Transcript:

AngelaCP: Hi everyone

BrittaCP: Hi gang!

happyface: hi

NiftyGaloot: Is this the <3 Chat?

AngelaCP: It sure is :D. It's part 2

AngelaCP: The last one was going over the stats and what we will be doing. This one will go over promoting your shop... Britta will explain more

BrittaCP: Welcome to 2008! We hope you all had a wonderful and successful Holiday . Its hard to believe 2007 is over, what a ride.

BrittaCP: Well now that its over, we hope that you have all moved on to the next big selling season, Valentines Day. Today, well be discussing ways to promote your shop and new merch for Valentines Day.

BrittaCP: If you were with us a few weeks ago, we gave the first half of this workshop: Valentines Day Shop Prep. You can read the transcript here: http://www.cafepress.com/cp/community/workshop_vdayprep

BrittaCP: Ill take a moment to recap what we talked about a few weeks ago.

BrittaCP: We mentioned a few key products that you want to make sure to feature for Vday:

Single Greeting Cards

Keepsake Box

Dark T (well be featuring Black)

Womens Light T (well be featuring Pink)

BrittaCP: There are a few more that we have listed in the transcript but these are the few that you really want to make sure and add.  Especially those single Greeting Cards.

BrittaCP: We also talked about re-inventing Valentines Day within your shop, and the types of content you can use for your designs.

BrittaCP: While Romantic Love (hearts and flowers) is always a staple there are so many other directions you can go in.

BrittaCP: Theres Anti-Valentines day which has always proven to be a success here: I hate Valentines Day, Retired Cupid, Heartbroken, love hurts...

BrittaCP: Also, Valentines does not need to be something just for couples.

BrittaCP: You can create sentiments geared towards family members, best friends, and single friends (celebrate being single).

BrittaCP: We also gave out tips on tagging your Vday images, and key wording for SEO.

BrittaCP: So again... if you missed that chat, take a few minutes to check out the transcript... it's got some cool factoids in it

BrittaCP: Hopefully some of you have already started with these things, and were already seeing your designs in the Marketplace.

BrittaCP: Remember, the 5th and 6th week of the year are the busiest buying times for Vday Shoppers.

BrittaCP: Make sure your images are tagged, and your products are SEOd by that time.

BrittaCP: Moving on...your next step is now promoting your merch and shop for the buying season. I think with this occasion, you can cook up some really fun and interesting ways to promote.

BrittaCP: There are free and paid methods of promoting and advertising your shop.

BrittaCP: We discussed some of these ways in a previous holiday chat and those same methods can apply to your Valentines promotion. http://www.cafepress.com/cp/community/workshop_holidayprep4

BrittaCP: Starting with the simple; be sure that youve taken your holiday banners down, and get ready to replace them with Vday Banners.

BrittaCP: Banners can be placed on your main site (if you have one separate from your CP shop) and in your Shop. Also if you havent already, make sure to do something with your holiday sections, either hide them or push them down (lowlight).

BrittaCP: Theres no need to keep them highlighted.  You want your customers to see Vday right away.

AngelaCP: Is anyone doing this yet? Or plan to?

happyface: need to learn all this ...havent a clue...

BrittaCP: That's what we're here for today :)

leah: Already done

NiftyGaloot: I've put my vday section up top

AngelaCP: Yay to leah! Nifty, too. You guys are ahead of the game

AngelaCP: Any word of advice to the community?

graphicdeeziner: I am not sure what you mean by highlighting?

BrittaCP: Featuring... calling out... bringing attention to

AngelaCP: Spotlighting

kiwi2: I moved my Christmas section to the bottom of the shop, and Vday to the top

AngelaCP: It's should be the "highlight" of your shop when someone enters your shop

graphicdeeziner: thank you

TexasFiddler: Got a valentine's section moved to the top as well as two specific designs up top as well

ShopaholicChick: Has v-day anti-v-day & wedding on the top line

TexasFiddler: wedding's a good thought here.  good move

ShopaholicChick: thanks

pc5303: got a marquee on my site advertising my vday

AngelaCP: That's good :D

kiwi2: is it better to separate v-day and anti-vday into two different sections?

BrittaCP: I would think so... you can do it in one mass VDAY section... but be sure to create subsections for each within. And you could do something creative with the main section TN to show that both are inside

NiftyGaloot: Put other designs, like worlds best godmother, right after vday.  Folks can use that for gifts too.

AngelaCP: Agreed.  It's also good for SEO... as Britta mentioned earlier and from the last chat... SEO is a great way to bring traffic to your shop.

AngelaCP: Ideally, you should not put it together...

AngelaCP: you want to separate the love oriented shoppers with those that hate the occasion

nanabijou: What is SEO???

BrittaCP: Search Engine Optimization. Check out his tutorial... it breaks down SEO for you: http://www.cafepress.com/cp/learn/tutorial_seo_opt

graphicdeeziner: is it still important to hold to the idea of three clicks to a product rule in the thought of one section for Vday with subsections?

AngelaCP: The less clicks the better... however, theres always an exception to the rule.  If you have more than 3 clicks, but your shop navigates in a customer friendly BrittaCP: Ok... so next promotion method

BrittaCP: Blog Away

BrittaCP: I have a feeling that many of you have entered the world of blogging.

nanabijou: sorry, not me

BrittaCP: Ive heard some shopkeepers mention that they think about it, but dont know what to talk about personally I think with Vday there is TONS to talk about.

Its a day about love, and that affects everyone in some way. Start throwing your thoughts on love up on a blog, and work in matching merch. Say youve been heartbroken, create an Anti-Vday design and let it out on your blog. Or even talk about the world of dating. The ideas are endless.

AngelaCP: Also, blogging helps your SEO.  It's fresh content and if you keep the content relevant... you should get some sales that way.

TexasFiddler: anybody running a blog or two that they could share as an example?

ShopaholicChick: i have a blog about my travels that has a link to my shop I get hits from http://chasingthegnome.blogspot.com

nanabijou: don't know how

BrittaCP: Don't know how to create or start a blog?

happyface: where do you do that and who reads it...?

nanabijou: yes...don't know how to create OR start one

BrittaCP: Well there are tons of free and easy to use blog sites out there. By creating a blog and using keywords in it... you're creating content to be picked up in search engines. Someone does a search, finds your blog, and your blog interests them and connects them to your shop... boom! Youve created a possible customer.

ShopaholicChick: www.blogspot.com it is easy to use and simple - and it indexes well in search engines - and supplies you with interested parties thru it's own promotion

tropicando: When things are sold in the Marketplace, is that independent of SEO tags we enter for our shops?

AngelaCP: Showing up in the CafePress Marketplace is purely Tags that you've entered on your images.  SEO, is using content on your site/shop optimized in a way it shows up high in search engines such as Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc.... Today, these two things are separate... but each important in its own way.

Winter: This may be a dumb question, but do you need to pay for a blog if it has "commercial" content in it....would that be considered commercial if we blogged and included our products in it?

BrittaCP: Anyone... know about this?

AngelaCP: There are many blog services that are free

ShopaholicChick: you can place ads on your blogspot blog it is free

AngelaCP: I believe Blogger is free.

Winter: Okay, thanks...I wasn't sure if you had to pay if you included commercial content...good to know

brainlint: I use blogger and never had a problem.  Wordpress (free) is another story, though.  I got booted :(

boldavenue: yeah blogger is free and you can put whatever you want in it commercial or not

Winter: cool, thanks!

AngelaCP: Any other free blog services anyone can throw out?

NiftyGaloot: Blogspot - no, Wordpress on their site - no affiliate links, Wordpress on your host - Whatever you want

nanabijou: Great into... thanks

riahsworld_2: i use my live journal and the groups I am in to have people take a look

AngelaCP: There's Squidoo too. Not really a traditional blog. But you can start a lense on Valentine's Day or Anti-Valentine's Day. And fill it with all the great facts and fun stuff....such as your merchandise

riahsworld_2: yeah thats what i am starting to do

BrittaCP: Alright... let's move on to the next method...

brainlint: There's always the blogs on MySpace and such, but blogger seems to get picked up by search engines the most.

BrittaCP: Message boards

BrittaCP: Wherever your target audience hangs out online, thats where you want to be. Get your shop link in a signature and starting making friends.

riahsworld_2: yup. thats just common sense

BrittaCP: You know many of those folk have loved ones in their lives that they want to buy for this year.

riahsworld_2: i have my signature link in my email

NiftyGaloot: Just be careful not to spam!

BrittaCP: Right

riahsworld_2: spam bad

BrittaCP: Get engaged in a conversation

AngelaCP: Definitely bad

happyface: please explain how the mess boards work...

BrittaCP: We have one here at CafePress... http://forums.cafepress.com/eve/ubb.x

BrittaCP: Usually Forums or message boards are used to unite people of a common interest. They talk, ask questions, help each other out.

happyface: sounds like a helpful place to be...

BrittaCP: You can find a forum on just about anything

NiftyGaloot: Whirled Peas???

BrittaCP: Ill betcha a dollar!

NiftyGaloot: You're on, Britta!

BrittaCP: Right-o

SterlingSmith: The Communities are very strong... and loyal

BrittaCP: So when you find a forum that's relevant to your shop or section or a place that you think your target market will hang out

BrittaCP: Every time you post (not spam) make sure your shop link is in your siggy... readers will see it and possibly click out of curiosity

BrittaCP: On thing that Ive been think about is dating forums.

BrittaCP: Whether it be a forum for giving dating advice, or for finding your soul mate folk already have love on the brain. If you have single life designs, or content about dating (looking for Mr. Right), maybe even online love this could be a great place to get some exposure.

BrittaCP: Ok... next idea

BrittaCP: Fliers and Business Cards

BrittaCP: Print some up and distribute locally.

pc5303: Ive also placed adverts on the university sites

BrittaCP: Think about where do couples and single folk hang out?

BrittaCP: Coffee Shops, Laundromats, bars... church?

KC Graphics: don't forget dog parks! man or woman's best friend can definitely help with finding love.

BrittaCP: If youre a part of a club, or social group take some along and pass to other members, or place them on a table.

happyface: these advert...how are they just directing to your shop? out...like a flyer...? a handbill?

AngelaCP: You can do fliers, postcards, post them on bulletin boards; whatever you do, please be sure to check the rules of what you can. Some cities may not allow you to simply post on public places

AngelaCP: In college dorm or campus...those are great places to post fliers

NiftyGaloot: You gotta target men, they buy more.

KC Graphics: if you are part of a meet up for a candidate in your area....you may find singles....

nanabijou: Yes, men do buy more.  Christmas was an eye opener for me!

tropicando: I have seen animal shelter flyers at PETCO. If you can swing it, maybe you can soup up their flyers for URL space on the same flyer. And sell dog shirts.

AngelaCP: Lastly, for those that have emails of your customers, send out a communication.  Use email as a channel to reach out to your loyal customers and prospects.

AngelaCP: Showcase your hot V-day designs.

AngelaCP: We have a newsletter subscribing system you can use, or you can subscribe to one... I know there are other services out there that can help you collect email addresses

KC Graphics: how can you check if someone signed up for a newsletter?

BrittaCP: You can see how many people have subscribed. Go into the newsletter section of your account

Graphics: thanks.  I'm still new to newsletters.

AngelaCP: Remind them to purchase for their loved ones, beyond their SO such as BFFs, Sister, Mom, Dad, childrens Teacher, etc

nanabijou: Newsletters are GREAT!

AngelaCP: Communicating with customers and prospects is a great way to keep in touch.

AngelaCP: It also keeps you in the mind of your customers... and help you build a brand/awareness

AngelaCP: Does anyone have any suggestions for promoting for Vday that we didnt cover?

AngelaCP: We covered the main areas of promoting your shop this Vday.... we have SKs that do promote in creative and unusual ways... if you're one of those, please share!

tropicando: video. I have contemplated making entertaining video relating to a shirt design.

AngelaCP: Ah... using YouTube as a channel for branding and awareness isn't a bad idea.

CYI: When will the CP have the V-Day portal up and what will the main tag be?

BrittaCP: Within the next week or so. There is no special tag. Just make sure that you tag your vday designs appropriately

AngelaCP: You should Tag your images to what's appropriate for your design

Amere Mortal: I got 'stumbled upon' somehow lol, but it was nothing that I did.

nanabijou: What is a Vday portal

AngelaCP: It's a sitelet for Valentine's Day designs.  Similar to the Election "portal:" http://www.cafepress.com/cp/buy/elections08?cmp=BAC_20071101_elections_smhpban

NiftyGaloot: I've heard of folks doing a podcast

TexasFiddler: does cp police the tagging at all?  I see lots of really irrelevant merchandise in the marketplace fairly frequently.

AngelaCP: We need every Shopkeepers help in making sure that they tag their images appropriately.

AngelaCP: Don't tag your image with "Gift" if it makes a perfect gift... you want to use Tags that DESCRIBE your image.

AngelaCP: We have SKs putting Christmas and Gift and Valentine's Day on images that may work for these occasions, but doesn't describer the image.

AngelaCP: Basically, any image/product will be a good "gift" so... there's no need to Tag it gift

allcreative: I've seen a few that shouldn't be allowed. How can people report them?

AngelaCP: You can send it to cup@cafepress.com

graphicdeeziner: are various spellings of a word ok?

BrittaCP: Yes, and misspellings

BrittaCP: Well folk... we've got to wrap things up now

AngelaCP: We hope you found some of these ideas helpful for your Vday campaign

CYI: Thanks