I am thrilled to be here today! When Trisha asked if I would be a guest on her blog, I couldn't decide what to post about, and then I thought about social media, its benefits and its downfalls. I was a late comer to social media for my blog and business, but it has proven itself many times over as an important tool. Social media is networking for the internet. There will not be any pretty pictures in this post, just information. Maybe Trisha will invite me back to share some of my favorite designs.
I entered into this thing called blogging out of a totally different arena. I had worked in the financial industry as a banker and later as a stockbroker. If you don't think you have to promote yourself in that competitive business, think again! I can't imagine how much more successful I would have been with social media as an advertising and public relations tool!
SO... I just dove in! I started a Facebook page for my blog, Splendid Sass, and my Etsy shop, T G Hatfield & Company. I post each blog post to my Splendid Sass Facebook and Twitter pages (@splendidsass), and my blog posts also show up on my Linkedin page. I then post my blog images, along with images from the blogposts of fellow bloggers and images on the main pinterest boards, onto my Pinterest page. I have just started an Instagram for Splendid Sass (@splendidsass) and love its platform.
NOW A CONFESSION! Until very recently I had not made much of attempt to nurture these platforms. My daughter had been pushing me to improve, so I am now in the process of planning a new website, and the social media will be at the forefront, bold and bright! I will also be adding high end towels with monogramming to my personal and Etsy shop, which will be included in the website. It is going to be an undertaking to say the least, and many of you understand this from experience.
For those of you not familiar with the social media tools at your disposal, I have listed each one with a description. I hope this will give your the nudge you need to become a part of the game. I will certainly be calling on my fellow bloggers and friends for suggestions and advice as I move forward.
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FACEBOOK is a social utility that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them. People use Facebook to keep up with friends and upload pictures and articles. I have been reunited with so many fellow classmates and friends! I doubt I have to tell most about Facebook.
TWITTER is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables users to send and read short 140-character text messages, called "tweets". I keep up with what is going on in the lives of fellow bloggers and friends and also post my blog posts there.
PINTEREST is a visual discovery tool that you can use to find ideas for all your projects and interests. You can follow the pinterest boards of others, and when they post images, they show up on the main page, allowing you to "pin" the images to your own boards. I can't tell you how obsessed I am with Pinterest!
LINKEDIN is a business-oriented social networking service. It helps you discover professional individuals and opportunities, business deals, and new ventures. My blog posts are shared on linkedin in also.
INSTAGRAM is a vast, beautiful and fun way to share your life with friends and business owners through a series of photos and links. I can't tell you how much I love Instagram, and I am just getting started!
I want to thank Trisha so much for inviting me to be a guest on her beautiful blog.
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