Okay so I didn't specify what my subject was as I didn't want many of you to 'switch off' as I have done in the past when I saw the word 'Twitter'...wait, wait please don't go, just hear me out! If you need to give
one marketing aid a chance let it be this one...
Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users' updates known as 'tweets'. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length which are displayed on the user's profile page and delivered to other users who have subscribed to them (known as followers). Users can send and receive tweets via the Twitter website, their mobile or other external applications if they choose. Read more about Twitter
here.
At first I too was reluctant to join Twitter, thinking it one more frivolity to add to the ever growing lists of social networking - plus I had a blog so how much MORE info did I need to give out to the world?
However I kind of got railroaded into it by a persistent friend and it really was quick and easy, you sign up and give the usual info - email address, account name, you get to design your own page, then you're pretty much all set for tweeting! I started off by tweeting inane things like 'just had my breakfast' and 'off to the park' feeling aimless and pretty pointless about the whole concept.
It wasn't until I noticed Grace Bonney of
Design Sponge - someone I really admire as a very clever business woman - had an account on Twitter along with her design blog obviously - and decided to 'follow' her (you can 'follow' absolutely anyone you can imagine - Martha Stewart, Richard Branson...and it really IS them!) that I realised Twitter was genius.
I kind of used
Grace as a template for how someone in a creative industry should build up a brand identity for themselves alongside their main showcase, be it a shop, a blog, or a website. Granted Grace has a head start with Design Sponge, but I have seen many of my friends build up a strong brand before my eyes within their first few weeks of joining Twitter and 'following the rules' which I will discuss in a minute.
Grace's 'tweets' combine a lively commentary of her day to day life in context to her career, so for eg. 'On my way to Brooklyn stationary show', followed by 'Some great work at show especially loved xxx's work...' then maybe a 'Twitpic' of the product (this is a simple application that allows you to upload photos and include them in your comment). As a creator you could 'tweet' about your 'trip to the vintage fabrics sale' then later 'experimenting with a great 60's floral I picked up at the sale...' consequently tweeting about the completion of the product and linking to the product in your shop.
Twitter is basically a documentation of your daily inspirations and an insight on how you run your business. It's more to the point than a blog, giving your followers snappy pieces of information, showing them what you're about, allowing them to buy into your 'brand' and see what you're selling within a different platform.
Many see Twitter as time consuming, not having time to fit it in to their busy schedules, but it can literally be as easy as sending a text (there is a simple application that allows you to add it to your mobile phone) or keeping the Twitter page open all day while you're working and typing in a few thoughts every so often.
A lot of people also have the attitude 'I'm not very interesting, I have nothing to write about' but we are all creative people, we see things every day that inspire us, why not share what you see with others if it means enhancing your brand.
Here is a really great article to help you think about why you are tweeting from a marketing perspective and what rules to follow to make your Twitter page successful.
Drop me a line on here if you have any trouble-shooting questions and I will try and help. You can check out iCraft's Twitter profile
here and my own one
here .
Good luck and have FUN! If you start an account post it on here so we can start following - or if you have an existing one let us know so others can get a feel for how it works. You can get people to follow you in the same way as you promote your store, add your url at the end of emails, add an RSS feed on your own blog, let your friends know, add to your signature whilst posting on other blogs, just get it out there and you'll be surprised how many followers you'll gain.
Keep me posted on how you get on - look forward to hearing from new Twitter recruits!
Rohini
x
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