My guest this week on the podcast is Jenna Farmer, a PR strategist and journalist.  Whether you're looking for practical tips to do your own PR, guided resources to get you started or to work with Jenna on a 121 basis, Jenna can help you get your business out there through the right kind of press coverage.

With Christmas right around the corner, now is the perfect time as a product business to leverage seasonal PR opportunities. I spoke with Jenna about how you can get your products featured in gift guides and roundups.

Even though we are already in October, Jenna assured me it's not too late to start reaching out to journalists. Jenna shares insider tips for identifying relevant media targets, crafting effective pitches, providing the assets journalists need, and more. Whether you're new to PR or a seasoned pro, Jenna's advice will help you make the most of the Christmas PR window and get your products in front of more people.

Listen in to hear Jenna share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:40)
• When to start thinking about PR for Christmas (02:06)
• How Christmas PR differs to PR at other times of the year (04:18)
• The sort of PR opportunities to look for (07:00)
• How good PR gives your product authority (08:24)
• How to find gift guides you may want to be included in (09:12)
• What to send a journalist you are pitching to (16:01)
• Putting together a press release (16:29)
• How to do PR without getting overwhelmed (21:12)
• The importance of keeping going and not getting disheartened (22:43)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Jenna Farmer Website

Jenna Farmer Instagram

Jenna Farmer Linked In

Jenna’s Facebook Group: Get Your Business In The Media With Jenna Farmer

Free Resource: How To Write The Perfect Press Release

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Today on the podcast I'm talking to Kate Smith from The Makery. Kate set up The Makery in 2009 on a mission to teach the world how to craft. Fast forward 14 years, two books, a Dragon's Den appearance, an internationally distributed product range, and nearly 150, 000 customers having attended her craft workshops and events. 

Covid, Brexit and other challenges led Kate to pivot her business, and she is now dedicating much of her time to helping other creative entrepreneurs achieve their full potential and run successful businesses doing what they love. 

The power of this conversation is that Kate has navigated real highs and real lows in her business. Kate explains how the highs came about via the power of yes, and the mindset tools she needed to navigate the lows and make huge decisions about the direction of her business.

There is so much to take away and I am sure you will be inspired after listening. 

Listen in to hear Kate share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:25)
• Why she set up The Makery to run craft workshops (03:31)
• Getting a book deal (05:25)
• Being on Dragon’s Den (05:41)
• Getting a licensing deal for her products and kits (06:32)
• When things go wrong (07:44)
• Pivoting the business online after the pandemic (10:02)
• The realisation that she didn’t need physical premises to run the business (10:58)
• What to do when a major source of income disappears (12:51)
• How to mentally deal with challenges and setbacks in business (15:52)
• Creating products with a licensing deal (17:07)
• The power of saying yes (26:31)
• Why she stopped selling physical kits (27:38)
• How she moved into consultancy and running a team who teach crafting all over the country (28:48)
• Her number one piece of advice for product creators (37:30)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Makery Kate Website

Makery Kate Instagram

Makery Kate Facebook

Makery Kate Youtube

Kate Smith Linked In

LET’S CONNECT

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My guest this week is Amelia Peckham. In 2005 Amelia Peckham was told she would never walk unaided again, following a serious quad bike accident and consequent spinal injury her ’new normal’ aged just 19, was a life on crutches. Sadly her hospital ones gave her blisters, clicked so everyone could hear her coming, slipped and even snapped - it was then Amelia alongside mother Clare, sought to find something better. 

There was a huge gap in the market for comfortable, silent, certified crutches and walking sticks that wouldn’t compromise on style…and so Cool Crutches & Sticks was born.

Tackling a number of pain points Cool Crutches and Sticks are moulded to a left and right hand (no more blisters), totally silent to use (no more clicking), they’re cushioned (so won’t jar upper body joints), have added grip (won’t slip) and are CE certified to support long term, medical conditions and disabilities. The best part? They’re unavailable in hospital grey - with a wide range of fabulous colours and prints as well as the option to print your own personalised design these sticks are the walking definition of functionality & style.

It was an absolute delight to talk to Amelia, learn more about the story behind the business, and how Amelia’s background in PR and confidence in the product has helped the company go from strength to strength.

Listen in to hear Amelia share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:21)
• The importance of proving you can have functionality without compromising on style (03:04)
• How the NHS issues crutches to people and identifying a gap in the market (04:21)
• The design process (08:06)
• Adding fun and style to the design (13:25)
• Working with a manufacturer (15:10)
• Offering personalisation (17:19)
• Using the design and personalisation process as a positive focus for customers (20:33)
• The psychological boost the crutches can provide (21:53)
• Generating Press and PR (25:15)
• Working with and supporting celebrities (27:40)
• The power of absolute confidence in your own product (33:17)
• Her number one piece of advice for product creators (37:30)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Cool Crutches Website

Cool Crutches Facebook

Cool Crutches Twitter

Cool Crutches Instagram

Cool Crutches TikTok

LET’S CONNECT

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This week my guest on the podcast is Stephanie Mensah, the founder of Bibinee Dolls. Bibinee Dolls are a range of early years soft diversity dolls, which help to encourage learning through play and positive representation.

Stephanie’s business launched at the beginning of this year, and she has already achieved great things, getting stocked at Very and Littlewoods. Stephanie explains how her children’s own experience at nursery inspired her to create this range, how she went about manufacturing the dolls and ensuring that they met safety standards. 

Stephanie explains how customer feedback has informed the development of her range of products which now also includes clothing and accessories. Most of all Stephanie is just a really inspiring person to listen to  - she shares what drives her, what inspires her and how she has navigated setbacks. It really is an episode packed full of positivity and inspiration. 

Listen in to hear Stephanie share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:25)
• Her range of dolls and what they look like (02:49)
• How her children’s experience at nursery inspired her to create the dolls (06:40)
• Making sure the dolls were usable and durable for very young children (11:38)
• Finding a manufacturer to work with (13:57)
• How her mum inspired her with her own business (16:08)
• Overcoming setbacks and what keeps her going (17:36)
• Finding stockists (20:09)
• Her experience at Trade Shows, The Baby Show (23:51)
• Customers reaction and learning that there is a wider market for the dolls (25:15)
• Challenging gender stereotypes and responding to customer requests (27:02)
• The process of getting safety certifications for toys (32:50)
• Their sustainability policy and what this involves (36:26)
• Her number one piece of advice for product creators (40:14)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Bibinee Dolls Website

Bibinee Dolls Twitter

Bibinee Dolls Facebook

Bibinee Dolls Instagram

Toy World

The Baby Show

LET’S CONNECT

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If you're selling on Amazon or plan to do so in the near or distant future, one of your primary goals is likely to be securing a place on the first page of search results for relevant terms. This goal is well-founded because when users search for something related to your product, you want to appear on that coveted first page.

Research indicates that products on the initial page receive a minimum of 80% of all clicks, with the top three listings accounting for 60% of those clicks. To put it simply, being on the first page is crucial, and the higher your position on that page, the better. Think of your own shopping habits - how often do you venture beyond the initial search results page?

In this episode I share my top tips for ranking higher on Amazon from explaining how the algorithm works to talking you through step by step writing  your product description. There is an accompanying blog post to this episode, and if you would like any further support please do get in touch. 

Listen in to hear me share:

• The benefits of ranking higher on Amazon (00:50)
• How the Amazon algorithm ranks products (02:41)
• A9 The Amazon Algorithm and how it differs to Google (03:33)
• The factors that influence how you rank (05:26)
• Make sure you have a great product listing (08:49)
• Step by step instructions on how to write your product listing (12:08)
• What A Plus content is and how it can help (14:47)
• How to get your first sales to boost your ranking (17:46)
• The importance of sharing your Amazon product listing on social media and with your friends and family (21:54)
• The importance of product reviews and how to get them (23:52)
• The most important things to do (26:31)
• How I may be able to help you (25:12)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Junglescout

Free guide - How to successfully launch a product on Amazon or rescue one that’s not selling

Blog Post: 

How To Rank Higher On Amazon

HOW I CAN SUPPORT YOU ON AMAZON:

My Free Resources 

Is Amazon Right For You? Mini Strategy Session

Amazon Account Audit

Amazon Launch Package

Amazon Training Q&A Hour

Book a Power Hour with me

LET’S CONNECT:

Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators

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Buy My Book: Bring Your Product Idea To Life

If you enjoy this podcast, and you’d like to leave a tip, you can do so here: https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/support

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Today I'm talking to Liz Cooke from Chester & Cooke. Liz designs and makes country living products for the home, garden, horse, and dog. Liz shares her product business journey, and how she transitioned from a career in finance to starting her business and designing wooden products, which her husband then makes and they sell. 

We discussed the challenges of pricing handmade products, the power of offering customisation to your customers, and the areas to prioritise learning about and investing in when running your own business.

Liz has also won quite a few awards, and had some great PR successes, including being commissioned by ITV show Love Your Weekend to make a welly rack. We discuss how these came about, the channels that Liz finds more successful in helping people to find her business.

Listen in to hear Liz share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:17)
• How and why she started her own business (01:44)
• Designing and making products from wood (03:38)
• Her expectations when setting up the business, and how these have grown (05:56)
• Their first product - a boot jack (08:34)
• The biggest challenges of setting up her own website (10:01)
• How to price handmade products (12:16)
• The power of personalisation on your products (16:24)
• How she achieved awards and PR success (18:25)
• Which channels work best for bringing in sales (22:11)
• Things to prioritise when you are at the early stages of your business (23:32)
• The importance of making sure your business doesn’t take over your life (28:17)
• Her number one piece of advice for product creators (29:24)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Chester & Cooke Website

Chester & Cooke Etsy

Chester & Cooke Facebook

Chester & Cooke Instagram

Chester & Cooke Pinterest

Chester & Cooke Youtube

Maddy Shine

LET’S CONNECT

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Buy My Book: Bring Your Product Idea To Life

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My guest today is Elle Williamson of The Ecommerce Assistant. Elle helps people build and grow their online businesses with the power of Shopify + Klaviyo to sell more online. Ella has made it her mission to teach everything she knows about ecommerce to founder-led businesses looking to thrive online.

Elle was originally a guest earlier this year on episode 162 where she talked about how to make the most of Shopify. I've invited her back to talk about Klaviyo, an email marketing system, which works really well with Shopify. Elle shares what Klaviyo can do, why she is such a big fan of it, and top tips to get the most out of it. We also talk about email marketing in general - why it's important, best practices, ways to nurture your list and what to do if it is far too long since you emailed them!

Whether you decide to use Klaviyo or not (and there is a free option) there is lots here for you to take and try in your own business to boost your sales. 

Listen in to hear Elle share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:29)
• Why email marketing is important (02:21)
• How often you should be emailing from bare minimum to maximum (06:41)
• Getting past mindset blocks (07:58)
• How to nurture your email list, and what this means (09:10)
• How to start emailing your list again when you haven’t been in touch for a long time (13:35)
• What Klaviyo is and why Elle recommends it (17:23)
• Klaviyo’s integration with Shopify (18:20)
• The difference between the paid and free versions (19:51)
• The data insights you can get - including how much money each email has made (21:35)
• Ecommerce features that Klaviyo has (22:50)
• Top tips for optimising your email marketing for whichever platform you use (27:30)
• Ways to grow your email list (32:34)
• What AB tests are and how to do them (34:48)
• Her number one piece of advice for using email marketing effectively (38:01)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

The Ecommerce Assistant Website

The Ecommerce Assistant Instagram

Elle Williamson Linked In

Elle’s Klaviyo Services

Klaviyo

Shopify

Podcast 162: How to get the most out of Shopify with Elle Williamson - The Ecommerce Assistant

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If you enjoy this podcast, and you’d like to leave a tip, you can do so here: https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/support

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Summer is a great time to do a DIY audit on your Amazon Seller Central account. This will help you assess your performance and identify areas where you can improve.

In my previous episode which I released last year, I talked about some general things you can do to keep your account in order over the summer. In this episode, I'll be going into more detail about specific metrics you can look at, such as: account health, inventory performance, sales performance, and advertising performance. 

I'll also be sharing some tips for doing a DIY audit on your Amazon Seller Central account, such as using the Seller Central reports and comparing your performance to your competitors.

Listen in to hear me share how to:

• Check your account health (01:44)
• Check your customer feedback (03:21)
• Checking your IPI score (04:34)
• Check your conversion rate or unit session percentage (06:25)
• Review your listings (07:07)
• Review your keyword rankings (09:03)
• Review your fees (11:18)
• Why you should run ads in the summer (12:48)
• Tracking your metrics (14:54)
• How I may be able to help you (15:55)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Blog Post: How to audit your Amazon Seller Central account this summer

Podcast Episode 123 - Things to do with you Amazon Seller Central Account this summer

JungleScout

Amazon account audit

FREE AMAZON CHECKLIST

FREEBIE: How to Successfully Launch a Product on Amazon or Rescue One That's Not Selling

HOW I CAN SUPPORT YOU ON AMAZON:

My Free Resources 

Is Amazon Right For You? Mini Strategy Session

Amazon Account Audit

Amazon Launch Package

Amazon Training Q&A Hour

Book a Power Hour with me

LET’S CONNECT:

Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators

Find me on Instagram

Work with me 

Buy My Book: Bring Your Product Idea To Life

If you enjoy this podcast, and you’d like to leave a tip, you can do so here: https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/support

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My guest today is  Kate Whorlow from Time For Me Teas.  Kate helps women to make time for themselves by nourishing and rejuvenating their mind and body while sipping on organic, loose leaf herbal tea blends which are not only beneficial, but taste great too. 

Kate is also a herbalist, and she has worked in a pharmacy, and she has pulled all her skills together to create a business that works for her. Kate is incredibly knowledgeable, and explains how to find the right herbal tea for you, why herbal tea bags from supermarkets can taste bitter, and the best way to make a cup of tea.

We also cover how Kate has used fairs and communities to build her business, and the value of face to face interactions with your customers when running an online business. 

Listen in to hear Kate share:

• An introduction to herself and her business (01:37)
• How chronic illness led her to discover herbs and blending her own teas (02:05)
• The inspiration for setting up her Tea Business (02:54)
• Creating teas that deliver the benefits and taste great (05:31)
• Capturing her recipes (09:43)
• The benefits of herbal teas (10:44)
• How her teas differ from supermarket herbal teas (18:09)
• How to make the perfect cup of herbal tea, that doesn’t taste bitter (21:03)
• Converting sceptics into raving fans (22:31)
• Selling related products (24:58)
• Transitioning from selling to friends and family to running a ecommerce business and selling at fairs (27:29)
• The importance of face to face interaction with her customers (33:27)
• Personalised tea subscription boxes (38:27)
• Get your own personalised tea consultation (47:32)
• Her number one piece of advice for product creators (48:58)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Time For Me Teas Website

Time For Me Teas Instagram

Hedgewitch Apothecary Subscription Box

Time For Me Teas Facebook

LET’S CONNECT

Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators

Find me on Instagram

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Buy My Book: Bring Your Product Idea To Life

If you enjoy this podcast, and you’d like to leave a tip, you can do so here: https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/support

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Liam Murphy is the inventor and founder of Stix - the world’s first hand-held sensory product designed to encourage children to take control of their wellbeing by making mindfulness fun. The Stix Remotes use audio, haptic feedback and calming lights to guide kids through fun and interactive therapeutic activities involving balancing, deep breathing, guided meditations and more, whilst the companion app gamifies the experience, rewarding children for practicing mindfulness.

Liam came up with the idea of Stix whilst in his final year of university and I was fascinated to learn how he went from concept to reality, to bring a tech product with an accompanying app to life. 

Liam shares how accelerators and Kickstarter campaigns have helped him create Stix. Liam also shares lots of useful ideas about how he has tweaked and refined his website so it answers customer queries about a product they have never seen before. 

It’s a really inspiring episode, and Liam brings real creativity and imagination to bringing an original product idea to life. 

Listen in to hear Liam share:

• An introduction to himself and his product Stix (01:40)
• The inspiration for creating Stix (02:28)
• How he became interested in the benefits of mindfulness (03:59)
• How Stix works and support children (05:16)
• Creating a product that also has an app (06:04)
• Using an accelerator program to access the technology and expertise to build the product (08:15)
• From final year project at university to product business (10:04)
• Their launch strategy (13:25)
• How they educate parents about how Stix can help their children (14:44)
• How they evolved and tweaked their website (14:59)
• Using case studies and videos to demonstrate the effectiveness of Stix (17:33)
• Working with schools (19:34)
• His number one piece of advice for other product creators (22:11)
• Advice for running a successful Kickstarter campaign (25:33)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Stix Website

Stix Facebook

Stix Instagram

Stix Linked In

The Central Research Laboratory

The ADHD Foundation

Kickstarter

LET’S CONNECT

Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators

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Buy My Book: Bring Your Product Idea To Life

If you enjoy this podcast, and you’d like to leave a tip, you can do so here: https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/support

Mentioned in this episode:

Amazon Made Easy is now open

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