Modern Retail spoke with Founder of Life at No.27, Annabelle Padwick, about the most cost-effective ways to quickly make an impression on social media.
When it comes to running a successful retail business and keeping social media updated, many struggle to engage their following. To save time and resources, this often results in retailers paying external agencies to run their social media. But why outsource your social media when you can do it yourself on a budget?
Here are Annabelle’s top tips:
Use hashtags
“It’s important to be active and use hashtags which will reach the right audience, particularly on Instagram and Twitter. You shouldn’t use too many hashtags, as this can set you back in social media channels’ algorhythms. Use relevant hashtags and try not to use the same ones all the time. You should design hashtags to target different people within your target audience.”
Be time-efficient
“Save draft posts and schedule them so you can dedicate set times to social media, and then focus on other aspects of your business the rest of your time. Platforms such as Hootsuite help you to schedule in advance and keep regular content going out without necessarily having to post every day.”
Know your target market
“As well as using relevant hashtags for your target market, you should also try to understand their preferences. Try to post when most of your followers are online. Typically, around 7am and 5pm are the most active times for independent retailers, before and after work.”
Captivate users’ attention
“Keep your content varied with imagery, videos and plenty of information. You can also tag people in relevant posts to capture their attention. It’s important to keep content interesting and not overly promotional. Posts are far more shareable when product placement is more subtle and not so ‘in your face’, getting your brand out there naturally.”
Engage your audience
“Ask questions to your following and use this to find out what you want to know from your customers. It makes customers feel listened to while also working as market research. Engage, interact, respond back, thank people for commenting and get conversations flowing. It can do wonders for reputation and customer service.”
To optimise your online sales, read our Ultimate Guide to Social Media for Ecommerce.
Holly brings a wealth of experience in both print and digital publishing. As Modern Retail’s Content Editor, Holly is passionate about helping independent retailers to thrive in today’s ever-changing market.
