From tickets to t-shirts, software to services, selling stuff online can be a lot easier than you might think.
At its core, the process looks like this: make sure someone knows you exist, then offer them something they want.
Yes, it’s that simple.
Of course there are a multitude of factors that can impact the efficacy of this process—the product or service you’re selling, the quality of your offer, your content, etc.
But when implemented in service of a great product with an irresistible offer, and using high-quality content, this system works.
Well.
Here’s how to set it up.
Get on their radar
No one will buy anything from you if they don’t know you exist.
Familiarity increases the likelihood of a purchase, so our first step is to get in front of our potential customers.
The fastest (and most effective) way to do this online is through engaging video content.
For this example, let’s assume we want to sell tickets to an upcoming show for our band.
Step one is to create a great video of us performing the most engaging moment of our most successful song in a quick ~15-second clip.
This accomplishes two things.
First, we’re leveraging a proven “winner” with our existing audience, which gives us the highest strategic opportunity for success with new people.
And second, we can showcase our performance chops, thereby increasing the likelihood of achieving our ultimate goal, which is to sell tickets.
We’re using what works and repurposing it in a way that is specific to our needs.
Now that we have our video, our first option is to post it to all our social media profiles as a Reel, TikTok, or Short, and we should definitely do this.
But our second (and my favorite) option is to use an ad campaign to boost our video, guaranteeing exposure for our content without relying on any given algorithm to reach our target audience.
Using a simple awareness campaign, we can target people within 50 miles of the venue (or even city-wide) and show them our video over and over again in the weeks and months leading up to the event.
Yes, you can overdo it in terms of ad frequency, but assuming your campaign targeting isn’t too terribly tight, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Again, familiarity increases the likelihood of a purchase, so we want them to see this video more than once.
Hit them with your offer
Now that our audience has seen us a handful of times and is familiar with our band (“oh, it’s that video again—I love this song”), it’s time to close the deal.
Enter: retargeting.
We can take everyone who has viewed our performance video, place them into a custom audience, and retarget them with a new campaign to sell tickets to our show.
I personally like using a few different content options in this second campaign, both videos and images.
Sometimes I’ll even use the same video from the first campaign if it feels like the right move.
There are no hard and fast rules on content here.
Use what gets the job done.
Sometimes the same video with a different caption is all it takes.
You’ve built a rapport with the first campaign—you’ve generated awareness and interest—now it’s time to execute on that and generate a return on your investment.
Retarget this audience with the same location settings, and ticket sales will follow.
If you’re not seeing the level of sales you want, keep testing new content (in both campaigns) until you find the setup that works.
The beauty of this process is that you can use it for just about anything.
At DuPree X, we’ve used this strategy across the spectrum, from selling out shows for independent artists to drumming up new business for e-commerce stores.
It’s applicable in a multitude of ways that can help creative people and businesses spread the word and monetize their work.
So if you’ve managed to create something people want but you’re not sure what to do next, perhaps it’s time to put this system to work and start making some money.
From tickets to t-shirts, software to services, selling stuff online can be a lot easier than you might think.
At its core, the process looks like this: make sure someone knows you exist, then offer them something they want.
Yes, it’s that simple.
Of course there are a multitude of factors that can impact the efficacy of this process—the product or service you’re selling, the quality of your offer, your content, etc.
But when implemented in service of a great product with an irresistible offer, and using high-quality content, this system works.
Well.
Here’s how to set it up.
Get on their radar
No one will buy anything from you if they don’t know you exist.
Familiarity increases the likelihood of a purchase, so our first step is to get in front of our potential customers.
The fastest (and most effective) way to do this online is through engaging video content.
For this example, let’s assume we want to sell tickets to an upcoming show for our band.
Step one is to create a great video of us performing the most engaging moment of our most successful song in a quick ~15-second clip.
This accomplishes two things.
First, we’re leveraging a proven “winner” with our existing audience, which gives us the highest strategic opportunity for success with new people.
And second, we can showcase our performance chops, thereby increasing the likelihood of achieving our ultimate goal, which is to sell tickets.
We’re using what works and repurposing it in a way that is specific to our needs.
Now that we have our video, our first option is to post it to all our social media profiles as a Reel, TikTok, or Short, and we should definitely do this.
But our second (and my favorite) option is to use an ad campaign to boost our video, guaranteeing exposure for our content without relying on any given algorithm to reach our target audience.
Using a simple awareness campaign, we can target people within 50 miles of the venue (or even city-wide) and show them our video over and over again in the weeks and months leading up to the event.
Yes, you can overdo it in terms of ad frequency, but assuming your campaign targeting isn’t too terribly tight, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Again, familiarity increases the likelihood of a purchase, so we want them to see this video more than once.
Hit them with your offer
Now that our audience has seen us a handful of times and is familiar with our band (“oh, it’s that video again—I love this song”), it’s time to close the deal.
Enter: retargeting.
We can take everyone who has viewed our performance video, place them into a custom audience, and retarget them with a new campaign to sell tickets to our show.
I personally like using a few different content options in this second campaign, both videos and images.
Sometimes I’ll even use the same video from the first campaign if it feels like the right move.
There are no hard and fast rules on content here.
Use what gets the job done.
Sometimes the same video with a different caption is all it takes.
You’ve built a rapport with the first campaign—you’ve generated awareness and interest—now it’s time to execute on that and generate a return on your investment.
Retarget this audience with the same location settings, and ticket sales will follow.
If you’re not seeing the level of sales you want, keep testing new content (in both campaigns) until you find the setup that works.
The beauty of this process is that you can use it for just about anything.
At DuPree X, we’ve used this strategy across the spectrum, from selling out shows for independent artists to drumming up new business for e-commerce stores.
It’s applicable in a multitude of ways that can help creative people and businesses spread the word and monetize their work.
So if you’ve managed to create something people want but you’re not sure what to do next, perhaps it’s time to put this system to work and start making some money.
From tickets to t-shirts, software to services, selling stuff online can be a lot easier than you might think.
At its core, the process looks like this: make sure someone knows you exist, then offer them something they want.
Yes, it’s that simple.
Of course there are a multitude of factors that can impact the efficacy of this process—the product or service you’re selling, the quality of your offer, your content, etc.
But when implemented in service of a great product with an irresistible offer, and using high-quality content, this system works.
Well.
Here’s how to set it up.
Get on their radar
No one will buy anything from you if they don’t know you exist.
Familiarity increases the likelihood of a purchase, so our first step is to get in front of our potential customers.
The fastest (and most effective) way to do this online is through engaging video content.
For this example, let’s assume we want to sell tickets to an upcoming show for our band.
Step one is to create a great video of us performing the most engaging moment of our most successful song in a quick ~15-second clip.
This accomplishes two things.
First, we’re leveraging a proven “winner” with our existing audience, which gives us the highest strategic opportunity for success with new people.
And second, we can showcase our performance chops, thereby increasing the likelihood of achieving our ultimate goal, which is to sell tickets.
We’re using what works and repurposing it in a way that is specific to our needs.
Now that we have our video, our first option is to post it to all our social media profiles as a Reel, TikTok, or Short, and we should definitely do this.
But our second (and my favorite) option is to use an ad campaign to boost our video, guaranteeing exposure for our content without relying on any given algorithm to reach our target audience.
Using a simple awareness campaign, we can target people within 50 miles of the venue (or even city-wide) and show them our video over and over again in the weeks and months leading up to the event.
Yes, you can overdo it in terms of ad frequency, but assuming your campaign targeting isn’t too terribly tight, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Again, familiarity increases the likelihood of a purchase, so we want them to see this video more than once.
Hit them with your offer
Now that our audience has seen us a handful of times and is familiar with our band (“oh, it’s that video again—I love this song”), it’s time to close the deal.
Enter: retargeting.
We can take everyone who has viewed our performance video, place them into a custom audience, and retarget them with a new campaign to sell tickets to our show.
I personally like using a few different content options in this second campaign, both videos and images.
Sometimes I’ll even use the same video from the first campaign if it feels like the right move.
There are no hard and fast rules on content here.
Use what gets the job done.
Sometimes the same video with a different caption is all it takes.
You’ve built a rapport with the first campaign—you’ve generated awareness and interest—now it’s time to execute on that and generate a return on your investment.
Retarget this audience with the same location settings, and ticket sales will follow.
If you’re not seeing the level of sales you want, keep testing new content (in both campaigns) until you find the setup that works.
The beauty of this process is that you can use it for just about anything.
At DuPree X, we’ve used this strategy across the spectrum, from selling out shows for independent artists to drumming up new business for e-commerce stores.
It’s applicable in a multitude of ways that can help creative people and businesses spread the word and monetize their work.
So if you’ve managed to create something people want but you’re not sure what to do next, perhaps it’s time to put this system to work and start making some money.
Take the next step
Read the Newsletter: Explore previous issues of The One Thing to learn at your own pace and upgrade your marketing knowledge for free.
Book a Consultation: Schedule a one-on-one call with me to improve your marketing across paid advertising, social media, and more.
Become a Client: Hire our team to manage your marketing across streaming platforms and social media so you can focus on what matters most—making music.
Take a Course: Join the hundreds of artists who have successfully learned to automate their growth on Spotify using paid ads on Instagram.
Take the next step
Read the Newsletter: Explore previous issues of The One Thing to learn at your own pace and upgrade your marketing knowledge for free.
Book a Consultation: Schedule a one-on-one call with me to improve your marketing across paid advertising, social media, and more.
Become a Client: Hire our team to manage your marketing across streaming platforms and social media so you can focus on what matters most—making music.
Take a Course: Join the hundreds of artists who have successfully learned to automate their growth on Spotify using paid ads on Instagram.
Take the next step
Read the Newsletter: Explore previous issues of The One Thing to learn at your own pace and upgrade your marketing knowledge for free.
Book a Consultation: Schedule a one-on-one call with me to improve your marketing across paid advertising, social media, and more.
Become a Client: Hire our team to manage your marketing across streaming platforms and social media so you can focus on what matters most—making music.
Take a Course: Join the hundreds of artists who have successfully learned to automate their growth on Spotify using paid ads on Instagram.