Last week I was at the Dallas Market Center speaking to Lighting retailers and wholesalers about social media. As a professional social media speaker, I often have the opportunity to speak to different groups about how they can use social media to really get results.
For retailers, one of the biggest opportunities in social media is to encourage customers to share what they find in-store with their friends online. For example, if I find a great new light fixture (this event was for the lighting industry) I may want to take a picture to ask my friends what they think of it. This naturally brings awareness, attention and exposure to both the manufacturer of the product and the retailer.
As social media continues to grow and evolve, smart marketers are moving away from talking at people and considering how to talk with people. These presentations focus on the importance of connecting with people (customers, suppliers, future customers, associations, etc) and really building relationships.
Presentation: Instagram for Retailers
Instagram is a HUGE opportunity for retailers because retail is so visual. Get on Instagram and engage your customers — make them part of the process, share new products with them and more. Instagram is also a great way to get your store into the conversation – join in by encouraging customers to use a hashtag and talk about your products.
Second Presentation: Twitter for Retailers
Twitter is still an untapped tool for many retailers, mostly because they don’t really know how to use it. I only had 20 minutes for this presentation (which isn’t nearly enough to really explain Twitter), but it was enough to convince the audience that this is a serious tool that they should consider. Twitter is still the third largest social network, and people on Twitter are very active. This means that for retailing, Twitter can be a very valuable tool to spread the word and drive awareness.
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