9 Creative Women Share Secrets to Succeeding with Social Media

I don’t have time for social media. Twitter is a waste of time. Facebook is for college kids. These are statements I see repeatedly on forums populated by artists, crafters, and creative entrepreneurs. Every time I see these posts, I cringe. One, I see myself in those rebels against social media, because I used to think the same things. Two, I’ve realized how powerful social media can be for your business, and that it’s NOT going anywhere. Either jump on board or get left behind.

Let me be clear: you can waste time on social media {I’m guilty of this!}. You could waste an entire day on Twitter if you really wanted to. But, you can also build long-lasting, solid relationships with other creatives and, more importantly, your customers.

The Secret to Selling

Whether you’re trying to sell products or services, it usually comes down to two things: (1) either the customer picks your product because she knows, likes, and trusts you OR (2) she picks your product based on price.

Think about how you choose what to buy. Let’s say you’re looking for a necklace to get your mother for her birthday. If you already know, like, and trust someone who sells jewelry, you’ll probably go straight to that person’s shop to make your purchase. If you don’t know someone who sells jewelry, you might ask your friends if they have any suggestions. If you get a referral from a trusted friend, you probably trust the person she recommended and purchase from that jeweler. If these scenarios don’t work for you, you might find yourself on Etsy with a million different options. What will it come down to if you find two similar necklaces that both come from sellers with high ratings? Probably, the price.

And you don’t want to compete on price, because you’ll never win. There will always be someone willing to sell theirs for less—plus, if it’s really about price and not about quality, handmade goods, the person might just buy from Walmart.

So, here’s the secret: get potential customers to know, like, and trust you. If you focus all of your marketing efforts on building relationships, then you’ll be successful. Seriously. You do this by using social media platforms authentically.

Why don’t a lot of people do this? Because, it’s a lot of work. It’s much easier to spam people and hope it turns out for the best. But, the true success—and hard work—lies in building authentic relationships with other creative people in and out of your niche and with your customers. If you can do this, you’ll get repeat customers and referrals.

Introduction to the Social Media Blog Series

I haven’t been building a presence on Twitter and Facebook for very long, because I was one of the people fighting the inevitable. Even though I know the power of blogging, because I’ve been doing it for years, I thought it would be kinda silly for me to give you tons of information about social media when I’m not an expert.

That’s why I’m hosting a blog series that includes a lineup of amazingly talented, and creative women to help you learn a few things about social media. Over the next two weeks, this group of women will be blogging about how social media has helped them and their businesses, and how you can put these ideas into action. Are you ready for this awesome lineup? I’m not sure you can handle it–but I’ll share it anyways {I highly recommend subscribing to each of the blogs below, so you don’t miss out on any of these posts}:

Tuesday, September 21st: Meredith will write about the importance of relationships on Smaller Box.

Meredith says, “Social Media has been a great way to connect with our fans daily. We use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and our blog to share funny content we find online, photos, videos and stories from behind the scenes of our business. It’s a great way to get to know our customers, let them get to know us and quickly get feedback from them on projects we’re working on.”

Connect with Meredith on Twitter @smallerbox and on Facebook.

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Wednesday, September 22nd: I will write about creating useful content on Blacksburg Belle.

My thoughts on social media, “When I first started using social media, I was skeptical, thinking that I was entering high school again. Once I realized I could make connections with other mixed media artists I’ve admired for years, Twitter, Facebook, and blogging opened new doors for me. At this point, I couldn’t imagine my business without social media.”

Connect with me on Twitter @blacksburgbelle or Facebook.

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Thursday, September 23rd: Angela will write about choosing social media platforms on The Artists’ House.

Angela says, “Hi, my name is Angela Flicker and I am an applique artist, an avid quilter, and owner of The Artists’ House. I believe that social media is important because it tells the story behind your products and business. When selling online, you’re at a bit of a disadvantage concerning personal interactions. When people come into your “shop”, physically they aren’t greeted by anyone. Through social media, you can create a face and a narrative behind your online business and the products you sell. Along with that, you’re able to connect with like-minded individuals. Together, using social media, you can learn and support one another. These two factors have transformed my business in a valuable way.”

Connect with Angela on Twitter @TheArtistsHouse and on Facebook.

Friday, September 24th: Tara will write about building a following on social media on Big Thinking for Small Businesses.

Tara says, “Social media has given me something that I – as an introvert – has never had before: a window into the world. Instead of living in a bubble of my own creation, social media has given me a platform for building a successful business, meeting influential people, and introducing me to innovative ideas. Social media, for me, is not something separate from my daily life but an opportunity to live my “real life” to its fullest.”

Connect with Tara on Twitter @scoutiegirlblog and on Facebook.

Monday, September 27th: Mayi will write about blogging on heartmade.

Mayi says, “I like to engage in social networking. It’s a fun + effective way to stay in touch with my clients + fans of my work. I like to use the tools that I enjoy most (Facebook + Twitter + Stumble Upon) + can commit too. I personally like to share healthy glimpses into my indie business + snippets of my personal life + bits of the things that inspire me + I’m passionate about.”

Connect with Mayi on Twitter @mayicarles and on Facebook.

Tuesday, September 28th: Mallory will write about twitter on Miss Malaprop.

Mallory says, “For me, social media has been instrumental in building a successful brand. I started my blog in 2006, always with the goal in mind of building up to an online store and later a brick-and-mortar retail boutique. Through the use of my blog, Facebook, Twitter and Flickr, I’ve found a community of like-minded people, and having that network already in place when I launched my online store earlier this year has made that process so much easier than if I had to start everything from scratch.”

Connect with Mallory on Twitter @MissMalaprop and on Facebook.

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Wednesday, September 29th: Maegen will write about Facebook on Madeline Bea.

Maegan says, “I had been sharing my life and my journey through motherhood, creativity, and photography for years online through my blog and Flickr. But when I opened the doors of my portrait photography business this past summer, my substantial online connections weren’t helping me get local people interested in me and my photography. Facebook has allowed me to connect my online and local worlds and therefore has expanded the reach of my online messaging into my town and community…my potential clients!”

Connect with Maegan on Twitter @MadelineBea and Facebook.

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Thursday, September 30th: Irene will write about email newsletters on Imaginative Bloom.

Irene says, “One of the most popular strategies that has always been essential to reach new readers, is advertising. Since all these social media platforms were born, we are able to easily, quickly and virally interact with hundreds and thousands of new – and old – contacts and spread content maintaining a constant connection with them. And it’s free!”

Connect with Irene on Twitter @ImaginativeB and on Facebook.

Friday, October 1st: Jessica Swift will write about Flickr on Jessica Swift.

“Social media is important in my business on a variety of levels. On a personal level, I work at home alone every day, and social media allows me to stay connected with others and have mini conversations throughout the day. On a business level, I’m able to use social media to connect with my customers and grow my audience and community. And on yet another level, social media allows me to stay tuned in to and learn about what’s happening in my world by following and listening to other people. The importance of social media just can’t be exaggerated!”

Connect with Jessica on Twitter @jessicagswift and on Facebook.

I’ll leave you with 10 reasons you need to follow this blog series and use social media:

1. It is estimated that over 50% of new business will come from social media and internet marketing efforts over the next five years. That base number could triple by 2020, according to the Microsoft Small Business Summit 2008. (from Success Secrets of the Social Media Marketing Superstars)
2. 78% of consumers trust peer recommendations and only 14% trust advertisements. (from http://socialnomics.net)
3. In less than 9 months, Facebook added 100 million users. If it were a country, it would be the third largest in the world. (from Success Secrets of the Social Media Marketing Superstars)
4. You can build relationships with your customers.
5. You give your customers a way to get to know, like, and trust you.
6. You can join in conversations that your customers are already having about you on Twitter and Facebook.
7. You can use social proof to increase sales.
8. You can establish yourself as an expert in your niche.
9. You can network with other creative women in and out of your niche.
10. Some of your competitors are using it and most of them will be soon.