"I first visited AmericasMart in January 2018. As one of the buyers for the small business I was working for, buying for the store was a thrilling task..."
It inspired me knowing my small-town community would be filling their homes with hand-picked items the team and I had selected. As the store’s social media manager, I also had another agenda while at the show— to give our customers a peek behind the curtain at what went into purchasing for the store.
Our social channels always boomed around market time as our community loved chiming in on the items they wanted more of, the trends they wanted to fill their homes with, and the things they believed should be kept in Atlanta. All of that engagement led to some of the best-performing content for the store while I’d worked there.
Now, I work as a brand and content manager for Crystal Media; an agency that helps retailers grow through social media and digital marketing. I want to share the social media ideas I’d once used that will raise your engagement—all while piquing the interest of your community for items that’ll be arriving soon!
- Steph Bechard, Brand and Content Manager at Crystal Media
Here are 7 Content Ideas Retailers Should Gather While at Atlanta Market
1. IG/FB Story: “This or That” Story Series.
Create a photo collage with two images of items you're interested in bringing into your store. Use the "Poll" engagement sticker to ask your audience which item they’d prefer to see on your shelves. Your audience will vote “This or That” and help you choose the items that will sell best—all while increasing your engagement on social media.
How to create a
"This or That" Story Series
2. IG Carousel/FB Post/Pinterest Carousel: Trend Alert!
Break down the 5 most common trends you've noticed at Market. This could include new themes, colors, patterns, textures, materials, popular items or other. Be sure to include a dedicated image for each trend, a short description of the trend, and why it stuck out to you.
3. Reel/TikTok: Small Business Spotlight!
After placing an order with a small business, ask to film a short video of the business owner or rep doing a quick introduction of the brand (including some key elements, selling features, or top items). If the rep was able to sell the item to you, it's likely they can do a pretty good job of explaining why it's special to your audience as well.
Create a short-form video from the clip, then add a video clip of yourself sharing your excitement to be supporting small businesses within your store and how you're looking forward to introducing this brand to your community.
4. Reel/TikTok: Timelapse + Voiceover.
Stand in one entrance area (i.e. near an escalator, a busy wholesale room, etc.) and film a 3-5 minute time-lapse video. This will condense into a 15-30 second time-lapse video. The crowd buzzing around will make for a visually appealing video, and can be shared as a short-form video with a trending original audio and a voiceover explaining what you’re keeping an eye out for at the market.
Video script example:
"Hello from Atlanta! I'm here at the wholesale market this week searching for the best, new items to bring to our community, along with your tried and true favorites. We've especially been on the lookout for [insert product/category] as a lot of you have been asking for them. We miss you already, but can't wait to be back in our store soon, unpacking all the goodies we've found at the market."
5. IG Stories: Question Box Sticker.
Film a 30-second or less video sharing that you’re at AmericasMart sourcing beautiful items for the store. Ask your audience to leave a reply sharing the items they just can’t seem to find locally (and how you'll do your best to find the items for them)! Include a "Question Box" engagement sticker to allow your viewers to leave a suggestion.
How to create a
Story Using the Question Box
6 Reel/TikTok: Recap Video.
As mentioned in the intro, people love seeing the behind-the-scenes of everyday life. Film a recap video of each day you're at the market and share what you experienced that day. Here are a few ideas for clips you can include in your recap video:
- Opening the curtains at your hotel room
- Walking into the market with your coffee/tea in hand
- A quick video smiling with your team, or waving to your audience through a mirror
- Several clips of the showrooms you visited that day
- You can repurpose the time-lapse video from Idea 4 inside of this video
- A view of your meal/ cheersing your team at the end of the night
7. Facebook/Instagram Live: Showroom Sneak Peek.
Record a Live tour of a showroom you’ll be visiting the next day—showcasing a few displays and items you had your eye on. Show off a few items you’re definitely getting and a few items you’re on the fence about. Ask your audience to comment on which items they could envision in their homes (and to help you make up your mind on the items you're still contemplating)!
A few key tips for your Facebook/Instagram live:
- Start talking right away in your video. Don’t wait for people to join your Live! Retailers often wait for others to join them before they get into the topic, but this creates a poor user experience for those watching from the start as well as those watching the replay.
- Always ask permission to go Live from one of the sales reps at a wholesale showroom (most granted me permission, but a couple preferred I didn't go live).
- Always be aware of the people and displays around you. Try not to include the faces of anyone else in the showroom to respect privacy.
- Regularly update your audience on the topic of your Live so new people joining know what you're talking about. Try "For those of you tuning in, we're here at AmericasMart picking out items for the store, and we want to hear from you..."
- Post the video to your feed after you’re done filming.
At Crystal Media, we believe that creating unique and different content from your usual posts may mix up any stagnant engagement you’ve been getting. Audiences tend to indulge in content that shares behind the scenes, trends, and feeling included. Luckily for us, these are all things that naturally lend themselves well to posting content from AmericasMart.
Each algorithm (on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok) will also appreciate you entertaining and educating their users, and oftentimes, the higher engagement your content receives, the better results you’ll see moving forward in the algorithm. This is because you’re helping the social platforms reach their goal: keeping eyes on their app. You’re already at the market. You might as well be gaining momentum in the algorithm by utilizing social media, while getting your customers excited for the new items!
Be sure to tag @AmericasMartATL along with using the hashtag #AtlMkt when posting your content ideas from above. I can’t wait to vote on your polls and see what the latest small business trends are happening across North America. Happy shopping and happy posting, retailers!
Steph Bechard is the Brand and Content Manager at Crystal Media, with over 6 years of experience building communities online and skyrocketing engagement for retailers. Learn more at crystalmediaco.com →
