I recently started a new business. New is not exactly the right term. My business is writing educational unit studies, copywork books, and educational materials. However, the business is not really new. I have written unit studies and sold them in the past. Instead of just randomly selling materials I make here and there, I decided to form it into a business. I only launched this month but I have already seen a profit, have almost 1000 Facebook fans, and making a presence on Pinterest. I am not saying all of this to brag. I have started a few businesses in the past and many of those have failed for one reason or another. My current business is off to a good start and with hard work and an understanding of what my clients want it may stay on the right path. What I want to share is a few points that helped me get a good start.
Built a Platform: I spent some time building a platform through my main blog and that blog’s Facebook page. This allowed me to become familiar with the needs of potential customers and for them to become familiar with me. That kind of connection cannot be substituted.
Professional Look: I went back over old studies that I wanted to re-release and gave them a makeover. Do not underestimate the importance of a professional looking product.
Participated in a Giveaway: I had the opportunity to participate in a few giveaways. One was on a very high profile blog. That alone gained me over 400 new “likes” on my page and led to several sales.
Guest Posted: I sold a good portion of one study by guest posting on a blog that reaches my targeted audience.
Offered Coupon Codes: Everyone loves a good deal. I gave coupon codes out to give deep discounts on my products.
Engage Readers on Facebook: When you gain a lot of followers through a giveaway it is normal to lose a portion once the giveaway is over. So try to keep them around by providing engaging content by asking questions, sharing tips, allowing the reader to share her blog, business, or advice. Get them involved. Pay attention to which posts gain you the most attention and continue down that line.