Food For Thought: Day Twenty-Four

We found a great example of a business using social media skills brilliantly, and it's in a field that is not typically known for networking of this flavor. Green Aisle Grocery, a small, organic gourmet food purveyor in a hipster up and coming neighborhood of South Philly, has developed a business model that rivals the proverbial sliced bread (which, in their case would be made from locally grown grains in small batches by artisan bakers). The part of the model that interests us (besides the amazing inventory that tempts these two foodies sorely) is the innovative approach to moving their merchandise, much of which has a very short shelf life. It seems so obvious now....immediacy is key, so Green Aisle Grocery Tweets. They have over 700 followers, and these followers are engaged, active participants in Green Aisle's operation.

Tweets keep customers apprised of the newest, the freshest, the most precious, the limited supplies and the promotions that are on offer all day every day. Recent tweets announced a special sale on milk, as well as a delivery of Berks County raspberries, first of the season, and what to look forward in the produce section on Friday (zucchini blossoms!). Frequently they get their hands on something really special from a local chef--Zahav's hummos anyone? They tweet it, and plugged-in foodies scramble to Passyunk Ave in the hopes of getting their hands on a gustatory gem.

In addition to the clever use of Twitter, Green Aisle's dynamic website showcases their inventory, keeps customers updated on supplies of specific items, features frequent plats du jour recipes that utlize the recently arrived merchandise--garlic ramps or merguez sausage, say. This creates desire and demand, and helps their followers discover new and delicious ways to consume their offerings.

I had dinner with two seasoned vets on Philly's food scene last night and described this place. They were both aghast and characterized Green Aisle's approach as "sheer genius."

Now I'm off to buy some of this chocolate cherry candied almond cookie dough before they run out. Bon Appetit!
Posted by: Keri

Twitter Tips And More from Sky Blue Events Entrepreneur: Day Eighteen

"Colored Engagement Rings--Love it or leave it?"




Do you care even...? You might not, but plenty of people do says Jennifer Grove, owner of Sky Blue Events and social media marketing maven.

Sky Blue Events relies 100% on Twitter and Blog Conversations to Generate Business. That's right, their advertising budget is $0. And they can barely keep up with the traffic.

Says Grove: "I spend at least 2 hours a day blogging and tweeting. And that's not enough. That enables me to look after the business that comes into me, but doesn't give me the time to go out and generate new business. I also have a marketing assistant who works on maintaining our relationships. Between us, we probably spend around 20 hours a week on social media."


Sky Blue Events has capitalized on the potential of social media in ways that traditional wedding and party planners have not. Their clients range from non-profits and boutiques to weddings and pan-national launches. When Grove hires a new employee, twitter following and facebook friend lists are a prime consideration. Applicants with small numbers need not apply. The customer base grows via virtual word of mouth recommendation--or word of keypad, as it seems to be nowadays. This seems impersonal, but it's not. Grove relies on a tried and trusted network of friends in ever widening circles.

A recent success story: Grove tweeted about Sugarcoma, a tasting tour of bakeries in Washington DC. Within twelve hours the tickets were gone, and there were clamors for more. A similar event is being planned in Baltimore--followers are requesting tickets even before a date and location(s) have been announced.

Grove's business model draws from the best elements of her professional experience and with 7 years of e-Commerce under her very fashionable belt, she is way ahead of the pack.

Her biggest challenge is maintaining the relationships. In the immediacy of today's communication, clients expect a prompt response. Sky Blue Events is fanatical about this. The two hours each morning we mentioned above? Item one on the daily agenda. Responses come within twenty-four hours or less--and even that can be a struggle for the team.


Jennifer shared her Top Twitter Tips:

1. Strike a balance between personal presence and professional presence.


2. Stay active; people will drop off if you're not entertaining and engaging.


3. Seed keywords in tweets, that's how people find you: " wedding planning" or "engagement ring".


4. Put a URL in tweets so people circle back to you.


5. Link a blog to your tweets; ask people to retweet.
   


6. Solicit opinions; people love to share theirs.


7. Jump in with both feet.