It's Not Personal - It's Business

Have you ever scrolled through someone's IG, Twitter or Facebook business feed and enjoyed the content and the variety before stumbling upon a pic of their child's graduation from kindergarten, the results of their bowling league team tourney or a random picture of their kitchen?

I have. And even if I know the owner(s) personally, that oddly placed photo or video always gives me pause. Instantly, I think "What's THAT doing there?"

And I guarantee you that I'm not alone thinking that, either.

Call me a purist, but business pages on any social platform are for BUSINESS. And while part of your furniture making, graphic design or restaurant business involves behind-the-scenes stuff (like the playlist you listen to while working, the new color schemes you're considering for your office or even the stationery store you visit for your new menus), personal, non-business-related stuff is NOT that. It's not even close.

Now, adding an occasional business-related photo, video or event flyer to your personal pages to let your family and friends know what you're up to is fine, but dotting your business pages with heavy family-related or other personal information does not have the same effect at all. It just doesn't work the same in reverse.

Think about it this way: The purpose of social media for your business is to promote that thing you do by generating buzz about it. What exactly are you promoting when you post your breakfast sandwich, favorite flower or new shoes if you are not a deli owner, florist or clothing designer? Yup - someone else's business.

Again, don't entirely strip the personality away from your business page. Do include some semblance of info that shows your audience that you are human. But, like the rest of your feed, logic and order are important. If you have 10 posts about your new book tour, one about you should at least be sort of related. Sure, go ahead and add that photo of the cool t-shirt you saw, but perhaps it would be a better fit if it was about the town you are speaking in or the one you are traveling to next.

Why not avoid confusion by trying to make every effort to keep your personal and business pages separate?

What Does "Social Media Management" Mean?

The one constant always heard about real estate is "location, location, location" - which really means that even the best business will have no business if the folks who need that business can't find it.

But how do you let potential clients know where you are?

Not all that long ago, the answer was advertising in your local daily newspaper. It reached a captive audience and was relatively easy on the budget.

Now that newspapers, regional magazines and other print publications are struggling to stay afloat (and they have raised their ad rates accordingly - which is if they still exist in your area at all), and the reach of web-based advertising can help you reach more people faster with less hassle and for less money, today, people are much more likely to use other methods to get their message of an upcoming event or new location. Now more than ever, that will most likely include social media.

Social media (which includes Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, Periscope, Vine and others) is easy to use, inexpensive and effective. That's why knowing how to use it - or knowing how to find someone who could help you use it effectively - is extremely important.

Basically, what Social Media Management entails is coordinating your social media platforms to present the same message, brand (image) or promotion to an interested audience of potential customers in a steady, consistent manner. It's truly modern-day advertising, hanging your "We're open!" sign and waving hello to anyone who happens by all in one.

Truthfully, the "social" part is the bit of the equation that is most important. Think of it as the virtual equivalent to a networking function. Just as you wouldn't stand in the corner munching on celery all by your lonesome an event, you've gotta actually engage to get the ball rolling online, too. Those business cards and brochures will not just hand themselves out.

On social media, that means responding to requests for information (in person, you'd hand out that business card), thanking folks for dropping by (shake some hands), and giving them opportunities to engage (ask them questions about what they do and how they do it). It takes work (you actually have to leave that comfy corner and chat people up) but it's do-able.

What too many do is set up a Facebook page or Twitter account for their venture, and never post from it or visit it more than a few times a month.

Yes, I get that it can take time to think of clever things to post and engage your audience, but that's really what it's all about.

A good way to get started is to follow other businesses or services that do what you do and see how and what they post to their followers. Do they ask questions? Show video of their new product lines? Invite followers to hit them up for more information?

Emulate that and try to do it better. Use platforms they don't use and corner the local or regional market. Offer specials to those who follow you on Twitter or Pinterest only, for example, and see what happens (nothing or something cool?). Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

But you have to venture to out of your comfort zone first. Remember, folks won't know you exist unless you let them know. So get ready to shout your location from the social media rafters.

If you need a hand, give us a call. We'd be happy to help.

A Note to My Artistic Brethren

Dear Creative Person,

I know that to you, the art is the thing and you often feel the creative process is almost sacred, but you really need to know something: If you don't take time to let people know you are an artist who creates music, pastels, novels, short films or poetry, no one but your relatives will ever know you are an artist who creates.

Promotion is not a dirty word. If you do what you do to share it with folks, promotion will help those folks know about you.

Think about it: the most amazing novel, the most poignant of sculptures, the most ethereal of music can't be enjoyed if they sit in boxes in your garage or in the corner of your studio. Art is meant to be shared. Isn't that kind of the point?

Why is garnering attention from what you do on a creative level a bad thing? Even if it is a hobby and not your livelihood (and you never hope it to be), how is having people know about that creative thing you do necessarily a bad thing?

If you want to remain obscure and known for your work only when your estate publishes your manuscripts or gets your canvases curated after your death, then by all means, don't ever update your website, use social media to self-promote or follow other artists who do. Just keep complaining about how putting together a bio for an electronic press kit or tweeting a photo of you creating just takes too much daggone time.

But haven't you done that already? And how's that working for ya?

The definition of insanity, according to Albert Einstein, is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. And he was a pretty astute guy.

Making art and letting the masses know about that art are not mutually exclusive. You can do both and still have time to create, have a life, sleep and do all the things "regular" people do.

If you owned a business selling widgets, wouldn't you advertise to let people in need of widgets know you're making he best daggone widgets around?

Why should your creative venture be any different?

Sincerely,
A Lover of All Things Creative

Got Social Media? USE IT!

I follow a few celebrities via Instagram and Twitter. I enjoy the behind-the-scenes stuff - you know the "This is me getting to the studio" and the "Here's the hair and makeup person making me look presentable for this photo shoot" tid-bits that give a little glimpse into the day-to-day regularity of my favorite artists, actors and performers. And I'm not gonna lie - I've unfollowed folks who only jump onto their social media accounts to remind us to buy tickets to their next concert or tune in for their 30-second appearance on an obscure award show.

See, it's not supposed to work like that.

Seriously, with social media - especially Twitter, Face Book and Instagram - consistency is key. Even if you are a huge mega-star, some of your million followers will most certainly lose interest if your only goal in using your Instagram account is to tell them when your next tour kicks off and when your new movie is available on Blue ray. Yawn...

As a publicist, I tell my clients the exact same thing: don't neglect your social media. Ever. Yes, I know you're busy, but - especially when there are so many great (and free!) programs that allow one post to hit all your accounts at once and even the convenience of scheduling posts hours, days or weeks in advance - there's really no excuse. Heck ya got me and Hootsuite, baby!

Your posts could be as relevant to the thing you do as you wish - or not at all. Your minute-long grocery store video may have nothing to do with your most recent project, but it does show you are human and relatable. Blending that on social media with "the artist at work" type of stuff can be a great mix for a fan base excited to learn more about you and your creative process. That's not to say they want to see you flossing your teeth or folding your laundry, however. There's balance to be found, for sure - but you won't find it if you post a countdown to your book tour kick-off and nothing else until the tour is almost over.

Start small if you must - posting a quick song lyric or photo of your computer keyboard or even a screen shot of the music you listen to while you sculpt once a week or so - but start and remain as consistent as you can.

Don't let weeks or months go by between posts. Yeah, stop that already.