business matters Think carefully about what you
do. Dressing up as vicars and tarts at Valentines may seem like a good idea but can seriously backfire. Gentlemen delivering in tuxedos might be far more suitable. Giving away red roses on St
George’s Day is a good move, having naked mannequins in the window may send out the wrong message.
Social networking We are in two minds about this one from a local florist perspective. We can see why national brands would want to use Facebook, Twitter, Google+ etc and we know that some florists swear by it. However, we found some recent research indicating that a Facebook posting reaches 75% of its potential in just two hours. This implies you have to keep posting or pay for adverts to boost its reach which rather negates the whole concept of a free to use promotional tool. But then it’s a real misnomer
that social networking is free. You may not get an invoice from Twitter but what about all the time and skill that you’re spending doing it? Would that time be better spent standing outside your shop handing out cards to people in your immediate area, or networking at a local event? Our advice is use social
networking by all means but only if you can be sure you have reached, contacted or spoken to EVERYONE within ten miles of your shop first. They are you prime customer base and must be your first priority.
SEO Search Engine Optimisation - the art of getting your website up the rankings - is a subject in itself but whilst it is a given that you have a website there is no point having one if it is out of date, full of manky pictures or can’t be found. As we said in our last issue the only reason Deceptive Order Gatherers get away with it and take orders away from local flower shops is because most local florists don’t do enough to make sure their sites are at the top of the natural listings. It can be done yourself but does
take time and a learning curve. Our advice is employ someone or buy your website package from a company that offers SEO as part and parcel of your monthly fee. You may think it’s expensive but the truth is if you get this right you’ll more than pay for it with increased orders.
Loyalty programmes Some customers love them, others ignore them and return to a shop because they’ve received good service rather than to get a card stamped. That said it is easier to make money out of an existing customer base than add to it so there is merit in working up a loyalty programme which could include cards, special open evenings or even an ‘introduce a friend, get a free plant’ offer. However if you’ve got an aging or transient customer base you may have to concentrate on getting new customers even though it’s more costly.
Always put a call to action on leaflets… a % off, % more or free gift... as that way you encourage people to come to you and you can monitor the results.
58 F&wb Autumn/Winter 2013 Corporate loyalty cards may be
useful if you have a large office complex or major employer in the area. One florist we know has a company near them with 5,000 employees. Our suggestion has been to create a dedicated card and discount code just for the employees of this company and, given they already do staff gifts and events, use their links in the HR department to get something on the company Intranet so that they can access this huge nest of buyers. If you are in a similar position try it yourself.
Discounts and money-off
vouchers While there is always scope for discounts, BOGOFS or special promotional lines never ever use discounts as your main USP. You can’t compete with the big boys, nor should you. Quality, bespoke floristry comes at a price and that must be remembered all the time. It doesn’t mean you have to be the most expensive shop in town but don’t undersell yourself either.
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