Sale-a-day websites massive unused seo power, where's their marketing?

[seoninja20]

How do these companies market themselves so well? Is it 90% social media?

www.gilt.com

http://www.hautelook.com/

http://www.ozsale.com.au/

I'm curious to how they initially got off the ground and it seems like I need to be exploring these marketing techniques as well.

[Jury]

hehe..things I can tell you about hautelook and gilt. Let me put this in simple terms so you will understand better.

These sites work on closeout items from brand stores (think about groupon) except much larger picture with product to clear out - seasonal clearances. In one day for example products from company I work with cleared products on haute for 45K..That is just one day.

Marketing. Very simple. Email Lists. Extremely large email lists and referrals. We are talking about millions. What you need to know that each one of those stores is not started by an average guy. These are huge chains like nordstrom, macy's that use their mrkt initially to start it and then it is all about friend referrals. Super cool idea. Be big to become big. Stay tuned though - these are little fish still. In spring you will see what zappos is doing with it as well.

[RyanKent]

If you truly provide an exceptional value for customers or if you fill a niche need in an exceptional way, all you have to do is let a few people know about it and the marketing will take off on it's own. Do something better then anyone else to where people want to tell their friends about it.

When you can walk into a large office environment and notice employees in their cubicles talking about your site or company with their co-workers, you are probably doing something very well or, as EGOL would say, kick-ass

[Sean_McDonnell]

Agreed.  These sites are big on referrals.  If you invite a friend and they make a purchase you receive a kick-back.  Your friend also receives a discount on their first purchase on some of these, etc.

This promotes passing on the message and is a huge marketing tool.