Last week I did a old fashioned, cheap, mailing to target a group of people who usually buy my vintage linens, US and Canadian Bed and Breakfast Inns. Looked up the biggest site for registering the inns, and lifted off info, and sent out some 40 actual letters to them telling them what I had, check out website and ebid.net stores, etc.

Long shot, but what the heck. Would you believe from 40 letters, cost about $10 for postage, fancy colored envelopes, I got two new customers who bought $50 of stuff!!!! After only 5 days.

So I promptly did it again yesterday, sent out about 60 letters and we will see what happens.

Why letters? I was thinking of all the spam I get and thought I would go old fashioned, using creamy paper, tinted envelopes, picture stamps and caligraphy to "set the hook". I figured it was less intrusive to send mail than blast people with yet another email.

I think this is applicable to anyone selling goods on ebid. Whether new handmade jewelry, baby things, specialty goods. If you make handmade cards, jewelry, etc, poke around to get addresses of small gift shops who might handle your items. if you sell baby things, maybe some small kid's boutiques will handle items like gift baskets or whatever. Think about who buys, and target places that cater to these customers.

I suspected I might have to send about 100 letters to get one customer. Rather I got two from the first 40. If you select your recipients well, you can get more people in to buy your goodies on ebid, promote ebid, and even promote your website (one of the new customers bought 2 things from website then crossed over to ebid and bought 10 more!). Rather than sit and wait for customers, bring customers in via a mailing.

Also have postcard size advertising cards printed out that you hand out when out and about and you talk to someone about your selling and ebid. I hand out at least 6 to 10 a week!. At auctions, subject always comes up, have a card with info on ebid, info on what you have listed and link to your stores. Easy and you just do it on your printer on cardstock. Give a pack to your Mom and Dad, let them hand out.

Especially now that so many sellers are looking for a new home, now is the time to advertise ebid, and in the process get your stores & listings looked at too.