Why Facebook ads have been beneficial to this independent retailer

You might describe Total Hockey, launched by Alan and Steven McMurray, as an accidental success. The co-directors explain that the family business was launched in the Twenties as a draper’s, only for a mishap 15 years ago to prompt a change of plan. “The building next door was being pulled down and it caused a massive problem with subsidence,” Alan recalls. “Unfortunately, we found ourselves homeless and had to let all our staff go.”

Next came an unexpected change of direction. “I was working for the Sports Council [now UK Sport] at the time and a kind-hearted contact asked me whether I wanted to sell hockey kit,” Alan says. “So we did that from a corner of our temporary premises, and by the time we were able to move back into our original building, we’d realised this had the potential to be a successful business.”

Today, the draper’s shop is gone and Total Hockey, based in Banbridge, Northern Ireland, is the UK’s leading independent retailer of hockey kit.

Facebook has been a crucial part of the story, explains Alan: “It has given us a huge opportunity to engage and interact with our customers. We’ve been prepared to put ourselves in front of the cameras and often to have a laugh at our own expense — and that has shown our customers that there are real human beings behind this business.”

Total Hockey’s experimentation with Facebook began in the run-up to the 2012 Olympic Games in London, when the McMurrays launched a campaign to build the business’s profile. “Before the games, our pages only had 450 likes, but we worked on so much Olympics material, that by the time the games were over, that figure had risen to 4,500,” Steven says.

Having recognised the potential of Facebook, Total Hockey then began to use the platform for advertising in earnest. “What I like is that with every advert that I place, I can see what I’ve spent, what the conversion rate has been and what revenues it has been able to generate,” Steven says. “It gives you real visibility and measurability — and helps you identify what works.”

The McMurrays work hard to keep campaigns fresh, employing two designers who manage the business’s social media presence. Total Hockey also used Facebook to raise its profile at the Rio 2016 Olympics — and at this year’s Hockey World Cup tournament. “We ran a competition where people had to find us at the games,” Alan explains.

The social media strategy has paid off handsomely. Total Hockey continues to operate from three shops, but 65 per cent of its sales are now online. “Facebook has such deep tools, but it also gives good support,” Steven adds. “There are real people we can speak to for advice.”

When it comes to offering advice to other budding entrepreneurs, Alan emphasises patience. “People complain that their advert didn’t work, but they don’t take time to find out why and to change tack,” he says. “Success doesn’t necessarily happen overnight, and some people struggle with that in this age of instant gratification.”

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