Best Practices: Video in Bike Retail

It's easy to get caught up in the Got-To-Win-The-Google-Search game and forget about the second largest search engine in the world, YouTube. YouTube is arguably more engaging than any other social platform and it allows people to make a personal connection far faster than Facebook, Twitter, etc. YouTube should be taken very seriously by all retailers and I strongly encourage building a strategy going forward on the channel. If you're skeptical, here are some absolutely crazy stats to prove how much of an impact YouTube is making: 

• Over a billion people have YouTube accounts. 
• 4 billion YouTube videos are viewed each day.
• 100 hours of video is uploaded every minute.
• 40% of YouTube traffic comes from mobile. 
• 14.4% of Americans use YouTube during work. 
• 19.1 million monthly unique visitors for YouTube in the UK.
• 60 million YouTube users in China (where YouTube is blocked by the government)
• 50% of teens consider YouTube their favorite site. 
• 70% of Millennials visit YouTube at least monthly. 
• 58% of Generation X visit YouTube at least monthly. 
• 40% of Baby boomers visit YouTube at least monthly. 
• YouTube is 20.5% of the US video advertising market. 
• Average sales order value for visitors referred by YouTube is $27.63.

All these stats came from here. 

I've gone ahead and compiled some of my favorite bike shop videos to give you some ideas of what people are already doing. Check them out:

PEDAL by Gears Bike Shop

Gears Bike Shop did an amazing job in this video. It's calm, it's understated, it's clean. It never tries to sell you, rather it tries to convey an experience. 

SPRING 2013 by Bicycle Gallery

Bicycle Gallery's video is here to sell you, but it's not Crazy Eddie on a car lot sales. It's showing you how the local shop is preparing for the coming season and dropping all sorts of ideas on how you can be a part of it. I especially love the final bit where they say what camera they used and how that camera was on sale at the store. Also, the music is perfect. 

LESSONS IN LAYEROLOGY by Big Poppi Bicycle Company

Humor, humor, humor. Nothing wrong with having a bit of fun. 

OUR COMPANY CULTURE by Big Poppi Bicycle Company

Going to give Big Poppi double props here. With this video they are teaching people about their culture. To quote Simon Sinek, "People don't buy from you because they need what you have, they buy because they believe what you believe." This video does that wonderfully. If you believe in fun, teamwork, and inclusive environments then you'll love Big Poppi... who just happens to sell and repair bicycles. 

THE ART'S CYCLERY TRAILER by Art's Cyclery

Along the same lines the Art's Cyclery Trailer is showing us why they exist- to ride, race, teach, rip, soar, etc. It's short, it's clean, and it make me want to ride. 

HOW WE ROLL by Mike's Bikes

The video from Mike's Bikes doesn't stop at telling us why they exist, they go on to say how they do it (locations, training, community-based) and what they do (bike sales, fit, repair). It might not be a video I watch twice, but it's definitely a video I will watch. Especially if I landed on this video when I hit their website. 

Some honorable mentions:

Bicycle Gallery, Ride A Specialized

718 Cyclery, Inverted Bike Shop

North Shore Bike Shop, Commercial

Do you know of any great videos from bike retailers? If so, share them in the comments.

Hope you found this post helpful. If so, please consider sharing it. Thanks- Donny.  

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Want more? Take a look at Leading Out Retail. This book is a creative look at bicycle retail and teaches retailers simple strategies on how to increase profit through service, what the most important question to ask every customer is, and how to manage the dreaded Timmy Factor.

5 Ways to Engage Your Audience. Without the Feeling that You’ve Been Tricked.

Whether posting to your Facebook page or sending out an email, an effective title can be the difference between clicking the link of ignoring it. Here are some of the most effective strategies when writing your title copy.

1. Who Else Wants [blank]?
Starting with “Who Else Wants” does two things: first it touches on the desire of want, second it confirms that the thing you’re offering has been proven to work by previous buyers.

• Who Else Wants a Great Cyclocross Bike?
• Who Else Wants a Winter Tune-Up?
• Who Else Wants To Join Us For the Ride this Thursday?

2. The Secret of/to [blank]
You’ve probably seen this one used before. That’s because it works. It is implying some insider knowledge, something that can only be learned by consuming your content.

• The Secret of Never Falling Down with Clip-In Pedals
• The Secret to Climbing Without Losing Weight
• The Secret to Riding in the Rain Without Getting Wet

3. Here is a Method That is Helping [blank] to [blank]
This will identify a target audience. Either one your speaking to directly or by illustrating a person or people that your target audience has aspirations to be.

• Here is a Method That is Helping Pro Triathletes Rest Better
• Here is a Method That is Helping Mothers Ride Mountain Bikes with Their Kids
• Here is a Method That is Helping Cyclists Avoid Unnecessary Repair Costs

4. [Do something] like [world-class example]
If you were watching commercials in the early 90s you may remember when Gatorade did this with the “Be Like Mike” campaign featuring Michael Jordan.

• Time Trial Like Tony Martin
• Descend Like Aaron Gwin
• Write Content Like Donny Perry

5. [Number] Ways to [solution/problem]. You will be [emotion]
This formula of words is like graduating to Copy Writing University. By showing a number we are setting the reader that this is a process that has been broken down to specific steps. Next it conveys an emotion and titles that convey emotion have a far greater open rate. Just check out Upworthy or Viralnova and just try not clicking one of those links.

• 6 Ways to Cure Saddle Pain. You’re Sex Life Will Thank You.
• 10 Ways to Handle Irate Drivers. You'll Laugh at #10.
• 3 Ways to Ride in the Snow. You’ll Love Winter in a Whole New Way

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Check out the book. Leading Out Retail is a creative look at bicycle retail and teaches retailers simple strategies on how to increase profit through service, what the most important question to ask every customer is, and how to manage the dreaded Timmy Factor.

Facebook for (Bike) Retailers

Your Facebook post was brilliant but no one liked it, commented on it, or shared it. So what happened? Are you wasting your time on Facebook? Is social media really worth the time and effort?

This quick lesson plan teaches you the basics of being awesome on Facebook. This is not a strategy, this is tactical! I wrote it for bike retailers but really, these rules apply to anyone- big or small- brand, business, or person. 

Winning at Facebook. A How-To Lesson Plan for Bike Retailers. from Donny Perry

If you found this valuable I would appreciate it if you took a moment to share it. Thanks - Donny

Read This Before You Waste Another Tweet

When is the best time to tweet? How about the best time to update your Facebook status? Or Instagram? We're all looking for a shortcut but here is the hard truth. 

There is no perfect time to tweet that works for every person or business. There is only the perfect time to tweet that works for you and your readers. Articles or experts that argue otherwise are usually presenting some form of aggregated data, which any data analyst will tell you, tends to clump.

Believing in clumps of aggregated data is falling victim to the shotgun fallacy. Aim a shotgun at the side of a barn, pull the trigger, and there will be hundreds of little holes spread across the barn. But there will also be a clump of those shots in the middle. A shotgun fallacy is when you draw a target around that clump and tell everyone, "I hit the target!"

For example, some social media experts will tell you that people check Twitter at 9:00 on Saturday. Though for a bike retailer, 9:00am on a Saturday may be the most popular time for their customers to be out riding their bike. So, that tweet is essentially wasted. Instead posting between 11 and noon might be better, when their customers are finished with their bike ride and checking their feeds. 

I encourage the bike retailers I work with to test multiple times and track which times of day create the most engagement. Turning your calendar to the viewership f your audience is the best way to get huge results from your social channels.

Thank you for reading this far. If you have found this piece valuable I would appreciate it if you shared it on your social channels. Thanks again, Donny

Can Something Go Viral Twice? How About 3 Times?

Last month this video of Jeremy Fry lip syncing Bon Jovi at a Celtics game went viral. It did so well that Bon Jovi's 1980s song Living on a Prayer reemerged in the charts and made it to 25th. The interesting piece of the story is that this video was released in 2009 and it went viral that year as well. Nearly five years later the video has found new life.

Great content has many lives and can be reused to engage a new group of fans. As we create content for our blog, feeds, or site- it is good to know that great content can always be brought back to life.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. If you found value in this piece would you please consider sharing it on social? Thanks again. Donny