It is a topic I touched on previously, and one that bears repeating. . .
   In this day and age, amazing service seems to be a lost art form in many industries. Never has this been clearer to me than of late, as I am forced - after my vehicle was finally totaled 65+ days following an accident - to search for a new car.
 

I spend a LOT of time on social media, observing, posting and researching.
  Throughout the years, I’ve seen just about every type of presence a boutique can have on a site, from the basic and boring to the elaborate and highly entertaining.
   There’s a lot of middle ground in there too, and of course the effectiveness of a particular strategy very much depends on the site. In this issue, we delve into the subject of Facebook, and how that site has changed both in terms of the demographic who use it and the strategies that are most effective on it. The article “Let’s Revisit Your Facebook Strategy” on page 38 of the May/June issue provides the details, but if there’s one point I feel bears repeating it is this: Facebook has a definite purpose and plays an important role in your marketing strategy. It should NOT, despite what some have questioned, be abandoned.
   That said, it’s important to understand what Facebook’s purpose is and how to most effectively use it. This is a strategy you should employ toward each social-media site your boutique has a presence on. While there is a lot of overlap between them, they each excel at something.
   When selecting our VOWS profile for each issue, we check out the social-media accounts of boutiques we are considering, looking for several things. These principles are good to keep in mind on all sites, and form a solid foundation upon which you can build:

Regular posts. By far the most important criteria, we like to see frequent and timely posts. While it isn’t an exact formula, generally speaking the most successful accounts don’t let more than 48 hours go by without sharing new content.

Responsiveness. Are you engaging with followers who ask questions or make comments? Being an active voice is important, as it sends the message that you tend to details and you care.

Follower counts. There isn’t a specific number we’re looking for, but rather generally just that a decent number of people follow said account. This is typically a byproduct of the first two criteria and tells us a boutique maintains an active presence in its community.


   Apply these three principles to each site, then add in specific strategies tailored toward the site with a touch of authenticity, and you have the perfect formula. The key to exceling on social-media is to understand what each site is best for, and then capitalize on that.