Hello everyone!
Let’s talk shop today. One of the biggest themes of the Alt Summit was social media. Love it? Hate it? Use it? Ignore it? It’s there. Your friends are there. Your readers and the people that will be interested in your work are there.
If you are a blogger, businessperson, shop owner, or someone trying to share something awesome with the world, social media is your very best friend (second only to coffee – just keepin’ it real, folks…)
Ok, let’s be honest. Social media can be a little (eh-hem…) “taxing”. It’s hard (maybe even impossible) to be on top of all the different outlets and forms of communication. But the good news is you don’t have to be ev-er-y-where… Your fans and followers will expect you to be present online wherever they are, but they know you are not omnipresent.
The most wonderful thing about social media is the way it links our lives together: allowing us to interact, share, collaborate, laugh, cry, enjoy, link, like, learn, and engage each with other in a way never before possible. It’s priceless.
Your goal with every post and tweet is meaningful connections. Find out where your fans, customers, and readers are spending their time, and camp out there.
My recommendation for people developing a brand or readership: go to each of the social media platforms (and any new ones that spring up), set up an account on each of them (preferably with the same name and profile image) and post something enjoyable and “on-brand”. This gives your company a pleasant face when people search for you. Then consistently and vibrantly maintain the platforms that you really love and work best for you.
Here are a few of the most popular social media platforms:
Facebook Pages: statistically the most effective for building community and responses. Facebook is very community driven with likes, comments, and follows being very public. Tip: post a photo with every post for more exposure and better response – people love a good picture!
Twitter: outreach central! Twitter is by far the best way the fine, follow, and meet new people (and for them to fine and follow you!)
Tip: think of catchy one-liners for each tweet. 140 characters get used up quickly! Use shortened links and hash tags #likeapro you’ll be sucked into the wonderful world of Twitter in no time!
Instagram: Great photo-sharing platform for both Andriod and iPhones. Again, hashtags are important, and following/followers work similarly to twitter. Use your photos and captions to share your ideas and to keep followers updated on events and projects. Tip: use a photo editor to make your photos beautiful. Tip 2: Instagram video! So fun, so brilliant. Use videos in moderation as they take longer to load (and may get skipped) but are so much more interactive than a photo.
Pinterst: for business – tailor your pins and boards to flow smoothly into your brand. Pin your own photos (with links). Write a catchy, distinct “about me” and add links to all your social media and sites. Pins have a way of snowballing into amazing results. Pin only quality photos, post only quality photos (vertical is best) and wait for some pretty happy results!
Vine: This is a relativly new app, but it’s contagiously enjoyable. It is a very simple way to share short, easy to record videos. Hashtag, follow… you get the drill by now. I really enjoy this app as it allows for some really unique clips. Vine just launched separate “channels” allowing you to get even more targeted visibility.
Others to check out, use, and fall in love with:
Etsy – for handmade lovers and shop owners
Dribbble – for designers and creatives
Behance – for designers and creatives
If you have any specific questions I’d love to talk shop with you! Do you have any tips or tricks that make your online life a dream? What platform did I fail to list here? Please. Let’s work through this together! Feel free to write your heart out below.
The very best advice I give to myself is to be genuine. Be MYSELF. Be happy, be honest, make friends, say nice things, be real, give back, share in other people’s joy, and link with love. I strive to add value to lives through my tweets and posts.
PS. Don’t forget about the upcoming shop-to-blog fine art jewelry trunk show! This is going to be a really fun week on Beautiful Hello. I’ll be offering several new designs at some pretty awesome prices! In return, you just have to tell a friend about the event! Hello social media! ; )
beautifulhelloblog.com 
Great tips! I agree that social media can be daunting and difficult to keep up with, but it provides an invaluable platform for connecting to others who are most likely not in your immediate geographic area. It truly does support the concept of “the world is your oyster”. 🙂
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That is so true. It’s amazing that you can connect – meaningfully – with people all over the country and world! It’s remarkable.
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Emily! The words over pixels for this post are so beautiful – so creative and also inspiring. Pinning them now. Thanks for this awesome roundup.
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Thank you Nichole!
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Good reminder to be keep it real! Before I tweet something,I ask myself “Would I actually follow this link?” “Is there any value in it?”. I see social media as a HUGE buffet bar where you can get more and more until you get sick of “eating”. Hope this makes sense! My coffee is just kicking in! Cheers,
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Fantastic advice. Keep sharing goodness!
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I went to a free Social Media conference here in SD and while I was sitting there, I realized how much I didn’t keep in touch, but always expected people to find me miraculously. The mantra “build it + they will come” soo doesn’t work anymore. And for me, putting myself (my creativity, my thoughts) out there…it has always been a modest thing for me. But if I wanna grow, social media is a must! It is daunting, but I actually sat down and created a couple spreadsheets (i hate excel btw) to keep me on track + they have been a blessing! The social media stuff isn’t so bad once you stick to a plan + you find the outlets that work for u =) Thx for the social list of platforms Em! I didn’t know about Behance + Seesaw! xo
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