If you want early grip, the issue you need to solve instantaneously is getting ahead of as many real people who are actually attentive in what you sell as fast as possible. Posting to an empty Facebook page is really not going to help you.
Depend on on Google to send search traffic, at least right away, is a risky bet as well - they do not be liable to trust new websites immediately.
I get it, some part of us actually wants to believe that all it takes to be an online success is number of posts to Facebook, our entire friends will be interested, they will tell all their friends and BOOM our store is “the next big thing.”
But it will not work this way. There is a huge damage done to an entire generation of businesspersons who have been raised to believe that if their product is good, it’s their customer’s job to market the company for them.
Nope.
If you want traction for your ecommerce business, you have to roll up your sleeves, get your hands dirty, and start reaching out to people you don’t know.
We have become so terrified to ask that it’s like we are waiting for someone to provide us permission to live our dream.
“I really do not want to come off as spammy.” “But what if they turn me down?” “People don't like being sold to.”
The thing is, mostly everybody has it backwards? Once you have reached out to bloggers, you can build up your backlinks that will contribute to your SEO. Once you have clients, you can direct them to your social media accounts. Once you have sales, you can build experiment and an ad budget.
But if you put these things first, all you are doing is clambering to get a return on the money and time you have devoted and you will probably find yourself at a shortfall.
Think of, there was a time before the internet when propelling was the only way to do business. People hit the phones, went door to door, and they sent out letters and heard “no” often.
Genuinely hard-nosed shoving is still is the only way to start, and the tools the internet provides - SEO, Social media etc. - only boosts the struggles that are built on that foundation of hustle.
The things you might includein your ecommerce startup business:
- Asking for product reviews
- Requesting guest posts
- Getting featured in videos
- Reaching out to potential cross-marketing partners
- Pulling a stunt that gets press
- Getting on the shelves of local stores
- Rather than posting to an empty Facebook page, partner with someone who runs an active group or page. In place of “Pinning” to empty boards, get highlighted on an active Pinterester’s board. Talk to people with reach.
Do things that dynamically put you ahead of people so that you know without a shadow of doubt they are getting your message. Do this till it’s near unbearable to manage on your own. That is what you need for a grip.
Social media marketing, SEO, paid ads... these are awesome if you have the skills, budget and knowledge essential to do them integrity. But from my experience, new entrepreneurs default to these when they have not put thought into a marketing plan and do not want to face the harsh realism of rejection.
It is simple to blame Google for not sending you traffic. It is really simple to blame algorithm of Facebook of “killing reach”, it’s simple to blame not calling Twitter too noisy, not making use of “compelling” enough headlines, using the right hashtags on Instagram, using the wrong call to action, or pinning to the right boards.
It is simple to descend towards these strategies because it is really simple to blame things you have little control over when they do not work out.
It is tough to stay attentive after dealing with refusal. Waking up everyday feeling like you are on the edge of something great even though you are the only one who knows it; that is hard.
You have to trust that what you are trying to do is worth fighting for, and if it is not, that you can acquire from it without letting negativity finish you.
If you wish early traction, you need to send emails till your fingers wound. You have to make phone calls and talk to people you feel you can do business. You need daring to do it positively and hard skin to handle refusal.
