Category Archives: Products

How Can I Market My Computer Basics Training?

eMarketing, Products, ,

I am looking for your ideas for marketing my computer basics training kit…This will be of use to anyone seeking basic computing and Financial accounting skills for low to mid level jobs or personal use. It is written in simple language and all menus and options are described. The cover has been designed attractive with testimonials from the current users on the back cover (this is being published as a book for the first time, earlier I had given samples to some local enthusiasts to collect their response).

The problem is though there is a demand for this type of product, there are a number of big & small players with similar product. My shoestring marketing budget restricts me from larger than life publicity.

I can’t go for net marketing because of my target audience.

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As you mentioned, advertising via the web will be hard for your audience. However, many people can use a browser and read their emails, but can’t create a word processing document or spreadsheet. Also, people who help people who need training do use the web. Almost 400,000 people searched on “computer training” last month. Therefore, a net presence makes a lot of sense.

If you want to focus locally, focus on people re-entering the job market (retirees, stay-at-home moms/dads, ESL speakers). Your local SCORE, SBA, Community College, library, retirement homes, etc. may already be the focal point for these groups of people.

Does your book have an accompanying video? If not, create one. Post some lesson parts on your website & YouTube (etc.).

Since you’re a small fish in a big pond, you’ll need to create a strategy to make you stand out. You don’t want to say, “I’m just like the big players, but what I did is, umm, a little bit better.” You need something that makes you stand out. Guarantees? Phone support? Teleconference support? Videos? Seminars? Without a clear message, you’re going to have an uphill battle.

How Can I Market A Sports-Related Souvenir?

Products

A friend has an excellent idea for a souvenir for our local professional sports team. She looked into patents and they are too expensive. Any ideas on how she can market her idea and get royalties from it?

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Unless you have the funds to defend a patent infringement or if you hope to sell your company (with the patents as part of the intellectual property), it’s not worth patenting.

Realize that even if your friend has a great idea, creates a prototype, and has potential clients sign a nondisclosure, there’s no guarantee that the client won’t simply copy the idea and produce it them self.

The problem arises when your friend wants to use another company’s copyrighted logo/image in their product. Unless the image is in the public domain, you’ll have to license it. To license it, you’ll have to explain how you want to use it, and show off your idea, and pay money.

Instead, your friend may want to approach a company that already produces souvenirs for the Brewers, and offer to license the idea to them.

Realize that her idea is just that – an idea. Someone eventually needs to implement it and mass produce it, which takes time and money.

How Can I Inexpensively Market A Book?

Products, Publicity, , ,

Do you have an eBook or a physical book? Does the book have an ISBN #?

If you have an ISBN, then Amazon & Google Books are certainly appropriate places to get listed.

If you don’t, then you’ll be self-promoting your self-published book. As a minimum, provide a website for the [e]Book (or a page in your existing website’s store). Provide samples of the book’s contents, as well as price, size, number of pages, etc. You need to build trust in the prospective buyer.

Don’t forget free classified services, such as Craigslist, etc.

If the book is more than a how-to (i.e., it’s a personal story, etc.), then create a press release for it, and distribute it (there are lots of services, such as www.free-press-release.com).

If there are self-contained excerpts, publish them at various article banks online.

To get people interested in your book, post information where your target audience visits online. Likewise, try to get people to link to your book. If you have a blog, announce it.

Tune In To Video Marketing

Creative Business Ideas, Products, Publicity, Services,

Is your product or service visually appealing? Do you offer workshops? If so, consider making videos to highlight your business on your website. It’s not as hard (or expensive) as it once was.

Video marketing can range from a clip of a seminar, a tutorial, a demonstration of your services, to a commercial.

Tips:

  • Your video should fit with your business image and target market.
  • Know your niche.
  • Provide something of value (even humor has value). Just like in all marketing, you want people to pass your information around to others in their network.
  • Ensure that your website’s name is prominently displayed throughout the video. You want people to be able to find your business easily (if they aren’t watching the video on your website).
  • Offer your video in both low-fidelity and high fidelity options. Lower fidelity takes up less space on the screen (smaller), grainier, and monaural (and is quicker to download).
  • If you’ll be offering the video for viewing on your website, offer both QuickTime and Windows Media formats.
  • Allow your videos to be downloaded to your client’s computer (not just viewed in the browser).
  • Consider uploading the video to free video sites such as YouTube and Google Video.

I’ve recently been involved in two (online) video projects:

The first project was shot using a (unattended) digital camcorder on a tripod. I transferred the raw footage to a Macintosh computer using MediaFork and edited it with iMovie HD. During the editing process, I titled, compressed and reduced the high-definition video in size. Total out-of-pocket expense: $69.99 (iLife). With no marketing budget, on the first day, there were over 500 viewings of videos on YouTube alone. It has generated significant web traffic, inquiries, and sales.

Video #1

The second project was shot on a makeshift set with green screen backdrop (to insert a digital background). It was shot using a professional video camera, a stereo MP3 recorder, and 3 floor lights. Total out-of-pocket expense: over $2000 (set + rentals + camera man + director + editing). This project is still in production.

Video 2