Having a sound and strong social media strategy can go a long way toward helping a small business stand out – both in its local community and on a larger scale. But social media can be a tricky game, as retailers try to strike a balance between highlighting what their store does well, showcasing in-store promotions and presenting the business in a human-like fashion. That’s why Nationwide Marketing Group recently launched a suite of tools that aims to help its members navigate those waters.
Available now through Nationwide’s MemberNet portal, the collection of resources includes a Social Media Playbook how-to guide and a free library of social media graphics that members can use as their own.
“Retailers need to be where their customers are, and increasingly they’re showing up on social media, looking to engage,” says Rob Stott, corporate communications manager for Nationwide. “Nationwide’s new social media assets, which we’ll be constantly adding to and updating, arm our dealers with everything they need to be successful on social media.”
The Social Media Playbook is a basic how-to guide for both dealers who are looking to get started on their social media strategy as well as those who need a refresher on some of the basic principles of posting. The document provides a basic overview for retailers on the benefits of social media, step-by-step guides for creating business accounts on all major social media platforms, guidelines on when and what to post, critical image size specifications and a brief overview of social media metrics.
The Playbook will be the first in a series of deep-dive documents that Nationwide’s independent retailers can turn to as they craft their own social media strategies.
Nationwide has also launched a vast library of holiday-themed social media graphics that members can download, alter and use as their own. At launch, graphics for all major holidays for the third quarter — July through September — are available. Dealers will find social images designed for July 4th, Labor Day, the first day of Fall, 9/11 Day of Remembrance and more.
In addition, there are graphics for quite a few recognition events, including National Independent Retailer Month, National Coffee Day, Food Safety Education Month, World Emoji Day and more. Dealers will also find a simplified holiday calendar with specific event dates and recommended hashtags to maximize engagement.
More graphics will be added throughout the year and moving forward, which will provide retailers with an entire calendar’s worth of social media content — for free.
All assets are available now on the Marketing page in Nationwide’s members-only portal.
Rob is the corporate communications manager for Nationwide Marketing Group.
