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8 Aug 2023

One in five UK consumers (20%) prefer using mobile payment services such as Apple Pay over cash (17%) or chip & PIN card payments (10%) for in-store purchases, a new survey has reported.

1 Aug 2023

In what the Financial Conduct Authority has described as “a step change in standards of consumer protection” new Consumer Duty regulations have come into force for all products and...

1 Aug 2023

Independent bookshops in the UK can now sell audio books through Libro.fm. Launching in the last couple of weeks in the UK, the digital audio book platform, which already partners with...

31 Jul 2023

The Independent Retailers Confederation (IRC) will be working with key financial institutions within the UK to gauge the shift in retail payments.
 

31 Jul 2023

Independent retailers are calling on the government to offer security grants so that stores can be better equipped to deal with shoplifting, which has risen by a quarter in England and Wales in...

31 Jul 2023

The shortlist has been announced for the 2023 Speciality & Fine Food Fair Awards, which celebrate innovative products and inspiring independent retailers in the world of artisan food and...

19 Jul 2023

Apple has announced that Tap to Pay on iPhone has now rolled out to the UK, enabling small businesses to accept Apple Pay and contactless card payments using nothing more than their...

19 Jul 2023

Shopworkers’ union Usdaw has launched a blueprint to secure the future of the retail sector, which includes calling for the levelling of business taxation between online and in-store...

19 Jul 2023

Bira is supporting and urging retailers to participate in the 2023 State of the Workforce Survey, which is being run by People 1st International, part of The Workforce...

18 Jul 2023

Industry magazine Retail Jeweller’s list of Inspiring Independents 2023 - the top 100 independent jewellery and watch retailers from across the UK and Ireland, as voted...

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Social media tips from indie businesses who have successfully diversified their proposition

Posted on in Business News , Cycles News

very week Maybe* bring you social media tactics and top tips to drive your social media strategy forwards.

They introduce you to real life businesses like The Find in Cheltenham and Bourton-on-the-Water photographer, Alistair Currill. Both these businesses are independents which are growing using social media. Here we give you their social media tips so you can learn from and replicate their success using new techniques. 

 

Communicate, communicate, communicate

The Find Coffee House and Artisan Kitchen in Cheltenham is run by David Orme and his team. Offering a haven from the outside world, The Find takes its inspiration from the coffee houses of 17th and 18th century England. Lockdown gave The Find an opportunity to take stock, literally, of everything from their menu and staffing through to social media and the cafe is now using Instagram and Facebook to ‘welcome back' the people of Cheltenham as well as to keep them informed.

"Using social media for continuous updates and information has been key and will continue to be as we re-open. People cannot be expected to keep up with all of the changes and the rules and therefore we created a linktree link on our Instagram account with a list of the rules, menus and other key information so that they can always find what they are looking for easily." says David at The Find.

Top tip: communication. Never assume customers know as much as we do about restrictions. Share all of your reopening safety information in a linktree or highlights. Customers shared the pain of the lockdown with us, let them know, what you're doing, stay on top and they will embrace what you do. Comms is key.

 

How lockdown has helped businesses find new audiences

Alastair Currill is a Bourton-on-the-Water based professional photographer and has been running his company Alastair Currill Photography for around six years in the Cotswolds.

Alastair has long been active on social media to promote his photography work and also his teaching. But lockdown has forced him out in front of the camera as he has taken to Facebook Live to bring to life his top photography tips.

During Lockdown 1 all of the weddings Alastair had booked were cancelled and, due to restrictions, he struggled to do the majority of the work he had planned for the rest of 2020. Rather than resting on his laurels he set up Cotswold Jigsaw Puzzles as a new arm to his business - turning beautiful photography of landscape and animals from around the area into jigsaws for customers locally and even internationally. This helped to keep the main business afloat until lockdown ended.

Alastair believes that even if you were forced to develop a new element to your business out of necessity during lockdown, you can capitalise on this and through social media create a whole new audience.

Using social media Alastair promotes his beautiful puzzles and photography through Facebook communities. Using hashtags on Instagram, tagging in local places - his business has done well.

Top tip: If you created a new service or product in lockdown, don't ditch it upon reopening, look at how you can capitalise on a whole new audience you have created on Instagram or Facebook using the Maybe* platform.

 

With the Maybe* platform, you don't have to be a social media pro to increase traffic and sales. 

Sign up to Maybe* and join the conversation, it's free to get started.

 

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