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The Social Media Secret Sauce — Consistency

29 November 2009

I’m sure you’ve heard it before — relationships don’t just happen; you have to work at them. Let’s face it. People are fickle. If they feel like they’re being neglected they’re likely to go elsewhere. A steady, consistent approach to your relationships means that your customers will anticipate — and look forward to — hearing from you.

Make a Plan

Sit down with a calendar and think about the ebb and flow of your business. Are there certain days or dates that tend to be busier than others? Be realistic. Don’t overcommit. Your shop has a rhythm to it and you want to capitalize on it, not place it in jeopardy.

Website: Your website content should be reviewed and updated on a monthly basis. Remove — or move to an archive location — notices of past events, sales, or other dated material. Make sure current and upcoming events are displayed prominently. If your business hours change seasonally make sure the current hours are listed.

Newsletter: Your newsletter should be sent out at least once a month; if you have a lot to say it may make more sense to send shorter newsletters twice a month or even weekly. Let your subscribers know how often the newsletter is sent; it’s a great idea to always send it on the same day and time — for example, the 3rd Wednesday of the month, the 2nd and 4th Monday, or every Thursday.

Blogging: You should post to your shop blog at least once a week to keep your readers’ — and just as important, Google’s — attention. Google loves blogs, but make sure your content is related to your business.

Twitter: Tweets tend to be more spontaneous, but this doesn’t prohibit you from planning. Decide the best days/times to post your tweets based on your audience, and make sure to post at least several times over the course of a week.

It’s easy to make an ambitious plan and then fail to make your targets. Instead, be conservative in your planning. Once you get a rhythm established you may choose to increase the frequency of your updates, but be careful not to overwhelm your audience. Smothering can be just as detrimental to a relationship as neglect.

Show your customers that you care about them and they will become fiercely loyal. Not only will they remain your customer, they’ll tell their friends. And anyone else who happens to ask. They’ll write great things about you on their blog. And word-of-mouth advertising is the best kind of advertising there is.

Be sure to check out the Twitter for Brick & Mortar Businesses eCourse — it's a step-by-step guide to setting up your Twitter account, getting followers, and marketing your business 140 characters at a time.

Borrow the Buzz

29 November 2009

This is a quick and easy promotional idea for a yarn shop but will work for almost any type of retail business where your customers are likely to subscribe to a newsletter or magazine. You can take advantage of this one as often as you’d like!

What you’ll need:

  • A subscription to Knitting Daily (Interweave Press)
  • One or more social media vehicles (newsletter, blog, twitter, etc.)

What to do:

  • Highlight a recently-mentioned pattern from an Interweave Press publication that you carry
  • Create a yarn pairing or two
  • Offer a 10% discount or small freebie with the purchase of the specially-created book and yarn combo

Don’t be afraid to spread the word — tweet about it, put it in your newsletter, post it on your website or blog.

The beauty of the Knitting Daily newsletter is that it automatically arrives in your email inbox. Every two or three days Kathleen Cubley, Knitting Daily editor, shares patterns, techniques, and tips, as well as highlights from the latest Interweave Press publications. This “primes the pump” — your readers saw it and started thinking about the possibilities. You’re now able to take advantage of that initial message by letting your readers know that you have the book in stock, that you were thoughtful enough to create a yarn pairing or two, and that they can come to your shop, pick up the book, the yarn, and anything else that catches their fancy while they’re visiting. AND they get a customer appreciation discount or gift as a bonus.

If there are other similar email newsletters please let me know about them so I can add them here. And be sure to let me know — either in the comments or via the contact page — how it works for you!

Be sure to check out the Twitter for Brick & Mortar Businesses eCourse — it's a step-by-step guide to setting up your Twitter account, getting followers, and marketing your business 140 characters at a time.