Novel Ways to Promote Our Products - what are yours?

[CreativeLeahG]

What novel ways do you have for promoting your products? Please share!

I have made a couple of Doodle-style youtube videos and today made my first ever 'animation' (animation in the loosest sense of the word!) to promote my products and services. Please let me know what you think, though it is as simple as can be.

https://youtu.be/OrQe0dLC6AU

and a doodly style one

https://youtu.be/Pr8OD2upias

[Artsiren]

Pretty cool! If you want to zhuzh the videos up with royalty free and free-licence (with attribution) background music, here's one I took a look at a while ago. You'll just need to check licences for yourself to make sure you're happy with the terms. There's paid ones as well, I guess so that you might not need to stick attribution links in your video descriptions.

https://www.bensound.com/

I ended up using Placeit for mockups - and tried a video pin for Pinterest. Had to do a bit more editing, sadly (as I'd never used Kdenlive before) and had to faff around to stitch two clips together. One was landscape and the other portrait, so it kinda got a bit messy, but works okay with a quickie ad followed by my Zazzle Store ident.

Here's the pin link to that video. (Not GREAT with how it handles the custom design, as it kind of flickers a little bit, but first go at a video, so meh. Whatever. Lol.)

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/1100356121428323996/

[CreativeLeahG]

Awesome advice thank you. I love your video, very fun!

Re the music, I'm not a fan of music on videos. I usually have the sound turned off. People have such varied tastes in that regard. I might do a voice over at some point but I have an accent so not sure that will be pleasing to the ears either! 😆

[Baylee]

Congrats to both of you on your fun videos ..you guys are making me feel like a slacker!

I did get all gung ho last year and created a couple of videos for pinterest (my first attempt at vids) but I found that they got a lot less traction than ordinary pins so I kinda gave it up (they weren't very good anyway..lol.  Here's one I made: https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/502432902186746519/  Oh, and speaking of music, this one really sucks!

And I hope you won't hesitate to talk on your videos because of an accent @CreativeLeahG ... accents can be really appealing!  I actually like hearing the various accents of contributors on YouTube... it just makes them seem more relatable and human somehow. The only thing I've noticed is that some people speak too quickly and then it's harder for my ear to adjust. 

[CreativeLeahG]

Your pin video is brilliant! It might not have performed well on Pinterest but should be great on youtube and websites I'd have thought? 

[Baylee]

Thanks @CreativeLeahG ... I wasn't really happy with it but one of these days I might try again and put it on YouTube this time. In the mean time, I'll have fun seeing what everyone else has created. 😊

[PattiJ]

really cool. Thanks for sharing. 😊

[SimplyDesigned]

Just a tip to add onto the music idea. YouTube has a library of audio sounds and music. Would be worth taking a peek at. 

[shellifitz]

I feel like a cave man now, but my novel way to promote my stores is by sticking my business card in every shipment that I sell on my eBay.  I have sent out over 300 cards now to places all over the country and to Thailand, Indonesia and Ireland. I wish I could track to see if it works! 

[Windy]

I be that DOES work. I have been astounded in the past to find that quite a few small homebased businesses do NOT understand this simple trick. There was a photog who did preschool pix for the class, and did not bother to include ANY information in the packet when she delivered the pix. I wanted to order another copy but was not willing to do the research to find out who she was or what her contact info was. All she needed to do would have been include a cheaply produced slip of paper.

[CreativeLeahG]

That sounds like a brilliant idea! Not caveman at all, very entrepreneurial. 
To track the success you could ask that they contact YOU for a link to a reduced-priced item (perhaps you republish an item for them with slightly lower royalty - direct link only) so it is a type of loyalty card you're sending them - VIP prices!

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[shellifitz]

@CreativeLeahG What a great idea.  thank you!

[Malissa]

I always take cards with me on vacation and ask to leave a few in quaint little shops along the way.  It is usually at places where I see they already have a rack or bulletin board of cards and flyers.  You never know. 

I also have updated/upgraded my business cards to showcase an artwork on the front (full bleed and I pay a little more to get them in semi gloss- so worth it!), and my website info/logo on the back so that they are more eye catching.  Someone may just want to grab a free cute mini piece of art on their way out and look at it later and buy.

This is what the first ones I made look like and this year I added a different piece of art.  They are super pretty in person.  (I think, anyway!)

[CreativeLeahG]

They do look gorgeous. I love your art

[PotaninaTania]

Great idea and great art!

[A_New_View]

That's a great idea. I do the business cards also, but on a much smaller scale. One idea I had was to go to the library (Yes, I'm a cave man also) and put my business cards inside of books that have to do with the type of products I design. (I haven't done it yet) I have mailed lots of them out to family and friends and asked them to help me by giving them out. I mailed some to a friend in Texas, but that's about as far away from home as I've gone. (Louisiana girl, here)

As for social media, the only thing I'm on is Pinterest, but that doesn't seem to be getting many views. 🤔

[shellifitz]

I like the library idea! you might also try hotel lobbies. or even ask if the housekeepers could put a flyer or business card in the rooms. 

[Windy]

I tried my hand at video production after I realized that a Professional Wedding photographer from Utah made a very popular TikTok showing how to steal the work of Zazzle designers. Her rationale was "you can save so much money" and many people commented cheering her on for this. I made the video to help spread the word that our designs are made my regular folks, who are just trying to make a living, not some big corporation. https://pin.it/4ybr7YR

[CreativeLeahG]

This IS a VERY clever idea! I will share it across my networks. Very imaginative way to convey a message!
Do you have a youtube version?

[Windy]

Thank you. I do not have a Youtube version....and I am not sure how to make one. I would be happy if others reading this thread would copy my idea, and improve upon it.  I have too many irons in the fire, so this foray into video production may have been a one time thing for me, at the moment anyway.

[CreativeLeahG]

It is time-consuming, and probably be quicker with practice. I just spent all morning messing about and still have nothing to show for it! 😓 But I would like to try and learn a bit more about animations. I might try an animated 'stop stealing from us' video! I could add a cat burglar character. 🤔

[CreativeLeahG]

I suggested previously doing a tiktok to talk about content thieves, but I'd rather not do this myself. I am not good at that sort of thing. Would support anyone else who did however ..

[PAZP]

Sweet idea! 

[Deb]

What program are you all using to make these short vids?   Windy, ABSOLUTELY LOVE your  video!  

[Windy]

Thank you! I made this with Adobe Premier Rush. I thought I was going to make tons of these, but did not make another, because life. And then when you asked, I had to think really hard to remember what I had used. It's a basic program and very easy to use but it does not have a lot of bells and whistles.

[Deb]

Short and sweet gets the message out in a great way!  I really like it!  and thanks for the info! 

[PacifierCity]

I place business cards all over my town and surrounding towns.  Every now and then a restaurant that I frequent lets me put some of the folded variety right on each table for a weekend.  I come in the following Monday and pick up what was not taken.  I also place the ones for my cards at the coloring table at my local laundry mat.  My car and a few friends cards have magnets that promote for me.  (Note that the car magnets are easily cutable with a pair of scissors, so you can order 1 large magnet with a repeating web address on a fun background and then cut that magnet into smaller pieces so you can have a magnet on multiple vehicles). I do use P with several accounts.  All but 1 promote my products and other peoples products.  I am testing a new account out for my birthday cards, tied to a website, that will only promote my cards and corresponding gift ideas I've created.  This one is brand new and I've not been active on it as I'm finally making a big effort to move my cards from one store to another.  I update them all as I go.  It is a huge undertaking.  Once that is done then I need to update the website.  So I'm a few months away from really utilizing that P account.  But I do hope it will one day be my best preforming account.  I also buy birthday cards for all my co workers every month.  There are all 18+, up to 80ish and they still love getting the cards.  Many coworkers have gone on to purchase from me.  I'm hoping that the new QRCodes on the backs help make it even easier to get to my stuff.  I've made a few tee shirts and have given them out for free.  I'm thinking of yard signs that I can place around town, wearable mini bill board front and back placards that I could wear to flea market, fairs, craft shows, etc...  I did make some yard signs and stickers that I placed at trail heads near me.  Those did get taken down so I quickly stopped that one but I know they did drive traffic.  Once I get the work done on my card site here and the website, I plan on making a few binders to place at laundry mats and on a friends table at craft fairs.  I also plan to utilize some Fiverr folks to make the white board video for P pins and the website.  Also there are people that will mention your website or store on their podcasts for cheap money.  I can't wait till I ready for those folks... I also have one small display at a hole in the wall restaurant that sells my cards without personalization.  That has not produced many sales, but it is nice to have them in a public place.  It has driven a small amount of traffic to my store though.  I know I'm forgetting a few ideas, but maybe those will be helpful to some of you!

Cheers,

PC

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[shellifitz]

I always think of you as the idea man JB. 😎

[CreativeLeahG]

Awesome, great ideas. Don't forget schools .... and more importantly school-run mom's. Maybe join a few parents groups on FB, so you reach your target audience directly.

[igiftcenter]

`You may find this amusing but since my products mostly involve men I leave a business card on the top of the bathroom urinal and toilet tank in every restaurant I eat in......
What else is there to do when a guy is "going" but to read my business card sitting right in front of you
And yes I get orders on Z from this gorilla marketing promotional idea. I can usually tell because the
orders are coming from my home town where the toilet was lol
😁😁😁

[Malissa]

So funny!  If it works, it works!

[Deb]

Hilarious!,,, since until now… I thought you were a gal. (Envisioning you going into the mens room)  brilliant idea !

[A_New_View]

Ha ha! I actually thought of leaving some in public restrooms, but never did. I might give it a try. 😀

[JulieV]

What a great idea!

[shellifitz]

@igiftcenter I am going to start sending some with my hubby when we go out. LOL  maybe I will  tape some to the door in the ladies room too.🤔

[PacifierCity]

I did spend a little money on this gig...  but the results are amazing and traffic is already coming in!

http://uktalkradio.org/qtsponsor/breakfast-show-sponsor/

Check it out!

PC

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[osea]

I tried to show product while customizing by advanced Zazzle edit tool. Maybe new customers don't know about that. https://youtu.be/fH7oWPyfSS8

I used also Zazzle clips and I added music to create something more powerful. https://youtu.be/iSm5btS1tb0

I asked Zazzle support and they confirm me this not violate any Zazzle rules.

www.osearts.com

[TheDesignerVib1]

I have started on Pinterest but still no sales, So I am soon starting on TikTok, maybe it will work?

Btw I love your video! How long have you been on youtube? I run my little sisters kid channel so I have some yt experience.- If you use the youtube shorts, it will help get more views and potential buyers.

[hummingbird]

Hi,

I opened my Zazzle store at the beginning of November 2022, and the Printerest bussiness account soon after. So far no sales, but I have gotten 1,500 impressions so far on Printerest. I even made my first video ever yesterday. 50 impressions so far...but it's not very good, and I put my affiliate link in the comment section as I didn't see anywhere else to put it.  https://pin.it/5G8GJEi 

I think that I would like to try using TikTok. Has anyone else tried?

[TheDesignerVib1]

I started in February of 2022 so far I have gotten 3 sales( i took a break in the summer for about 4 months which is probably why)  but I think very soon I will get sales daily, the thing is you must promote and grow your audience there lots of people that like to buy stuff, I recently began posting product pins everyday which is boosting my monthly views, (600 to 3000 in a month) I do use tiktok but it just takes time to create videos of products if you don't actually have them. But if you like I can invite you to some group boards on Pinterest to help boost traffic and increase sales! 

My Pinterest