Social Media Takes over the world!

It’s official. Social media has taken ecommerce by storm. So if you’re one of the stragglers who isn’t on the bandwagon, it’s time to get on board. As your customers spend more and more time on social sites, it’s imperative for your brand to become part of the conversation.

Even if you already have a social presence, you’re probably wondering how to make more money out of it. In addition to selling your products on Facebook etc one of the easiest ways to drive more revenue is to share your discounts socially. According to an eMarketer survey, the number one reason people follow brands is to receive notifications on discounts and promotions.

BUT HOW YOU ASK>>>>>>>>

Today we’re going to blend two emerging trends in ecommerce: price-conscious consumers looking for discounts and social media, which is becoming more and more popular throughout your entire customer base. So let’s dive in!

First, you’ll want to incorporate your promotions into your social media communications. Quite simply, just tell people on Twitter and Facebook that you’re running a promotion – letting people know is half the battle. You’ll want to layer these messages with other communications so you don’t seem too spammy, but this is a great start.

Next, get into user forums. Now this is a little more time intensive, but the returns are much greater. If you’re offering a promotion on a particular product, perform a Google search on that product to find related user forums. If there’s a question being asked, you can easily jump onto that thread and provide an answer. You can also provide a direct link to your website and feed the coupon code. This is a great way to move the needle and get new people in via acquisition.

Thirdly, integrate your promotion into a blog post. For example, if you’re offering a promotion on a product, write a blog post about the benefits of that product, new developments, etc. By providing the benefit of the product to your customers, they’ll be more educated and more likely to buy.

Next, make deals with influencers. This is most appropriate for channels like Twitter. The goal here is to make a relationship with someone with industry expertise or a large following. Once you’re comfortable, you can provide that promotion to the influencer, and once they “retweet” it, you’ll have exposure to an entirely new customer base and get traffic moving to your site.

And last but not least, always create a sense of urgency and exclusivity. This is the truth for any communication avenue you’re using through social media. Letting customers know that they’re getting something special for following you online is huge, especially when it comes to discounts. On the same token, you’ll also want to create a sense of urgency, whether it’s through a countdown or calling out there are only a few hours left. This will get people to act faster and help them purchase when you want them to.

Hopefully this was helpful in integrating your promotions with social media. If you have any questions, we’re happy to help.

From Hypnotic Lashes to you, happy selling!

SEO and Stuff..

So Im back on the business end of the stick!
Iv been looking into SEO - Search Engine Optimization. I kept hearing it when talking to my designer and marketer so I really wanted to find out what all the fuss was about. Apparently there is a huge fuss, and now I know why!


SEO is basically how easy you and your website are to find. For me, owning my own business, I never really got into the marketing, promoting and online stuff. I have recently changed my tune though! Iv been reading up on SEO heaps and Iv found some really good info that I thought I should share.


If you have just started a website and your now wondering where all you visitors are then Iv found some basic stuff that might help you out!
There are these things called KEYWORDS - they are basically what people type into search engines to get what they are looking for ie. A person may be after MakeUp brushes, they type in Google "buy makeup brushes". You should always pick the best keywords you can to direct traffic (customers) to your site. You may need to do some research to see what key words your competitors are using. There are plenty of free services on the web that will help you do this - try searching for free keyword research tools. There is also a nifty trick that will give you a sneak peak into what exactly they have used...... 


Find the competitors website. When the page has loaded click on VIEW in your menu. THen click on view source - this will give you the source code of their website.
Now how to decipher the code.... 
You want to look at the header tags for a start. DO you see <head> at the top or in the first few lines? This is usually their business name.
The next thing to look at is the title - which may have something that looks like this:
<title>cupcakes, wedding cupcakes, bakery,cupcake supplies,buy cupcakes Sydney Australia and New Zealand</title>
it will usually appear below the header tag. You should make note of the keywords that the business is using. The less words you have in the title the better, but you should have your main keyword phrases in the title too. 
Now you should look below this and see what keywords they are using in the meta tags and make a note of them.
<meta name="description" content="Hands on Cupcake baking Training Program, Buy cupcake Products, cold bake cupcakes, Individual cupcakes, cupcake flavoring , Call: 1800 cupcakes" />

<meta name="keywords" content="little miss cupcake, cupcakes, cupcake patty, cupcake baking Training Program, Find stockist, cupcake Products, Professional Bakers" />

A good guide is to repeat your main keywords or keyword phrases a few times in your description, making sure it still makes sense!

Also have a close look at the competitors website - do they have bold words or underlined words? Can you see an ongoing pattern?


I have found some other great articles on SEO and related info:
Everything you need to know about Keyword Density
Search Engine Optimization made easy for beginners
Website SEO Secrets to boost your ranking


Have a read and feel free to correct or comment

Business Stuff - Marketing

So I have started reading a great business book - 


The Vibe - Gary Bertwistle Buy the book

The marketing handbook for every product,
service and industry.

While most companies claim to have a brand, only a few make an authentic connection with customers or clients. The rest simply have a logo that gets slapped on to the side of a truck or onto a shirt. Today it's brands that will thrive and survive, and to build a brand, you need to create the right vibe around your business.

In The Vibe, Gary shares his secrets, stripping away the jargon and highlighting the essential thinking required before you spend time, money and energy on promotion and advertising. Whether you're a commercial, industrial, retail or service company, this book gives you the tools to create a powerful brand in the minds of your customers.

Easy to understand, practical and relevant for businesses of all sizes, with real examples of Australian businesses
- The Vibe is what every brand needs!

I will post more once i get more of the way through the book - Im only up to the second chapter but loving every word of it. I guess Im liking it so much because usually all the marketing books I read, seem to be overseas based - this one has great Australian business examples. 

SQUIZ CARDS - The best kept secret in business cards is here...

Ok I have to rave about these cute, effective and wonderful business cards!! They have saved my butt soo many times when Iv been out and about and havnt had any regular size business cards on hand. 

Squiz Cards are one of the most powerful and handiest marketing tools and serve as a little container for big ideas. 

A convenient way to carry a handful of cards with you all the time, that won't wear or get bent edges in your pocket, wallet or purse! 

Professionals in any field can always keep SquizCards on them because they come with a handy keyring dispenser. You never know when you’ll meet a potential client, partner or like-minded person. 

Squiz Cards are also waterproof, so if someone puts them through the wash or is out on a job site - they still remain perfect. 

 You won't get all the same text on them as a traditional business card, but you will get enough details to let people know how to find you or your business.

You'll never be caught without them!

They have over 45 pre made templates or you can upload your own.


Pricing starts from $19.95 or 50 cards. 
Sizing 53mm x 28mm waterproof round corners


Do yourself a favour and check out their site : Squiz Cards.com

Some Quick Marketing Tips

Starting your own small business may seem hard and daunting at first, but never give up!!

Taking tips and tricks from others who have tried and tested methods of doing business will always help you along in some way or another.

Some good starting points for marketing follow, please feel free to add or comment on this post the more the merrier!

1. Have a visible storefront location with good foot traffic (online or offline) - people need to know who and where you are - dont make them come looking for you because chances are they wont bother if they have to put in too much effort.
   

2. Know who your customers are or who you want to be your customers - how can you market to them if you dont know the answer to this point!
   

3. Develop a customer referral or appreciation program - I always find it a good thing to give away samples or include samples in orders, just to give clients a taste of your other products.
   

4. Sponsor local community events - more specifically for beauty, try and sponsor bikini competitions, have open nights at your salon to get customers in to try new products
   

5. Send out regular press releases about products/services or local involvement - if you collect peoples email addresses and have asked permission to use them, then do it - send monthly email updates with news and new products
   

6. Join a professional organization or networking group - join as many groups that will promote each other as possible - remember what goes around comes around. If you like another business or company give them a shout out, it may result in a great business relationship!
   

7. Develop a web site (or if that is your storefront, join link/banner exchanges) - everyone has the net these days, you would be mad not to get some sort of exposure happening even if its a simple facebook page!
   

8. Keep your web site fresh with new and rich content and/or functionality - if it doesnt interest the customer on the front page chances are they wont delve much further.
   

9. Advertise where your customers are watching, not where you watch - I believe any advertisement is good advertisement - if you get asked to do a free gig of some sort ask the organiser if you can give out brochures or flyers. Again its give and take
   

10. Do not be afraid to try something new - you will be remembered if you are different and creative - make a lasting impression.

    
    

Oooooo New Blog!!!

So I decided to start a new blog that is totally dedicated to lashes & makeup! I will try not too plug the business side of my life too much, but if I do please note this IS a Hypnotic Lashes blog!!

At the moment we are looking for the face of Hypnotic Lashes - lots of interest from our social media outlets - cant wait to see who gets the gig! And yes of course I will post about it - the face will be plastered everywhere!!

Entries close 16th October 2010!