A weekly podcast has boosted awareness – and sales – for knitting supply retailer WEBS.
Kathy Elkins, owner of the Northampton, MA-based business, told attendees at the recent ACCM conference in Orlando that the weekly investment in the “Ready Set Knit” podcast is about $300. The show is produced by and aired on a local AM radio station, and then posted online by WEBS.
While there are many other knitting podcasts, Elkins and her husband Steve noticed there were no other programs hosted by (a) shop owners or (b) spouses. She said she saw a great opportunity to capitalize on air on the rapport husband and wives have with each other.
In each half-hour broadcast, the Elkins share personal anecdotes, store news and talk about specific yarns. Knitters, industry pros and even other bloggers are also interviewed. And Steve, who isn’t a knitter himself but knows yarn, talks about new products.
In April 2007, Elkins estimated that the show was downloaded 1000 to 2000 times each week. By early May 2008, that number had swelled to 8,200. The shows also have a long lifespan—Elkins noted that people often go back and listen to old broadcasts.
On air, Elkin often walks listeners through a knitting project. Specific types of needles, yarn and reference books are often discussed, and the company sees a direct correlation between products featured and sales.
Listener interaction is encouraged via an “Ask the Elkins” tab on top of the Yarn.com home page. One commenter said she regularly looked up products on the site as they were discussed on the podcast.
“Ready Set Knit” has helped the store gain extra credibility online, she said, noting Yarn.com is experiencing 34% annual growth. “People feel like they know us and know who they are buying from.”
WEBS also maintains a blog, which helps cross sell products, and at ACCM announced it was getting ready to soon launch a new Web site. The company is also mulling how online video will fit into its strategy.
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