Small Business Social Media Profile: RESTORE Clothing

The Small Business Social Media Profiles is a series where BlogWorld talks with small businesses about how they’ve incorporated social media into their website, marketing, and promotion. We ask for their input and hopefully encourage you to further your social media reach!

This week we are talking with RESTORE Clothing. Not just “Green” but Responsibly Green! New York City garment industry veterans, Anthony and Celeste Lilore, launched RESTORE® CLOTHING to share their vision of social responsibility and their commitment to producing timeless, well constructed, essential garment collections. You can follow them on their Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook accounts. They also have photos and videos on their website. They also have a blog you should check out!

When did you start integrating Twitter and Facebook into your business marketing and outreach?
We jumped into social media and networking in July of 2009.

How did you begin promoting your account and encourage fans to follow you?
At first it was mostly listening and reading, much like getting into a game of jump rope, you have to feel how it goes before getting in the game. Then we started following the folks we admired across multiple disciplines and amplified their voices as well as those in our own community. We are now very fortunate to have many people we admire doing the same for us.

Do you run any contests, or specials, or have other interesting activities in place for social media?
After 22 months of studying the social landscape and decades of community building we are baby steps away from launching a completely integrated campaign with goals to “crush”. This plan does include specials (holidays and seasons) and a large push for an interactive community; meaning, we aim to have our followers interact with us, sharing their own stories and experiences as relating to our product and services.

Do you have a social media plan and/or policy in place?
Yes, and it is evolving as we do. We set weekly and monthly goals pertaining to growth and outreach. This being said, it is not about numbers, it is about growing a community that shares common values and interests, creating this kind of relationship makes a reliable source of information as well as products.

Do you have social media goals for your business?
Yes we do. There are expectations as far as putting material out on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. We are also dedicated to responding to and staying connected to those who reach out to us, at least as much as time allows.

Do you have a dedicated employee for social media or do you all interact?
We all are active in the social landscape to various degrees. A couple of people spend more of their time focused on these goals and day-to-day updates.

How important do you think social media is for a company?
At this point in time, if you desire to reach a mass audience, you must participate. Even on a local level, you have instant access to an engaged audience. There simply is not another space where access to consumers is so directly available.

How do you deal with questions/concerns/complaints via social media? Do you ever fear being too accessible?
We connect in real time (as much as sanely possible) and love living out loud. We encourage interactivity and welcome opportunities to engage our followers directly. We do not fear being too accessible.

If you’d like to have your small business profiled, please shoot me an email with your name and website!