Your eBay Marketing Plan
So, you have decided that millions of people can’t be wrong and an eBay business
can make money. After you’ve done your product research there is another step to
perform and its marketing. It takes time to establish a following and a
reputation for quality, but having a plan in the beginning can speed things up.
Here are some tips to help you steer your marketing efforts in the right
direction.
What is Marketing?
For those who don’t know, marketing is how you get the word out about your
products. Look at companies like Coca-Cola and Nike. These are reputable brands,
but they had to be presented to the public in a variety of ways to get noticed.
Online marketing strategies for websites also work if your only presence in
cyberspace is on eBay. Some use eBay as a sort of test market before going
further and building websites to sell their products. eBay has a few fees they
charge for their services, but these are nominal compared to the money you can
make. Remember, it takes money to make money and if you’re serious about
creating a profitable business at some point or another you’ll need to spend a
little money.
Where to Begin
Spread the News - Begin with word of mouth, or viral marketing. Tell your
friends and family about your new business venture on eBay. Send them emails
with links to your auctions so they can see just what it is you are up to.
Email - Use your email in another way. Each time you send an email, you have
the opportunity to sign them with a signature line. Use that signature line as
a way to link to your auction listing or eBay store. Add a tagline like, Come
and see whats new on eBay!
Customer Feedback - Ask for feedback from your buyers. Increasing the amount
of positive feedback elevates your standing on eBay. Most people leave feedback
anyway but send an email message to follow up after you ship your products as a
customer service gesture to gauge their satisfaction and remind them to add
feedback.
Business Cards - Use business cards. In each package you ship add a business
card so your name stays fresh in their minds. For informational products like
eBooks and special reports, add a business card resource box on the last page of
the product.
Reward Repeat Customers - Offer coupons and other promotional offers for
repeat clients. We say repeat clients because anyone can take advantage of an
offer the first time and never return. If offer a discount to a customer when
they next bid and win or make a fixed price purchase, they will come back. A
discount on shipping will get their attention.
Freebies - Add freebies to the packages you ship. Heres an example. Lets say
that you are selling a bicycle. Add a bicycle pump or stickers (for a kids bike)
to be used by the buyer. Include your logo and web address where applicable.
Each of these ideas contributes to an overall marketing plan. If you have a
separate website, the number of marketing strategies you can use increases even
more. Dont narrow yourself into just one form of marketing. You need to develop
a well thought out marketing plan and work your way through each step in order
to reach ultimate success with your eBay store.
