The Countdown to Christmas and the Top 5 Ways to Promote

I had the good fortune last year of starting my online selling venture right smack dab in the middle of the Christmas rush. This was not planned, just lucky. Since then my mission has been to keep up the momentum of Christmas sales by offering more products, and selling in a smarter way.

There seems to be no end to the number of ways to promote. Couple that with some top secret formula when it comes to getting results from promotion, and it's enough to scramble a brain.

That said, here is a:

Top 5 Ways to Promote and Get Some Kind of Results List

1. Run a Blog Contest

Why?

It's fun. If ran properly, it leads to a large number of people visiting. Plus, it helps to raise pank rank.

2. Set up a Feed for Google Base

Why?

It leads to traffic. Once set up it is very easy to use. Plus, it gives an education on the kinds of things Google is looking to see in listings.

3. Occasionally Sell at Local Events

Why?

It educates on how people are responding to what is for sale. The feedback from a facial expression is not something that can be gleaned online. Plus, it gives the opportunity to pass out business cards to large numbers of interested shoppers. Double plus, it gives the opportunity to offload a lot of inventory that might have been piling up.

4. Join Forums and get Involved in the Discussion

Why?

There are two reasons. There is a lot to be learned on selling and product related forums. Plus, it is a way to expose potentially interested shoppers to your url.

5. Most Importantly, Keep Your Love for Ebay

Why?

Because despite doing all of the above things and much more, eBay is still where the traffic is. In a highly competitive market, such as jewellery, it is simply much easier to get exposure on eBay. This is especially true in the early days of one's new online store.

If anyone out there has any tips on favorite ways to promote, I'm all ears!