So you’ve decided to have a pop at DIYing or creating an online store. Congrats! You’re in for a whole lot of fun. But if you want to find success, you have to understand the ins and outs of online marketing. Did you know that 85% of consumers search for products online before buying them in the real world? Well, it’s time to find out what your customers are looking for and put your newly acquired marketing knowledge into action.
Set Up Shop
Let’s get the necessary things out of the way first. You need a shop. Whether you’re a professional or a hobbyist, you’re going to need a place to sell your goods. It doesn’t have to be large, but it should have the basics – a bed, a kitchenette, a bathroom.
Next, you need products. Now, you can either buy them or make them, but either way, you’re going to need something to offer. What are your goods and services? You’ll have to think about this and come up with a plan before starting the shop. Make a list of everything you can think of that people might need or want. This could include:
- Pianos
- Pianos for people who can’t play them
- Musicians’ instruments
- Drum kits
- Software that helps musicians
- Guitars
- Electric guitars
- Acoustic guitars
- Amplifiers
- Amplifiers for people who can’t play them
- Vinyl records
- cD Players
- MP3 Players
- Ipads
- Tablets
- Macbook Pros
- Macbook Airs
- Desktop Computers
- Printers
- Scanning devices
- Digital cameras
- Webcams
- Smart Phones
- Monitors
- Photo editing software
- Photo editing software for professionals
- Photo processing equipment
- Video editing software
- Video editing software for professionals
- Scissors
- Stepladders
- Tektites
- Sewing machines
- Lace makers
- Embroidery sets
Create Content
Now that you have a space to call your own, it’s time to put your marketing smarts to use. You’re going to create content to promote your shop. This could include blog posts, videos, or anything else that you think may be able to reach your target audience.
If possible, you want to create content that is free of charge. Why pay when you can give something of value away for free? It’s the best type of marketing. Plus, if you do create any paid content, it is usually well worth it. A whopping 74% of digital marketers say that creating unique content costs less than $500 and has the potential to become very profitable.
Distribute Content
Once you’ve created all of the content you can think of, it’s time to begin distributing it. You want to put out a steady stream of content that is valuable to your audience. While it’s preferable to create content that is informative, it’s also important to come up with content that is entertaining. A 2016 HubSpot survey found that people prefer to visit websites or blogs that are both informative and entertaining.
To successfully market your shop using content, you have to understand how to properly use keywords. Knowing what keywords your audience is searching for will help you create content that is valuable to them. It’s important to target the right keywords, however, as too many keywords can lead to your content being buried in search results. Instead of worrying about whether or not your content is going to be found, you should be focusing on creating content that is informative, entertaining, and most importantly, valuable to your audience. If you can do that, then you’ll be able to drive traffic to your website and hopefully make some sales.
Run Competitions
This is something that has become hugely popular in recent years and is a great way to gain new customers. The idea is to give something away for free, or with significant savings, and then drive traffic to your website. In return, you get a commission when a sale is made.
To begin with, you can give away a digital or physical product that is related to your industry. This could include: