Stoned Crystals Overcomes Lockdown on Instagram

From Bricks to Clicks: How The Aussie Lifestyle Brand Turned Instagram Into a $180k Income Stream

As businesses struggle to find footing in a rapidly changing retail climate, Melbourne-based homewares brand, Stoned Crystals, has found a profitable way to recreate the traditional shopping experience online and increase sales by +134% since the temporary closure of their flagship store. 

Crediting Instagram's live broadcast functionality, the image and video streaming app is responsible for delivering a monthly return in excess of $180k for the brand by merging offline and online selling mechanics in a fully immersive, digital environment.

Aptly named Stoned Crystals Live Sales, the online events are conducted tri-weekly and structured by product category and focus. Providing a virtual in-store customer experience, the face-to-face broadcasts have become a significant hub for crystal related news, lifestyle tips, styling tutorials, range previews, consulting, and selling.

"Live-streamed broadcasts are the closest thing we have to face-to-face selling in a physically disconnected world," said Ashley Bellino, founder of Stoned Crystals. "When done correctly, it can serve as a profitable income stream and allow brands to cultivate a digital ecosystem specific to their customers' needs."

First conceptualised in 2017 and later refined to accommodate the imposed lockdowns, the success of Stoned Crystals Live Sales is attributed to a synergistic mix of purposeful merchandising, entertaining content, smart selling cues, engaging discussions, value-driven promotions, memorable hosts, and practice.

"In a way, Instagram has transformed into something more intimate," said Ashley. "Customers want to see what happens behind the scenes; they want to be part of a brand's narrative and they want to know they're cared for well beyond the transaction."

Passionate about helping other small businesses thrive, Ashley recommends the following tips in order to develop a profitable revenue stream using Instagram Live:

1. Make the move online: consistency across platforms is key
2. Develop a plan: know what you're going to say and how you're going to say it
3. Recreate the offline, online: it's all about the visuals 
4. Brand each stream: customers like structure  
5. Introduce a selling mechanic: create a purchasing identifier
6. Develop a connection: foster an interactive environment
7. Timing is everything: let your customers determine run times
8. Marketing is your friend: promote your streams 2-4 weeks in advance
9. Make mistakes: it humanises your brand
10. Have fun: this is your stage

To learn more about Stoned Crystals, including their live sales, please visit www.stonedcrystals.com