When Emily Jones founded her mobile tanning company Girl on the Glow in 2018, she had no idea how the industry would change just two years later. “Our original business model basically became void during quarantine,” says Emily. But the Girl on the Glow team acted fast, and launched an eCommerce site offering clothing, skincare, and accessories to their client base. And they used Vimeo Create to get the word out.
“We used Vimeo Create to create ads, posts, and stories for social,” Emily tells us. Since then, team has scaled their video production from zero to 30 videos, and uses Vimeo Create to make and share 3 – 6 videos every single month. Through video messaging, Girl on the Glow has been able to continue to build a relationship with their audience during an unprecedented time.
“I had absolutely no experience with video, and now I work with Vimeo Create daily,” adds Emily. “I’m not sure what we did before this.” After spending the spring and summer getting the word out and weathering the storm, the Girl on the Glow team has been able to execute nearly 200 mobile tans since re-opening. We caught up with Emily to hear more about their COVID business journey, and find out how Vimeo Create revolutionized their approach to marketing.
Tell us about your business. How big is your team?
We began with mobile spray tanning! Your space is our studio, so we come to you. We also sell clothing via our boutique. Our long term mission is assisting our girls in creating confidence from the outside in. As of today, we have a team of 8 consisting of Glowtenders, administration and marketing, and a blog writer.
How did you pivot in light of the pandemic?
COVID was tough for everyone on our team, as you can imagine. I sent care packages and texts to let the team know I was thinking of them, which helped keep a bond between us. For our clients, we stayed in touch through social media and our blog Get in the Glow.
As a business owner, I used this time to develop and create. Instead of being caught up in the loss of business, I used the time to develop future plans and goals. That’s why we launched our clothing boutique with loungewear and spring wardrobe pieces. It felt like the right step!
How important is video for you in spreading your message?
Honestly, very! I needed a video to help explain Girl on the Glow. Clients have so many questions about who and what we are. It was hard to create a great marketing message on a small business budget. Vimeo Create is the absolute best addition to our marketing, and I’m obsessed with it.
What are your video marketing goals?
We’ve been working more and more with running Facebook ads throughout the pandemic. Each time we create a video with Vimeo Create as compared to a still photo, our clicks are much higher. Video helps us create a message for our clients by giving them information in a clear visual way. Primarily, we want to be different. We believe different equals noticed.
What advice can you share for small business owners who are making it work right now?
Use this time to create and develop a future plan. When business opens up, time will become a premium commodity again. This won’t happen twice in a lifetime, so catch up, prepare, and plan! Keep busy and keep your head high.
Try Vimeo Create
