Allium Market

We headed to Brookline’s Coolidge Corner and chatted with Chelsea, Head Cheesemonger at Allium Market to discuss collaborating with other brands, making sales through social channels, and solving problems through the DM’s

The Stats

Allium Market

Brookline, MA

Instagram:

@AlliumMarket

3,140 Followers 

Facebook:

Allium Market and Cafe

1,017 Likes

1,133 Followers

422 Check-in’s

When Allium Market opened up in Brookline’s Coolidge Corner in 2014, there was one goal in mind: to fill the void that was missing in the neighborhood for a casual, comfortable place to both shop and eat. There were amazing restaurants and bars, but not so much when it came to a neighborhood grocer that provided both fresh greens and harder to find cheeses and speciality items. So when it came to marketing themselves on social media, they have truly tried to capture that vibe: a place that can be a cozy, comfortable hub for the neighborhood, while also providing customers with expert knowledge and amazing hospitality. 

As Chelsea explains, Allium has been able to use social media to get the word out about who they are and what makes them special, and in the process they’ve found their place in both the neighborhood and far beyond. 

Tell us about Allium

Allium is a specialty foods market, cafe, and cheese shop in Coolidge Corner. We have a 1000+ sku inventory of handmade products, both imported and domestic. Our entire kitchen and pastry program is entirely from scratch and we believe in providing our community with wholesome, special food. Products that are esoteric, made sustainably, woman made, 

How would you define your voice on social?

Friendly, detailed, and community driven. We keep things bright and cheery, and try to welcome our customers and friends into being a part of what we are doing here. It is important for us to show why people should spend their hard earned money here, before they even get in the door. 

What social media channels seem to work best for you?

Instagram gets a lot more traffic that Facebook. We don’t use Twitter. 

Do you have a target audience on social media?

Any potential customers. This could be folks who live in our neighborhood but havent come in yet, or our regulars who are excited to be kept up to date on specials and new product arrivals! A new customer for us can be someone across the country whose kid goes to school in Boston, and they'll make it a point to come in when they come to visit. We are also always looking to catch the eye of bloggers and influencers. 

Do you use any tools to measure how successful your posts are?

We do boost our posts occasionally, and find that a large majority of interactions are from Women. As a Woman owned and operated business, this isn't a huge surprise! 

Have you been able to use social media to collaborate with other brands?

We have done giveaways with Boston Calendar and other companies, and when collaborating with other businesses we always utilize social media to cross promote. We do a lot of collaboration with nearby restaurants and breweries, so Instagram is the first place we go with marketing these events. Being able to share each other's stories makes it super easy to share customers and get the word out.  

Have been able to connect with clients over social media and make sales?

Instagram's new "buy tickets" feature is so convenient for when we host dinners and classes. We often get inquiries for cheese platters or custom cakes in response to photos of the items, and while we do transfer these conversations to email, we definitely see orders coming in via social media. 

Have you been able to use social media to help make things right with a customer after an issue?

Pretty often. One customer who really did not like our soup comes to mind, and after a lengthy conversation with her in our DMs we were able to solve the problem and make her happy at the end of the day! We welcome feedback privately in social media, it gives us the opportunity to get personal with our customers while avoiding the ever-dreaded negative yelp review. 

What advice would you give to a company who wants to get started using social media to market themselves? 

To develop a clear voice both visually and in verbal content, not to be either over or under active, and to pick the right times to sponsor posts. 

Thanks for speaking with us Chelsea!