Check out this installment of the Volusion Ecommerce Marketing Checkup series to read about how our marketing professionals thought Fiddlesticks could boost its online sales!
For this installment of the Volusion Ecommerce Marketing Checkup, we assembled a cross-functional team of marketing professionals to review Fiddlesticks, an online boutique that features adorable children’s clothing. Although Fiddlesticks has a terrific product offering, their store isn’t getting as much traffic or sales as it could. Our team sat down to determine how Fiddlesticks could optimize its marketing approach and achieve more online success. To see the full marketing picture for Fiddlesticks, take a look at our recommendations in part 1 and part 2.
This part of the marketing checkup focuses on social media, which is especially important for online apparel stores. Read on to see how Fiddlesticks can differentiate itself through social media:
Social Media: Keep Your Brand on Customers’ Minds
“Fiddlesticks’ target market represents the most active social media users – moms. By genuinely connecting and engaging with this audience, Fiddlesticks can build a loyal community that helps spread brand awareness and love for their brand.”
— Cindy Day, Social Media Specialist
Below are some suggestions on how Fiddlesticks can use their social presence to find and connect with the current and potential customers. To get started, Fiddlesticks should include buttons on their website that click through to their social networks.
- Grab the attention of your visitors and build trust
Instantly grab new visitors’ attention with a cover image that is eye-catching, high quality and reflects the brand. Custom-designed thumbnail images that lead to the web store and other social networks help make the page look complete and professional. The “About” section could be spruced up with keywords to optimize for both search engines and Facebook’s search, including links to different categories on the website. The short description needs a succinct statement (around 155 characters) that describes the business and includes the website URL to make it easy for customers to visit the store.
- Engage the community
This audience has already shown that they love when pictures of kids are shared – Fiddlesticks should post more images like these and invite the audience to share their pictures with them on their wall. Other kinds of posts that they can try are fill in the blanks, “caption this photo,” helpful articles for new moms, trivia, questions, funny parenting memes, quotes, etc. When posting products, they should post the item as a picture with the link in the description to ensure these images are large and eye catching.
- Invest in growing the community
Fiddlesticks should explore the idea of running a Facebook advertising campaign to grow the community to increase their social proof. Additionally, consider running giveaways as often as possible to increase engagement.
- Update and optimize
Like Facebook, an eye-catching and professional profile is important in building trust and encouraging engagement. The Fiddlesticks’ Twitter needs to be updated to the new layout and a header image needs to be added to connect better with the brand’s audience.
- Engage and connect with influencers
Fiddlesticks should focus more of their efforts on connecting with influential “mommy bloggers” and less on using Twitter as a bullhorn to advertise products. Get the attention of these bloggers by following them, retweeting and responding to their tweets and engaging them in natural conversation. If one of these bloggers posts a blog where Fiddlesticks products could be added in a way that contributes value, Fiddlesticks should send an email and ask to be included. This process is much easier if the connection has already been made via connection on Twitter.
- Create and optimize
Fiddlesticks should create Pinterest boards that target specific interests and common searches for moms, such as nursery design, baby birthdays, post-pregnancy fitness, newborn pictures, parenting quotes, etc. They should also have a board or two that displays their products (i.e., stylish clothing for girls) as well as boards that feature other products that moms need but Fiddlesticks does not sell (baby carriers, natural baby products, maternity fashion, diaper bags, children’s hair accessories, etc.). It’s also great to keep up with the holidays and seasons, offering content that is helpful.
- Build a following
Fiddlesticks should follow other similar brands, “mommy bloggers,” parenting blogs, etc., so they always have a feed of fresh content and can easily brainstorm ideas for their own content. They should actively search for users who are influential on Pinterest in the parenting space and follow them, repin their pins, like their pins and comment when appropriate. By genuinely engaging people that already have a large following, Fiddlesticks can increase their brand awareness and online presence.
- Focus on appealing images that represent the brand’s products and personality
Instagram is a great place to identify and announce new products, link photos, promote special sales and offers and provide fun insight into the company culture. They can also post or re-post quotes and other industry related images.
- Increase engagement and following with hashtags
Labeling photos with relevant hashtags that participate in more general conversations and trends will expand the Fiddlesticks audience and awareness. Use hashtags that tap into topics of shared interests, such as #babies, #babiesofinstagram, #babieswithstyle, #mommylife, #love, #instababy, etc. Iconosquare.com is a great tool to get ideas for trending hashtags and find new hashtags around similar topics.
See something we left out?
Did you notice anything you think should be added to this list? Leave us a comment with your questions or tips and tricks. If our social media advice has left you feeling a little social, talk to us on Twitter or Facebook:
@Volusion and use #VolusionChkUp
Facebook.com/volusion
Looking for some advice?
If you would like to have your store reviewed by our team of marketing professionals, leave us a comment below with your store URL.
Wish you had the Volusion ecommerce marketing experts on your team? Check out Volusion’s Marketing Services! Our services span all of the marketing disciplines we discussed in this Checkup installment, from Social Media and SEO to Conversion Consulting to PPC Advertising and Shopping Feed Management. Our experts specialize exclusively in the Volusion platform to help our merchants find success online. Let our industry experience help jumpstart your success today!
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