Stepping Off Social Media & Using Email to Build Relationships with Stockists
It’s true that social media can be important for a small brand — especially if you’re growing wholesale. Many store owners are visual people and depend on social media to engage with their customers. So a glance at your Instagram profile may be one of their first stops in getting to know you.
That said, social media has so many downsides. The algorithm is constantly changing. Your work creating content is ultimately owned by a business that is not yours. And perhaps most importantly, keeping active on social media can be hugely time-consuming and deeply distracting.
The good news is that social media is not the only way to engage with stores, especially once you’ve made that first sale. Personal emails from you can be so powerful. And, once you have a group of stockists who buy from you, an email newsletter can be a great way of staying in touch and telling your story. Many makers find that it’s easier to stay consistent with a newsletter-style email to stockists that they send periodically (for instance, quarterly). And we hear over and over again from store owners that they appreciate this kind of connection.
In fact, when we spoke to some of the makers we admire most about this, we found that ceramicist Amelia Wrede Davis, Leela of paper line The Rainbow Vision, and Dacy from The Mindful Closet all celebrate the humble email newsletter as crucial ways of growing their sales and growing their community — you can hear those conversations right this way on our Making Do Podcast. (Some of what they share is more related to retail sales, but it all applies to wholesale in one way or another.)
If you’re interested in jumping off of the social media treadmill and using a newsletter to engage stockists, this article will help. Read on for tips and resources on everything from tools to topics.
Tips & Resources for Using Email Newsletters to Build Relationships with Stockists
Tools to Consider
If you are sending group emails, you’ll want to look into a tool to help you do that (an email marketing provider). They each have pros and cons and the prices range quite a bit. Don’t forget that you can always switch providers, so don’t let the choice of tool be a barrier to getting started.
Some things to look at when comparing tools are: their default design aesthetic; ease of use; whether they have the ability to set up automations that you want; deliverability; and of course the ethos and values of the company. Some places to start when finding a “good email marketing tool.”
Software to help you set up more sophisticated automations and integrate with your website in more ways: ConvertKit, Drip, etc.
Rhythm and Format
In terms of how frequently you send these newsletters, some folks send one once a week, while others stick to seasonal updates every 4-6 months. We find it to be helpful to set a cadence that is doable for you (even if that means you’re sending emails infrequently) and then sticking to it. A little can go a long way -- and about once per season may be a good cadence for many busy makers.
Ideally, you have a version of your newsletter that is written for “regular” customers and a version that is written especially for stockists. If that feels like too much to deal with, it’s certainly fine to keep things super-simple and just write a general newsletter for everyone.
Content Ideas
Although we call this a newsletter, it doesn’t need to be in a typical newsletter format. You can have it be an assemblage of tidbits… updates from the studio… an article you write… a simple letter from you… or something altogether different. In terms of content, consider including notes on the things you’re really thinking about, reading, and doing in your business. Think about the questions and problems your customers tell you about. For instance, how to wash the tea towel. Or other uses for your little pinch pots. Make sure there is plenty of content that isn’t directly about selling something. Some specific ideas of content that could be great for a stockist newsletter:
Behind-the-scenes photos or background info of your design or production process
Updates on the business or line (price changes, new products, new packaging, press, etc.)
Answers to questions customers have (e.g., ingredients, care instructions, alternative uses for your products, etc.)
Details that make your products interesting or unique (sourcing details, ingredients, etc.)
Inspirations for your work, things you’re reading or listening to, etc.
Aspects of your story or background that you don’t tell elsewhere
Information on choices you’ve made around sustainability, diversity, or other business practices.
Spotlight on individual pieces or products (delving into the inspiration, production, use, etc.)
Photos, stories, or testimonials from your customers or stockists
Remember, it doesn’t have to be complicated. You can schedule your newsletters on a cadence that works for you. These communications should not be all about selling, but about building and maintaining relationships with stockists.
Background Reading and Resources
Some reading and resources that might be interesting to you as you explore this medium:
Our Making Do podcast episode on newsletters is here, with links to all of the folks we talk to and other newsletters to check out in the show notes.
For thoughtful work about social media, distraction, and how we engage, check out:
Indistractable by Nir Eyal
Deep Work and Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
The Social Dilemma on Netflix
This book by Marlee Grace