Peeling Behind Personify Shop
Meet Maddie.
Maddie is much of the magic behind Personify Shop. She connects with artists, curators, and customers in a way I dream to - plus, she has phenomenal music taste. Check out one of her killer playlists on the Personify blog.
Personify exists to enable shoppers to "Personalize Your World." "Personalizing your world" is to surround yourself with the things that bring you joy: like when you know the stories behind the items, and when we wait for the PERFECT thing, and when we give the most unique gifts, and when we stand out from the crowd.
To Personify it's all about the treasure hunt, the connections made with artists and small businesses, the people they meet in the shop, and the people they connect with through social media. Personify is for the dreamers, the curators, and those that appreciate the little things in life above all else.
From a marketers perspective, what do you credit for your success?
Relationships are key - you have to develop trust with your customers and that doesn’t happen immediately.
People want connection.
It is difficult to make connections on Instagram and it takes a lot of time, but it pays off in a lot of different ways. For one, I've met a lot of wonderful people and many that have turned into real friends.
Take the time to find the people you truly admire and that you believe in what they're doing.
There are A LOT of different "influencers" out there so you have to narrow down the ones who really inspire you and share a similar aesthetic to your business. I would pay attention to the people who are interacting with you.
"Invest in the people who invest in you" is something we truly believe in at Personify.
This is a new way to market your business so there is not a set way to do it.
It can be scary to reach out but there's also so much potential! Not every interaction turns into a business or marketing "strategy" but you never know what that relationship can bring in the future.
I wouldn’t say we are marketing geniuses, but I try to give the same experience to someone online as someone that walks into the store.
Personify adds so much fun to Duluth, a city that just keeps getting cooler. If someone walks in for the first time, how do you hope their first moments feel?
We work really hard to make sure our space is bright + happy.
Our hope is that customers can experience a sense of joy through the goods we fill the shop with and the way we display them in the space. We love when people take their time to look around and hopefully discover something fresh and unique in every corner.
And of course we want to make a personal connection to every person that walks in - it’s definitely a privilege for us to be in the shop every day.
What is something that has surprised you?
Our clothes surprise me - I just can’t keep them in stock!
I think we’ve really hit on that women want affordable clothes that are different from the typical things you find in malls or a chain store.
We can try more fun and different things than a department store because we don’t have to sell so many of ONE item.
What is something you’re looking forward to?
The feeling of walking into the shop each day is like no other. I truly look forward to going to work each day. The day is ripe for possibility and connection - I never know who will walk in.
I look forward to the changing of the seasons and having the shop reflect that, my favorite season is fall, which is right around the corner.
I love finding new artists and small businesses to work with.
What advice would you share with other eCommerce businesses?
Try to make a connection with your people online -- not only to make sales, but also for the personal fulfillment in your business.
We always try to point people to our social media pages whether they are an in-store or online customer. Obviously we love when we get a random order online from someone we don't know, but it's easy to make a sale and much harder to make a customer.
We always write a handwritten note in our online orders and love to interact via email, phone, Instagram, Facebook, anything!
We want people to become invested in our story, and we want to become invested in theirs.
Retail can be draining when it's just about getting people to buy something.
That is NOT our ultimate goal - our goal is to make connection... between us, our employees, our customers, makers, small businesses, etc.
Email vs. Social Media? Where would you rather invest your time?
I spend a LOT of time on Instagram, mostly because I love connecting with people there. Instagram stories are so fun. It’s a fast and efficient way to communicate. I would encourage people who love Personify to follow me on there @shoppersonify.
We do some email marketing, but I don’t feel like it’s as easy to connect. You send it out and then never hear from people.
Last question, what is your favorite thing that has recently come into the shop?
This is such a hard question!
I always have a long tab at Personify and love everything because I pick it all out. HA!
I really can’t wait for some of the fall clothes that will be coming in soon. They are FABULOUS.
SAY THANKS!
Thanks Maddie! My wife (and my credit card) will be seeing you soon.
If you enjoyed hearing from Maddie, please let her know.
Send her a DM that tells her just how awesome she is and your favorite thing she shared about Personify Shop.