You Better Shop Around: Searching for Retailers Using Social Media

The day and age of buy this, try this, and oh it’s on sale are not always convincing. People are more cautious today with many choices and some are being frugal. Despite the economy ups and downs, people will be evaluating their purchases decisions and retailers need to be inventive to generate new business. It’s those subtle niceties that attract consumers, being genuine and the reputation that one finds the value in his/her purchase. Whether it’s the accessibility and assortment of merchandise in the store, the personal relationship a customer has with a salesperson, even the cleanliness, or if you just enjoy the adventure to find the best bargains. All of this and more come into play that keep customers from coming in and out of the doors through the experience with a retailer.

Kevin Ertell, VP of Forsee Result’s  retail strategy division,  recently did a study that reported half of the top online retailers have a minimal to nonexistent Facebook presence. “The consumer/retailer relationship on social media is a chicken-and-egg phenomenon,” he said. “Our most loyal customers are likely to reach out to us on social media, but it’s how we interact with them once they get there that fosters greater loyalty and the likelihood to buy from us in the future.”

One thing to keep in mind is that some consumers don’t want others to let the secret out of the bag and participate in online communities to share their fashionable finds for fear they are uncovered by others. It can be a sport and very competitive hunting down an item before someone else. How will retailers re-act to that as well?

Retailers need to learn to drive visits to their stores by not only showcasing the hottest styles off the runway onto the racks, but some are now seeking to adopt new technology to engage and retain new business through social media tools, create informative and user-friendly websites, and use new mobile applications to improve upon their service.

What sets a great retailer a part from another is not only satisfying one’s need, but making it a great experience. More and more brands and retailers have had to assess their business practices to stay competitive and consider offering new experiences for their customers. It’s not just competing with other big box retailers or local stores but eCommerce continues to grow, people are seeking new ways of convenience, a connection, as well as a reason to take time from their busy schedules to go to stores.

It’s surprising to see how many retailers are lacking their use of social media tools to bring greater awareness of their products and service to their customers online. Regardless, people are creating their own groups on Facebook and they have resorted to online communities to spread their passion for specific retailers, fashion designers and brands.

 
Retailers need to rely on new technology and face-to-face encounters with their customers to learn more about their interests, demands and enhance the experiences for customers to feel proud of their purchases. Additionally, some retailers have been slow to adopt new methods of mobile communication to facilitate better transactions. In certain cases, the employees have done a great job listening to the demands of their customers by honoring coupons sent via email now displayed on one’s phone to offer a discount in person. Yet, many are lacking this convenience.

 
Below are just a few ideas to keep in mind to consider your customer’s interests, providing convenience and getting one to come back to your store:

• How about a mobile GPS locator to track the next fashionable store that offers your favorite designer?
• What about email or other alerts about new items arriving daily/weekly? Why not create buzz online in a fashion community about a new designer shipment and offer a coupon towards your next purchase to a select group?
• Recognize your customer’s interests, passions, talents and involvement in other online communities by creating a promotional program that aligns well with your brand and allows people to participate through user-generated content.
• How about a bi-weekly newsletter for people to subscibe and offer promotional updates?
• Partner with another brand, service, or seek an endorsement from a celebrity, or even better yet make your customer feel like a star creating a new promotion that rewards them.
• Promote an event through Facebook or email, where you drive traffic to the store and one can browse new merchandise, but also be entertained with a VIP reception.
• Collaborate with other local retailers and raffle off free make-over consultations, manicures, or other services.
• Let your customers share their own stories and become brand evangelists as fashion editors for your store writing about their wardrobe finds online. Allow the audience to vote for their favorites.
• Partner with companies such as CardStar to offer a mobile loyalty card service.
• Community involvement and charitable causes are important to people today. Why not partner with a non-profit and portions of your purchases go to certain organizations?
• Provide an online platform that is monitored internally for customers to speak-up about a poor incident in store to alert others and make good on that experience rectifying the situation.
• Hold contests online that drive traffic to the store and vice versa.

There are lots of things to consider, some are easier to execute than others, but it’s important for retailers to take action, listen and start to experiment to see what works best in their environments and how people respond.

Dropping the Ball: Wanna Play Foursquare?

I’ve heard the talk about it for weeks and finally had to drop the ball to say something about Foursquare. Everyone says it’s the next big thing next to Twitter and Facebook. As technology evolves, so do the applications and the attitudes around them. Am I wrong to believe that there are some people that still have yet to share every detail of their lives on Twitter and appreciate when others write something more meaningful or informative, rather than what one has for breakfast everyday? Or, maybe there are still those that wish to keep their comments private and not promote it in Twitter-ville.

I can see where Foursquare can be a great new tool for marketers and an interesting combination of mobile, social media and creating brand ambassadors to engage users. Yet, there are still some of us that prefer our anonymity and don’t want the world to know where we are all the time even if it’s towards earning discounts, or being recognized as a VIP shopper. Marketers use loyalty cards as a way to provide rewards for repeat business, but the customers are not on a public display every time one makes a purchase. I could see Foursquare being a problem for those that don’t wish to jump in and pass the ball to others promoted on a public stage.

Do we really need to know how many times Jack Smith went to Trader Joe’s twice in one week to buy some groceries, picked up a BigMac sandwich at McDonald’s Monday and on Thursday a vanilla shake, and earned himself the honorable badge of Mayor for the Sports Authority down the street. Wow, he can connect with other people using Foursquare too that have frequent those same spots 10 times this week!

Obviously, this new type of tracking device is sure to be a hit with marketers. The company will use, or sell the data, as a better means to track customers with the right campaign message and offer rewards based on one’s interests and frequency of visits.

We already know the loyalty cards measure our purchases, cookies track our performance online, and now Foursquare is going to track every step. I’m not sure everyone will embrace this concept and it will be interesting to see how it takes off. Perhaps, we have come to a crossroad where technology and social media is becoming more a part of our lifestyle and it’s accepting to most. Yet, there are still those that don’t like the intrusion of their privacy, nor those that wish to hear of the daily activities of others updated all day on their Facebook page. I can hear that popular Police song “Every step you take, every move you make, I’ll be watching you,” now becoming more of a reality each day. I can also hear a lot of people saying no thanks.

Don’t get me wrong, I can see the potential of this platform, but I have a hunch that it will need some adaptations for more adopters to participate. Hmmm, I have my own idea called Hopscotch …coming soon!

You Go Girl! Harvard Celebrates Dynamic Women In Business

Women from across the country attended Harvard’s 19th annual Dynamic Women in Business conference which featured some of the brightest and talented women that have made strides in their professional careers. Sitting side-by-side with others attending the event were people about to graduate, new to a career, women seeking work, or individuals that wanted to hear from some powerful people in business. Both young and old came to learn and network with one another in hopes to secure that next job opportunity, make a new friend, or find a mentor to inspire one to reach for her goals. Top women executives from companies such as Staples, lululemon athletica, Keds (Stride Rite / Collective Brands), Coca- Cola, NBC Universal, Showtime, Time Warner Cable, Estee Lauder, Google, Highland Capital Partners, FedEx, Mavens & Mogels, Communispace, and many more came together in one place to share their experiences in different aspects of business.

Make Your Movement Possible

The event kicked off with Ann Simonds, President of General Mills Baking Products Division, where her comment, “there are learning points in your life and leading points in your life,” rang true to many women throughout different stages of their career development. We all have had transitions in our lives where we take a step back to improve upon our weaknesses, or took the necessary time to research for ourselves what would help us to move forward. Ann shared in her presentation a copy of a check from a few years back for $38.00 her mother contributed to help a women’s professional organization.  Today, Ann stood on the spotlight of the stage before hundreds of impressionable women, as her mother sat in the audience to cheer her daughter as a true leader in business. Not only was that a great story, but the conference was inspirational to many in the audience. It was nice to see women bonding together with a sense of empowerment as they listened to the personal stories of the executives on the panels who offered their solutions for facing the day-to-day business challenges to find success.

Turning Buzz to Biz

Whether you are pitching a product, trying to sell yourself to a prospective buyer/recruiter, or meet someone new, it’s all about creating that buzz, developing your network, and influencing others in hopes for one to see the value you offer. Check out the book Now Discover Your Strengths, by Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton. Many women recommended it as a good resource to help define your core strengths and how you can gain results in the workplace.

The various panels of women discussed areas in sales, marketing, entrepreneurship, retail, consulting, finance and more, offered examples to improve your business, your role, but also where all of us can look inside ourselves to put our best foot forward in many situations.

• Make sure to ask for what you want
• Listen
• Focus on the outcome
• Surround yourself with the best talent
• Don’t allow yourself to be put down
• Seek opportunities to prove your strategic direction
• Share the results: Show Don’t Tell
• Build an organization around a strategy
• What brand asset do you have?
• Identify the touch points and keep them engaging to influence the audience or your peers
• Improve the overall experience for the customer making it memorable
• Find a mentor to cheer you on when you are doing something well, and offer advice when you are doing something wrong

So get out there…..YOU GO GIRL!

What are some things that you live by to get ahead? Share your story below and let others know.