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Hudson Business Solutions’ Social Media Savvy Business of the Week: Love Shine
September 30, 2011 | Social Media
Love Shine design company and boutique is this week’s “social media savvy” business of the week! Located in New York City, Love Shine has been selling handmade totes, handbags, backpacks, and other items since 1994. They started using social media and blogging to market their products in 2007, and ever since then, they have been expanding their online presence
Hudson Business Solutions discussed social media with Love Shine’s Richard C. Green III, the General Manager and Social Media Director of Love Shine. When asked how important social media and blogging are to small business owners today, Green says they are essential for maintaining and nurturing customer relationships.
“I say that it is important to give it a try, especially if it is free,” Green says. “For better or worse, customers are relying on their digital devices, portable or otherwise, as a source of information. Social media allows for you to create a dialogue that others can engage with at their convenience. It also provides a local flavor or context for your brand/company in an age of mega multi-national corporation dominance.
In addition to keeping customers updated via Facebook, Twitter and blog, Love Shine sends customers a monthly newsletter to keep them update to date and a part of the Love Shine community. They even offer incentives for their costumers to sign up for the newsletter and to stay involved. For instance, when costumers sign up with their email address, they enter a drawing to receive a gift certificate for the store.
Green notices Love Shine’s social media efforts pay off when costumers come into the store informed of Love Shine’s goods and services. “Someone might enter the store and say, ‘Oh, I am looking for the bag I saw on your Facebook page,’” Green says. “Often the customer purchases the product, or in some cases, they just want to see it in person.”
Love Shine doesn’t just stop there. With the help of a digital camera, Love Shine is able to feature pictures of costumers wearing their bags and holding their products on their website. “This is a great way, again, to create a relationship with your customer in the moment that will last for a very long time online,” Green says. “Sometimes they will inform their friends or family that they have been featured on our blog. On occasion we have had people come in and make comments about people they have seen on our blog.”
Green remembers a time when a husband came into the store and referred to his picture on the blog. “His wife had sent him to our store make a purchase. We took his photo so that he could refer to it when he returned home with his Love Shine purchase,” Green says. “ In this way we are creating a digital scrapbook that can be shared. And one other benefit, for those who are not local, our blog gives them a visual idea or impression of the diverse range of people and activities that occur in our brick and mortar space.”
Hudson Business Solutions considers Love Shine a “social media savvy” business. Visit them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter @loveshinenyc, and check out their blog to learn more about Love Shine and their products, and be sure to notice how they incorporate social media into their business.
