The Client

A Main Hobbies is an international radio control (R/C) hobby store, selling merchandise both online and at its brick-and-mortar store in Chico, California. Founded in 2004, in just six short years A Main Hobbies has grown into a multi-million dollar company and a hub for R/C enthusiasts around the globe. Carrying over 300 brands and manufacturers, A Main Hobbies sells R/C cars, trucks, helicopters and airplanes, plus all parts and accessories. The company also has its own line of R/C accessories including batteries, chargers, tools, bearings and more.

The Challenge

A Main Hobbies was hesitant to dive into social media. When they came to Oneupweb they had dipped their toe in the water with a YouTube Channel with a handful of videos—and that was it. But their customers were connecting online and discussing their radio control hobbies on social networking sites, and A Main Hobbies knew they needed to be in on the conversation. So they turned to Oneupweb.

The Tactics

Oneupweb conducted extensive market research to determine which social media channels would benefit A Main Hobbies the most. Facebook and YouTube stood out as the clear winners. A Main Hobbies' customers were already interacting with these two channels, discussing and looking for information on the exact type of products A Main Hobbies sells. And the number of users on these two sites were growing everyday.

Starting from scratch, Oneupweb setup and created a custom Facebook Business Page. We also completely revamped A Main Hobbies' YouTube presence, going with an entirely new design and approach in order to garner more activity among A Main Hobbies' new and regular YouTube viewers.

The Results

• In one month, the A Main Hobbies Facebook Page generated a higher overall sales conversion rate than SEO and PPC–combined.
• In that same period, A Main Hobbies was able to generate nearly 1,900 Facebook "Likes"—which equates to an average of 37 new fans per day.
• Communication with the brand is up. The A Main Hobbies Facebook Page has an average of 15 customer interactions (Likes or comments) to each Wall post, proving that their customers want to engage with the brand on this social network.
• One A Main Hobbies Wall post received 40 interactions in one day. This means that not only is the company posting about information their target audience is interested in, they are successfully communicating with dozens of radio control enthusiasts on a daily basis.
• A Main Hobbies gained nearly 500 Facebook fans in a single day by following Oneupweb's recommendation to promote its social media profiles using the company's existing offline outlets.
• As a direct result of Oneupweb's work, the A Main Hobbies new YouTube Channel generated 150% more channel views and 240% more subscribers/friends.
• As a result of its social media marketing efforts, A Main Hobbies has a stronger overall sales rate. By using Facebook as a branch of its customer service department, the social network has garnered an extraordinary amount of customer feedback, ultimately improving the company as a whole.

The Takeaway

Social media marketing is an effective tool to increase brand awareness and, ultimately, sales. By communicating openly with your target audience, you receive valuable feedback and help to build trust between your company and your customers. But it takes a comprehensive strategy and clearly defined measurements for success to excel in social media channels. Oneupweb can get you there.