Q & A: Social Media Marketing vintage special - the Cherry Closet and Deadly is the Female
Tuesday, September 7, 2010 at 11:49AM 
It’s difficult to remember the world before the Internet and social media exploded onto our screens. The days of communicating with our friends, colleagues and business contacts purely via the phone, fax or face-to-face are long gone and we’re now witnessing a brave new world of virtual friendships, online business relationships and a wealth of on and offline marketing opportunities that can sometimes seem daunting.
Social media marketing should be a vital part of your online marketing campaign, but if it’s not well thought out it could ruin your brand and reputation. Done well a consistent social media campaign can gain your business increased exposure, thousands of new website visitors and those all important links back to your website that the search engines love.
manage my website spoke to two of our vintage clothing retail clients, The Cherry Closet and Deadly is the Female, to find out about their experiences. Both have fully embraced social media marketing and are achieving impressive results for their efforts.
The Cherry Closet – Nicki Grainger
Nicki started her online vintage boutique, The Cherry Closet, a year ago because of her background in fashion journalism, women’s magazines and websites. Having always loved clothing with a sense of history and fancy dress, she started sourcing unique and charismatic vintage items from the UK, America and Europe.
Nicki says, “the boutique is all about style savvy women having fun experimenting with fashion, encouraging eco-friendly shopping and preserving a piece of the past in their own individual way.”
She’s been using social networking sites since she launched the business in August 2009.
Which sites do you use?
Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Blogger, MySpace (not as regularly) and professional sites like LinkedIn.
How often do you update your pages/profiles?
I try to update Twitter daily - if not every other day, and Facebook, on average, once or twice a week. I used to blog every day but time constraints now mean it’s once or twice a week on average. The MySpace page is pretty static, and I update Flickr every month or so with new stock images.
Do you have any tips for successful use of social media for business?
I would say:
1. Keep at it! You have to do regular updates to maintain interest.
2. Get creative. Think outside the box. We only just started posting pictures of celebrity outfits and finding the vintage equivalent on our website.
3. Link, link and more linkage! Promote other people who promote you, tag photos, mention names and use content that will engage.
4. Use social media channels differently. Facebook and Twitter are two very different tools in my eyes, so try and use them both to their best ability.
Do you have a method to measure the business you get from these sites?
I have Google Analytics installed on my boutique website so I can see who is coming from where. Facebook email me weekly stats on how many fans our page has and comments made, Blogger has a 'followers' tool and I get a lot of messages through Twitter and my website from people via social media.
What other benefits have you gained from social networking (other than new customers)?
Two main things I have gained are:
1. Feedback. People telling me what they like, 'liking' images and products, and asking questions about the website. This is invaluable honesty and being a shop that is solely online, we don’t get that face-to-face contact that physical boutiques have.
2. Press and opportunity. Our recent big video and press feature for GLAMOUR magazine actually came about via Twitter! I took the time to help a girl out with something for her university fashion course, and she was in the right place at the right time to recommend us directly to the magazine. It went from there!
What do you find the main differences are between the various websites and the reasons you use them?
I think MySpace has been surpassed by the likes of Facebook - but I do love it as you can get really visual and creative and make your own mini website almost. But the interaction is lacking. Facebook is brilliant as it reaches out to so many people and is constantly evolving. Though it does rather rely on people you know recommending and getting it going viral. Twitter has given me some great contacts and is a way to reach people you don’t know. Flickr has proved successful in getting the attention of some real vintage enthusiasts, and as we rely heavily on photography and styling, it’s been really useful.
Do you think social networking for your business is worth your while and the time you spend on it?
Yes I do. I think social media is essential for modern marketing - especially when you are primarily an Internet-based business like ours. You rely solely on getting those clicks and getting your brand out there - social media is hands down the best way to achieve this. By listening to what customers and people online are saying about your business and your brand, you will only improve your service. My only regret is that I wish I had more time to spend dedicated to it, as it can be so time consuming - but so worth it!
If you could only use one social networking site, which would it be and why?
Tough question! It would be a very tight fight, with blogs being second and Facebook coming first. As much success as Twitter has bought me, its always a fleeting moment. Whatever you tweet feels so momentary and then the next million tweets replace it. I don't feel you can represent who you are and what you are about in 140 characters and I like having more creative control over social media. Facebook allows this and also reaches out to a wider audience. Some of our fans are 16, some are 60.
Facebook is more recognised channel, whereas a large number of people I know still don't understand the concept of Twitter. It is the easiest site to get people engaged as your updates land in their own personal feed, keeping your presence known, without being intrusive. You can combine links, photos, feedback, and status updates plus receive comments all in one place - which is why I think it is best!
What other comments would you like to make about your experiences with social media marketing?
I think it’s an ever-evolving life force. Two years ago I had no idea what Twitter was and now it is a tool use daily! Therefore, you have to keep on top of it and stay involved. Pages that go stale are not good and it is the best way to gauge customer opinions and satisfaction for free! I think you have to put in what you want to get out - and recognise that the more exposure you give others online – the more comes back to you.
Deadly is the Female – Claudia Kapp
Deadly is the Female is a Frome based boutique and web shop specialising in fabulous quality faux vintage fashion from head to toe. Both in store and online, the shopping experience is designed to make their customers feel like old time Hollywood starlets.
Claudia has been using social networking websites since opening her shop in November 2008.
Which sites do you use?
We started out with a MySpace page, which was the site I was most familiar with, but I soon realised that many of our followers were more focused on Facebook. Over time MySpace has become less of a focus and we now mainly use Facebook and Blogger with some Twitter on the side!
How often do you update your pages/profiles?
We try to find a balance between updating regularly and bombarding people to the point of irritation! Generally we post something on Facebook every day and on Twitter a couple of times a week.
Do you have any tips for successful use of social media for business?
I find it useful to follow other people with similar businesses and learn from them. This is easiest when they do things which are annoying! I hate getting slight variations of the same picture posted again and again so I try to avoid doing that. I also think it is a good idea to keep things fresh and not to focus on selling all the time, a little bit of personal is a good thing.
Do you have a method to measure the business you get from these sites?
We’ve recently started to use Google Analytics, which provides hours of fun all in the name of ‘research’. You wouldn’t ever guess some of the keywords which lead people to your site! Occasionally we’ll run Facebook exclusive sales too - this is a great way to see if people are paying attention.
What other benefits have you gained from social networking (other than new customers)?
It is a great way to connect directly with customers. You can ask opinions or for help and advertise events. It’s also useful for keeping an eye on trends and gauging popular opinion, which even in a niche market has an impact.
What do you find the main differences are between the various websites and the reasons you use them?
My favourite thing about Facebook is the variety of ways you can use it, and how visible everything is. I like that you can make people feel involved by tagging them. Twitter is great for short sharp information sharing. I definitely feel less comfortable with Twitter – but I’m still learning!
Do you think social networking for your business is worth your while and the time you spend on it?
It can be quite time consuming but I believe it is very worthwhile. The instant feedback and volume of information that can be shared is like nothing else and can help making day-to-day decisions. Some days are easier than others and I sometimes still feel a bit silly typing my thoughts out and sending them out into the unknown, but it’s worth it.
If you could only use one social networking site, which would it be and why?
I think it would have to be Facebook. It’s so easy to add attractive links to specific pages of the website as well as endless photos, videos and just about anything you can think of. You can have your own identity without the clutter of some MySpace pages and you can make people feel part of your brand.
What other comments would you like to make about your experiences with social media marketing?
It takes time and practice to find out what works for you. Stick with it and try to stay positive. We tried advertising on Facebook and it wasn’t for us, but I’m sure it works for some. You get back what you put in!
If you’re a vintage enthusiast and want to find out more about Nicki and Claudia’s businesses, you can visit the Cherry Closet at www.thecherrycloset.com and Deadly is the Female at www.deadlyisthefemale.com
