We recently connected with Kelli Benton and have shared our conversation below.

Kelli, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

It actually started as a discussion between friends. A “wouldn’t it be cool if…” conversation. We laughed and talked about all the things we wanted in a shop. What we thought would work, and wouldn’t and, before we knew it, we were trying to think of a name and find a warehouse to create the place we were dreaming of. We found a warehouse, chose a name, worked on a website and just like that, had our first market. It was fun and exciting, scary and honestly, not very easy, but, I would do it again in a second! My two partners ended up moving on, I am so glad my husband and I decided to continue. I would have never imagined we would grow Seaglass Monthly Market into such an amazing business and still be the owners 10 years later!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Sure, my name is Kelli Benton. I was born and raised in Brooklyn NY and currently live in Leland NC. Seaglass Monthly Market, is in Castle Hayne NC and is a once a month vendor based market that features over 50 local artists and artisans selling handmade, homemade, resale and retail items. As the owner of the Market MY customer is the vendor. My job is to create a space, a community, of local talent and entrepreneurship. Seaglass’ goal is to be the home base for local artisans to showcase their incredible work and build a supportive network that thrives on mutual success and creativity. We want the customer to feel the friendly vibe the second they walk in the door.

Seaglass is a business built on the foundation of relationships, where vendors and customers can come together to share stories and support one another. Whether it’s through hosting community events, workshops or simply encouraging conversations around a cash register, the goal is to make everyone feel like they are part of something bigger.

It champions the idea that business can be a force for good, fostering a sense of unity and mutual support that extends far beyond its walls.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I think most small businesses have a love/hate relationship with Social Media, but it is a necessary evil. One thing I have learned is it isn’t about the numbers of followers, but the quality of connections and the community you build along the way. We have grown our following slowly over 10 years, and have done it very organically. We ask each new vendor to LIKE and FOLLOW Seaglass, as well as, each current vendor, and we try to create our own algorithm around each market weekend. We engage with other small businesses in our area as well as with local Artists and Artisans.

If you are new to using social media to grow your audience and build your business I have learned that authenticity is key. People love seeing the face behind the brand. Share your thoughts, your wins and even your failures. Other important things to remember are consistency, interesting content, creating engagement and collaboration.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

In one word, consistency. We are open once a month, every month ( twice in November & December), always the third weekend. We are open Fri-Sun 9:00-3:00 each day of Market. We send a Monthly Newsletter out, as well as a monthly reminder. Our website is always up to date, we post daily on our Social Media Pages and our voice mail is clear as to when the next market will be. Because our hours are so different it is very important that our clientele, new or repeat, know when, and how, they can shop with us. I take great pride in marketing Seaglass as a whole, but also marketing the amazing individual businesses that you can find under our roof. It’s so important for our customers to know what they can expect each month at one of our Markets.

Contact Info:

• Website: seaglassmonthlymarket.com
• Instagram: seaglass_monthly_market
• Facebook: facebook.com/seaglassmonthlymarket