For the next two weeks I’ll be running a series called “The Best Thing I Did For My Business.” In this series I’ll be sharing experiences from real life online retailers as they explain the best thing they did in the last year to grow their business.

Sextoy.com owner Dave Levine had a unique problem for his online business: How do you get word of mouth for a business people are shy to discuss? Levine says “People don’t want to talk about “sex toys” but they do want to talk about Hollywood parties, hot girls, and entrepreneurs. So by promoting myself, I found it much easier to get press.”

Levine has appeared on several reality TVs hows including Millionaire Matchmaker and Joan Rivers’ How’d You Get So Rich. By making a name for himself in the spotlight, his business reaped the benefits. Levine also says that SEO has been a huge impact on the growth of his business.

Do It Yourself:
You too can help your business by drawing attention to yourself. Although this strategy is often easier for extroverts, the web makes it easy to appear outgoing, even if you’re shy when you’re not behind a computer.

Go where your customers are and get involved in their scene either online or off. Make friends (real or virtual) at conventions, online forums, blogs, parties, etc. Being visible is a great way to create visibility for your business.

Tried this tactic?
Discuss your experiences with self-promotion and how it helped grow your business in the comments below.

Read Part 2: Twitter >>
Read Part 3: Giving Customers VIP Deals >>
Read Part 4: Expanding Your Line >>
Read Part 5: Success by Association >>
Read Part 6: Well-Timed Campaigns >>
Read Part 7: Stimulating the Senses >>
Read Part 8: Harnessing the Press >>