How to put product at the front and centre of your social media strategy

A product first approach

Wool Warehouse is an indie business based in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire which has scaled from a single store to a huge online business.

Wool Warehouse is owned and run by Holly and Andy. Though the business has developed into an online heavyweight, it is still a bricks-and-mortar retailer with customers flocking to buy yarn from the Leamington Spa premises.

Proud to be an independent retailer, the shop owners focus heavily on social media - a strategy which proved critical during the multiple lockdowns. They approached the challenging period with a clear and simple social media mantra: 'Product, product product'.

Wool Warehouse brings its products to life by showing the variety and breadth of ways the products can be used. Holly and Andy use video so followers can see the products in action, as well as finished ‘makes’ from customers or members of staff. On Instagram Stories followers can expect to find product and patterns providing a constant supply of fresh, creative inspiration.

Wool Warehouse knows how to engage an audience and the team uses a selection of crafting and product related hashtags. They ensure they tag customers or influential crafters who do great things with their products and re-share content from other crafters.

It's not just the business but the whole team which is heavily present and passionate on social media. They regularly feature in content using the product which helps customers get to know the real people behind the scenes. This approach has helped them retain their indie reputation despite the business' significant online presence.

For a business like Wool Warehouse, product is key. Whether it's a specific thread or wool; a pattern or a finished crafted item; they understand their customer's requirements and create content that resonates.