In today’s economy, it is common to have a side hustle. You may already be working a part-time job or in training for a way to make money on your off-hours. One of the oldest ways to bring in cash on the side is by reselling what you already have, repurpose, or find for practically free. People have been doing this for as long as possessions have existed and the marketplaces for this type of commerce have increased with the online world. With all the competition of people and businesses looking for customers in this niche, it is hard to stand out. Here are some ideas for using originality to catch your customers’ eyes.
An Interesting Item
The first thing to do is to design your logo or brand name based on something small that will be featured in every picture or video you use to sell merchandise. It needs to be memorable so it doesn’t take much energy to digest but will stick in people’s brains. Next comes deciding who you want to sell to and how to reach them. You can utilize sales prospecting to decide which methods will be best to try first, and then write some information about what you sell to share with leads. Now here comes the fun part. Whatever it is you sell, incorporate your chosen item in it somewhere. It shouldn’t be the main focus, but it should be recognizable.
An Interactive Show
Whatever platform you decide to sell on, begin each week with a short video featuring the special of the day, making sure that your trademark item is part of the shot. Begin a game on your video by offering a giveaway for buyers who point out the item in their order. Be consistent each week in the value of the offers. If what you are reselling is clothing, set up your shots in whole outfits complete with bags and shoes and make your item a key part of the display. Visual interaction draws people in and gives them something to engage with beyond placing the order. If what you are selling is homemade cupcakes, hold a contest for your viewers to guess which cake it was baked into or what frosting it is hidden in.
 An Interchangeable Place
Don’t be predictable all the time. Give your customers something different to look at or figure out every day or at least each week. Your consistency can be found in what you sell and the item you use in your images but you can switch up the time of day you shoot your video and the locations you take your photographs in. A change of scenery can greatly add to the originality of what you sell and how you sell it. If what you resell is furniture, you can place it in different rooms or the same room at night and in the morning for different lighting effects so your customers can appreciate the pieces in various situations.
An Interpersonal Touch
As you build your customer base, feature one name with a special message each week in your photographs and videos by your trademark item to make a personal touch with your viewers. This is a great way to build originality because your competitors do not have your item with your merchandise and your customers. It will also give your buyers a reason to come back beyond seeing what you have for sale each week. This will keep the shopping experience fun and interactive for you and your clients.
The benefits of reselling stuff you want to get rid of, make, or find and repurpose are many. You can make extra money, fill time with meaningful work, not add to landfills by reusing materials and decluttering your home. Because you are not alone in this pursuit, it is necessary to be original to attract buyers so following these ideas, as well as your inspiration, will help you build your business.
