In the beginning of March, Glitter & Spice won the Small Business BC Best Online Marketer Award. This one-employee company is the brainchild of Lorene Mah, who lives in South Surrey, BC.
When Mah’s second child was born, she wanted to buy him premium-quality teething products. Surprised by how difficult it was to find something that was both functional and stylish, she started making her own teething accessories that fit the bill. The accessories were an instant success with her friends and family, and this prompted Mah to create a website and use Instagram to market her teething accessories.
In less than a year, Glitter & Spice manage to achieve more than 100,000 sales and received publicity from major publications such as Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour and Vogue. The teething accessories were also included in the swag bags given to celebrities who attended the Emmys and Academy Awards.
Glitter & Spice is a good example of how a small business owner can harness the power of social media marketing to drive success. The company gets nearly 80 percent of its sales through Instagram, where it boasts of more than 47,000 followers.
Social media marketing experts say that the largest demographic on Instagram is women living in urban areas between the ages of 18 and 29. Mah said that when she started out, she was not aware that Instagram shopping was extremely popular and that small business owners had a strong presence on the social media platform. However, she felt that it was the perfect way to showcase her teething accessories and went ahead and used the social networking site.
Head of Strategic Projects for Small Business BC and one of the judges for the Best Online Marketer Awards, Sara Clark, states that Glitter & Spice is the perfect example of how social media can help launch new ventures.
Glitter & Spice also built its following on Instagram through promotions such as giving away products in exchange for photos and by using brand representatives. Mah feels that businesses do not need traditional marketers if they know how to use social media. Glitter & Spice has been approached by marketing companies, but the company has not hired their services.
Mah is a good example of a successful entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs have to learn to overcome challenging situations and make split-second decisions to spur business success. The UCW MBA program can help students who want to become entrepreneurs and small business owners. The program equips an MBA graduate with the ability to make informed decision using pragmatic and innovative solutions. This, in turn, can help the graduate succeed in challenging business environments.
