As a creative business owner, I’ve felt all kinds of emotions around social media. Often, not good ones. It's felt like an intrusion, a place of judgment and a constant worm in my thoughts telling me I should be showing up more.
There is another side to social media though. One where I’ve found support, learned huge amounts and created friendships. Being able to share my work on social media has allowed me to build my lettering and calligraphy business. It’s opened up conversations with people I would never have met which have led to real-life relationships. It’s also brought commercial opportunities which I would otherwise not have had.
So, it’s an interesting beast to wrangle with.
How much should I share?
Knowing what to post, when and how much to involve yourself with social media is a hotly debated topic. Personally, I’m usually a sitter on the side, a watcher from the stands. I don’t share much information about my day to day life, because that’s what’s comfortable for me.
From a business perspective though, as creatives, we’re certainly losing opportunities if we’re not involved with social media at all.
My content creation clients have gained new and repeat customers, new newsletter subscribers, new stockists, invitations to events, free PR opportunities and collaborations with businesses with similar ideal clients just by being consistently present on social media.
But this doesn’t mean being there every day. It means being there with purpose. Being considered in how we show up. Adding value, being authentic and relatable…not just adding to the noise.
Growing a business using social media
This is real life. The business gains my clients have had through social media haven’t all happened overnight but, had we not been there, they may not have happened at all.
According to many marketing experts who’ve been in the field for a while, using social media to grow a business is now harder than ever before. I can see why. There are more people using social media now, more noise being created, more platforms popping up, more changes to algorithms; it’s harder to be heard above the din.
That’s where a solid, long term view of social media is what’s needed.
Social media is no longer a “get rich quick” option, if it ever was. Certainly, there are still people making a lot of money through their social channels but they are the exceptions, not the rules.
Social media can be a place to grow a business but it’s a place for deliberate and considered action, rather than throwing all your ideas at the wall and seeing if any of them stick. That’s a sure way to lose enthusiasm and momentum, which are two things you’ll need to see any return for your efforts.
So, does my creative business need social media?
In answer to the question, no, I don't think it does. I'm confident that creative businesses can thrive without being part of any social media channels.
But, undoubtedly, social media can be a powerful tool to use as one of your methods of marketing. It broadens your network of fellow creatives and can lead to finding new business opportunities and friendships, which are always things to be grateful for.
For help in creating content for social media, blogs and newsletters, drop me a line. It'd be great to see what we can achieve!