Learn how content marketing and social media marketing can drive in-store sales this holiday season. Presented with Platinum Guild International and Women's Jewelry Association

1. MAKE YOUR CONTENT COUNT!
SOCIAL MEDIA BEST PRACTICES
FOR THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
Zontee Hou for
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2. ABOUT ZONTEE
• Strategist at top consulting firm
Convince & Convert
• Digital marketing consultant &
founder of her own firm, Media
Volery, in New York City
• Adjunct professor of
communications at the City College
of New York
• Has worked with brands ranging
from Martha Stewart Living
Omnimedia to Allstate Insurance
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3. TRENDS: RETAIL +
SOCIAL MEDIA
Poll #1: How Do You
Identify Yourself?
Photo by Jason Howie, used under
Creative Commons license 2.0
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4. INFORMATION IS KING
78% of shoppers did holiday research online last
year—with research ahead of their purchases a
huge factor of their purchase behavior.
In 2014, customers consulted AT LEAST 12
sources before making a purchase.
[Think with Google]
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5. SHOW DON’T
TELL
• Video content is more
important than ever: From
experts talking about products
to customers sharing their
purchases, online videos have
become the new “window
shopping” experience.
• Visuals of all kinds should tell a
story: Go beyond just
showcasing products by
helping your potential
customers put themselves in
the shoes of a purchaser. 5

6. LOCATION-
BASED
MARKETING IS
IN PLAY
• Beacons offer the opportunity to
reach customers in-store and
post store-visit: Companies like
Facebook and Yext offer
Bluetooth-based geo-location
beacons to let you showcase
messages to customers in your
physical locations.
• InStore recently highlighted an
article from “Your Story” about
“Five Ways Beacons can
Transform Retail” which can have
a huge impact for small
businesses 6

7. THE SHOPPING
SEASON HAS
EXTENDED
• More than half of consumers
surveyed said they’ll start their
research before Thanksgiving:
Shopping isn’t just about the
purchase anymore—it’s about
the touch-points that lead up
to the purchase.
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8. CASE STUDIES Poll #2: What Social Media
Channels Are You On?

9. HERSCHEL:
SUPPORT
THROUGH
SOCIAL
• Listen: Good content and social
media come from listening to the
customer and understanding their
motivations.
• Monitor mentions of your products on
social media channels, through Google
Alerts, and using tools like Iconosquare
and Hashtagify.me
• Relate: Share the kind of content that
your customer wants to see.
• Respond: Treat every question as
important. Answer ALL queries on
social media—and in a timely fashion
(36 hours for small businesses).
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10. ROBBINS
BROTHERS &
LONGS: PROVIDE
VALUE
• Anticipate their pain points:
Find ways to be
indispensible through advice
that they didn’t even know
they needed.
• Content curation tools:
BuzzSumo, Topsy, Feedly,
Google Alerts
• Entertain them: Social
should be fun. Showcase
your sensibility (or even
your sense of humor) in the
content you share.
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11. PGI: DRIVE
PEOPLE IN-
STORE
• Help them take the first step in:
Over 50% are open to new
retailers--just need to get them
to take a look (Think with
Google)
• Consider a social media contest:
Contests increase engagement
and can get customers to think
in aspirational ways—as well as
providing you with their contact
information for the future.
• Rafflecopter and Shortstack are great
tools for small businesses looking to
host contests on social media.
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12. NORDSTROM:
INTEGRATE
SOCIAL IN-
STORE
• Bring the online into the store:
Reinforce your social media by
showcasing products that are
popular online while also
indicating great picks for your
customer.
• Retarget: Using beacons to
advertise (or even good, old-
fashioned email sign-ups at the
register), send follow-up
communications to customers
who come in-store.
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13. WHAT DOES THIS
MEAN FOR YOU?
Poll #3: Have You Started
Your Social Media Planning
for this Holiday Season?

14. TELL A
COMPELLING
STORY
• What’s the story of your brand?
What sets you apart from your
competitors? Convey that
through your social content.
• Don’t be afraid to be personal
in your content—customers
want to get to know the people
behind the brand.
• Short videos (shot on your
smartphone in good, natural light)
can be a great way to get your
message across.
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15. HELP SOLVE
THEIR
PROBLEMS
• At least 50% of your social media
content should be focused on your
customer, not on your product.
• Curate resources for him/her on buying
jewelry—even if they don’t include your
website.
• Link to “best gift ideas” guides.
• Tell him/her about local shopping
events.
• Offer a safe space to ask questions.
• Host “ask the expert” or “personal
shopper” experiences sessions leading
up to the holidays to support your
customers’ buying experience.
• Reflect this attitude with social media
help too!
• Best practice to answer social
comments within 24 hours
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16. OPTIMIZE YOUR
CONTENT
• Be sure your content includes relevant
keywords, smart hashtags, and is
tracked properly.
• Keywords: Google Keyword Planner, Google
Trends
• Hashtags: Hashtagify.me, Twitonomy
• Tracking: Google URL Builder, Bitly
• One in three shoppers use their
smartphone to find information instead
of asking store employees! Make sure
your website is mobile-optimized.
• Post on a regular basis. Tools like
Buffer and Edgar can help you schedule
and keep track of your posts.
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17. SUPPORT
THROUGH PAID
TACTICS
• Posts on Facebook, Pinterest,
and Instagram align with the
jewelry customer.
• Be sure your EVERY paid post has
a strong visual, a call-to-action,
and a link to a page for more
information (or promotion code).
• All of these platforms support
paid targeting
• Target customers through
filters.
• Be sure to target based on
location, demographics, buying
behavior, interests, and (where
applicable) competitive pages.
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18. CONNECT
WITH ME
• Twitter: @zontee_hou
• LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/in/zonteehou
• Website & email newsletter:
MediaVolery.com
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19. CONNECT
WITH PGI AND
WJA
• Twitter: @ptjewelry
• Instagram: @platinum_jewelry
• Facebook: /jewelryplatinum.us
• Website: platinumjewelry.com
• Contact:
Meg Deedy
Marketing Director
mdeedy@pgiglobal.com
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• Twitter: @womensjewelry
• Instagram:
@womensjewelryassociation
• Facebook: /womensjewelryassociation
• Website:
womensjewelryassociation.com/
• Contact:
Bernadette Mack
Executive Director
bernadette@womensjewelryassociation.com