meet the maker
CROCHET DESIGNER, TUTOR AND COLOUR LOVER KATIE JONES CHATS WITH US ABOUT INSTAGRAM, VIDEO AND THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING YOURSELF
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atie Jones’ business has always focused on sustainable practice and addressing issues of overconsumerism, but a quick glance at any of her social media platforms makes it clear that colour is her biggest passion. Her distinctive style has won her plenty of followers, and here Katie shares her advice on how to express yourself while promoting your brand. Social media matters. “Instagram is the only reason I have a business – full stop! Susie Lau and her Style Bubble blog (www.stylebubble.co.uk) really launched me, alongside Orsola de Castro, co-founder of Fashion Revolution. I was then able to build a community and directly contact stockists – it’s amazing to be able to access so many people so easily!”
MEET THE MAKER
LOUD AND PROUD WITH KATIE JONES Words: SARAH GANE Photographs: RACHEL MANNS
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Looking to create your own brand’s visual style? Stay true to yourself. “Don’t try to guess what people want as it never works. But also remember that it takes time. I try not to lose how I worked at university and as a fashion brand – I
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Katie’s mum, Annie, is a crochet expert,
accounting whiz and Katie’s business partner.
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meet the maker
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Sustainable
fashion in the making
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Sweater
from the new MIY collection
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Pops
of colour = joy.
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tend not to think of just individual products, but in terms of mini collections and stories. I love the research and a good back story!” Video can really help you reach a wider audience. “My aim this year is to add videos to my patterns and launch my YouTube properly. I love workshops, as I think they’re a great way to learn, but adding more videos means I can do those and have a much larger reach.” It doesn’t have to be done overnight. “From my experience, a creative business can be much more than a hobby and a totally valid career. However, if it’s your primary income stream the love for it goes pretty quick. It’s amazing to build a community and a business – slowly. It’s so rewarding. Remember that it’s a slow-grow process and it doesn’t happen
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ILLUSTRATION: MATILDA SMITH
newsletters
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newsletters
YOU’VE GOT MAIL AN EMAIL NEWSLETTER IS A GREAT WAY TO COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS. FIND OUT HOW TO GET THEM READINGÉ Words: SIAN MEADES Illustration: MATILDA SMITH
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ost people hate email. It’s often the worst part of our jobs. It takes us away from what we love doing and makes us feel guilty when we ignore it. But what if there was another way to approach our inboxes? What if emails were fun? I write newsletters for a living and believe that emails can be interesting, engaging and enjoyable to read. Studies have shown that the average work inbox contains 199 unread messages, and you almost certainly know someone with tens of thousands of unread messages (it might even be you). Your inbox is probably a sea of mailing lists you don’t remember signing up for (and in some cases you probably didn’t), a message from your mum complete with six photos of the cat, three emails about a hen party and one marked ‘urgent’ when it’s really not. The truth is that we want better email, not more of it. Over the last few years there’s been an uptake in newsletters that are just for fun. Emails that we do want, and that we actively sign up for. Women are very much leading the charge here, creating exciting newsletters that we love and learn from, and more and more we’re turning to our inboxes for interesting content that we can’t get elsewhere. For many, the inbox has become a quiet spot away from the noise and hustle of social media. On Twitter and Facebook where everyone is shouting directly at you, newsletters are a calming respite. Yes, they’re still a broadcast, but we choose to opt in and we choose when we consume.
Crucially, there are no anonymous comments. There’s no internet outrage or mansplaining after you’ve hit ‘publish’. I’m sure that one of the many reasons so many women have flocked to newsletters as a platform is because they provide a safe space to create and share. Newsletters allow you to foster a real relationship with your community. You’re not talking to everyone, you’re only talking to people who care and that’s a very powerful tool. I launched my first newsletter one lunchtime when I was in a job that was making me desperately unhappy. Inspired by writer Jean Edelstein’s email Thread, I was set up in 20 minutes. I used Tinyletter because it was free and easy. The newsletter had a simple concept, it was funny and it was easy to digest. It was also profitable, thanks to my use of affiliate links and it paid for the first year of my MA. It also paved the way for my publishing company and my lifestyle newsletter, Domestic Sluttery, reaches thousands of readers every week. Now I write emails for a living, creating newsletters for brands and magazines and I curate the popular media industry newsletter Freelance Writing Jobs. The newsletters I’ve written have come in all forms, and I’ve learnt just how powerful that audience connection can be, both personally and professionally. I’ve also learnt a thing or two about what works and what doesn’t. Here are ten tips to get your newsletter started and really make email work for your business.
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PAGES OF EXPERT ADVICE, TIPS AND INSPIRATION
social media GROW YOUR CREATIVE BUSINESS new for 2o19
REACH A GLOBAL AUDIENCE ONLINE TODAY
podcasts • Video • IGTV
connect with influencers
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The team behind Mollie Makes bring you this guide to building a brand and developing your creative business. Learn how to grow a community, take great photos, record videos and podcasts, run ad campaigns and much more. Packed with expert advice from bloggers and small business owners, this is your essential guide to reaching a global audience online.
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