Some of my consignment, thrift, resale buddies are looking forward to a long weekend… or at least as long as a weekend can be, having chosen retail as a career. Enjoy!
If you take the “Labor” (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘web’
Facebook Do’s and Don’ts
Posted in 5- Minute Fixes, Shopkeeping talk, tagged web on August 30, 2013| 2 Comments »
Tell me WHY.
Posted in 5- Minute Fixes, Not-for-Profit Resale, Shopkeeping talk, tagged consignors, resale shopkeeping, Thrift, web on August 29, 2013|
Telling someone to do something, without giving a reason why, only works for toddlers. And not very well at that.
So if you want your shoppers, your donors, your sellers or your consignors to DO SOMETHING, anything, for goodness’ sake, take a few moments to
tell them WHY.
Sure, they should think of you. But remind them why it’s so important. Keep a list of reasons to donate to your nonprofit, or sell to your buy-outright, or consign with your consignment shop, and use them in rotation. Bonus: watching your stats, you might even figure out which message means the most to your audience, and which means more traffic through your shop.
For example, just adding on a few words to the above message would “paint a picture” that would remain top-of-mind in your FB fans’ minds when they’re thinking of donating. Now, the NFP that posted this status update was a consultee of mine, so I know a little about what good donations to their stores do. So I’d suggest a few more words along the lines of:
- Your gently-used dining room set could help finance a wheelchair for a sick grandparent.
- The things your kids have outgrown could go back to third grade with a child who has nothing that fits.
- Loved that cocktail dress 3 years ago? Let us turn it into tuition at business school for an eager-to-learn teen.
Do your staffers “share”?
Posted in economics of resale, Shopkeeping talk, tagged employees, Twitter, web, word of mouth on August 28, 2013| 3 Comments »
I’ve shared this with you before… share it with your employees and volunteers.
If your consignment, resale or thrift shop uses Facebook to gain attention for the business, do your staffers share these posts with their FB friends?
Why not?
Of course, you can’t “make” them intermingle their professional life with their personal life… and no doubt there are staffers in some shops whose Facebook “personality” would fry your brains…
but if you expect them to recommend your shop to their friends and to speak well of the place they work, wouldn’t you expect them to boost the business once in a while on their social media?
Why not suggest it, next time you’re doling out those bonuses for beating the sales figures you’ve set as a goal for the day, week, month?
“Gosh, look at what we’ve profited from increased business this week. Bet it was those shares you guys gave the shop on your Facebook pages… well-done!
Or, of course, the alternative. “Gee, we didn’t make our projections last month. I’m just wondering if we’ve all been sharing the social media about the shop that [I / we/ Sam over there] works so hard on… what do you think? A “share” here and there? Could that be your social media motto to keep your job rewarding?”
BTW, click through on the graphic above to louisem.com. I think you’ll find her entire blog most helpful, if you’re spending a lot of time making social media pay off in your shop.
So what do you think? Is asking those who work with you to help promote the shop online, just as you expect them to speak well and often about the shop in real life, a reasonable thing for a boss to do? Or are there reasons you don’t want to ask this of them? Comment below, if you have an opinion you’d like to… well…
share.
Getting all your perks.
Posted in 5- Minute Fixes, economics of resale, Shopkeeping talk, tagged advertising, HowToConsign.com, profit, web on August 27, 2013|
I’m as guilty as you are. I let my coupons expire and even my “rewards check” (AKA store credit) from Staples molder in the bottom of my purse.
And I’ve grown accustomed to less than 10% of those purchasing my manual actually redeeming the free Product coupon for The 15-Step Approach to PROFIT tucked inside.
So when I sent out the email to (more…)
Do I blog, Facebook, or Instagram that?
Posted in Shopkeeping talk, tagged blogging, consignment, resale shopkeeping, Twitter, web on August 25, 2013|
It’s all about social media, when you want to motivate those who friend/ follow/ fan you to come in to shop.
There’s lots of stuff that you could share online that would polish the reputation of your business for the long-term, that could get shoppers in quickly, or even sell an unusual piece of merchandise you just got in. So where do you tell folks?
You want it FAST
Time-sensitive messages, such as items you just got in or today’s specials, need Facebook or Instagram. Which you use depends on your number of followers. Both, of course, is the best option. Twitter works well, too.
Scads of info for bricks-&-mortar shops using FB.You want it to LAST
These types of updates should be relatively timeless: companionable “chats” about your shop’s mission or vision; casual “friends'” type info like beauty tips, merchandise use, even recipes; points of view on using the type of merchandise you sell, such as “what type of sofa suits” or “what the kids need for camp.”
For messages you want to last, use your shop blog. After all, a mini-essay or even a few links to “Decorate in eco-fashion” or “Which necklace for which neckline” can be Facebook-able for months or even years afterword: a single blog entry can be used to alert potential customers on social media to your business many times!
More on blogging for your retail store, and even a resale-specific Product for the Professional Resaler.You want the PAST to improve your business FUTURE
Have you used your remodel, move, or even just the backstage prep for a special event as Facebook status updates or tweets? Combine them with a selling message and put it on your shop’s Pinterest. Then, later, you can remind folks of your shop simply by saying “Have your seen our Santa Sale pins? To be sure you don’t miss the Valentine Values event, sign up for our email notices!”
Using Pinterest for your resale business.(And that brings up the issue of when and how to use your broadcast email capabilities. But that’s another post! In the meanwhile, here’s our past entries about email.)
Now, you know, or can learn, to interconnect the various social media so your contributions to the constant web conversation show up where, and when, you want them to.
Don’t forget, a good entry or update is often repeatable on that channel or others… at a different time of day, on another day, or even months later.
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