Have you ever thought about integrating video into your online marketing strategy? Well if you haven’t gotten you butt into gear, or if you think it’s useless, then you’ll definitely want to read this guest interview with Cathy Donovan Wagner of Retail Mavens.
In this exclusive interview, Cathy explains the secrets to increasing sales and business success, simply by utilizing online video.
See below for the interview:
You do a lot of video marketing, providing great tips for the retail industry to implement and increase sales. What are some of the ways you market your videos and specifically what results have you seen?
I send my videos to my list via email and post them on social media. But the secret marketing tip that got me the best results was sending it to key influencers in the retail industry. By sending videos to a few sales representatives and the president of a large chamber of commerce, I got so much exposure that I couldn’t have gotten on my own.
I loved your “I Heart” video series for Valentine’s Day! Tell us a little bit about the purpose behind this series and the results you saw.
The purpose of the series was to hyper-focus on critical issues for retail. It’s so easy to give people a fire hose of information, which just ends up leaving people feeling overwhelmed. The I Heart My Sucky Employees video had the highest open rate for any email I have done! People still mention it to me. My favorite comment was the retailer that thanked me for “the kick in the pants” she needed.
Below is Cathy’s video, I Heart My Sucky Employees:
You often use your face as a logo or image for your business. How do you think marketing yourself online affects the way customers and prospects perceive and engage with your brand?
It is so important to put a face on your business and add personal comments and stories to your marketing. It accelerates the “know, like, and trust” factor when customers see who your stories and who you are. People want to buy from people that they know and like—and it helps when they can see your bright smile!
What tips do you have for retail store owners when it comes to using video to promote their business and drive traffic into the store?
I tell my clients all the time that they have two main jobs: to establish themselves as the authority / expert in their market AND to establish themselves as problem solvers. That is how they can differentiate themselves from all the other stores out there—and from the online stores. It is not about the products that the store sells—owners make that mistake all the time. If a consumer just wants an item, they will always find it faster and cheaper online. When you are the expert, customers need to know what you think and what you sell and why you sell it. Owners take for granted all the knowledge that they possess. They must intentionally share it in their marketing.
Owners forget that their store exists to solve problems for customers. Often, they have opened their store to solve one of their own problems! When you use online marketing to address your customers’ common concerns, it generates interaction and creates loyalty. Customers don’t feel like they are being sold to—rather, they feel supported!
Here are some examples:
- A toy store can share information about the different kinds of sunscreen available and which is the best to choose.
- A shoe store can share how to protect leather from winter salt stains.
- A women’s clothing store can share information about how customer’s can hide their “muffin top” or “bra bulge” with the new undergarments available now.
The beauty of video is that the information seems easier to access and it is certainly easier to explain. A photo is flat. A video allows the retailer to tell a story about their products and store. So much of the retail experience is visual, and video can bring the retail experience to the customer, which in turn, inspires them to visit.
About Cathy Donovan Wagner and Retail Mavens:
A maven is a trusted expert in a particular field, who seeks to pass knowledge on to others. It means one who understands, based on an accumulation of knowledge. That is who I am. My name is Cathy Wagner, retail profit mentor and founder of RETAIL Mavens – and I am passionate about sharing proven retail success strategies. My 25 years of retail ownership and retail consulting has allowed me to create a system for increased retail profits. This system includes a series of important profit-building steps every retailer needs to apply to become more profitable, get better results, have more fun and get better sleep! I have had the opportunity to work with hundreds of retailers and help them achieve what they desired.
Visit the Retail Mavens website, or connect with them on Facebook.
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