By Greg Rollett, Grommet
This article is presented by Grommet, the leading product discovery platform for new and emerging makers, inventors and entrepreneurs. Check out 1,000’s of products you never new existed, but soon won’t be able to live without here.
Achieving your first 1,000 sales is a significant milestone for any emerging brand. It sets the foundation for growth and proves that your product has a market. These 9 makers from Grommet have shared their top strategies that helped them reach this crucial goal, so you can do it too. By leveraging their insights, you can navigate the early stages of your business more effectively and set yourself up for long-term success.
1. Establish Trust Early
“We wanted to establish trust right from the beginning, so we personally reached out to every single customer for a review. Very quickly we began to build a foundation of credibility which we could then spotlight to boost conversion.”
– Jeff Foss, Pepper Pong
2. Leverage Trade Shows
“Trade shows! Getting the product in front of people was huge for us. The word of mouth from the shows led to a bunch of online sales days after the shows ended.”
– Chris Gronkowsi, Ice Shaker
3. Create a Viral Moment
“We decided to film our own version of a Stripes/Groundhog Day mashup commercial and air it on Facebook during the Super Bowl. The ad cost $750 and brought in $2500 in revenue. We haven’t stopped running ads since.”
– John Kruse, Stupid Car Tray
4. Turn Customers into Advocates
“We focused on making customers advocates for our brand by providing exceptional quality and service. This organic growth through word-of-mouth was more effective than traditional advertising.”
– Billy Dayan, Soaq
5. Position Your Product as a Gift
“We discovered that customers were giving our product as gifts. We then created a ‘ready-to-gift’ version, which increased our sales significantly. This strategy made it easy for customers to choose our product as a gift.”
– Bernard Cohen, SoapAnchor
6. Utilize Crowdfunding Tactics
“I applied all the tactics from the book ‘Crowdfunded,’ helping me launch nine different innovative product lines and raise millions of dollars without a marketing budget.”
– Cary Decker, KUVRD
7. Showcase Your Best-Selling Item
“Start by selecting your best-selling item and use high-quality images and a short, personal video to introduce it. Highlight the product’s features and benefits in a compelling headline.”
– Bev, BandiWear
8. Warm Up Your Advertising Accounts
“Spend a few weeks interacting with and following accounts that fit your target audience. Post consistently to let the platform understand your audience. Then, run low-budget ads to push well-performing videos to more people.”
– Nick & Mark Correlli, Team Gravity Disc
9. Increase Visibility Through Multiple Channels
“We increased our brand’s visibility by participating in trade shows, PR efforts, and leveraging social media. Using a multi-faceted approach allowed us to find what worked best and drive sales effectively.”
– Scott Grillo, FurZapper
