Darshware

Admittedly, I am a newbe when it comes to Tee-shirts and design. I recently launched my own cafepress shop. I am posting this for somewhat selfish reasons, however, I feel that it would be beneficial to all cafepress shopkeepers to know what form of marketing has worked best for other shopkeepers. So I am proposing that we each rate our success on the following forms of marketing 1-5, 1 being the worst and 5 being the best, and I will publish the averages to this post sometime on Sunday. If you have not utilized this form of marketing simply state N/A and that response will simply be skipped.

Social Media:

Facebook: 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
MySpace: 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
Twitter: 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
Digg: 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Online Postings/Blogging:

Criagslist: 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
T-shirtforums: 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
thetshirtblog: 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
iloveyourtshirt: 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Promotion:

Bars/Clubs: 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
Trade Shows: 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
Concerts/Feastivals: 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Please list any other places you market:

 

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BrendaR

I use MySpace, Facebook, Squidoo, Google Blogs and Twitter for marketing. I honestly couldn't even tell you if I have made a sale from marketing there but it doesn't hurt..........I have actually sold quite a bit through my Squidoo lenses.
As for promoting on other t-shirt forums- I don't really waste my time. Usually the people there are in the same business. They're looking to promote their business also- not buy something I am selling.
I've found that good SEO works great to drive traffic to my store. I also make inexpensive business cards and leave them everywhere I go. I have a link in all of my outgoing emails. I have 4 niche' stores and 1 "everything store" and I find forums that relate to those stores and become an active member and then put my link in my signature (when allowed).
And one of the best promoting tools is my family! My kids and husband are always wearing something I have made.

 

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Rodney

Quote: T-shirtforums: 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

T-ShirtForums is not really a place to market your t-shirt site

It's more of a place to "learn" about marketing and the t-shirt business, not to actually *sell* (since we're all t-shirt sellers, it would be like trying to sell ice to a snowman)

I know I've gotten at least one or two t-shirt sales from twitter, but I don't know that it's a direct sales channel like a banner ad. It's a different way of connecting with your customers (or potential customers)

__________________
Rodney Blackwell - T-Shirt Links Directory
PrinterListings.com: a place to promote your custom t-shirt printing business

 

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scribbleprints

Most of my sales come from the marketplace, so I would say I am not doing well on promoting in general. Also, it's sometimes hard to tell where a sale comes from...but here goes.


Social Media:

Facebook: N/A
MySpace: 1
Twitter: N/A
Digg: N/A
Stumble Upon: 1

Online Postings/Blogging:

Criagslist: N/A
T-shirtforums: N/A
thetshirtblog: N/A
iloveyourtshirt:N/A

Promotion:

Bars/Clubs: N/A
Trade Shows: N/A
Concerts/Feastivals: 1 N/A
Home Shows (got together with a friend doing a Mary Kay Party): 3

Please list any other places you market:
Paid Ads through Project Wonderful: 2-3 (Unsure)
Posting on forums: 2-3
Traffic Exchanges Specific to Shopping:1-2 (unsure)
Traffic Exchanges NOT Specific to Shopping:1
Blog Giveaways:1-2
(For the cost, I didn't see the rise in sales I would have hoped came from the giveaways--though it got me a lot of hits. Ironically, the one where I was just giving away a button (not a larger prize like a t-shirt) was the only one where I saw a rise in sales...though I was also heavily promoting through Project Wonderful and Shopping Based Traffic/Banner/Link exchanges during that period also...so hard to say)

The following gave me no known sales and not that many hits, but I am counting them 1-2 because I think they improved my SEO.
Banner and Text Ads bought through Ebay
Link Exchanges

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