It’s a wide, wild world out there, with endless creative ways of promoting your product or service online. Finding a way to entice people to buy what you’re selling online will set you apart!

Here are 5 of the most successful ways to make your first online sale:

1. Free gift campaigns
Freebies are often a hit, but since your offer doesn’t grow on trees, choose your participants well. Your target audience should want to buy rather than be satisfied with a one-time giveaway. Consider offering your gift to key influencers in exchange for a post or review. Send them a promo code they can share, as a way of boosting traction and conversions. Hot tip: use gift campaigns to collect info for future campaigns (i.e. require email addresses to receive promo codes).

2. Affiliate marketing
Provide extra motivation to the influencers you’re gifting by looping them into the sales facet of your operation. Get affiliates involved by offering a commission on every customer purchase—they can trumpet your wares by sharing a link (and accompanying promo codes) via social media, YouTube, and/or their blog, to name just a few.

3. Social media connections
Why not harness the power of your established social media network? There is zero shame in doing some meaningful outreach to your existing personal contacts if you think they may be within your target market. Sharing and promoting your products/services within your Facebook, Insta, or TikTok universe is sure to raise awareness of your offering, at the very least.

4. Strategic alliances
Building short- or long-term mutually beneficial relationships can be a highly effective, well-supported way to enter a new market. For instance, if you sell coffee mugs, partnering with a coffee company to sell combos that will benefit both of you is a great way to quickly raise your profile—and perhaps theirs. For the strongest partnerships, seek out companies of a similar size to yours.

5. Marketplace platforms
Marketplace platforms take a commission on sales, so always check their rates before signing up. That said, they can be worth it for new businesses thanks to their high traffic and buyer intent. Think multi-sided marketplaces, like Amazon, eBay, and Bonanza, which sell their own products along with that of competitors. You might also choose more niche marketplaces, like Wayfair, Joss and Main, NewEgg, and DeviantArt.

YES’ workshops will teach you how to create an effective digital presence that stands out. Find out more and register here: yesmontreal.ca/calendar/. And no matter how you happen to land that first online sale, remember to celebrate when it happens!