One of the great things about working with long term clients is being able to build up great relationships, and get to know your clients’ businesses really well. It’s also great to have the regular income…
The downside is that all good things come to an end, and it was with a heavy heart that I had to say goodbye to one of my long-term regulars in 2020. Wingz, a family run accessories company, originally approached me to write blog posts for them in 2012. I started off writing for their sister company, FatPhrocks, about plus size fashion, then they expanded my brief to include the Wingz blog, all of their social media, some PR and press releases, and blogger outreach.
The changing landscape of social media, blogging and Google has, over time, made it progressively more difficult for smaller companies, with small budgets, to make a dent in online sales. At one point we were running ads on facebook along with Twitter and Instagram posts, working with bloggers worldwide to promote the products and blogging weekly. As bloggers became influencers and upgraded their fashion and lifestyle blogs from hobbies to professions, they began to ask for higher fees to review a Wingz product than I was being paid for running their social media for a week! Facebook were charging more and more for advertising and the ads were having less effect. Post reach was dropping for anything that wasn’t paid. It felt as if we were fighting a losing battle.
The pandemic hit, people no longer wanted to buy new clothes. Accessories that took you from day to evening weren’t exactly in demand when the furthest most of us went from our front door was Tesco. Sales dropped. Wingz and I parted company…amicably, but sadly.
They did give me a fantastic testimonial though. I’ve asked if they will add it to my Facebook page, and I’m waiting for that, but until then, I’m going to share it here.
‘Sarah established a social media presence for our business on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. She drove sales through regular engagement with customers via these channels as well as bringing direct traffic to our website using weekly blog posts that focussed on trending topics with high relevance to our product line.
Sarah is a hard worker, dedicated and loyal, she has a great ability to take a brand, then develop its identity and reach. I would highly recommend Sarah for any e-commerce business or company with an online presence’
Steve Ellis – Wingz