SILKFAIR Blog – February 2011

One of the most powerful and cost-effective ways to promote one’s business is via public relations. Since journalists are regarded as unbiased observers, media recognition can be good for building credibility. What’s even better is that it’s usually free!

Afraid that opening your own store isn’t “news worthy”?  Think again.  There are hundreds of thousands of bloggers, PR sites and niche focused publications and newsletters that have an interest in your store’s niche.  They just don’t know of your existence.  It is your job to let them know.  Besides, if you’re not sold on your own store and product, who will be?  You have to take control in tooting your own horn without blowing it!

The first thing you should do is to announce your presence to the media that cover your industry or community. Draft a press release that includes the who, what, when, where, why, and how of your business. Don’t worry about the format of the press release; there’s no single correct way. Refer to resources like the Associated Press Stylebook and the Chicago Manual of Style, as well as online press rooms of companies you admire.

If you have time, include other informational materials about your business, such as photos of products, staff, or facilities; a one-page company background sheet; or a white paper, if applicable. The more useful information you can give journalists, the better.

There are several ways you can distribute your news release. Send it to your local newspaper, publications that cover your local business community and those that deal with your particular niche or industry. In all cases, try to find the journalist who covers your area, and address the release to him or her. You can usually locate the appropriate individual by calling the publication and asking for the editorial assistant or checking their masthead.

Remember that most journalists will only be interested in news that hasn’t reached the general public yet, so target them directly first. Once you’ve done that, you can post the release on your website.

You can also send your release to newswires. The major services can be expensive, but there are plenty of free services, e.g. PR Web, that will post your news to various websites.

Aside from press releases, there are other means to get into print. Several publications accept contributed articles or columns written by outside experts on a specific topic. You won’t be allowed to blatantly promote your business, but you will be able to position yourself as an expert in your specific industry.

Testimonials are another way to get your business’ name in print. If one of your customers has accomplished something newsworthy using your products or services, or you’ve solved a business problem in an interesting manner, put the story in writing.

Journalists are always on the lookout for new and different stories. Provide them with the right material and you just might get ink!

Having a clearly defined target market is crucial. It’s not uncommon for businesses to have to reexamine and refocus their targeting, especially if it wasn’t clearly identified at the beginning. Also, your value proposition has to be related to your target market.  Sadly, there are many online stores who operate with the “if we build it – they will come” mentality thus preparing everything yet not having a true target.

It’s necessary to find the right balance when identifying your target market so that your audience is aware that you’re talking to them in particular. To achieve this, businesses usually narrow down their target market.

Why is your target market crucial to your brand? It doesn’t matter what your brand mission is identifying and gaining. The loyalty of your target audience is what will help you reach those objectives.

Realizing your brand marketing goals means that you have to know your target market inside and out, which requires conducting a market analysis. A market analysis should be as comprehensive as possible, providing you with all the information you need to reach your target effectively. Knowing your target audience allows you to be more confident in connecting with them.

The power of your brand depends on the ability to focus, which is why defining your target market will help reinforce the effectiveness of your brand.

There are two steps in developing your brand’s strategy: (1) conduct an informal market analysis and (2) create your target market description.

You can use the internet to carry out your informal market analysis, as well as read news stories that are relevant to your target market. This will help you narrow down your target by demographics, interests, and common trends.

Make your study as in-depth as possible, and ask the following questions:

• Who is my target audience?
• Am I targeting consumers or businesses?
• Where is my target audience located?
• What do they currently think about my brand?
• What would I like them to think about my brand?
• What can I do to attract them to my products or services?
• Who is my competition?

Using the above questions, write your target market description. The more specific you are, the better. Then, second draft a statement on the type of relationship you’d like to have with your customers.

If you make it hard for people to look around your online store, you only have yourself to blame if they leave empty-handed. Remember, you’re one of dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of options readily available to them. And unlike in the offline world, online shoppers feel no pressure to stay and browse.

While people may be patient enough to ask for an employee’s help in a brick and mortar store, they won’t contact you to ask how to navigate your website. It’s just a lot easier to go and look somewhere else.

If you’d like potential customers to stick around and eventually make a purchase from your online store, here’s what you can do:


• Be relevant. Put the right kind of information on each page. When people shop, they always ask a series of basic questions, whether consciously or unconsciously. Try to arrange your content so that these questions are answered in the order they occur:

1. “Where am I?” – Tell your visitors who you are.
2. “Am I in the right place?” – Let them know what kind of business you run.
3. “Do you have what I want?” – Show them what you have to offer.
4. “How much is it?” – Present the total cost.
5. “How can I buy it?” – Explain the process.

Always try to provide the right information at the right time. The more irrelevant the information, the more likely people will become indecisive or distracted. And no matter how great you think your products or services are, don’t try to sell everything to every shopper all the time.

A few featured products on the homepage or sidebar can sometimes generate impulse or collateral purchases, but having too many of them will reduce the effectiveness of the technique – people may feel that you’re persuading them to buy what they don’t want.


• Aim for balance. Put the right amount of information on each page. Don’t make your visitors dig too deeply for information, but don’t bombard them with lengthy descriptions, either.

Very few types of products and services benefit from a minimalist presentation. Most of the time, online shoppers just want to find what they’re looking for without having to crack any cases. If they want to learn more about a product or service, they’ll be willing to make a couple of extra clicks to find out.

Don’t try to teach your visitors what they’re not asking to know. One of the reasons why folks love online shopping is because they don’t have to deal with pushy salespeople.  


• Be user-friendly. If your visitors feel lost in your website, you’ll lose the sale. Be sure to explain the next step process; what they can expect as they purchase; and provide them many avenues to contact you if they have questions along the way or even after the purchase.