Comic book store saved thanks to social media

A struggling comic book store in the United States with a $30,000 debt has successfully used social media to keep its business alive. It turned to Twitter and Facebook to ask the community for help, and it is now back on its feet. Comic Book Ink is an award-winning comic book store in Tacoma, Washington state, USA. In mid 2011, they were in real danger of closing, their troubles not helped by the global financial crisis and the fact that the comic book industry is a bit of a rollercoaster at the best of times. Their levels of debt meant that they couldn’t pay their suppliers up front. That meant no more stock, which meant no more customers. Which could have meant no more store. They needed an injection of cash to keep their business alive.

How social media saved Comic Book Ink

They cried for help. Not on the streets, but on the internet. Facebook. Twitter. Reddit. Via every social media platform they could, they put the word out that they were struggling and that they could use some donations. Once the word got out there, it was picked up by the local press, who couldn’t resist the story of a local treasure fighting against the odds to keep afloat. The story resonated with readers and viewers, who “liked” the store’s Facebook page, retweeted its tweets, and wrote about the store’s plight on their blogs, and in doing so spread the word even further across the internet. And as the word spread, the money came in. Through an account on the funding platform website indiegogo.com, they raised the five thousand dollars they needed to stay open. Nowadays, they are still in operation and are no longer in debt.

Why the social media campaign succeeded

There are a number of factors that helped Comic Book Ink in their desperate digital plea. Being an award-winning comic book store, they enjoyed the status of a local icon – a cultural and creative icon, no less – which meant people were keen to support them. Also they were upfront about the reasons for their plea and didn’t try to trick people into giving them money. They were honest and laid out all the facts, and let people decide for themselves whether or not they wanted to donate. And most importantly, they kept it simple. They didn’t set out to become a hot topic by hiding behind a ridiculous promotional stunt. They simply stated their problem and broadcast it via the right social media channels. The lesson? Talk and people will listen, as long as you’re talking where they can hear you.

How AMC’s The Walking Dead got everyone talking

The Walking Dead is an immensely popular television series from AMC, based on the graphic novel series of the same name. The show is far more than just a ratings-winner though – it also has one of the largest social media presences in popular television culture. It operates on many different social media platforms and is extremely interactive. It even has its own dedicated live television talk show, named Talking Dead.

The Walking Dead invites audience participation through several social media platforms:

● The Facebook page (8.1 million+ likes, as of April 2012)
● The Twitter account (387,000+ followers)
● The dedicated on-air talk show
○ The talk show’s Facebook page (62,000+ likes)
○ The talk show’s Twitter account (41,000+ followers)
● AMC’s own website, with fast-flying comments, interviews, videos and other extras.

Its most visibly obvious social media success is on Facebook. A great deal of content is perfectly suited to that platform’s features, such as video links, albums of photographs for both on-screen moments and off-screen outtakes, and (of course) a place for audience discussion.

How has AMC been using social media?

The Walking Dead’s social media presence does not just sit there doing nothing. Not even zombies can get away with that. Instead, the page regularly offers links to extra material, and invites audience participation by asking viewers questions about their favourite moments, quotes etc.

This interaction generates more attention and discussion about the series as a whole. For instance, after an episode has aired, Twitter hash-tags about the show tend to spike in frequency, and discussion becomes lively and active. These social media interactions have also spawned several memes, fan videos and viral hash-tags, such as the “Carl, stay in the house” meme and the #ricktatorship hashtag.

Audience participation has reached such levels that AMC airs a live spin-off talk show, discussing questions taken via phone calls and tweets. This alone is proof that active use of social media is an effective tool for audience feedback, engagement and awareness.

Fifth Avenue use Facebook to increase sales

Jewellery from Fifth Avenue Collection

Direct sellers and party plan consultants are getting online and using social media to improve their business.

Fifth Avenue Collection jewellery consultant Jessica El’Cheikh launched a Facebook page for her party plan business in September 2011, and has found that she has been able to expand her reach by engaging with a growing customer base.

‘I started by promoting Jesska’s Fifth Avenue Collection Facebook page to my friends, who shared the page with their friends and really built up a base.

‘I encourage my party hosts and guests to like the Facebook page, and now I have over 145 “Likes” on the page, which gives me a direct line of communication with my most valuable and important customers,’ she said.

Now that she has a steady following on Facebook, Jessica has used online competitions and promotions to increase ‘Likes’, ‘Shares’ and comments on the page, and this has helped the bottom line of her business.

‘I definitely have seen a massive impact on my business since starting and actively using the Facebook page.

‘I have more party bookings, new consultants and direct sales – and that’s fantastic!’ she said.

Fifth Avenue Collection encourage their consultants to establish an online presence for their business, and also provide them with their own email and website, which links to an entire database of products hosted by the company.

Jessica uses a multi-platform online presence to her advantage by cross-promoting her Fifth Avenue Collection website with her Fifth Avenue Collection Facebook page.

‘I refer all visitors on Facebook to visit the Fifth Avenue Collection website and encourage my party hosts to have a look at the jewellery on the website to get an idea of what they are interested in.

‘All of the jewellery pages also have links to “Like” the products on Facebook which gives the brand great exposure.

‘I also encourage my customers to share what they bought on their own Facebook accounts and the business Facebook page to create buzz and get people talking about the collection,’ she said.

For more ideas on how you can expand your direct selling business, Party Plan Australia, a professional organisation for party plan consultants, have online resources for networking online, free online advertising and hosting e-parties.

Why your retail business should be on Pinterest

Do you have a retail business and want to create an online presence, but not sure how? Pinterest is a great place to start. We highly recommend incorporating Pinterest into your communications strategy, because it is a an effective and interactive way to drive people to your website and create a real sense of community.

How do I start with Pinterest?

First, create an account by visiting and requesting an invitation from Pinterest. Then follow our ‘Getting started with Pinterest’ tutorial designed to guide you through the initial set-up.

Next, create strategic boards relating to your shop. It’s a good idea to position yourself as a niche in the market. Say you own a boutique clothing shop in Melbourne specialising in 1950s vintage clothing, why not create a board of Australian fashion images from the 1950s? By creating theme-specific boards that bare semblance to your business you’re effectively putting your brand at a vantage point, by saying that your brand understands and acknowledges the broader community to which it belongs.

What should I ‘pin’?

If you are a small business, it is a good idea not to pin items from your competitors. Instead, encourage your employees to post their favourite items from the store and 1950s images that inspire their fashion.

You can also encourage your clients to post fun pictures of themselves wearing your vintage clothing. All these pins will link back to your site, driving more traffic to your website and more clients into your store.

Follow and connect with others who share your 1950s passion – just make sure they are not your competitors.

What images can I use on Pinterest?

Use quality images on your boards. If people see low quality images, they will have less respect for your shop, as Pinterest is based purely on visual aesthetics, image quality is vital. The more professional the images, the more likely people are to trust your brand.

Check out these top Pinterest tips from MYOB for creating quality images. Ensure you properly credit your image sources if you do not own the rights to the images you pin.

How do I create a Pinterest community?

Ask your customers to join – get their email addresses and send them an invitation. This will make customers more inclined to contribute to your boards, and more likely to return to your store.

Remember that Pinterest needs to be actively used in order to continually engage your customers. Make sure you pin, repin, like and comment on other boards.

Need more advice about Pinterest?

Are you still debating where or not your business should join Pinterest?

Read BizBytes ‘Should your small business use Pinterest?‘ for an overview of the benefits and disadvantages of Pinterest.

Read ‘Why your small business should be on Pinterest’ to help you decide if Pinterest is right for your business and check out their handy flow chart.

‘Should your business be on Pinterest’ inforgraphic via Intuit.