Snaptastic Blog

When you embarked on your business, you knew there would be times when you had to wear many hats. When social media became a business initiative and something you couldn’t survive without, you still took it on. YOU are the brave independent retailer. Not only do you have SnapRetail on your side, enthusiastically wanting to help you but you have, aha, your employees. Yes, they too can help you with social media. Getting your employees involved is so valuable. It helps create that sense of community, even in the virtual space. Your customers come to know and love your team members and you can replicate that through social media; it will set you a part from big  box stores as well as other competitors. There are a few rules to follow when you have multiple people contributing to your social media presence, but we also have a few tips to help you and your employees make the most of it!

Teams are constructive, not confusing

We’ve all heard the phrase “too many cooks in the kitchen” and how that can not only confuse the objective or goal but also prolong any type of real progress. You can keep a few admins on your Facebook page, or access to your SnapRetail account, but keep it to the people who will most likely be posting regularly. If you find yourself thinking you need to add everyone in case of a “social media emergency,” just remember, with access to Facebook or Twitter from all types of digital platforms, you’re safe. You should trust the admins of your page – their judgement, poise and energy should be in line with yours.

Keeping your admins to a select few does not mean that others shouldn’t voice their ideas! Brainpower is priceless. Invest in a little brainstorming with your team – whether it be for 10 minutes after a staff meeting or when the floor’s a little quiet. Get their ideas and they’ll feel so rewarded in their jobs. In this way, you continue to nurture the team environment while keeping the social media posting responsibilities clear.

Ideas for you and your team

Now’s the part you’ve really been waiting for! We’re giving you some ideas to help integrate your employees into your social media presence.

• Feature your employees – Whether it’s once a month or once a quarter, shift the spotlight to one employee. The feature can be quirky and it should definitely showcase that employee’s personality. You can do a feature with blog post, a picture with longer post, or even a video! If you really feel like making it fancy, you can use an app to make a custom tab that will change with each new employee feature.
• Have a photo shoot – You’ve got models at your disposal! Another great way to use your employees is to ask them to pose with some of your merchandise (obviously, approach them comfortably about this). If you sell apparel and accessories, can we say GOLD MINE! One of our retailers, Swagger Gifts does an amazing job with this! Check out their Facebook Page! As you can see, having fun and looking  happy is a must

• Employee Pick-of-the-Week – Often, an employee will love the products you sell. To keep content interesting and regular, we suggest an Employee Pick-of-the-Week! Rotate with your employees and they can pick which product they’d want to feature in an email or on social media. It’s a great way to feature product without looking too salesy about it and, it helps create that virtual community!

Do your employees contribute to your store’s social media? If you any other ideas, please share!!