By Jennifer Leonard

If you’re an inventor or entrepreneur, you may have dreamed of launching your product on QVC. The retailer reaches 370 million people worldwide with 14 television networks, six websites and more than 220 social pages.

While the competition is stiff, QVC airs nearly 200 new products each week. Find out how to improve your chances of being one of the lucky ones:

Make your name on social media

QVC is much more likely to pluck you and your new product from obscurity if you’re a little less obscure than the next person. Show them your product is creating excitement and that you already have a set of dedicated fans.

Use your existing network to get the word out via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Generate likes, reposts and retweets. Seek out other pages and blogs dedicated to your product genre and start sharing their posts and responding to questions.

This is what Adrianne Kautz did with her start-up, One Fresh Pillow, a subscription-based company that provides consumers with a new pillow as frequently as they want.

“[On Twitter], I started tagging famous people tweeting about washing pillows and things,” she says. “I would hop on and say, ‘You don’t have to worry about that anymore.’” She then asked if she could send them a free pillow to try out and for them to tweet if they liked it.

It worked and she ultimately caught the attention of a vendor rep who specialized in getting products on QVC. And just this May, One Fresh Pillow debuted on air.

Post a demo video

“QVC is known for bringing the art of demonstration,” says T.O. Epps, a vendor and manufacturer’s rep who works exclusively with the retailer. “It’s the best way to get the consumer hooked and convince them it’s the right product for them.”

And there’s no better way to show off your product’s capabilities—and impress QVC— than by posting your own demo video.

If you can, hire a professional marketing company to create your video. If not, all you need is a smartphone and a friend. Keep it to two minutes or less, as studies show people start to tune out anything longer.

Also, because people often keep the sound off on their phones when out and about, ensure your point gets across silently by including subtitles or making it visually clear what your product is and does.

Then, post on YouTube or Facebook and draw in viewers via your email contacts and social network.

Attend trade shows

These shows are held for entrepreneurs and inventors across the country, particularly in January, February, and March, says Epps. And QVC buyers are known to frequent them.

Inventor Connie Inukai ran into QVC reps while at INPEX (the Invention & New Product Exposition), America’s largest invention trade show, in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Her Tip ‘n Split, a handheld LED magnifier with a calculator, was just in prototype form, but the reps loved it. She premiered on QVC in 2015 and sold 800 units in just five minutes.

Even if you don’t meet someone from the retailer, trade shows help you interact with potential customers, practice your pitch, and gain valuable insights from industry experts into your product’s positives and what might be improved.

For more information on INPEX, visit inpex.com.

These are just a few ways to showcase your product and increase its exposure. By building buzz and connecting with as many people as possible, you’re lining yourself up to become the next QVC success story.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jennifer Leonard is a writer at VISTA Today, specializing in retail and consumer marketing. A West Goshen resident, Jennifer has 20 years of experience as a full-time editor and writer for magazines including Woman’s World, Cosmopolitan and Seventeen. Jennifer is available at jleonard@vista.today.

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