Social media tips from local Isle of Wight fashion retailer Visual Impact

Every week we bring you social media tips and the top tactics to improve your social media engagement. We introduce you to real life businesses that are growing though social media, so you can learn from their success and do more of the same.

Meet Steve Robson of Visual Impact, a stylish independent fashion retailer in Newport, Isle Of Wight. Visual Impact has been serving the people of the Isle of Wight top of the range active, leisure and festival wear since 1985 and they have both men's and women’s stores with a loyal clientele of people who lead active, busy lives and want to feel good doing it. Here Steve shares his top social media tips with us...

Visual Impact shares social media tips

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

Visual Impact is relatively new to social media. The pandemic has had a big impact on this Newport indie retailer with them having to move completely online and master social media to connect with their customers where previously they had primarily run only local newspaper advertising.

Becca who looks after the social media for Visual Impact said;

“When the pandemic happened we realised that the only way to connect with customers was through social media because they had no other route to market and we had to upgrade our website to ensure customers could still shop with us." 

 

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

Social media has kept Steve connected to customers and helped him connect to new ones.

“We have been really surprised however by how many people have still supported us when it would have been easier for them to buy from a big outlet, thank you.” - Steve

Q. How do you measure your social media success?

Steve knows his audiences cares about the Isle of Wight and their locality. 

His customers are into the great outdoors and active sports, and so learning how to incorporate customer interests into his social media content as well as a passion for place has been a winning social media approach to help the business earn more reach.

Q. What has been your social media highlight?

Visual Impact will always provide the bespoke service that every customer needs and as Steve says “people buy from people they like” and that has stood the team through each and every lockdown so far. Continuing to stay connected via social media and offer a personal approach as well as via other channels has enabled Steve to serve customers to an even higher level of satisfaction.

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

Visual Impact has only been trading online for a year. The business usually benefits from additional interest and sales during the Isle of Wight Festival. Reaching that crowd in 2020 and in 2021 has and will be difficult, however social media offers a new way to reach customers who are fans of the Festival.

Key takeaway

Visual Impact’s social media tips are to go above and beyond with personal customer service, and to really make sure your social media content is in line with what your customers care about. If you're not sure what topics resonate with your audience, then simply ask them!