Canadian Retailer - Winter 2013 - 25

audience is before you jump in and
invest the time,” he says. “In most
cases Facebook is going to make
some level of sense to most retailers,
and it’s probably the first place you
want to start.”
Egyed initially invested 40 to 50
hours a week learning about the
various channels, scheduling and
developing content. Now she spends
about 20 hours a week and that includes a daily posting on Facebook
and Tweeting (sending messages out
on Twitter) up to six times a day.
Most industry experts say that
even if a retailer is using just one platform they need to spend a minimum
of an hour a day on social media.
However, Angela Rodenburgh,
president of Ladder Up, cautions that
once you’re on social media it’s important that you listen and respond
to people’s conversations, because
leaving them hanging will reflect
badly on you as a retailer.
“A good rule of thumb is you want
to respond to someone within 24
hours,” she says.
A picture really is worth a
thousand words

Highly
Engaged
Employees
& Remaining
Union-Free
They have a lot in common.
Both depend on great leadership
at all levels of management. The
ability to balance the needs of the
business with those of employees.
At Sherrard Kuzz LLP we help our
retail clients strike that balance.
We partner with them to identify,
train and develop highly engaged
managers and workplace leaders.
A union-free workplace is one
of the many collateral benefits.
It’s how we help our retail
clients succeed.

The idea of putting out a newspaper, regular blog posts or just communicating on a regular schedule
can be daunting for some retailers.
Main 416.603.0700
It doesn’t have to be. Sometimes
24 Hour 416.420.0738
just showing customers a picture of
the hottest new top of the season or
www.sherrardkuzz.com
giving them fashion advice from a
pro is an effective post.
Canada’s Top 10 Employment & Labour Boutique – Canadian Lawyer
Another way to get content is to ask
for it.
Village&Co ran a promotion for
Tourism Calgary this year where tent without investing a ton of time.”
what a cute pumpkin! or that cos574060_Sherrard.indd 1
3/2/12 9:06:37 AM
they asked people to show them what
Lala’s photographs and posts tume is so cool,’ and it goes viral and
they did over the summer. Young, seasonal displays, photos of staff we get people from all over the world
partner at the company says retailers and new products. The store also looking at what we are doing.”
could simply ask customers to show runs several customer appreciation
Young says that when it comes
them or tell them about ways that events a year that range from wine down to it, social media should be fun.
they interact with their product.
and cheese nights to Halloween
“It shouldn’t feel like a burden it
“Visual communication is huge,” pumpkin carving.
should be fun and when retailers
adds Smiciklas. “In most cases retailEgyed says one of the most effect- do start interacting with people and
ers are selling a product that is natur- ive things she does is photograph they end up being their fans and cusally conducive to being photographed. these events and post them in real tomers it becomes a really rewarding
Photos are a great way to create con- time. “People will comment, ‘OMG experience,” he says.

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Canadian Retailer - Winter 2013

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