In a time of incredible advances in technology to build businesses, social media has become a prime avenue for adding customers. If you have not yet capitalized on this free form of advertising, you’re missing out on an incredible opportunity to reach a large amount of people in a fraction of the time you would spend on traditional advertising methods. Facebook, which is one of the “giants” of social media, is an excellent place for retail flower shops gathering that all-important Internet following.
Chances are pretty good that you probably already have a personal Facebook page. In fact, Facebook currently has over one billion users, as of the end of October. Originally, experts did not believe they would see that number until the beginning of the new year. But as the site continues to grow in its popularity, it’s no surprise that the one billion mark was hit early.
Because you are probably already familiar with Facebook, using it to your advantage to help grow your business makes a lot of sense. Your current network of friends is a great resource for you, and many of them will probably gladly help you get the word out about your flower shop.
With the holidays quickly approaching, many will be considering giving their loved ones the gift of flowers. By advertising your specials on Facebook and continually getting your flower shop’s name in front of potential customers’ eyes every day, you’ll boost your sales for this upcoming season. It all begins with a simple status update that calls attention to what you can offer your customers that other flower shops in your area cannot.
Take care of your Facebook page and it will take care of you. All too often, businesses start to create their Facebook page and then end up abandoning it in favor of other projects or more pressing issues. As long as you add beautiful pictures (which you share on a regular basis), keep your store hours prominiently displayed and updated, and make sure your contact information is always correct, you’ll find Facebook and incredibly helpful advertising tool.
For more information about how social media can help you grow your retail florist business, contact us today!
We also need to look into the business’ level of differentiation. A lot of other flower shops may have already taken ahead of us in bringing their business to social media. In that case, we need to find a way to make our business stand out even further.
I dont think Facebook have 1 billion members. The official figure from Facebook stated it at 800 million. They shall certainly shall state it when they reach 1 billion members.
One thing you have got to understand that all of these accounts doesnt mean different people. When we do SEO we create hundreds and even thousands of accounts in websites like Facebook, and hence half of the figure is simply fake. There are another portion of users who are not even active in the website. So if you take the active users of Facebook, the figure shall be very low.
I would like to know how many unique people worldwide login every day or at least once every week.
It’s still the largest network and growing. I my own country I see more and more kids and older people joining.
Like you, I believe that Facebook can drive targeted traffic to websites. However, I think that it can be beneficial to have a plan. It seems like having a fan page that is updated can be helpful. I don’t think that I have used fan pages enough though. I have been interested in Facebook groups before.
Do you think Facebook would be a helpful tool for retail flower shops to reach the older or more senior population?
More and more businesses that I know have started using twitter. Especially local businesses and stores. Twitter is more straightforward and simple, in my opinion for business owners to use.
I think it’s really important to have online presence and definitely Facebook is important, I think the quote “Take care of your Facebook page and it will take care of you.” and most of business let their Facebook pages die alone and they never update anything which could mean that your not existent on the internet. I think it’s a good tip to keep everything update, I like to update weekly my Facebook page so I can reach my clients and not disturb their timelines.
I appreciate Facebook pages from companies that offer valuable tips and pointers. In other words, real content that has value that I might be inclined to share with others.
In the floral industry I think this could be, for instance, tips and pointers on how to take care of various kinds flowers, especially those that have a reputation for being difficult to grow. I think of African violets, for instance.
Other valuable content could be pictures and video that offer a behind-the-scenes look at the floral shop and its environs. What does the greenhouse look like? How do the florists select and arrange flowers?
And of course, Infographics are great, especially those that are humorous and/or inspirational.
This is all marketing, of course, and yet it is subtle. When those special occasions come around — Valentine’s Day, Mother’s day, etc. — that’s the time to offer the Facebook fans the great discount coupons they’re looking for.
You should be using Facebook all year long not just on holidays because if you build a following and trust you will make a killing during this time! Keep you customers in the loop so they know what you are up to and what kind of discounts they can get from you and when!
Always think in terms of benefits for your potential customers and sales will skyrocket! Keep your business profile updated at least a couple of times monthly and if possible much more than that. If you can’t do it then pay someone to do it for you! It’s worth it!