Merchant Archive
Thread: Advertising Techniques
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Liakhara
Wed Aug 03, 2005 7:33 am
#1
What different techniques do you all use to get your name into the public and generate business?
Server trade forums, bazaar advertising, merchant barker droids, auction channel, ...spam?
What do you find works best for you?
Dimear
Wed Aug 03, 2005 8:35 am
#2
For me, it's mostly word of mouth, but I have a specialized business. Almost all of the jedi on Shadowfire know to buy lightsaber resources from me. Those who unlock typically ask a veteran jedi for advice, and they get the waypt to my shop from the other jedi. When I first opened my shop about 15 months ago, I used spam (don't think barker droids were around yet, were they?), but word of mouth spread quickly. There are many guilds on my server who email the waypt to my shop to all their guild members. I don't ask that they do this (or even know when they do) - just normal word of mouth stuff.
The galactic search from the bazaar helps me some too. I put 1 of each of my resources on the bazaar for 99999999 credits. Since these resources are the best ever to spawn for lightsabers and are well known on my server (nobody sells them but me), the listing draws some attention. I may get some people who come to my shop just because they saw the sample resources listed.
I also advertise on the bazaar by selling medeocre lightsaber tools. I sell them for 20k (a reasonable price), but in the item description, I say that I sell even better ones (best on the server) for the same price, but on my vendor. This draws new customers who don't know of my shop and are looking on the bazaar for saber crafting tools. They get drawn into my shop for a better tool, and end up buying saber resource kits as well.
Lastly, my forum sig is simple, and lists my unique shop. Jedi on my server who notice my posts are likely to be interested by the word lightsaber in my sig.
But by far the most effective advertising has been the success and consistency of my shop, the satisfaction of my customers, and the resultant word of mouth buzz.
The galactic search from the bazaar helps me some too. I put 1 of each of my resources on the bazaar for 99999999 credits. Since these resources are the best ever to spawn for lightsabers and are well known on my server (nobody sells them but me), the listing draws some attention. I may get some people who come to my shop just because they saw the sample resources listed.
I also advertise on the bazaar by selling medeocre lightsaber tools. I sell them for 20k (a reasonable price), but in the item description, I say that I sell even better ones (best on the server) for the same price, but on my vendor. This draws new customers who don't know of my shop and are looking on the bazaar for saber crafting tools. They get drawn into my shop for a better tool, and end up buying saber resource kits as well.
Lastly, my forum sig is simple, and lists my unique shop. Jedi on my server who notice my posts are likely to be interested by the word lightsaber in my sig.
But by far the most effective advertising has been the success and consistency of my shop, the satisfaction of my customers, and the resultant word of mouth buzz.
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