On Increasing Online Sales, Lifestyle Brand Co-Founder Says “Measure Everything”

After volunteering in rural communities across Mexico, the group of friends that would later become the co-founders of apparel and accessories brand Someone Somewhere were inspired to combine the traditional handcrafts of Mexico with contemporary products. Someone Somewhere is a digitally native brand on a mission to lift millions of artisans out of poverty, by connecting their products with the needs of modern consumers and corporations.

Over the past seven years, the brand has facilitated a 300% monthly income increase of artisans in Puebla, Oaxaca and Chiapas, and grown their own business by building a digital presence that meets its target customers where they are.

Learn more about the tools Someone Somewhere uses to help its customers find the right products and communicate the impact their purchases can have on the lives of its artisans in our interview with Someone Somewhere CEO and co-founder Antonio Nuño.

What led you to bring your business online?

We realized that most of our target customers (millennials) spent the majority of their time online, so we decided to build a digital presence and meet them there.

How did you start growing a community on Facebook and Instagram?

We started by posting different kinds of content and analyzing what resonated the most in each platform. We also collaborated with other brands and influencers that shared our mission and that were already talking to the audience we wanted to reach.

What advice do you have for other businesses looking to build an online community?

To measure all your efforts and little by little, optimize your images, copywriting, frequency and tone to connect with your audience. Focus on content that will add value to your community and try to engage them in the conversation.

How do you keep your followers engaged?

We put a lot of attention on our images and copywriting, and have a lot of dynamics where people can interact with the brand, like giveaways, surveys and open questions.

How are you driving traffic to your Facebook and Instagram Shops?

We use a mix of organic and boosted posts, as well as ads targeting different stages of the conversion funnel.

What tactics have you found to work best for your Facebook and Instagram ads?

Start small, iterate and scale what's working. The quality of your creative assets also has a huge influence on the performance of your ads, so it's better to invest a little more in creative assets than putting all your budget on bad quality ads.

What tips would you give a business looking to increase their online sales?

Measure everything and focus on the metrics that have the most influence on sales. Start with the bottom of your funnel (repurchase) and go up from there until you reach the awareness stage. Invest in high-quality content and customer service.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

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