By Kate Peterson
Here are five easy, practical ways a retailer can capitalize on the social media drive in the bridal market. Be sure to have a good-quality, Bluetooth-enabled digital camera on hand.
- Let friends and family help close the sale. When the couple is at the point of decision, walk away to give them time to think. Before you do, however, put the ring on her finger and her hand on a pad showing your store’s name. Suggest they take a picture of the ring and post it to Facebook or Instagram to see what their friends think of their choice. Granted, there will be some who don’t want word of their engagement to get out, however, many will welcome the idea. The immediate positive comments and congratulations just might help close the sale for you.
- Take a picture of the couple making their final selection. It will be their first image as a newly engaged couple, and will definitely be one they share on their own social media channels. If possible, set your camera to include a caption with your store’s name and the date at the bottom of the picture.
- Provide a series of high-quality images of the couple and their new ring at the point of purchase. Find a source to produce novelty flash drives with your store’s logo and name you can offer as a giveaway. Load the drive with great images of the couple’s new ring (captioned with your store name, of course). Suggest they use the images anywhere they would like, and ask permission to share your copies via your store’s social media channels.
- Create a series of Pinterest boards for your store, each featuring a particular style of engagement ring (i.e. traditional, vintage, contemporary, halo, solitaire, etc.). Start with a few rings in each category. Add to the boards by asking permission to post ‘celebrity-like’ photos of new purchases, such as a picture of the bride or couple with a superimposed ‘vignette’ close-up of the ring on her hand. Think People magazine.
- Consider connecting with a ‘clicks-and-bricks’ enabled bridal vendor. These progressive companies are advertising on social media channels in an effort to bring young bridal customers to web stores that allow them to create their own ring, which is then delivered to a convenient retail partner for examination and pick up. The customer gets the best of both ‘clicks’ and ‘bricks’ worlds, while the retail partner earns the gross profit on the sale.
Kate Peterson is president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Performance Concepts, Inc., a firm offering retailers staffing, business development, management, and performance solutions. Peterson is a regular contributor to JCK and Instore and a sought-after speaker at trade events such as JCK, American Gem Trade Association’s (AGTA’s) GemFair, and the JA New York show. She can be reached via e-mail at kate@performanceconcepts.net.
