By Amy Knight, Director and co-founder of Must Have Ideas
From day one, social media has been central to the growth of Must Have Ideas. What started out as a team of three packing orders from our kitchen table has evolved into a thriving business employing over 200 people at our 60,000 square foot distribution centre in Kent.
It was social media that allowed us to reach our audience and increase conversion. Along the way we learned valuable lessons about using social media to not only build a successful e-commerce business, but also a strong, loyal online community.
While Must Have Ideas may have changed dramatically, the lessons learned in those early days still shape the way we grow today.
The Power of Knowing Your Audience – and Paying Attention
With no formal training or qualifications, we learned digital marketing on the fly, watching hours of YouTube tutorials, reading blogs and a lot of trial and error.
We began by finding out what our audience wanted and where they spent their time online. Once we had an idea of who our ideal customer was, we began creating highly targeted Facebook and Instagram ads to begin building a large community of like-minded people.
Building a Brand with the Right Messaging
Pretty early on we decided that Must Have Ideas would specialise in unique products that solve everyday household problems – products you couldn’t find at your local supermarket. But it was never just about being different or clever; it was about being useful.
As a family-run business we’ve worked hard to create a clear brand story that our customers could relate to. Customers value authenticity and we strive to reflect that in our content. The best-performing content is clear, concise and shows exactly how a product solves a real problem. That’s what grabs attention.
The Feedback Loop
Engaging our customers on social media has helped us build a strong community where people feel involved, valued and part of our journey. We’ve used it as a place to test new ideas, gather opinions, find out what works and find out what doesn’t. Some of our most unexpectedly successful products took off thanks to real reviews from real people. Customers tend to trust feedback from people like themselves, and that kind of feedback can’t be bought.
Scaling Without Losing the Personal Touch
Even as we’ve grown, we’ve always been determined to maintain that personal connection. In the early days my two co-founders and I handled every query from our dining room table. Today, we have a dedicated support team available seven days a week, twelve hours a day who are easy to reach by email, live chat, social media, phone or even by post – and yes, we do still receive letters!
Building Loyalty that Lasts
Social media is always hungry; it needs feeding daily to stay effective. It’s tempting to chase a viral moment and think that’s enough. Our focus is on turning attention into trust. While social media played a huge role in initiating customer relationships, it’s the overall experience that’s turned them into advocates of our brand.
Social media is a powerful tool, but even viral content isn’t a recipe for success. What sparked our growth was being responsive, sharing content that resonated while staying fiercely customer focused. Trends and algorithms may change, but the fundamentals will always remain, clear messaging, useful content, and strong, authentic customer relationships. Growth comes from trust, not hype and that’s where businesses succeed.
The post Likes, Loops, and Loyalty – How I Used Social Media to Build a £65M Business from Scratch appeared first on Real Business.