It's funny how in our personal lives, helping people is seen as virtuous. But when it comes to business, at first glance it seems foolish to give things away or help people who may become potential competitors.
Why is this?
"Because businesses want to make a profit, duh!"
I've learned so much on the 'net from others offering their help that it only seems right that I do the same.
But doing the right thing isn't reason enough to be helpful and generous in the online business world when the cost/benefit may not seem apparent. So why be helpful at all?
Because if you give away a little, you can gain a lot.
Thanks again to Dave Taylor of AskDaveTaylor.com for that gem of wisdom.
It's actually brilliant business advice and works especially well online where so many people go first when they're looking for answers.
If you checked out Dave Taylor's video seminar from Affiliate Summit, he talks about this. By becoming a little vulnerable, sharing some tips that won't hurt you, you'll be adding original content that people will look for, find, and link to, raising your visibility and credibility online.
That's nice, but how can I apply this to my CafePress shop?
Well, I'm working on a new shop right now that sells breastfeeding T-shirts and gifts, as well as mother's room posters and decor. I'm working on a section that will offer tips for creating a nice mother's room in the workplace.
So why not sell these tips in an e-book or something?
While it's less likely someone would be searching for "mother's room products," or an e-book they can buy about creating a mother's room. It is safe to assume people may be looking for "free mother's room tips." Someone looking online for tips on how to create a mother's room would then stumble across my article, right in my store and see that my store will offer great items for the breastfeeding mom and decor for their mother's room at work. They've found helpful content to answer their questions, and products that might be of interest to them.
Now I've given away some mother's room tips, but have also attracted my target audience. Not only is my shop a store where people can buy things, but it's a resource that other sites may want to link to.
I wouldn't get too carried away with making your CafePress store into a website that's all things to all people. Keep it focused, and remember that unless it's a hobby site for you, it is a store to sell products. And remember that if you want to attract affiliates, don't have a links page to other people's content. The idea here is for you to create your OWN content. Something unique that people will seek out and maybe even link to.
So think creatively on this. If you have some knowledge to share, give a little bit of it away for free & you'll be gaining a lot in the end.
