antiques and gift items in each section where a tree stands coordinate with that theme; like, Victorian tree decorated with reproduction Victorian dresses and hats ornaments will have the vintage clothing, Victorian-era antiques, and fancier things in its area.

Conversely, a tree decorated with antique kitchen utensils and old cookie cutters will be in an area decorated with primitive kitchen antiques, Hoosier cabinet, jelly cupboard, bread boards, and the like, We usually develop the themes early in the year when we buy the tree ornaments and decorations at the major gift shows. then through the year as we buy antiques, we keep the very best ones for the Open House (if we can afford to do that).

We offer lots of decorating items, cards, wrapping, and very unusual holiday items in every price range. We bake homemade cookies, make hot mulled cider and coffee, and offer the refreshments all day long.

The Open House runs from noon until 6 pm that day.. Each person is offered a chance at one of three door prizes that are on display near the door when they arrive. We have had to set up three checkout centers for the last 5 years to keep all the people flowing smoothly as they check out and leave the shop.

This even has become so popular that we now have folks coming in from out of state for the day, and people bring friends and neighbors. Our first mailing list consisted of 125 people. This year we will send out 2000 brochures - people come in all year and say please add me to your mailing list -- I don't want to miss the Open House.

All the shops in our town open that day also, to get our overflow business; the restaurants do especially well. We are a small town where nobody usually opens on Sunday. The day of the Open House, people begin gathering around our door about 1/2 hour before we open.

At 11:55 am we peel the paper off the windows and watch them all take in the sight of the transformed shop through our windows. At noon, I unlock the doors and get out of the way!! We only had one fight over an antique mantle a few years back, but other than that, everyone is pretty courteous to everyone else.

The first 3 hours are pretty much a grid-lock situation and most of the big antiques are spoken for during that time. The rest of the day is extremely busy and many people come back 2 and 3 times during the day. By day's end, we all more exhausted than when we started, but it is so much fun all the way around, beginning to end, that we really look forward to it.

And the trip to the bank the next day is the best part!!
Everybody wins!
http://www.amherst-antiques-folkart.com/
Old Towne Amherst Antiques & Folk Art is Located on Ohio's North Coast

FILL FILL your booth spot with as much product that you have until you can't find any more room. Customers love lots of choice. I also put little signs that say "Ask Memaw if she has more?" I always have more under the table in different colors. Sweet Baby Smiles, Stephanie Crafters Helping Crafters Christmas Page http://www.angelfire.com/my/CHCHome/
ChristmasHelpers/ChristmasHelpers.html

Resources – Trade Show Directories
http://www2.tsnn.com/
http://www.expoworld.net/
A directory of trade shows directories – http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Business_to_Business/
Conventions_and_Trade_Shows/Directories/

Neon Signs
http://www.betterneon.com/

100 ways to promote – Number 26– It's in the Cards

First you need a good business card. These cards can be purchased from your local print shop or even on-line. Your card needs to have as a minimum the following.
1. Your name, address and phone numbers (telephone, fax, order-line). 2. Your URL.
3. Your email address.
4. A brief message that tells them a little about your product or service. After you get your cards if you leave them in the box, they don't do you a bit of good. Take some out and put them in your wallet or purse, give some to your significant other, put some in your vehicle. Now what do you do with them.

-->When you talk with someone about your business, hand them a card. It will help to jog their memory so they remember you and your message.
-->Send a Thank-You to customers that order and include a few cards with it.
-->Leave one with your tip at a restaurant.
-->Post them on bulletin boards at grocery or other stores that have boards.
-->Go to your local college or university and post them on the boards there.
-->Stop by your electronics shop and ask them can you leave a few for their customers.
-->If you have an off-line job, take them to work with you. If you are like me I know you are excited about your business and maybe they would be to.
-->If you have an affiliate program at your site, then give a few to your associates.
-->When someone gives you their card, it is an invitation to give them yours.
--> You are limited only by your imagination. If you have some more great ideas then email us and we will post them here. mailto:tisa2297@kih.net

100 ways to promote – Number 27– Thanking your customers.

Sending your clients a Christmas card for the holidays doesn’t have to be a lot of hard work and doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. You can of course buy a card at the stationary store, but try the process below and You can create your own holiday e-card for a couple of hours of your time.

First we download the free card maker from this website –
http://www.e-motional.com/download.htm
Time Five minutes.

This is a shareware program. Free use for seven days then it is $19.95. Next we select some Holiday Pictures– You can find a ton from this directory or you can upload your logo or use your software to combine the two (which is what we did).

http://directory.google.com/Top/Society/Holidays/Holiday_Graphics/
Next we need some nice sounds for the card or you can record your own. You can find some nice .wav files here:
http://directory.google.com/Top/Arts/Music/Sound_Files/WAV/

Next think of your message. You want something that
a) Thanks your customer.
b) Offers them some type of discount.
c) Is nice (funny, corny, etc) enough that they may want to share it with someone (viral marketing) Then share it with your customers. You will be showing your appreciation and they will remember that you exist. We’ll be sharing our own card next month sometime.