social media tips - Crystal Media

July 23, 2020 By Crystal Leave a Comment

Retailer Inspiration: How Eight Store Owners are Seeing Social Media Success

Last week, the Crystal Media Team and I were thrilled to host our 2^nd Annual Social Media Day. As a virtual event this year, we weren’t sure what to expect, but holy guacamole…

It. Was. Epic.

Picture over 200 retailers focused and engaged with us for over 5 hours, eagerly learning how to create a successful social media strategy and the tactics impacting both businesses and customers in today’s world.

Many attendees shared the big wins they’re seeing from their social media learnings. So, in today’s post, I wanted to share some of those successes (partnered with my comments and advice) with you!

Jessica: “We love the engagement tools on Instagram stories! They usually triple our engagement and profile visits.”

Crystal’s Comments: Engagement tools for Instagram are things like, say, the Stickers you have access to when posting Stories. The average smartphone user taps their phone 2,000 times a day. With all that tapping and swiping, when you add engagement stickers to Stories, you’re prompting the user to engage, which helps with the algorithm. When people engage with your content (tap, comment, heart/like, share, click, etc.), they’re more likely to see more posts from you. Plus, you’ll see more engagement when you add ways for people to interact with your content, so start using more Stickers on your IG Stories!

Tamara: “I’m seeing my website sales go up at every post and story. It’s new for me to do this as no site prior to COVID.”

Crystal’s Comments: When the shutdown due to COVID-19 took place in March, many retailers launched eCommerce websites or resurrected old websites creating a way for customers to still buy products. More and more consumers are shopping online and according to SocialMediaToday.com, 42% of consumers believe the way they shop will fundamentally change. From dog food to furniture to crafts to gifts to groceries and all the categories in between, people are finding online shopping to be easy and convenient. Like I teach in my Social Selling Course you don’t have to have an eCommerce website to still sell products through social media, but you need to give your customers another way to buy products from you outside of your physical storefront and make sure you’re properly marketing those channels.

Heather: “We’ve done offers on our Google My Business and we get results from it. And it’s free.”

Crystal’s Comments: Hands down, an optimized Google My Business page is foundational to a retail business. If you don’t have access to yours or haven’t updated it in a while, get started at www.google.com/business. Make sure your listing is updated, products you carry are added, and photos of your store uploaded to ensure increased views of your post. To do what Heather does, post offers onto your Google My Business page, and don’t forget to share any important updates to keep customers in-the-know of changes to your business due to COVID-19.

Michele: “We started [Facebook] ads 3 weeks ago. Already got over 200 emails from the ads. Super happy.”

Crystal’s Comments: 200 new emails in three weeks?! Woot woot!! 🎉 If you’ve ever heard me speak or if you’re an Insider member, you know I strongly recommend retailers use Facebook and Instagram Ads. It is one of the most cost-effective forms of advertising and you can get incredibly targeted on these platforms. Crystal Media’s Ads Agency sees the power of ads weekly based on the success of our clients. If you’re not using ads to market your store, you’re missing out on more customers, more email addresses, more site traffic – I can’t stress this enough. Another reason I strongly recommend Facebook and Instagram Ads is because you don’t need a big box budget. You can run ads for as low as $1/day, but I recommend at least $5/day. NOTE: Starting August 5th, 2020 is the Facebook and Instagram Ads Masterclass. If you want access to this training click here to buy your ticket!

Barbara: “Hands down I get more sales from Instagram than anywhere else. Really looking on being cutting edge there.”

Crystal’s Comments: We’re seeing a lot of retailers selling product on Instagram. And with the new Facebook and Instagram Shops rolling out, I predict we’ll see a lot more. Is your audience on Instagram? Share photos, create multi-photo posts and/or videos to showcase items and, in the caption, share the benefits and/or tell stories. Make sure your content is “pretty” – it’s not blurry, it has good lighting, easy to see/read, connects to your customers, is relatable and is on brand.

Terri: “I personally know a store that has rented two more spaces because of the business TikTok has generated for them. They have two videos with over a million views and have over 100K followers in less than 8 weeks! They’re killing it.”

Crystal’s Comments: If you’re thinking of using TikTok to market your store, first make sure your customers are using TikTok (this goes for any social site; show up where your customers spend their time). 41% of users are between 16 and 24 with the millennial audience quickly joining the app. I know there is a lot of conversation around the future of TikTok due to the data they collect on their users (the app being banned in India and threatened to be banned in the USA). I’m not sure what the future holds for TikTok, but my take is anytime you use a free app like Tiktok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc., you’re still “paying” for it, but with your data. Use Tiktok (or any app) at your own discretion, but it is a place we’re seeing some great retail success.

Christine: “We send out 3-4 emails a week and it works great. We own shoe stores in Atlanta.”

Crystal’s Comments: Email marketing is not dead! Email is still a strong form of marketing and will grow your business if you follow best practices. One of those best practices is sending consistently as Christine does. Email open rates might have decreased overall, but I’m still hearing about lots of success from retailers, and email marketing is one of the strongest sales tools we have at Crystal Media.

Anna: “I posted a selfie on my Instagram on Tuesday, sitting in backyard at home, and it got 111 likes, and it was just me!”

Crystal’s Comments: People love seeing the store owner! Social media is SOCIAL – you should include pictures of you, your team, your customers and leverage video and Live Streaming. Now more than ever your customers want to see you and connect with you, so don’t be camera shy! Snap a photo or hit record and show up for your audience!

I hope this inspired you! If you’d like to share what’s working for your store, leave us a comment below or message us on Instagram or Facebook (make sure you follow us there, too)!

To the future,

Crystal

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TODAY is the day! We are so excited to “see” everyone online who has previously registered for our Virtual Social Media Day event! 💙 We are ready for a half day full of learning and sharing ways to help you become successful with marketing your small business! 👌 We’ll see you all in just 10 minutes! 🥳

A post shared by Crystal Media: Local Marketing (@crystalmediaco) on Jul 17, 2020 at 8:51am PDT

June 10, 2019 By Crystal Leave a Comment

One Tip to Optimize Social Profiles to Show Up in Google Search

Today, I want to go back to basics and talk about your social media profiles. A much more significant topic than you might think. So let’s jump right in to today’s tip.

Quick question. When’s the last time you updated your social media Abouts and Bios? If you’re like most, it’s probably been awhile. Or maybe it’s fallen off your radar completely. But ensuring your profile is up-to-date can be a game-changer when it comes to appearing in Google search results.

Take a look at your profile. Have you listed ALL the consumer-known brands you carry as well as all the categories you carry? Here’s why you should.

If someone Googles “vera bradley san francisco” or “yankee candle atlanta” and you sell that product in that area, we want your business to show up in the search results. At the top!

If you’ve included those brand names and your location on your social profiles (especially Facebook and Yelp), there’s a chance your business will show up at the top of the search results.

Don’t forget about other online profiles too, like your Google My Business Page, Trip Advisor, Bing and, of course, Yelp. Tailor your focus to those sites your customers use in your area.

Because of the large amount of traffic those sites already get, this helps them show up top in Google search results. That’s why I want you to fully review and complete your profiles with the relevant keywords and products consumers are Googling daily.

Take action (it won’t take long, I promise) on what you learned today. It can really help more people find you online! And isn’t that what we want out of our business social media anyway?

To the future,

Crystal

January 21, 2019 By Crystal Leave a Comment

The Top Social Media Mistake Made by Retailers: The Modern Marketing Show, Episode 78

There are several mistakes I see retailers making all the time, but the top social media mistake made by retailers is not having a social media plan. Having a set social media plan can make all the difference in the world. It’s going to keep you and your team accountable and ensure it’s getting done. So, keep reading to find out two simple ways you can overcome the top social media mistake mistake in 2019.

Watch the full episode:

Option #1: Set 1-3 SMART goals and then reverse engineer those goals to come up with your social media strategy. Remember, SMART goals are ones that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely. Then put those strategies into action by adding them to your marketing calendar. When we write things down the more likely they are to get done, so this step is crucial!

Option #2: Go through the full Social to Sale training course. This training walks you through step by step on how to create a profitable social media strategy. It’s about 5 hours long, so it will require you to set time aside to complete it. The best part is that it’s a included when you become a CM Insider. Click here to learn more about becoming a member!

As a busy business owner, it’s easy to push things, like your social media, to the back burner when things get busy – I know we’ve all been there! But, when you don’t plan, you plan to fail, so let’s commit to getting your social media plan started and set up for success in 2019.

You can catch new episodes of The Modern Marketing Show every Monday at 10 a.m PST on our Facebook Page. Replays will be available on the blog each week.

October 15, 2018 By Crystal Leave a Comment

7 How-To’s For Holiday Season Videos That Pop: The Modern Marketing Show, Episode 67

You’ve heard me say it a million times but video is one of the best tools you can use to market your business online. Now, with the holidays just around the corner (yes, we said it), we want to ensure you’re set up for total scroll-stopping video success on your social media right from your smartphone. Here’s our list of camera basics for flawless filming. Think of this as your video cheat sheet!

Watch the full episode:

#1: Wipe the camera lens -You won’t believe how often we hear, “My videos are always so blurry!”. And all because the lens was a little dirty.

#2: Use natural light – Good lighting is key to getting a good quality video, but if your store doesn’t have tons of natural light you can always use a lighting kit.

#3: Test for background noise – Always be sure your audience can hear what you’re saying. The juicy details of your new products or upcoming events are important! If the audio is hard to hear, try using a mic.

#4: Make sure your camera settings are set to HD – Filming your videos in high definition makes for a better viewing experience for anyone watching. We recommend always having it set to 1080p HD at 60fps (both on iPhone and Android devices).

#5: Always lock your face – Locking the camera’s focus on your face allows the camera to always keep you in focus even if you’re moving around the store.

#6: Be prepared – No need to script out word-for-word what you’re going to say but make note of your important points to keep you on track and ensure your audience doesn’t miss a thing.

And last but not least….

#7: SMILE! – It’s natural to feel nervous or uncomfortable on camera. The best nerve-calming remedy is to throw a smile on before hitting the record button. Plus, a smile helps create a friendly environment that’ll catch your viewers’ attention.

So let’s start increasing our camera confidence! With more practice creating videos now, you’ll be a pro by the time November and December roll around!

You can catch new episodes of The Modern Marketing Show every Monday at 10 a.m PST on our Facebook Page. Replays will be available on the blog each week.

October 8, 2018 By Crystal Leave a Comment

How one retailer decreased her Facebook Ad cost by over 60%!: The Modern Marketing Show, Episode 66

We love sharing case studies and hope this one inspires you to take action with Facebook ads. We’ve said it a million times, if you’re posting on Facebook you need to be running ads and following best practices to optimize your budget.

Watch the full episode:

Exciting news! If you’re ready to take your Facebook and Instagram Ads to the next level or get started with your first ad we’re hosting a live (online) Facebook and Instagram Ads Masterclass starting on October 16th. You can learn more about this two 90-minute session masterclass, here.

You can catch new episodes of The Modern Marketing Show every Monday at 10 a.m PST on our Facebook Page. Replays will be available on the blog each week.