Editor’s Note: Trace Shelton Says Give Social A Chance

Published

9 years ago

August 19, 2014

Trace Shelton

EDITOR’S NOTE

A new perspective on social media could yield holiday magic.

BY TRACE SHELTON
Published in the September 2014 issue

It’s a touchy subject — one you may have described with phrases like “necessary evil” … “pain in the neck” … “can’t live with, can’t live without.” No, I’m not talking about Congress, or even your ex; I’m talking about social media. But before you walk away from these confounding communication channels for good, hear me out.

It’s true that most retailers have a Facebook page (and/or Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram accounts), but beyond occasional posts about their stores or photos of new jewelry, many have no idea how to use social media to drive traffic. If that’s you, then our lead story is your rainbow bridge to a whole new world of possibilities.

Contrary to popular belief, social platforms can be used as the free marketing vehicles that they were purported to be when they first came on the scene, and we’ve got the success stories to prove it. Ten success stories, to be exact, and just in time for the holidays. From innovative contests to daily gift guides to targeted videos, these promotions are simple yet remarkably effective for the retailers who used them in 2013. Choose one or two, adapt them for your market, and see if you can’t boost your holiday traffic at very little cost to your ad budget. And if that weren’t enough, we’ve got a dozen more social media strategies to keep clients engaged and business rolling all year long.

If you’ve been considering a breakup with social media, now is the perfect time to rekindle your relationship. You may find that the marketing love of your life was right in front of you the whole time.

TRACE SHELTON
trace@smartworkmedia.com

When There’s No Succession Plan, Call Wilkerson

Bob Wesley, owner of Robert C. Wesley Jewelers in Scottsdale, Ariz., was a third-generation jeweler. When it was time to enjoy life on the other side of the counter, he weighed his options. His lease was nearing renewal time and with no succession plan, he decided it was time to call Wilkerson. There was plenty of inventory to sell and at first, says Wesley, he thought he might try to manage a sale himself. But he’s glad he didn’t. “There’s no way I could have done this as well as Wilkerson,” he says. Wilkerson took responsibility for the entire event, with every detail — from advertising to accounting — done, dusted and managed by the Wilkerson team. “It’s the complete package,” he says of the Wilkerson method of helping jewelers to easily go on to the next phase of their lives. “There’s no way any retailer can duplicate what they’ve done.”