Tag: content

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Part Two: Creating a Social Media Strategy

social media strategy

Social media strategy consists of three elements: content, management, and giving. Last week we covered part one, content. This week we’ll tackle the next two elements, management and giving.

Social Media Management

Once your content is live it’s important to check your metrics. But first, you’ll want to set some goals. We recommend three-month, six-month, and annual goals. These can vary including increasing your newsletter subscriptions, to having more sales on particular items, or expanding your audience. Create a spreadsheet to track how past posts are performing.

Content Strategy and Giving

The next step is to keep the conversation going. That’s what we call giving. This means interacting with your posts (responding to comments, following other businesses, and commenting on other people’s content).

If any of these pieces seem too much for one person, remember you can pull in help from your team. You can also save time by grouping all of these into different chunks. One chunk to batch edit photos, another to interact with content, and so on.

Inspiration for this post comes from “Develop a Social Media Strategy” by Anneliese Johnson, account manager for Stitchcraft Marketing, and published in the December 2022 issue of Creative Retailer.

If you’re looking for more information to guide you in owning a retail business, subscribe to Creative Retailer today. Already a subscriber? No worries—join our Facebook group for insights and dialogue from industry specialists like you. And don’t forget, you can always purchase single issues if you prefer that instead.

If you still can’t get enough, register for the Creative Retailer LIVE Spring 2023 event May 2-4 in Pawhuska, Oklahoma for opportunities to learn from peers and network with industry professionals.

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Creating a Social Media Strategy

social media strategy

Since 2020, quilters are spending 30% more of their time online. Follow these tips to tackle the seemingly daunting task of social media.

Social Media Strategy

Social media consists of three elements: content, management, and giving. Over the next three weeks, we’ll tackle each one; starting with content.

First, you need to plan your content instead of posting on the fly. At the beginning of every month, brainstorm ideas. To get ideas, start with checking last month’s schedule. Then think of what you’ve seen other businesses post.

Did you know you can schedule your social media posts? Once you have the ideas, take the photos (in one session, preferably at the beginning of each week), write the content, and upload into a social media scheduler. Many schedulers show the time your customers are most active so you can plan your posts around the same time.

If this still seems like a lot, check out the free Time Management Outline available at Creative Retailer to help get you started.

Inspiration for this post comes from “Develop a Social Media Strategy” by Anneliese Johnson, account manager for Stitchcraft Marketing, and published in the December 2022 issue of Creative Retailer.

Creative Retailer Roundtable

Join Publisher and shop owner Heidi Kaisand this Thursday, January 26th at 3:30 p.m. CST for a personal, hands-on roundtable.

Each month, retailers will celebrate wins and tackle topics through a presentation and discussion. Each session will conclude with any challenges you’ve experienced to be discussed with the group.

Register here or email info@creativeretailer.com to be added to the group. You can also email info@creativereatiler.com to register for all 12 sessions and pay as you go.

If you’re unsure if this is for you, schedule a consultation with Heidi.

If you’re looking for more information to guide you in owning a retail business, subscribe to Creative Retailer today. Already a subscriber? No worries—join our Facebook group for insights and dialogue from industry specialists like you. And don’t forget, you can always purchase single issues if you prefer that instead.

If you still can’t get enough, register for the Creative Retailer LIVE Spring 2023 event May 2-4 in Pawhuska, Oklahoma for opportunities to learn from peers and network with industry professionals.

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Happy Holidays from AQR

Happy holidays

Happy Holidays from your friends at Creative Retailer! We hope the past year had more in store (literally and figuratively) than you hoped. As we look to 2023 we wanted to reflect on the past year.

Reflecting on 2022

  • The biggest change was our rebrand to Creative Retailer, expanding to creative arts beyond the world of quilting.
  • We also had our first live, in-person event that was so successful we had to plan even more. (Speaking of, registration is open for the next LIVE event in Oklahoma this May.)
  • Quilters once again rose to the occasion to support fundraisers sending aid for the War in Ukraine.
  • We continue to provide resources to retailers across the country and globe as the fast-paced world we live in transitions to more digital content.

As always, thank you for your continued support. We’ll see you in 2023 and hope you all have a happy, healthy, and prosperous year ahead.

If you’re looking for more information to guide you in owning a retail business, subscribe to Creative Retailer today. Already a subscriber? No worries—join our Facebook group for insights and dialogue from industry specialists like you. And don’t forget, you can always purchase single issues if you prefer that instead.

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Small Business Guide to Blogging

blogging

Isn’t it ironic that you can read a guide to blogging from a blog? Every small business should have one—read on to find out how to start yours.

Blogging 101

The first thing to know about blogging is that your customers are your readers. So blog for them!

Second, the content you’re blogging about should be constructive. It’s easy to think of blog ideas when you think of what you’d like to know. Topics can include day-to-day problems, social media tips, display ideas, inventory management, what gets you inspired (including self-help books and self-care strategies), the list is endless really.

Third, you don’t have to write a lot, but you should post often. When it comes to blogging consistent content is more important than thorough content. Speaking of content, people are visual thinkers and learners so images are important. Believe it or not, a catchy title can go a long way as well.

Finally, get the whole team involved. Your blog will go places further than you imagined when you bring in others to help.

Executing your blog

The easiest way to stay consistent with blog posts is to plan them out. A great way to plan your content is to become inspired by customers! What questions have they been asking lately? Is there any sort of product that seems to be in higher demand?

Similar to your physical store, you should interact with your customers online. That is, if someone comments, respond!

Last but not least, analyze your readership numbers. If something doesn’t seem to be working, try something new to see if that fixes it.

If you’re looking for more information to guide you in owning a retail business, subscribe to American Quilt Retailer today. Already a subscriber? No worries—join our Facebook group for insights and dialogue from industry specialists like you. And don’t forget, you can always purchase single issues if you prefer that instead.

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Crafting Social Media Posts

Crafting social content

Social media may be time intensive but everyday it’s becoming a more essential piece of business. Check out these tips to make the process easier (and boost your sales along the way).

Writing Social Captions

Instagram allows up to 2,200 characters, but not all text will appear when customers are scrolling. An option to “read more” will appear they can click on, so make sure your most important information is at the beginning.

Also consider adding hashtags to your caption. Hashtags make it easier for new customers to view your post. Hashtags can go at the end of the caption, or in the first comment of your post.

Instagram also allows up to 30 hashtags. You don’t have to use that much, but a combination of specific and general hashtags will optimize your post for the most views.

What to Post

There’s a variety of content you can post. We separated the topics into three categories:

  • Excitement: This post is perfect for promoting events. Make sure your caption stresses why they should come, and what makes the event unique.
  • Engagement: Think of this post as having a conversation with your audience. I’m sure you’ve heard of algorithms, but what you need to know about Instagram’s algorithm is the more engagement your post has, the more your followers will see it in their feeds. You can boost engagement by liking and responding to comments.
  • Selling: Have a new product? Tag the company in your post and write a call to action in your caption such as “click the link in the bio to buy this today.”

What are you waiting for? There’s no time like the present to step up your social media game. Put your best social media foot forward with these Instagram tips.

Inspiration for this post came from IG 1, 2, 3 by Kate Colleran, Joanne Hillestad, and Kris Poor published in the February 2020 issue of American Quilt Retailer.

If you’re looking for more information to guide you in owning a retail business, subscribe to American Quilt Retailer today. Already a subscriber? No worries—join our Facebook group for insights and dialogue from industry specialists like you.