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You will always remember the excitement of your first sale. The only way you will get your first sale is by learning how to market your business. There are hundreds, or perhaps even thousands, of ways to market your business. In this lesson, we're going to focus on five methods. Choose the ways that resonate with you and your business to start. Remember that there will be a lot of testing and refining as you learn what marketing methods work best for your business. Each of these methods are inexpensive and practical, though they may feel a bit out of your comfort zone at first.
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The first method is to ask your friends and family to share your business with their networks. People buy from people they trust, so asking the people in your network who you think may have potential customers is a great way to get the ball rolling. To make your life easier, we provide a script in the resource section below that you can use as a guideline for reaching out to friends and family. The second method is to reach out to the press.
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Yes, we're talking about getting your product into the media when you're first starting out. This is totally possible. Media is one of the fastest ways to build your credibility, customers, community and that elusive buzz about your company. And journalists and producers are always looking for new and exciting products to feature. In the resources section below, we share a template that you can use to pitch to the media. The third proven method is to proactively reach out to potential customers on social media.
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This method takes a bit of patience and research, but connecting with potential customers who are tweeting or posting about your topic and providing a solution for them is a great way to get on your customers' radar. Another suggestion is to send free samples to Instagram influencers with a sincere message about your launch. There are no guarantees when you send free product, though if you can afford to send a couple of samples to people with large followings who you think would love your product and they post about it, it could be a huge win.
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It can also be a great way to develop a relationship with them and to perhaps invite them to become an affiliate down the road. Some influencers may ask to be paid to promote your product which is something else you can consider, depending on how much they charge and the number of followers that they have. Lastly and probably my favorite is to sell in person at a craft show, farmer's market or local pop up.
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This is a great way to share your story directly with potential customers and also explain the benefits of the product to them. Selling in person is also a great way to gather feedback and to continue to refine your product over time. For food product or other product that can be sampled, it's a great way for consumers to try the product and purchase it immediately. Be sure to capture their email address and follow up soon after the show to remind them to use the product and provide a link to your website.
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And then you can also follow up to resell to them later through your online shop. We have many customers who buy regularly from us online after first meeting us at a show or market. These five ways are just a snapshot of what's possible with your online marketing. The key is to experiment until you find a method that works and then go all in.
