Being a technophobe, I was very resistant to social media when it first came on the scene. You see, I started Chelleline Cards back in 2007, before Facebook had Pages, before Twitter, and before Instagram and Pinterest. The main ways to market yourself were blogs, MySpace, Facebook (to your personal friends), and Flickr. I signed up for all of them, half-heartedly promoted on them, and then dropped most of them. So, understandably, I was quite skeptical of social media when it popped on the scene.
Over time, though, I did eventually set up a Facebook page (2010), a Twitter account in 2013, and an Instagram account a few months ago when my dad bought me a pay-as-you-go smartphone. I've come to see them as a way for people - friends, fans, store owners, and whoever else - to learn about the goings-on here at Chelleline Cards. It's also much more interactive than the website or blog, which means I can get instant feedback to what kind of content people will respond to. Entrepreneurship can be lonely and isolating, so it is nice to reach out and hear back from people via these channels.
I tend not to post the same things on all the social media sites, though. Although I rarely have someone following me on all three channels, I've found that my fans and followers on the different sites respond to different content. So, on Facebook, I will usually post the "official" information about the company - orders of cards being sent to certain stores, new designs, pictures from events that Chelleline Cards attended (the Treasure Island Flea, for example, or the National Stationery Show).
On Twitter, I also do shout-outs for events like First Friday Raleigh (we have two stockists in the downtown Raleigh area), the Treasure Island Flea, and NSS, and I do post new listings on Etsy, and occasionally mention if cards are being sent out to certain stores, when that store has a Twitter account. What I post on Twitter that I don't post on Facebook: interesting business articles, other general interest/news articles, and pithy observations on life and entrepreneurship.
On Instagram, it's a mix of my personal life (such as pictures of trips we take) and behind the scenes photos of the business. Unlike the majority of Instagrammers, though, I don't take photos of myself or of Mitya (or anyone else). You can find photos of us in other places online, but I don't know, I feel uncomfortable posting photos of myself on a regular basis. It feels just a bit too personal to me.
On my blog, I usually post my own thoughts about running a business.
Now, I don't have a whole lot of followers on any of the sites, so you're probably wondering, why listen to me? It's a valid question. After all, who am I to give advice when I don't participate very actively on Twitter and Instagram?
But, if, like me and many microbusiness owners, you're wearing many hats and looking to not get overwhelmed by social media, having an outline of what content to post on what channel could help. Also, it helps to realize that social media is not your full-time job, and that these channels are merely an outlet to share a side of the business and your life that you normally wouldn't be able to on your website. This will allow you to build a following slowly and organically, and will prevent you from suffering from social media overwhelm.
Over time, though, I did eventually set up a Facebook page (2010), a Twitter account in 2013, and an Instagram account a few months ago when my dad bought me a pay-as-you-go smartphone. I've come to see them as a way for people - friends, fans, store owners, and whoever else - to learn about the goings-on here at Chelleline Cards. It's also much more interactive than the website or blog, which means I can get instant feedback to what kind of content people will respond to. Entrepreneurship can be lonely and isolating, so it is nice to reach out and hear back from people via these channels.
I tend not to post the same things on all the social media sites, though. Although I rarely have someone following me on all three channels, I've found that my fans and followers on the different sites respond to different content. So, on Facebook, I will usually post the "official" information about the company - orders of cards being sent to certain stores, new designs, pictures from events that Chelleline Cards attended (the Treasure Island Flea, for example, or the National Stationery Show).
On Twitter, I also do shout-outs for events like First Friday Raleigh (we have two stockists in the downtown Raleigh area), the Treasure Island Flea, and NSS, and I do post new listings on Etsy, and occasionally mention if cards are being sent out to certain stores, when that store has a Twitter account. What I post on Twitter that I don't post on Facebook: interesting business articles, other general interest/news articles, and pithy observations on life and entrepreneurship.
On Instagram, it's a mix of my personal life (such as pictures of trips we take) and behind the scenes photos of the business. Unlike the majority of Instagrammers, though, I don't take photos of myself or of Mitya (or anyone else). You can find photos of us in other places online, but I don't know, I feel uncomfortable posting photos of myself on a regular basis. It feels just a bit too personal to me.
On my blog, I usually post my own thoughts about running a business.
Now, I don't have a whole lot of followers on any of the sites, so you're probably wondering, why listen to me? It's a valid question. After all, who am I to give advice when I don't participate very actively on Twitter and Instagram?
But, if, like me and many microbusiness owners, you're wearing many hats and looking to not get overwhelmed by social media, having an outline of what content to post on what channel could help. Also, it helps to realize that social media is not your full-time job, and that these channels are merely an outlet to share a side of the business and your life that you normally wouldn't be able to on your website. This will allow you to build a following slowly and organically, and will prevent you from suffering from social media overwhelm.
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