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Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) is used in the automotive supply chain for establishing confidence in component suppliers and their production processes. Actual measurements are taken of the parts produced and are used to complete the various test sheets of PPAP:"....all customer engineering design record and specification requirements are properly understood by the supplier and that the process has the potential to produce product consistently meeting these requirements during an actual production run at the quoted production rate." Version 4 March 1st 2006Although individual manufacturers have their own particular requirements, the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) has developed a common PPAP standard as part of the advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) – and encouraging the use of common terminology and standard forms to document project status.The PPAP process is designed to demonstrate that the component supplier has developed their design and production process to meet the client's requirements, minimizing the risk of failure by effective use of APQP. Requests for part approval must therefore be supported in official PPAP format and with documented results when neededContents· 1Purpose· 2Critical elements of the process approach· 3PPAP approval· 4PPAP elements· 5References· 6External linksPurposeThe purpose of any Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) is· to ensure that a supplier can meet the manufacturability and quality requirements of the parts supplied to the customer· to provide evidence that the customer engineering design record and specification requirements are clearly understood and fulfilled by the supplier· to demonstrate that the established manufacturing process has the potential to produce the part that consistently meets all requirements during the actual production run at the quoted production rateCritical elements of the process approach· Design record· Authorised engineering change documents(ECN)· Customer Engg. Approval· Process is defined.· Process is documented.· Linkages of process are established.· Process is monitored, analysed, and improved based on data.· Records are created, maintained, and retained.· Design records are analysed.PPAP approvalThe result of this process is a series of documents gathered in one specific location (a binder or electronically) called the "PPAP Package". The PPAP package is a series of documents which need a formal certification/sign-off by the supplier and approval/sign-off by the customer. The form that summarises this package is called PSW (Part Submission Warrant). The signature in the supplier certification area of the PSW indicates that the supplier-responsible person (usually the Quality Engineer or Quality Manager) has reviewed this package and that the customer-responsible person (usually a Supplier Quality Engineer or Supplier Quality Manager) has not identified any issues that would prevent its approbation.The documentation on the PPAP package is closely related to the advanced product quality planning process used during the design and development of new vehicles and component systems to reduce the risk of unexpected failure due to errors in design and manufacture. The PPAP manual is published by the AIAG, and specifies generic requirements for obtaining PPAP approvals. Additional customer specific requirements may be imposed by particular clients (vehicle manufacturers) and incorporated in the purchasing contracts. Details of 'customer specific' requirements may be found on the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) website or supplier portals provided by the vehicle manufacturers. A new website, developed by customer-specific requirements, LLC, has been created to help solve problems associated with the distribution and accessibility of customer-specific requirements.Suppliers are required to obtain PPAP approval from the vehicle manufacturers whenever a new or modified component is introduced to production, or the manufacturing process is changed. Obtaining approval requires the supplier to provide sample parts and documentary evidence showing that:1) The client's requirements have been understood2) The product supplied meets those requirements3) The process (including sub suppliers) is capable of producing conforming product4) The production control plan and quality management system will prevent non-conforming product reaching the client or compromising the safety and reliability of finished vehiclesPPAP may be required for all components and materials incorporated in the finished product, and may also be required if components are processed by external sub-contractors.The term ISIR (initial sample inspection report) is being used by German companies like VW and BMW. ISIR form is standardized by Verband der Automobilindustrie e. V., short VDA, a German interest group of the German automobile industry, both automobile manufacturers and automobile component suppliers. The term is also used by some other companies like Hyundai and Kia. In fact ISIR is like the Warrant and Inspection Report of PPAP document package. PPAP document package includes some other document such as PFMEA, control plan, drawing, MSA, capability data etc. Besides ISIR document, other documents like that of PPAP are normally required by VW and Hyundai for release of a product and process. The PPAP is like the older ISIR plus a lot more, unless your customer has a specific requirement for using their ISIR within their system. ISIR is a summary of the initial sample being presented at whatever state. The PSW is supported and validated by the ISIR. This does not mean the product being presented is under serial conditions but just states with evidence the current status.PPAP is the confirmation that the product meets the customer requirements for series production. The PPAP will be considered signed when a full PSW is approved by your customer and added to the PPAP folder. The PSW would always be supported with an ISIR but the PPAP is only considered approved when a FULL PSW is endorsed with an ISIR.In essence the PSW and ISIR are part of PPAP or VDA and can even be outside of PPAP in cases such as first off tool parts which should be submitted in most cases with a PSW and ISIR but will not be approved in PPAP until series conditions are met.The ISIR is the part of the PPAP which includes the product ballooned drawing, layout and the capability study (Cpk's). It may sometimes be separately requested by the customer annually or in the event of repeating non-conformance.PPAP elementsBelow is the list of all 19 elements, and a brief description of them.1. Design RecordsA printed copy of drawing needs to be provided. If the customer is responsible for designing, this is a copy of customer drawing that is sent together with the Purchase Order (PO). If supplier is responsible for designing this is a released drawing in supplier's release system. "Each and every feature must be “ballooned” or “road mapped” to correspond with the inspection results (including print notes, standard tolerance notes and specifications, and anything else relevant to the design of the part)."2. Authorized Engineering Change (note) DocumentsA document that shows the detailed description of the change. Usually this document is called "Engineering Change Notice", but it may be covered by the customer PO or any other engineering authorization.3. Engineering ApprovalThis approval is usually the Engineering trial with production parts performed at the customer plant. A "temporary deviation" usually is required to send parts to customer before PPAP. Customer may require other "Engineering Approvals".4. DFMEAA copy of the Design Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (DFMEA), reviewed and signed-off by supplier and customer. If customer is design responsible, usually customer may not share this document with the supplier. However, the list of all critical or high impact product characteristics should be shared with the supplier, so they can be addressed on the PFMEA and Control Plan.5. Process Flow DiagramA copy of the Process Flow, indicating all steps and sequence in the fabrication process, including incoming components.6. PFMEAA copy of the Process Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (PFMEA), reviewed and signed-off by supplier and customer. The PFMEA follows the Process Flow steps, and indicates "what could go wrong" during the fabrication and assembly of each component.7. Control PlanA copy of the Control Plan, reviewed and signed-off by supplier and customer. The Control Plan follows the PFMEA steps, and provides more details on how the "potential issues" are checked in the incoming quality, assembly process or during inspections of finished products.8. Measurement System Analysis Studies (MSA)MSA usually contains the Gauge R&R for the critical or high impact characteristics, and a confirmation that gauges used to measure these characteristics are calibrated.9. Dimensional ResultsA list of every dimension noted on the ballooned drawing. This list shows the product characteristic, specification, the measurement results and the assessment showing if this dimension is "ok" or "not ok". Usually a minimum of 6 pieces is reported per product/process combination.10. Records of Material / Performance TestsA summary of every test performed on the part. This summary is usually on a form of DVP&R (Design Verification Plan and Report), which lists each individual test, when it was performed, the specification, results and the assessment pass/fail. If there is an Engineering Specification, usually it is noted on the print. The DVP&R shall be reviewed and signed off by both customer and supplier engineering groups. The quality engineer will look for a customer signature on this document.In addition, this section lists all material certifications (steel, plastics, plating, etc.), as specified on the print. The material certification shall show compliance to the specific call on the print.11. Initial Sample Inspection ReportThe report for material samples which is initially inspected before prototype made12. Initial Process StudiesUsually this section shows all Statistical Process Control charts affecting the most critical characteristics. The intent is to demonstrate that critical processes have stable variability and that is running near the intended nominal value.13. Qualified Laboratory DocumentationCopy of all laboratory certifications (e.g. A2LA, TS, NABL) of the laboratories that performed the tests reported on section 10.14. Appearance Approval ReportA copy of the AAI (Appearance Approval Inspection) form signed by the customer. Applicable for components affecting appearance only.15. Sample Production PartsA sample from the same lot of initial production run. The PPAP package usually shows a picture of the sample and where it is kept (customer or supplier).16. Master SampleA sample signed off by customer and supplier, that usually is used to train operators on subjective inspections such as visual or for noise.17. Checking AidsWhen there are special tools for checking parts, this section shows a picture of the tool and calibration records, including dimensional report of the tool.18. Customer-Specific RequirementsEach customer may have specific requirements to be included on the PPAP package. It is a good practice to ask the customer for PPAP expectations before even quoting for a job. North America auto makers OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) requirements are listed on the IATF website.19. Part Submission Warrant (PSW)This is the form that summarizes the whole PPAP package. This form shows the reason for submission (design change, annual revalidation, etc.) and the level of documents submitted to the customer. There is a section that asks for "results meeting all drawing and specification requirements: yes/no" refers to the whole package. If there is any deviations the supplier should note on the warrant or inform that PPAP cannot be submitted.PPAP requirements are typically distinguished by level as follows:PPAP Submission LevelsLevel 1 – Part Submission Warrant (PSW) only submitted to the customer.Level 2 – PSW with product samples and limited supporting data.Level 3 – PSW with product samples and complete supporting data.Level 4 – PSW and other requirements as defined by the customer.Level 5 – PSW with product samples and complete supporting data available for review at the supplier's manufacturing location.

Most bloggers dream about being featured in large media outlets such as Forbes, Inc, Entrepreneur, or any of the high-end blogs and magazines receiving millions of unique visitors every single month. Unfortunately, not everyone knows HOW to get featured in such high-profile publications.I’ve been lucky to receive mentions in the three big players without a solid portfolio of guest posts, or shares in a unicorn startup in the US. Here’s a list of life hacks that you can utilize and leverage in order to gain some coverage by reputable sites with high DA, and continue your conversation forward.1. Write Outstanding ContentBeing on top of the industry news and latest innovations gives you a competitive advantage when it comes to building an audience or a network of high quality links.Most “best practices” are beaten to death, and have been covered multiple times in every single blog out there. You can’t outrank them with mediocre content, nor can you receive any exposure if you’re sharing the same old advice over and over again.When focusing on building unique content for your website, tackle unusual angles and verticals that haven’t received the exposure in the interwebs, and need some practical insight from an industry expert.For example, if you’re doing Internet Marketing, don’t write the next “Top 10 Internet Marketing tricks” story. Try something more niche and practical for an industry, such as:15 Ways to Grow Real Estate Agencies’ Traffic with 250%The Ultimate Guide for Dentists to Outrank Local CompetitionThe Only Groundbreaking Method for Taking Over the Toys Industry OnlineOther than including some hot keywords in your title, you would be able to focus on the business problems of a certain industry, and position yourself as an influencer in that specific market.Your stories should be engaging – over 2,000 words, including plenty of stats from the industry, quotes from influencers, successful business practices and actionable advice for industry peers.Neil Patel has shared a quality overview of blog posts and their length online, quoting serpIQ and their overview of content that ranks in top 10. Every single entry on page 1 has over 2,000 words in length, and that’s a common scenario for various keywords (especially the long tail ones).Save2. Guest BloggingYou can hardly ever pitch Entrepreneur without the “golden status” badge, a good network of journalists who can recommend you, and a portfolio of popular and ingenious publications of yours.However, there are plenty of smaller blogs and magazines accepting guest posts. Head to Google or a social network of your choice and search for relevant keywords that would help you identify similar blogs, such as:“Guest post”“Guest blogging”“Looking for contributors”“Apply with a guest post”“Write for us”“Looking for guest contributions”You can extend your query with specific topics or industries, such as: business, marketing, real estate, SEO, medicine, nutritions, or anything that you specialize at. You can also find guest posting opportunities using this resource provided by OutreachMama which includes a list of 700+ Guest Posting Sites.SaveThe best approach forward is writing an outstanding and well-researched article after reading the submission guidelines, and pitching it to the outlet. You can follow up once or twice over the course of a few weeks, but editors are usually proactive when looking for content, and they may ignore your pitch if it’s not something that is of interest to them.Several recommended steps for guest bloggers reaching out to new sites:Make sure that you’ve read the guidelines and you follow them zealouslyBrowse each website and identify the topics that you are knowledgeable aboutEnsure that your pitch doesn’t collide with existing content which would make it repetitivePitch 3-4 titles with a breakdown of what you want to cover if the outlet wants to see headlines firstPrepare a well-researched post without spelling mistakes or annoying grammar issuesMake sure that your post follows the general model of the blog – how are headlines structured, whether it needs several images (or none), and so forth.Submit with a short, but concise briefContributing regularly to online magazines will slowly increase your portfolio, grow your traffic thanks to links and mentions in your bio, and let you attract different audiences of regular readers following those networks. The added social media exposure or links from aggregators would grow your network as well.Once you build a partnership with a blog that has published your content, pitch them every couple of months with a new piece if you can. A good portfolio will look appealing to editors from higher-end blogs that you’ll pitch later on.3. QuoraQuora is a large community of over 100 million unique active monthly users. While some areas are less professional than others, there’s a good number of topics that focus on Entrepreneurship, Startups, Investment, Management, Sales etc.Quora works identically to popular Q&A forums such as Yahoo! Answers or Stack Exchange: someone asks an answer, and different members respond based on their practical experience. Luckily, Quora managed to bring influencers with invaluable experience in numerous fields, which drastically increases the quality of many answers.As an expert in a certain field, you can focus on answering questions that you can contribute to with valuable insight and practical guides based on your professional experience. The community focuses on high-quality answers (some over 2,000 words long) unlike forums that rarely receive complete and actionable answers, so you can approach it similarly to a guest post.My first mention in Forbes was a quote from an answer of mine in Quora, and I’ve received over 150,000 views on my replies there. Various bloggers and journalists check Quora for quotes or intriguing stories that would be valuable for their articles, and that’s where you can shine as well.Additionally, reading others’ answers will give you some hints or ideas for improving your craft as well. You are also able to reach out to other industry experts and grow your network.4. HAROSaveHelp a Reporter Out (HARO) is a database of sources ready to pitch a quote or a mention following a brief provided by a journalist. It’s used by professionalists writing for Reuters, Fox News, Entrepreneur, Forbes, The New York Times, Mashable, The Wall Street Journal and many more.My second pitch to a HARO reported here nailed a mention for Entrepreneur - Start, run and grow your business., and I’ve been able to connect with numerous journalists who write for reputable sources.HARO is a time-sensitive platform that usually expects sources to respond within a day or two. Journalists are often full-time or part-time contributors working on multiple stories, and launching sooner rather than later is crucial given the rough competition.The benefit is that, following HARO regularly, would lead to a smaller number of sources, hence a higher chance that your quote will be included. Shorter time frames means less pitches, and a lower pool of possible choices – especially if your response is thoughtful, unique, and valuable for the reporter.5. TwitterTwitter is a brilliant social network when utilized properly. If you omit the funny gifs and videos from viral websites and focus on influencers, this would gain incredible results.Twitter hosts about 320 million unique monthly users who share their stories, interact with others, and provide opportunities for newcomers to interact and connect with experienced industry professionals and businesses.Unlike many other social networks, Twitter doesn’t require accepting a friend request before being able to contact someone. Many businesses use Twitter as a support channel, since everyone can easily draft a short message within the 140 characters limit, and receive an instant response.Therefore, Twitter can be used for sharing your stories, mentioning influencers that have shared insight, connecting directly with them, interacting with their tweets, responding with commentary and so on. There is no barrier in terms of who could be contacted.SaveYou can follow certain hashtags discussing specific topics that you’re experienced with. Numerous companies track these and interact with users who need help, and haven’t selected a service provider. Answering questions asked by random Twitter users can earn you retweets, and traffic to resources of yours that explain a solution in details.Twitter lists is another neat feature that allows you to group people from a certain industry together, and interact with them regularly,gather their quotes for your publications, or note new posts of theirs that can link back to your freebies. That brings extra exposure for your brand and some influencers can be interested in your content, hence asking for a quote in their stories.6. LinkedInLinkedIn is the largest business social network founded a while back in 2002. Most users interact in a fairly standard manner, but there are several different tricks that you can utilize with Twitter.LIONLION (LinkedIn Open Networker) is a secret community of LinkedIn users who are open to accepting incoming networking requests. By default LinkedIn only advises adding people in your live network – colleagues, partners, fellow students, and avoiding random acquaintances.There are various groups for LION networkers who connect with each other and increase the number of second- and third-level contacts in their network. Website are available who collect emails of LinkedIn users and distribute them among their private network, providing for an easier and quicker access to a network.Keep in mind that it’s not an officially approved way of using LinkedIn and overusing it may lead to consequences from the LinkedIn team.Ask for introductionsOnce you grow your network, you will have plenty of direct contacts who happen to have 2nd level connections that you can connect with. Asking for an introduction is a good way to connect with a reporter, journalist, blogger, or another influencer in your industry, and continue the conversation accordingly.LinkedIn PulseLinkedIn has a blogging platform named LinkedIn Pulse where you can write unique content, or share recaps of your own copy linking back to the original resource. Moreover, influencers often share their own insights there, and you can comment and contact them for additional information.Sales NavigatorLinkedIn’s Sales Navigator is a premium tool for gathering leads for your services. That said, you can also use it in order to identify the right contacts and connect with them directly.When browsing popular outlets for guest posting opportunities and quotes, you’ll likely notice a standard submission form or a generic email for sending inquiries. It’s much more productive to work on a personal level with the right people, and building a long-term relationship that can gain results over time.Note: You don’t want to pester and terrorize contributors, journalists and editors – I can assure you that this will backfire. But limiting the number of contacts you’re interacting with to a group of awesome writers will let you get to know them better, get acquainted with their writing styles, and what sort of verticals they tackle for each reputable blog.By spending the time to connect with them, read their stories, contribute with valuable insight, retweet their articles, link back to them, they will note you and recognize you once you send them a request for connecting.Targeted AdsI recently read a personal story by a Google employee who landed his job solely through a targeted advertisement on LinkedIn.LinkedIn provides so many detailed filters that gives you the opportunity to target a specific company, and even C-level executives or hiring managers. With the right targeting you can display an advertisement for a specific employee!If you want a specific organization to get to know you, this is an opportunity to present your content or products in their feeds. Instead of focusing on large, non-personalized audiences, target limited and small groups of people that you can address genuinely.7. Interviews with InfluencersInterview invitations are one of the simplest, yet smartest approaches for forming a business relationship with an influencer or a journalist.I do receive 15-20 interview invitations monthly, and many of them are generic and fairly automated. Some of them are crafted by a real person who’s spent at least 15 minutes checking me up online and writing an intro that is relevant to my experience.An example from few weeks ago:SaveWhat are the benefits for the business sending this over?Marketing their brand without selling anythingA more philanthropic purpose is pitched – educating and sharing best practices with peopleConnecting with an industry peer they don’t have a direct contact withFree content with minimal researchA ton of shares once published from everyone quotedInfluencers receive additional proof and awareness within the industry, which is basically free PR.You can aim for a pitch to a specific person and letting them provide all the information at once. That brings a closer bond and requires less back and forth with several people. Even an open topic may work:Save8. Influencer Groups and CommunitiesYou are not alone in your endeavor of perfecting your writing skills and getting more exposure in different outlets. Plenty of business owners, entrepreneurs and marketers are looking for outreach opportunities in different fields.You can find Slack teams, Facebook and LinkedIn groups gathering people who are looking for exposure and partnership opportunities. Triberr is a great community for connecting with like-minded people who are willing to cross-share valuable content.Think about it: why do you follow people online? Because they share practical insights and strategies that would help them become better at what they do. Triberr’s community revolves around that principle, and ensures that everyone is pushing hard for building helpful content online that deserves the right attention.If you have guest posting access to several somewhat popular blogs out there, you can exchange introductions with other contributors in other sites. A personal intro is far more likely to gain results than a cold outreach. No harm done either, and certainly worth the time.Veteran writers like Josh Steimle offer free courses on becoming an influencer, and build their own communities for self-help. Joining his course and Facebook group can connect you with other bloggers, including several reputable journalists who are openly looking for great stories.Combining All Tips TogetherGiven the broad overview so far (that you can utilize as a general process and put it together based on your skills, time, and resources), here is a simple process to follow if you’re just starting with a brand new product and a new niche with no contacts whatsoever.Keep in mind that it’s a sample breakdown of the process, and you can take shortcuts depending on your competitive industry advantage.1st MonthMake sure that your business plan is validated, and zealously sticks to the needs of your customers.Optimize your website, design a couple (or more) landing pages that cater to the needs of your buyer personas. Then, start building outstanding content that would genuinely help your readers, and everyone else looking for the solution to their business problems.For example, at DevriX we’ve restructured our content and systemized it based on the three buyer personas we serve:Business Owners – our business category targets CEOs and founders who aren’t aware of the digital world in general, or are actively working for a solution to their problems. We answer business-specific questions that they look for, related to the choice of a service provider, what’s the best hosting vendor out there, or what does the complete project development entail.Marketing Specialists – we work with a number of marketing directors who need purely technical solutions. Often times, developers don’t understand the business needs, or build solutions that impact the marketing workflow negatively. We want to serve professional content for them that shows both our marketing expertise, and how we deliver based on business requirements for CRO or already established marketing funnels.Professional Developers – our high-scale solutions that are usually within the six-figures require proof, and we outline our technical processes, code reviews, or products that we have built for the public. Professional developers and CTOs who want to outsource a SaaS or partner up with another provider dig that content.Once you have your content plan in order, dust off your social media accounts and craft a networking plan.Months 2-4Sign up for Quora and chime in popular topics where you can bring some value. Answer a few questions every week. Don’t focus on volume, quality is the number one criterion.Follow influencers, journalists, bloggers at your favorite reputable sources, and industry experts. Create a separate list for them and interact with them (don’t be a pest, but being a safe fanboy or a fangirl wouldn’t hurt for warming up a relationship)Create a content schedule for content on your site, and guest post opportunities. Use tools such as Buzzsumo in order to identify trendy headlines in reputable sources. On a side note, very soon you’ll also be able to use Triberr to curate content. Craft at least 2-3 stories a month that require a bunch of mentions by influencers, such as:“20 Practical Tips for Increasing Social Media Engagement by Influencers”“Sell More: Read How Big Boys Do It (Interviews)”“Traffic Growth Strategies Revealed by CRO Experts”This would give you an opportunity to connect with those influencers, interview them, receive good traffic and allow you to connect with them again having a former digital relationship already established.Pitch smaller blogs that are looking for guest posts. Write outstanding content for them, and they will let you write for them over and over, or even send you a testimonial.Join Triberr and become a tribe member in your industry. That’s extra exposure for you and additional traffic, which would increase your fanbase.SaveSubscribe to HARO and follow their email newsletters for possible feature opportunities. That’s important – they send it three times a day, and rapid response is required. This is the shortest step to getting a mention, so be mindful and insightful when connecting with journalists.Months 5+You already have a good number of posts published on your own site and smaller blogs, a growing network of followers, a contact list of influencers, journalists, experts who have sent quotes to you.You can slow down on your rapid influential race and turn it into a marathon. Never stop your online activities – this would imply that you’re out of business. But you can now prepare a personal portfolio of your best posts, interviews, Quora replies and mentions acquired by HARO.Now you are in the position of trying to pitch a story, or get a review of a draft of yours for your favorite source. Reach out to a contributor, columnist, or editor that you’re following and have been interacting with regularly on Twitter or LinkedIn. Send them a message with your draft, a genuine and legitimate compliment, and a request for a quick review.Don’t insist on contributing rights yet. In fact, pitching facts, quotes, statistics, or stories that existing writers can use in their stories is the right intermediate step.A successful relationship is based on a mutually beneficial partnership.I’ve done countless favors for my mentors and influencers that I’ve been following. I’ve learned a ton from them – for free – and can utilize my new skills for the sake of a better life for myself. Which is why I follow my mentors closely, send them quotes, links, or tools that I use and are relevant to their sites; report broken images or links for them, and give them tips on improving their websites.Once you’ve pitched your new online friends, some of them will reply. Some may include you in their stories, or even introduce you to an editor in charge who can review your work.Different people have different success using various email strategies, so feel free to experiment based on your own tone and conversational style. Remember – you want to be helpful for both your contact, and the audience of the blog you’re pitching at.The more reputability and the more respectful your track record, the higher your success rates would be. Always focus on helping – you will get some exposure and credibility as you keep iterating, but karma follows the noble ones who inspire, teach, and lead. Don’t look for results right away – exposure will follow as soon as your mindset is tuned to the right vibe.Rinse and RepeatReceiving media coverage and access to reputable sources shouldn’t be your idée fixe, but it doesn’t have to be complicated either with the right process in place.By following this simple framework you will increase your influential status across the broad digital industry, and grow your network of other influencers, journalists, and experts in your field. Running all of those activities in parallel – by building a monthly plan for following up on each of those – would ensure a steady growth of followers and readers, opportunities for consulting customers, and exposure from trustworthy online sources that value your opinion.

3 things:(1) Sales(2) Influencers(3) ContentBranch #1: SalesOld-school techniques that make people buy.(1) Build an email list.Use MailChimp, create web-based sign-up pages, store your subscribers in an email list, and start sending offers. You may choose to send only sales/“buy now” offers, or mix in some value (like blog posts, how to’s, and videos).(2) Post to deal sites.Run a “sale” with a deadline, dropping your price on Amazon for a limited time, and post the opportunity to a deal site. Check out Lifehacker’s best 5 deal sites: Slickdeals, Dealnews, Woot!, FatWallet, and Brad’s Deals.(3) Run contests and giveaways.Trade product for eyeballs. Three examples:- “Share the link to my Amazon listing in your Instagram bio and tag me in a post @companyname for a chance to win a free product.”- “Subscribe to my company YouTube channel, where I’ll be picking 3 lucky subscribers to win free products this week!”- “Enter your email in this box and instantly get 50% off my product.” Again, you can execute this with MailChimp.(4) Sell through affiliate marketers.For those unfamiliar with affiliate marketing, it makes it so that people (mostly bloggers) can share a link to your product. And if someone from their audience clicks the link and makes a purchase, they get paid. The Amazon Associates program makes it all possible, so you can try targeting them in forums to see if they’ll help you promote.(5) Customer lists.Buy a list of customers and email them your Amazon offer. To give you a sense of what’s out there, check out Salesforce or Leadroster.(6) Classifieds.Go to Craigslist and make a post selling your product. If you give a discount on the sticker price, even better.Branch #2: Influencers(7) Buy placement.Google your niche and then add the word “blog” after it. Then, try “podcast”. Try the same thing on YouTube, but with the words “vlog” or “review”. There are people in your niche right now who have audiences. They want products to review publicly. You want an audience. It’s perfect. Send them free product or buy product placement spots with them. Give them a coupon code (say, 10% off) that’s particular to their audience so that you can track performance.(8) Instagram sponsorship.Use websta.me to find Instagram influencers to send samples to. You can also just look at keywords in the Instagram app and get a sense of who’s influential in your space. Then, approach those users directly using Instagram direct messaging.(9) YouTube sponsorship.Replicate this “find and sponsor” approach with influencers making YouTube videos in your niche. This will work well for products that need some demonstration like make-up, tech, and toys.(10) Press.Find relevant journalists using Hey Press, and ship them product samples.(11) Compilation post.Once you’ve compiled some top influencers in your niche, create a list in blog form. Say we sell shoes for dogs, so our post is “Top 10 best Shih Tzu Instagram accounts”. Email the article to those influencers. Tag them on Instagram. Break the ice and segue to a sample.(12) HARO.Help a Reported Out (HARO) sends you daily emails with requests from journalists. Sometimes, you’ll see a publication putting together a story in your niche. Reach out, and see if they want to quote you and your brand. Most of it won’t be relevant, but it’s worth keeping an eye out.(13) Online coaches.Contact Udemy, Skillshare, and We are what we do | Meetup instructors in your niche. If your product fits with their curriculum, they might recommend it. Class discounts are recommended!Branch #3: ContentWriting, audio, photos, and video to sell product — and, where to post it.Writing(14) Blog.Set up your own website through Shopify or Wordpress and create written content to help prospective customers. Make it good, distribute it, and send the reader to your Amazon listing at the end of each article.(15) Guest posts.Contributing a piece of writing to another blog for the purpose of selling to their audience.(16) LinkedIn.If your niche appeals to businesses, publish posts on the platform and send messages to prospective customers. Also consider SlideShare, a LinkedIn product for the social sharing of presentations, infographics, and documents.(17) Quora.The question-and-answer platform founded by former-Facebook employees. Answer questions in your niche to establish authority, then link to your Amazon listing in your bio and answers.(18) Medium.A social blogging platform. In other words, a great place to duplicate your blog content to help it be discovered.(19) Reddit.Use the search bar, find subreddits in your niche, and engage the community over time. Best used not for direct marketing, but for asking for feedback.Audio(20) Podcast.If you’d prefer to speak, make episodic content pieces in your niche. Link to your product in the show notes.Photos(21) Polyvore.A social shopping site with the highest average order value in the social media arena.(22) Instagram.Build an Instagram following of prospective customers. Don’t know how? Follow along in this 0 to 1000 followers case study, where I get 1000 prospective customers for fictitious pet brand Dog Owners Only.(23) Pinterest.Make an account and create “boards” of images that can be discovered by your demographic. For some good visibility, post content to shared boards with lots of followers.(24) Facebook.Make use of fan pages and especially groups, because they facilitate engagement. Facebook is putting a heavy emphasis on video going forward. Speaking of which…Video(25) Snapchat.Increasingly popular center of attention for teens and young adults, Snapchat (like Instagram) is social media that exists purely on mobile. If you’re selling to a younger audience, this is your platform.(26) YouTube.Whether you’re vlogging, unboxing, or screensharing like me, products that need some demonstration are best served by video. Link to your Amazon listing in the description.That’s all for now. I wanted to give you a top-level view of what’s out there, as opposed to diving too deep into any particular topic. Now, you can do some research and decide where to go next.If you need help getting online reviews for your products or services, contact HonestFew. We’re the review platform: [email protected] or 1–855–707–2395.