Any advice on how to promote this?

[webturtle]

I launched my latest endeavor, about 2 weeks ago, and I'm starting to worry about something. Sales have been okay - not stunning but certainly hopeful. Feedback has been awesome - ranging from endless compliments about the design to other home business bloggers posting about it, to a couple jealous "darn, why didn't I think of that (or do that)" responses. A number of people have told me personally they plan to buy stuff - just not right this moment. I've ordered a few things myself and as usual, the quality is awesome.

I know I need to keep up the momentum - people like this stuff but i need to stay in front of them without being a PITA so they think of it when they feel like spending money.

In the last two weeks, I've done an intense amount of PR and promotion -including sending out a press release on PR Web and notifying various home based business magazine editors that I have as contacts from my writing world. But now I'm worried about what to do next. I mean, I can't keep doing that! I screwed up one thing in particular - when I announced it to my own subscriber base, I didn't have a ton of designs on there and I should have waited to do more. I promised it would be the only time I sent them info like that - and I aim to keep that promise. A few people have asked about affiliate programs but unfortunately Cafe Press doesn't allow it yet.

So -- going forward, I'm stymied about how to build traffic and make sales. And I'm bummed because I put a HUGE amount of work into this project - and have many more designs in my head. Only a handful of people signed up for the newsletter, opting in to hear about new designs and specials. I've built homebizwear.com into my email sig and forum sig. I only belong to a few forums anyway - and I don't want to just waltz into other forums and start advertising - bad juju to do that. So, I think that leaves:

* Advertising in home business forums and WAHM forums (but where to optimize that - with little or no budget!)
* doing a direct mail piece (but how do I find a list of home based businesses? and again the lack of budget)
* Pay Per Click - trying - but sucking at it big time because no one is actually LOOKING for this stuff, they only like it when they see it exists and the obvious keywords are super-saturated

What am I missing? What would YOU do if it were your store?

I'm all eyes!

[Lynn Terry]

One idea that came to mind is that you can JV with established communities or companies to carry a line specifically for them. Let's say Cheryl of WAHM.com for example - she has a large following, and if she doesnt already have a cafepress store of her own... you could offer to handle the designs & set-up and she could place the link on her site. It adds value to her site, increases her brand & exposure (offline, even) - and it brings you more traffic & sales. You could even work out a profit-sharing model if you wanted to... but the branding & exposure (and fact that *your* visitors would be exposed to her site/brand too) may be compelling enough.

That's just one example... but if you worked it just right you might be able to partner up with several large site owners that are also authors/speakers or are seeking national branding opportunities. At no production cost to them, and no effort outside of a link to the store, it's a great deal for everyone involved.


Another idea is to custom design. I know you have a button that says "What your logo on a t-shirt?"... but what if I just have a basic design idea that I want - could you do that? If they are generic enough, you can add them to your general store as well - and that could be part of the agreement with your customer: that you retain all rights to the artwork developed for that order (unless it's a logo or something similar).

[webturtle]

The joint venture idea is FANTASTIC! I was trying to think of something that was really of value to the site owners of those communities i want exposure to. The stumbling point for me was that I can't share revenues - there is not the mechanism for that or the profit margins (if I'm lucky, I get 2-5 bucks per sale).

But - if I were to create subsections of the site for those community brands - and they then linked directly to those sections, that is a service I could offer thier members. So - the benefit to them, as I read it, would be that they can offer their members good designs, expose their community to other people (some cross pollination) and get branded product out into the world which is good for marketing.

I'll have to think about pursuing this ... its definitely doable. On the other hand, any of these site owners COULD do it themselves - the question is "will they" and how well will they. That is why I do it so often for my clients.

The design idea is also fantastic - so far, I've come up with own designs but yes, I absolutely could offer this to anyone who has a brilliant idea. I can also set up 'hidden' sections of the site which are not public, if it came to it.

I wish CP would just get it together enough to offer affiliate programs and also statistical tracking - I feel hamstrung not knowing what kind of traffic I get...

THANK YOU for the beautiful ideas!!!

[Lynn Terry]

You may approach the JV idea with these benefits to site owners:

- zero investment
- wont have to set up or maintain cafepress
- will add new designs, or even create designs, when needed

etc etc - just so that you 'sell' the idea to them, specifically that you will handle the entire process professionally, and that they will reap the benefits of the overall marketing of your homebizwear site.


As for custom designs, I have one in mind... so as soon as I get caught up on my end (from the move - ack! lol) I'd like to get together with you on that

[webturtle]

[christian1]

Hi Webturtle,

A bit along the lines of Lynn's suggestion, hone in on your target market, home business people.

Where do they hang out, what forums, ezines they read, newsletter groups and so on.

Maybe some ezine advertising, articles to these groups.

Home business, small business directories? Put up a link on these.

Just for fun (business) websites?

Write up and distribute some articles based on home business, place both your home business sites in the resources box.

Build a free ebook/email course that helps home businesses. Offer it for free in exchange for a link back to your clothes site.


Cheers, Chris
Anam cara

[webturtle]

Thanks for the good ideas. I am doing pretty much that - and you won't believe where it will be featured this month... on May 17th, I will be on the Home Business Show (entrepreneur radio) hosted by Paul and Sarah Edwards. How is that?

Another thing I am doing is talking to other forum and community hosts about doing some co-branded designs. For example - if they want a shirt that is for home business people with their logo on it (or their logo on one side, one of my designs on the other) I will do it for them for free - so they have their own community section with a link to their site, and products for their community - and I keep the $2-3 dollars per item that Cafe Press allows for. I wish they had an affiliate program but I created that concept in lieu of it and a few people have expressed interest. I can also build one design sites that are private, with the same design, so the forum / community owner can buy at wholesale for live events and stuff. There are a lot of creative ways to promote this - I just have had to think outside some of the normal ways.

In any event - the feedback to the store has been terrific and the products I've ordered myself are really really nice quality, so hopefully it catches on. Home business people are a fun and non traditional bunch so I look forward to seeing where this goes!

[Steve MacLellan]