3 Ways Budget Marine Nails Social Media Marketing

Three Ways Budget Marine Nails Social Media Marketing

Budget Marine is the Caribbean’s leading marine chandlery with retail locations throughout the Caribbean.  Budget Marine embraced the use of Facebook early on, and continues to use it to advantage today.

Currently, Budget Marine uses FaceBook, Instagram and Youtube to connect with customers.  These platforms are backed by the company’s website and augmented with newsletters and sales promotions sent directly to customers via email.

According to Nicole Corvellec, Budget Marine’s Marketing Manager, “Not only is using Facebook much cheaper than individual local ads but it’s also more effective as we don’t need to look at what they read [i.e. print media] and which publication would get the majority of readers – it goes directly to their phone. On the facebook page you will also see “offers” which enables us to put all the offers from all the locations in one spot so people can easily see what the specials are.”

Getting it Right – 1: Know What Customers Use / Look At

Nicole Corvellec says that Budget Marine has seen a big increase in mobile use.  As she expains: “its easier to take your smartphone to shore than drag your laptop. Social media, and especially facebook, has increased tremendously and it makes people feel connected.”

Getting it Right – 2: Capitalizing on Customer Behaviour

Budget Marine’s customers are active on Facebook.  Corvellec explains:

“People like sharing pictures when they have participated in an event we host or have sponsored and that gives us extra exposure as well. It also helps us to strengthen our relationships with vendors that are active on facebook. We can show them what we do to promote their brand and if they like or share that gives us extra brand awareness as well.”

Budget Marine’s Facebook followers have more than doubled in the past year, and so the marketing department has stepped up it’s activity to maximize engagement.

Here’s an impressive snapshot for March, 2017: (Corvellec, Nicole, Budget Marine Marketing Manager, 2017)

Getting it Right – 3:  Know Your Market

The nature of business in the Caribbean is very much a customer friendly and personal experience and the aim is to bring that through in the social media aspect of the marketing. Make it fun, make it personal and make it connect with our customers.

Heather Court, who runs Budget Marine’s Facebook page, targets all customer types – fishing, sail cruising, sail racing, power boating.  She mixes up fun, informative, store info, sales & promotions to bring a more approachable aspect to the social channels by interacting directly with the customers.  She also fits in as many sponsored events as she can, so people can see how engaged Budget Marine is in local communities.

Lessons for Others

Budget Marine has succeeded in its use of social media for marketing by paying attention to the following:

Know your audience; both what they read and the technology that they’re using to read it.  Encourage customer participation by posting information that gets shared.  And lastly, know your market and it’s unique characteristics.

If you have concerns as to the accuracy of anything posted on this site, please send your concerns to Peter Carr, Program Director, Social Media for Business Performance.

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