Response Magazine - September 2010

shared online. It’s how we think we cre-
ate a connection to customers that makes
them choose us over other companies.”
The Lion Brand Yarn Facebook page
has more than 136,000 fans, and status
updates on project ideas, seasonal calls-
to-action and solicitations for knitting or
crochet advice regularly receive anywhere
from 500 to 2,000 responses from online
consumers.

“I think one of the ways we stand out
is in our various social media,” Rabinow-
itz adds. “We interact with our fans all
day long, and we have found that people
who use our social media
sites like Facebook or
who comment on the
blog have a higher rate
of conversion than other
visitors to the site.”

Though Lion Brand Yarn does sell directly through its Web site, Rabinowitz says the com-

pany views the site as a combination of a marketing and a sales tool.

“We do have a catalog and Web site, but we are mostly using that to drive traffic to the retailers who carry our products. We’re engaging with customers so our brand is more meaningful and valuable to them, ultimately driving a lot of the sales offline,” she says, adding that much of

Visit us in booth 1201 at the ERA Show in Las Vegas Sept 21st & 22nd.

Lion Brand Yarn’s direct sales come from consumers looking for a specific product or quantity when their local retailer carries only limited amounts.

Lion Brand Yarn has also seen success in M-commerce through an iPhone app that gives customers access to Pattern Finder, a program that helps them sort