Snaptastic Blog

I’ve had the opportunity to speak about social media marketing to thousands of independent retailers across the country over the past few years. The biggest excuse I hear as to why retailers don’t use social media to market their stores (next to not having enough time) is, “I just don’t understand it!” Some might argue that this statement is not an excuse but rather a fact; however I consider it an excuse based on the context it’s used in. Retailers say, “I don’t understand it,” “I don’t care” and, my favorite, “I’m a dinosaur, I just don’t get it!” But  […]

By Jennifer Slaughter, C.R. Gibson/iota

Away we go into the lazy, hazy days of summer. It’s the perfect time to relax and put your feet up, right? Not quite… It’s time to get your marketing house in order! SnapRetail and its TrafficBuilder program have important tools that you can use over the summer months to get noticed and drive traffic to your store.

By embracing the connectivity of technology and the power of social media, you can easily coordinate your efforts. Let’s take a look at some summer trends and how they tie in to your complete  […]

By Traci Tarquinio

Use vibrant colors to spring ahead! Your customers are ready to be inspired and energized. Why not use the most popular color trends to entice them to buy now? These colors are a must for consumers to update their home, wardrobe, mood and lifestyle! Who wouldn’t want to shine this spring?!!

2012 is an especially exciting year for color as consumers are looking to experiment with new looks while creating powerful statements. They continue to introduce more colors in to their life. You will be the color expert as you introduce these new hues in to your  […]

by Tammy Hickel, Magnet Works Ltd.

In this difficult economic time, independent retailers are searching for ways to sell more and spend less. If you’re one of them, you’re probably taking on more business roles than usual – sales, marketing, customer service, inventory management, and more – to help keep costs down.

When you’re spread thin, it’s important to take advantage of every tool and opportunity available to help sell your products and ensure your success. Nowhere is this more important than on the sales floor of your store.

While great sales associates are invaluable, don’t forget that there  […]

By Jeanne Bliss, Customer Service Expert

By understanding what motivates its “fashionista” customers, Zara has changed the definition of success in fashion retail. Customers make an average 17 annual store visits, compared to 4 visits for other retailers. The Zara “habit” that keeps customers coming through their door results in more products sold at full retail: nearly 85 percent of Zara’s inventory sells at full price, compared to a retail average of 40 percent. Most important, because customers are Zara’s sales force, advertising is hardly necessary—it’s a mere .3 percent of sales, compared to competitors’ 3 to 4 percent.

Pulling  […]

For those of you who attended the Facebook webinar on May 19th, here are the answers to the questions we didn’t get the chance to discuss. Please let us know if you have any questions!

Craig asked: How do you get the hyper-link, is it automatic? (Tagging)

• Answer: To tag, you must already Like the page or be a Friend of the profile. Next, in the Wall section of your page, type “@” directly followed by the page name or person’s name you are trying to tag.

Sesil C. asked: What was the blog address again?

• Answer: SnapRetail blog

 […]

If you’re new to social sites like Facebook and Twitter and are trying to understand how to market your store effectively, you are not alone. Thousands of retailers across the country are trying to learn how these tools relate to their business and how they can use them to compete with big box stores; increasing foot traffic and sales. Here are 5 tips to help you get started with your social media efforts.

1. Pictures! If you don’t have a phone with a built in camera, make sure you bring your digital camera into the store, because you’re going to  […]

Just like dinosaurs, chivalry, and cursive writing, paper money is slowly becoming extinct. Credit and debit cards are replacing the greenback as the favored form of payment for both large purchases and small. I have been forced to buy a 99 cent cup of coffee with my debit card for lack of other payment with the excuse that “I never carry cash anymore.” What does this mean to retailers? Well, you better accept plastic or you won’t be getting any green…even if it’s the electronic kind. That said, the cost of accepting credit card payments is not small. Merchants  […]

There is no doubt about it: social media and online marketing is on top and I don’t know if it will ever crawl back down the business ladder. Email alone is used by more than 90% of Internet users between the ages of 18 and 72; the popular catch phrase “you’ve got mail” really wasn’t kidding. Email is a fast-moving train that can do wonders for the small business world…that is if you do it right.

Every email has to have a purpose. Are you inviting your customers to a store event? Are you telling them about a  […]

Let’s face it. Some products are simple to merchandise and some are not. Picture frames are designed to sit on shelves. Dresses can be placed on hangers or on a mannequin. There are plate racks, card spinners and book shelves. Then there are the visual merchandising challenges like belts, bracelets, candles and headbands. When a client asks advice about these display dilemmas, I consult the experts, retailers. Utilizing Facebook, Twitter and my blog, I can reach thousands of retailers at any time to get advice, ideas and display inspirations. Here are a few creative retail solutions for some common,  […]