INSIGHT business coaching
Get Friendly with Social Media 10 tips to make platforms like Facebook your BFFs BY KATHY WALL
F
or a small decorative arts business, social media promises an outsize effect. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram allow you to define (and refine) who you are, expand your visibility (your presence is only a post away) and ultimately reap the profits with new clients who like what they see. If you’re intimidated by social media or aren’t sure how to use it for the benefit of your business, here are some tips to help you get started.
1
YOU’RE A VISUAL BUSINESS, SO SHOW IT AND SHARE IT
If there’s a single business ideally suited to social media, it’s the decorative arts. Interior design is visual, social media is visual and thus the two shall entwine to mutual benefit. Get in the habit of snapping pictures daily or documenting the progression of projects. Followers will anticipate the next installment of your stories. Don’t forget to put the faces with the fabrics. While you’re showcasing products, you’re building personal relationships.
2
EMBRACE THE SMALL
As a small business, you have an edge—a smaller staff is easier to get to know on social media. You can introduce
18 | wf-vision.com | Jan + Feb 2019
your entire team. Allow a different staff member to take center stage in different posts. Show how each one contributes. Your communications will feel intimate, and followers will soon feel like friends. Get posting and let the friendships bloom.
3
LEAVE NO PLATFORM UNPOSTED
Be proactive. Create accounts in as many social media forums as possible, even if you don’t plan to use them all at first. Get started on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Snapchat, then increase your list as new channels are added and your expertise as a user grows.
4
PRESERVE YOUR GOOD NAME
It’s like your mother said—nothing can replace a good name. With social media, the trick is trying to use your business’s name as your social media handle whenever possible so clients and new followers can find you. Hopefully the name in your website URL and your email address can be repeated for your social media accounts. Character limitations can be an issue, so it’s OK to abbreviate, but not so much that your name becomes unrecognizable. Consistency is an essential component in successfully marketing your brand.
