1. I know you’re awesome—but for those unfortunate souls who don’t already know who you are and what you’re all about it, can you give them a brief overview?
Sure! I’m Jess Van Den, and I’m a creative entrepreneur. I the jewellery designer and silversmith behind the label Epheriell {Epheriell.com}, and I also make cute, affordable vintage-style jewellery under the label Vintette {Vintette.Etsy.com}. I’m a full-time crafty lifestyle blogger over at Epheriell Designs {EpheriellDesigns.com}, as well as running my Crafting a Business {JessicaVanDen.com} blog, which is all about sharing tips and my own experiences about running an online indie craft biz. Finally, near the end of last year I launched the first issue of *bespoke* zine {bespokezine.com} – a full-color print zine all about handmade, vintage, art, photography… and living a creative life! Issue 2 has just come out, and Issue 3 is well on it’s way – it will be out in early June!
In fact – *bespoke* is a fabulous social media success story – it was created and sold almost purely through social media (mostly twitter and facebook) – the 500 copies in the first print run sold out within 2 1/2 months (this includes connecting with at least 15 stockists throughout Australia). The only promotion I did was via social media… and one very small ad on one Australian crafty site. If I wasn’t already convinced of the power of social media, that certainly clinched it for me!
2. Let’s talk social media, since you’re launching an ecourse, Crafty & Connected {affiliate link}. How can social media help creative entrepreneurs?
Social media is fast becoming a crucial marketing tool for all businesses, not just indie biz. However, those of us with our own micro-businesses are uniquely situated to really get the best out of social media – because it’s all about building relationships. People do business with other people – and they like to do business with people they know and trust.
In the old days, this meant you might have a local butcher, say, that you trusted and knew would always give you the best quality and the best deals. Well, nowadays, our connections are global – not just local – so we can make connections with and build relationships with our right people (or target market, in marketing-speak) no matter where they are. Social media makes it easy and fun to connect with the people who want what you have to offer!
According to this study, 67% of people who follow a brand {and remember, as an indie biz, YOU are your brand!} on twitter, and 51% of brand followers on facebook will buy from that brand. Those are pretty impressive numbers! So, if you’re not on social media, you’re missing out on a lot of potential customers!
3. To help readers who are new to social media, can you share your top 3 tips?
Number 1 is to be authentic. Social media is all about building trust – in you and your brand – a crucial aspect of running a business online.
Number 2 is that it’s not about the numbers, it’s about the quality of interaction. I’ve seen people with supposedly small follower numbers have a big impact because they take the time to engage with their community.
Number 3 is to have fun! You need to find the social media platform that doesn’t feel like a chore – it should be somewhere you enjoy hanging out – that will show through in the content and quality of what you share.
4. If you could only pick one form of social media to use to promote your biz, what would it be and why?
Twitter, without a shadow of a doubt. It ticks all the boxes for me – it’s fun, fast, powerful in its reach. Twitter is all about the conversation – and I love the immediacy of it. You can ask a question and have 5 replies in less than a minute.
Twitter has been the most powerful tool for my business to date, and its reach is only growing as more people switch on to the power of the platform.
5. Once you get the hang of it, social media can be so much fun that you end up spending way too much time on it. What recommendations do you have for creative entrepreneurs to manage their time wisely on social media?
Oh, this is so true! It can get a bit addictive – I have to say I’m pretty addicted to twitter. However, to use it well, you don’t have to use it a lot! I tell people when they’re getting started with things like twitter – just dip your toe in three times a day. Say, when you’re checking your e-mail in the morning and evening, and perhaps at lunchtime (even easier if you have it on your phone). Spend 10 minutes looking through the recent conversation, make some comments, RT some links… just touch base.
I would also advise switching off once in a while! Take a whole day off (heck, I advocate taking a whole day off at least once a month – though I do struggle with that, myself!) unplug everything and just indulge in some you time, by yourself or with your family. Especially if you’re an introvert (like me) spending too much time on social media can be draining, and you don’t want to sap away all that fabulous creative energy! Social media should be energising – so when it’s gone over the edge from energising to tiring, it’s time to step away for a little bit, and recharge.
7. Okay, you’ve got us hooked. Tell us more about Crafty and Connected and how to join, please!
Crafty & Connected is an online course that runs for 6 weeks – May 2nd to June 10th. When you sign up you receive access to a private blog, which is where all the content will appear over duration of the course. The classes include lots of info, pictures, videos and activities to help you get the hang of social media, and join the conversation with confidence! There are also 3 Q&A chats during the course where you can ask me any questions you have!
