I appreciate your comments and messages and I personally read each and every one. Sometimes I am smiling from a message that you tried something I wrote about and it resulted in more sales and/or better customer service or improved retail operations.
“Thanks for writing about the importance of gift wrapping. We tried it for Valentine’s Day, posting about it on social and in an email blast and had an influx of last-minute men shopping!” ~Willows Boutique
I pondered that one… wondering how many men follow the women’s apparel store on social media and landed on the likelyhood that someone conveniently “shared” a gift wrap post or email with them.
For the link to that post about gift wrapping. Click here.
Occasionally, I am concerned by a message…
“I enjoy your newsletter, but I don’t think it is relevant enough for my auto parts store staff to pay for it, but I’ll definitely remain a free subscriber.” ~Springfield Auto Parts
Which brings me to the topic at hand…
You can’t please everyone, but it’s not a bad intent.
Use every comment or message as a learning opportunity. Here’s what I learned from the two messages above.
#1 The gift wrap post was very specific, included an image and a sample caption idea for utilizing a gift wrap image on social media. It was one of my most read posts and generated some new paid subscribers. And it remains one of the most read posts in the Retail Details archives according to my Substack analytics. (Yes. I am a stats nerd that pays attention to analytics. Maybe I’ll write a post about that soon.)
Key Takeaway: Retail Details subscribers appreciate specific, actionable tips.
#2 Depending on your perspective —or mood or sensitivity level— the second comment could be viewed negatively or as a positive. Of course, I am pleased that he enjoys the newsletter, but should I be concerned that much of my content is too specific for niche retailers? And for your purposes, think about the same sentence like this: “Should I be concerned that much of my merchandise —or advertising or social media posts— are too specific to target a broad enough range of customers?”