As the outdoor season winds down for many casual retailers, now is a great time to start thinking about what you can work on for next year.
One idea that a few retailers have reached out to me about is telling customer success stories through video testimonials.
To be honest, there aren’t a lot of stores doing it at all right now, which presents an opportunity for you to start.
It also gives you the freedom to explore new concepts and carve out a niche in your community.
Podium, a tech company that helps the furniture industry with customer service through technology, made a video for LA Furniture that serves as a great example of what can be done. Watch it by clicking here.
However, there are more DIY ways to shoot and edit videos that may serve retailers better when starting out. The key is to experiment. Ideas that work for a store in Alabama may not work for a store in Oregon, so each retailer needs to tailor it to their specific market.
Live in a small town? Play off that vibe in your video. Located in a big city? Make something big and flashy that matches the energy of the city. Use whatever is going to catch your core customer’s attention to your advantage.
Here are a few ideas you can use to get started today:
- You already get customers’ information when they buy from you, so follow up and ask them to send you a video or picture of them enjoying their outdoor furniture. You can also use a special offer, like a $25 gift card or entrance into a raffle, to sweeten the deal. To keep it inexpensive, you can make a simple email template that automatically goes out to customers who buy from you and use it to keep them in tune with your brand.
- Repeat customers are not to be underestimated — especially if they still have the furniture you sold them 10 years ago. If you still have their contact information, gather a list of “past customers” and send them an email asking for pictures of how their furniture has held up. That message may not only attract new customers, but it also might get your past customers thinking about buying more or updating what they have.
- Believe it or not, hashtags are still a useful tool for social media — namely Instagram. You can create unique hashtags that pair with campaigns you run. For example, if you run a campaign about #StressFreeOutdoorLiving, you can direct customers to that hashtag in your store and ask them to post their best photos of stress-free living on their outdoor furniture.
It’s important to note that these ideas will require some kind of incentive for the customer. No one likes doing things for free.
However, you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to make it worthwhile for consumers to join in. People like to be included, and if you give them a reason, they will make it worth their while.
After you’ve experimented, professional videos can be worth looking into. But also remember that videos that are less polished can also look more authentic — not to mention, are free — which could play to your advantage as an independent retailer.
