Social media tips from Yarn Etc in Harrogate to weave your business to success

Every week we bring you social media tips and the top tactics to drive your social media strategy forwards. We introduce you to real life indies who are growing their business using social media and thwarting lockdown so you can learn from their success and do more of the same.

Meet Fiona of Yarn Etc, an independent specialist retailer in yarn, wool and crafting in Harrogate. Fiona Burkes has run Yarn Etc for five years in Harrogate and pre-pandemic she specialised in knitting, crochet and general materials for crafting. Here, Fiona shares her top social media tips with us.

Yarn Etc shares their social media tips with us

Q. When did the business get started on social media and who’s running it?

The Yarn Etc business was an existing yarn shop that was previously very traditional, taken over by Fiona five years ago it is more visual and interactive with a varied customer base. Lockdown has meant the business has had to move online, and social media has provided an alternative way of hosting Yarn Etc meet ups and events.

 

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Q. What is the biggest benefit you see from your social media presence?

Social media has helped Fiona stay connected to old customers in Harrogate but also reach a whole host of new ones. As lockdown has meant more and more people are looking for new hobbies and interests to pursue at home, Fiona’s crafting business and social media content, inspires people to check her out.

“My customers are anywhere from teenage to 90 years old and everything in between and are knitting either for ‘mindfulness’, a hobby or to make a garment from scratch as part of a project to do during lockdown” says Fiona.

Q. How do you measure your social media success?

The business is calculating whether its social media tactics are paying off by measuring engagement, participation in their online events, and tracking. New orders from Instagram and Facebook are the best way for Yarn Etc to reach customers far and wide with them not only helping local knitting enthusiasts, but also seeing them send their products as far as Surrey and Devon.

Q. What has been your social media highlight?

During the pandemic, Yarn Etc focused on how they could keep trading and therefore introduced click and collect, upgrading their website to include over 3,500 products and learning how to run their workshops on Zoom and help their customers on social media.  

“We do our workshops on Zoom and we try to keep people upbeat through Instagram videos with free patterns and top tips,” Fiona says. And while this is not her ideal scenario, the monthly knit and natter sessions are still well attended.

Q. What would you most like to improve about your social media and what do you think your biggest challenges are?

The lockdowns have changed Yarn Etc a lot with them having to primarily move online which affects things like colour, the inability to touch and feel the product prior to purchase. It is difficult for avid crafters to know if it is the product is right for them.

The team at Yarn Etc now spend much of their time on social media helping people to keep going until they can welcome them back to their shop.

Key takeaway

Yarn Etc’s social media tips are to stay connected and offer as much of your business experience online as you can. Keeping people uplifted with things they can do at home will help you introduce your product and services to a captive audience. Making sure your own content serves customers needs, will help you increase reach and engagement with customers both near and far.