• When was the last time you said 'Thank You' to your customers
• Google Print
• 10 resourceful ways to recycle digital or small-ticket products

When was the last time you said ‘Thank you’ to your customers

Last week, I received a gift in the post from Google.

Was it my birthday? No.

And you are probably curious to know what a mega company sends to a small business owner in Perth (Australia). Packed in a box with yellow, red and green crinkled paper shreddings was a blue Google clock. It looks like a robot (see full picture). There was also a little note saying:

“Dear Publisher,

Time got away from us! Please accept this small token of apology from your friends at Google Print. … We’re just sorry it took so long.

Thanks!
The Google Print Team”

You could be unkind and say that Google can afford it but on the other hand, you could also think, why should they bother about a small publisher?

Well, my little clock brightened my day. For me, it was a present dropping from cyberspace. My blue Google clock has taken a special place near my computer. How can I forget Google? As time clicks, my blue Google clock is starring at me and will do so every day from now on.

I share with you this little story because it is a excellent example of good customer service of an offline strategy used by an online business. What a way to be remembered by your customers!

When was the last time you said ‘Thank you’ to your customers? 
 

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As a contributing publisher, your books will be visible to users whether they run a general search on Google or a specific search on Google Print. It's one more way to drive qualified traffic to your site, increase your book’s visibility at no cost and boost your sales. And what’s more, Google technology ‘reads’ the pages of your book and adds contextual ads. And when users click on these ads, Google pays you.

Give a try at http://print.google.com/ and type ‘marketing ideas’. Can you find my book? Follow the links and you can even end up on my website.

Google Print is good news for both users and small publishers.

P.S. I received the Google Clock because I had been waiting since October 2004 for my book to be scanned. Now, Google Print accepts PDF files.
 

1. Auction your product on eBay or another auction site. How much are customers prepared to pay for your product? Use this strategy to research your market and to experiment with a new selling outlet. Who knows, people in their bidding frenzy may pay more than you ever imagined!
    
2. Reposition your product. Review your promotional and pricing strategies and give your product a new image. Change your sales letter (including words and graphics), add testimonials, increase or lower the price, etc. Now sell your ‘new’ product.
    
3. Offer your product as a bonus with the purchase of another product. Sell the bundle as ‘this month’s special’, ‘buy one get one free’ or ‘value pack’. The bonus should boost your sales especially if you point out the dollar value of the bonus e.g. ‘valued at…’ and add a sense of urgency ‘limited time offer till (date)’.
    
4. Give to get. Ask visitors on your website to complete a survey and reward their effort with a gift, your product. Provided your product is relevant to the type of information you are seeking, this should yield a list of qualified leads and supply you with new ideas to create products and boost your business.
    
5. Sell your product as a promotional item. This is a strategy I have used very successfully. I’ve bundled signed copies of my book from my first printing batch into packs of ten. Businesses bought them at volume discount price and gave them as gifts to their loyal customers.
    
6. Increase your database by giving away your product for free as an incentive to join your mailing list. Your offer can be advertised for free on the online free stuff sites. When visitors are picking up their freebies, capture their email addresses and you will gain a valuable mailing list. (Note: this database building strategy will only work with digital products or else you will be out of pocket if you have to pay shipping costs.)
    
7. Swap your product for things you need for your own business e.g. exchange your ebook for a software or another ebook. Your savings will make up for your profit loss. At a conference, I swapped my book for books from my colleagues.
    
8. Organise an online contest and offer your product as the winning prize. This a cheap price to pay for free advertising for your product through online contest directories.
    
9. Donate your product for an attendance or raffle prize at non-profit associations’ events. In return, the organisation usually promotes your business by giving you an advertising space on their website or promotional flyers.
    
10. Approach businesses with complementary products and find out if they would be interested in bundling their product with yours. Build on each other’s equity and share promotional costs and profits.

Left-overs are delicious. Recycle your product for a new lease of life.

© 2005 Henriette Martel-Lawson
 

Running out of marketing strategies and web content ideas?

"If you're a novice, have dabbled a bit, or an astute marketer in the online world,
200 Marketing Ideas For Your Website is a more-than-worthwhile read. With a range of great ideas, guidelines on best-practice and highlights on new web ideas, Henriette Martel-Lawson has pulled together a helpful reference point for anyone interested in the internet and how to market your website within it."
Neil Bridgeman, Online Marketing Coordinator - Flowers.com.au More Info

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