Arianna O'Dell

Every time I walk through a street fair, I can’t help but think to myself:

“This was someone’s dream.”

Every canopy is a someone’s vision and passion. Whether the vendor is a local bread maker or an oil canvas painter, each stand is a work of art and an entrepreneurial dream. A street fair is not just a fun day out for consumers, but also a great source of revenue and distribution channel for a business.

Street fairs showcase small business at their finest. The first business I ever started was called O’Decadent (Arianna O’Dell, O’Decadent – get it?), a baking company that sold baked goods at farmers markets across Whidbey Island, Washington. This experience not only gave me first hand experience on the logistics of running a business but also gave me a crash course in Marketing 101.

This past weekend, the University District hosted their annual street fair. University Way filled with thousands of attendees and hundreds of vendors. From honey to garden art, the market brought together some of Seattle’s finest food and craft vendors.Walking through the street fair on Saturday, I kept screaming to myself: “WHY ARE ALL OF THESE BUSINESSES SO BAD AT MARKETING?!”

It saddened me to think that with a few simple changes, many of the vendors could have increased their sales tenfold. Though a small business can be limited in terms of a marketing budget, there are many simple ways a business can easily improve their presence and efforts during a market.

Give Out Samples Like There Is No Tomorrow

If you sell a food product, you need samples. Chance are your company is a brand that no one has ever heard of. Building trust and brand loyalty is hard. Until you build your customer base, you need to convince people your product is worth trying. Samples are a great way to start a conversation and establish initial trust. Selling handmade lotion? Have a bottle out on the table as a tester. Selling salsa? Why not put out some chips and crack open a bottle*. (*Prior to doing this, be sure to check with local laws to ensure that sampling is being done in a sanitary and legal manner.)

Smile, Smile Again, Then Smile Even More

This one should be a given, but it was amazing how many vendors sat in their booth with a scowl on their face. First impressions are everything. If the vendor appears to be unenthralled about their own product, how can they expect you to be? Personal selling is an art that one must learn in order to survive the harsh streets of a fair or market. This trait does not come easy to some, but can be learned over time through patience and practice.

Lower Your Barrier to Entry

The most successful stands at a street fair are the ones that have an inviting setup.  Some vendors unintentionally setup their booth to deter customers. Like this setup here:

For many, walking into an enclosed setting can be intimidating. This setup makes it difficult to see items from the street and discourages patrons for fear of being trapped in a sales pitch within the tent. First impressions are everything. Having an inviting space where customer feel conformable can make all the difference.

Let Customers Know Who You Are

Every week I go to the weekly farmer’s market. The sad part is, I usually walk away not knowing the name of many of the vendors. I find myself telling people “The bread from this one stand is AMAZING” unable to recall the name. Branding is so important for a small business, but so many fail to have a logo, branded packaging or at the very least a sign with the name of the company.

Capture Email and Demographic Information

Another mistake in street fair marketing is that most businesses fail to gain any insight about their customers. The vendor may remember their customer when (and if) they see them again, but most transactions are done without learning anything about the market. This is a mistake I made early on in my own endeavors. From simply asking questions about your customers to an email sign up sheet, there are many ways to gain insight on your market and capture customer data.

Listen To Your Customers

When I started note taking during the market, I learned more about my customers and what they wanted. Some were looking for lower sugar items, some wanted different flavors. Based on customer feedback, I was able to cater my offerings to a mix of items that would sell out weekly. There are so many stands this weekend that were selling things that no one would ever want. Ever. Not even for free.

Stand Out Even If It Means Putting On A Cat Suit

Between the massive number of booths and the thousands of people who showed up for the event, the constant commotion at the fair made it easy to simply walk by a booth without giving it a second thought. What do businesses need to do the combat this? Have something compelling at the booth. Selling dog clothes? Bring a model pooch that customers can take photos with. Selling Snow Cones? Purchase a huge inflatable snow man to draw attention to your booth. At a street fair, you are competing with noise, crowds, and hundreds of other vendors. Standing out is non-negotiable for success.

Bring Digital Media Into The Mix

Sadly, throughout the whole market I did not see any brands encouraging their customers to connect with them digitally. From Facebook to Pinterest, there are a variety of ways consumer products can connect with their customers post event. In a market place like a street fair, a simple flier could even be used to encourage customers to connect. Looking for a low cost way to tell your customers about your Facebook page? Purchase a stamp with logo and social media handle to put onto packaging and brown paper sacks. At the very least, have a business card available so customers know the name of your company and can find your website.

Make Friends With The Market Manager

Location, location, location. While many markets have a pre-determined layout, the market manager can sometimes make an exception. Being placed in a corner or too close to the end can ultimately make or break your day. Have an extra cookie or loaf of bread left over at the end of the day? Give it to the market manager.

Are you a business that needs some marketing help? Always happy to chat over coffee or pastries.

And on Twitter!

The last few months I spent in Spain. I learned a lot and had some incredible experiences.

Read the post here on the Social3i blog.

The world is changing.

The ease of travel. The ease of connectivity.

It’s amazing.

Lately, I’ve been immersing myself in readings of globalization and world trade. In the process, I’ve stumbled across a number of websites and applications that are making this possible. Here are two that I wanted to share :

Odesk.com 

The world’s largest and fastest-growing online workplace, ranked #1 by annual contractor earnings.

Over the past year, I have found myself using Odesk time and time again. From graphic design, to content production Odesk allows you to source a contractor, and manage your billing with ease. What is interesting about Odesk is that after you post a job, your inbox will immediately be flooded with applicants from all around the world. The workforce is changing. It is now easier than ever to outsource work to other countries. In the years to follow, citizens will not only be fighting to stay competitive in their own country, but also in the global marketplace.

Alibaba.com

Alibaba Group is a family of Internet-based businesses which makes it easy for anyone to buy or sell online anywhere in the world.

Right now I am in Spain. Over the last few months, my inner entreperuner has been constantly yelling “I wish this product was in the US!” And so began my quest to master exporting. Though I haven’t quite managed to figure out the logistics, in the months to come I plan to take exporting for a spin.

Just 10 years ago, websites and applications like this didn’t exist…. The world is changing and we are more connected than ever.

Have you done any global trade before? I would love to chat!

I’m not the poster child for good health. I won’t even pretend. However, over the last year I’ve been able to knock off a few pounds, keep them off, and increase my overall state of well being.

Now for the ways to slim down, regain your health, and boost your energy levels tenfold…. here we go!

1.) Diet Products are the Devil - Sugar free, 0 calories…..Get all this stuff out of your cupboards right now. Now throw it in the garbage because that’s what it is. Diet sodas, low calorie packaged snacks, fat free, this stuff is not healthy – just a marketing ploy. I used to LIVE off this stuff. Granola bars and frozen “diet” dinners for meals. Even though I was raised to know better (sorry Mom!), for some reason I was somehow convinced doing this was healthy.

I’m a marketer and for the longest time I fell for all of these marketing tricks. Get smart about label reading with this article here.

2.) Stop Going to the Gym Everyday – When I was at my highest weight, I went to the gym everyday, sacrificed sleep for working out, and grinded away getting no results. Now, I go 4-5 times a week and mix up my workouts. From spin class, to body pump – I’ve seen more results in a month than I had in a whole year. Doing the same thing everyday causes you to plateau and you will see no results. Mix it up! Instead of spending time in the gym I’ve also been walking an hour home from work. This not only saves bus fare, but keeps you active on days you know you won’t be able to squeeze in a workout.

3.) Get More ZZZZZ’s- If you don’t sleep, it’s much harder to lose weight. I’m not a doctor so I won’t tell you how. Read this article instead. Recently, I’ve sacrificed my late night escapades for snoozing. Though I still do have fun late nights out, they are far less frequent. Since cutting back on late nights, I’ve felt my overall health increase drastically.

4.) Ditch Coffee – If you know me, you know I love my coffee. Coffee in itself is not bad for you. What is unhealthy is coffee that is loaded with sugar and fat. For the past year, I’ve replaced my sugar with Stevia, a natural sweetener. Splenda, Extra… throw that crap away. What’s interesting about Stevia is it’s been around for decades, but just recently hit mass market. It used to come in droplets from a natural foods store, now you can pick it up at your local grocers. In addition to adding Stevia, I’ve ditched my 3 o’clock latte, limiting myself to just an Americano in the am.

5.) Don’t Drink – Though a fan of a frosty Stella on a warm day, alcohol has no health benefits.  Alcohol is a bunch of empty calories and a reason to make poor food choices a few drinks in. Pizza, burgers, fries…. these things are all synonymous with a booze filled night. Since cutting back on alcohol intake I’ve gotten sick far less frequent and shed those last few unwanted pounds.

As clique it sounds, diets don’t work. A healthy lifestyle does. By incorporating these 5 tips into my daily routine, I’ve been able to slim down and increases my health drastically.

Have any tips for staying trim in a busy world? Would love to hear your suggestions in the comments below!

Dear Tech Start-Ups,

Just kidding. I love you. I really do. You’re creating some of the most innovative products, changing lives, and making the world a better place. I admire you.

I’m every marketers dream.

I am a heavy user of social media. I fall in the 20-30 year old age bracket. I talk non-stop. I have disposable income to buy your product.

I hate the word, “influencer” so let’s just call me someone who can’t keep my mouth shut.

Where do I talk?

I talk online.
I talk on my blog.
I talk on Twitter.
I talk on Facebook.
I talk on Tumblr.
I talk on LinkedIn.
I talk on Pinterest.
I talk on every social network you could possibly think of.

I talk in person.
I talk at work.
I talk at bars.
I talk at parties.
I talk in coffee shops

You get the point – I talk all day, everyday.

What brands have I talked about recently?

The Good :
Crest – A while ago they sent me a free Crest white strips, toothpaste, and mouth wash.

Nordstroms – They recently had an awesome event that they invited me to.

Rafflecopter – This tool was amazing and I felt compelled to tell other marketing people about it.

Odesk.com – This website is an amazing outsourcing tool.

The Bad :

Clearwire – I hate this company with a passion for their poor customer service.

HP – I also hate this company for their poor customer service.

So let’s get to the point of this post. How do you market to people like me? – The people who WILL spread your message, good or bad.

Give me something for free :

As cliche as this sounds, it works. Let’s jump back to Crest for a minute. A few months ago, after some Twitter chitchat the company sent me a box of Crest White Strips and Whitening Tooth Paste. I jokingly asked them on Twitter to send me some and they did. This little “act of kindness” had a huge return on investment for them. Why? Because I think I’ve told 100 people about this. And now, a million more people will know this after I publish this post. (Okay fine, maybe 200 Let’s see, so a box of Crest Strips probably costs the company $20? For 300 solid and memorable impressions – I’d call that a deal!

That said, you can’t buy my love – I will never post anything on my social channels because someone paid me to do it – only if I truly like the product/service and think my friends could benefit from it.

Save me time and or money :

If you compliment me on my sweater, I will reply with “Thanks, I got it at _________ for only $20!” I love telling other people about where they can get good deals. I’m a firm believer that everyone should have more free time and more money – I LOVE telling people about this. If you have a product that will save time or money  – I’ll talk about it.

Give me something that will make me and my friends laugh :

My feeds are full of the following – things I like and things I think other people would like. I will always post a video or article if I think other people will think it’s funny too. Whether it’s an auto-tuned Bed Intruder video or an puppy with a hat on, if your company can make me laugh – chances are you have a shot at my wallet.

Be innovative and push boundaries :

There are too many companies that are afraid to run any kind of marketing campaign that might spark controversy. I talk about things out of the ordinary. I talk about cool things I’ve seen. There is no way I’m going to tell my friends “Hey, did you know Coke is on Facebook?” – no one cares. What I will tell my friends is “Oh hey, I had ______ experience with this company. They are so _______ !

Want some more marketing ideas? Let’s get coffee and I’ll tell you anything you need to know about marketing to me.

Like I said, I love talking ;D

Well maybe “millions and trillions” is a bit of an embellishment, but read on to find out how you can get new users and views for an extremely low cost.

Over the last few months, I’ve been building a travel website called EuropeBoss.com. My long term vision for this website is for it to be the one stop research tool for planning a trip to my favorite place : Europe.

Blah blah…. This post isn’t about my site – you don’t care. You care about driving traffic to your own website! Okay okay, I’m about to tell you about one of the most amazing marketing tools I’ve found recently.

Driving traffic is TOUGH. For a new website with poor SEO, no initial social channels, and little content – how do you get views?

Introducing Rafflecopter!

Not only is Rafflecopter easy, but their customer service is impeccable and their widget can help you get the most ROI for your marketing budget.

Let me walk you through an example. I recently put this widget on my website.
Read the rest of this entry →

Last week I just got back from a trip to Europe. This was my fourth trip to Europe over the last few years. Each time I have returned, I am met with the same response from friends and family.

“You’re so lucky.”

“I wish I could do that!

“I could never afford to do that..”

There is nothing that makes me sadder than hearing phrases like this. Anyone can travel. There are no excuses on why you can’t get your passport, hop a plane, and have the experience of a lifetime.

What are the excuses I’ve heard that cause people to never leave the country?

I don’t have the money for a flight.

Yes you do. For the past four years, between college and living expenses I have lived off around poverty level. (That said – I’ve managed to live great!) I had all the money I needed to put a roof over my head, eat well, and take amazing trips. Travel is not as expensive as you would think. I have not bought a plane ticket to Europe (round trip) for over $800 ever. This last trip, I found a ticket to London for only $432 dollars. There are so many great deals out there – you just have to look a bit harder. And to get you started, here’s a post for you on how to find these tickets.

I don’t have a passport.

Okay, go get one. For $140 dollars you can have your very own. This little book was the best purchase of my life. If you break down the cost over 12 years it costs you about 0.038 cents per day. For less than a penny a day, you can have 10 years of freedom to move about the world. For a college student or someone working paycheck to paycheck $140 is a lot of money – I completely understand. Once you take you’re first international trip – you’ll see it was worth it.

I don’t have anyone to go with.

The first time I had planned to leave the country, I had a friend planning to go with me. As the trip got closer, I never heard back from her. Silence. Since I had already bought my ticket, I decided… “who cares?! I’m going to go anyways.”Guess what? It was scary as hell. Prior to that trip I had never been to the airport by myself, I had never been on a plane by myself, and I didn’t know anyone in the whole country I was about to enter. It gets easier. Yes, it’s scary at first – but after about a day you feel comfortable, you loosen up, and you have the time of your life. There are tons of resources available for those traveling abroad. From finding new friends on Twitter, to Couchsufing – you don’t have to go the trip alone.

I can’t take time off from work.

If you have a job that doesn’t let you take even a week off during a year – you’re at the wrong job. With only a week, you can easily take a trip abroad.

I have nowhere to stay.

For anyone on a budget or traveling alone – hostel are a great options. From hostels, I’ve managed to keep my expenses low and make some amazing friends. I personally recommend HostelBookers for finding some great deals in amazing locations. If you’re even braver, CouchSufing is another option. CouchSufing is a global community of people willing to give travelers a spare bed or couch. In the past, I have hosted travelers and been hosted while in foreign countries. This site has given me some great friends and many once in a lifetime experiences.

I’ll travel when I’m older.

If you get hit by a bus tomorrow and die, traveling dead is going to be really tricky. Life is SHORT. You have no idea how many days you have left on this planet. If you want to travel – find a way to do it. There is no telling what your tomorrow may bring.

Women can’t travel alone.

Yes they can. The news is great at telling scary stories. For this reason, I worry my mom every-time I go abroad. (Whoever it was that told her to watch the movie, Taken, please let me know so I can punch you) If you watch your surroundings and stay smart – you’ll be fine. In all the international trips I’ve taken (while travelling alone) the worst that has happened was I got rude cat calls. You just brush it off.. and if that doesn’t work… the F word and the finger is pretty universally understood.

In the future, I plan to do as much traveling as I can. There are so many beautiful, wonderful places out there. You just have to hop a plane to see them. If you have any reasons on why you can’t travel, let me know in the comments and I’ll help you figure out how you can.

Oh yeah, and let’s be friends on Twitter?