Maria Peagler – Social media made easy
Social media such as Facebook is the best way to find customers and keep them interested in your shop but “navigating” the social media world can be both intimidating and bewildering. That’s where Maria Peagler comes in.
Her online courses and consulting service Willow Ridge Media, teach shop owners the ins and outs of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and video production without the pain of trying to figure it out yourself.
We asked if all those web services weren’t too complicated for the average non-technical person to make use of and she said, “Social media is far simpler than most people make it out to be. Here are the top three things you need to do, no matter what social media tool you're using.”
“First, identify your goal for using social media. Do you want to increase sales overall, generate interest in a new promotion, or expand your client base? Second, find out where your clients are in social media. Do they read blogs, use Facebook, Pinterest, or YouTube? Where ever they are in the greatest numbers, that's where you should be. And third be consistent. Too many business owners get excited about social media, try it, and then drop it when the business gets busy. An outdated Facebook page or blog is worse than none at all.”
Maria continued, “After that, you only need to visit each network twice a week. There's actually a bit of science behind that number: I call it the Three Bears Rule. Post too much, and you become a nuisance. Too little, and people forget about you. So twice a week? Just right.”
And she cautions about trying to run both a brick and mortar store and a store on the web. “It's extremely difficult, and few people do it very well. I certainly wouldn't. They require entirely different skill sets. My recommendation is if you're running your quilt shop well, rely on a staff member who is tech-savvy and enjoys using social media, and let them run with it. Good management requires hiring the best people, delegating to them, and then trusting them to do it even better than you would have. So identify what areas only you can do, and delegate the rest.”
Learn more about Maria and Willow Ridge Media on the web. Also be sure to check out her book Color Mastery: 10 Principles for Creating Stunning Quilts. It won the Benjamin Franklin award for Best Craft Book of 2010.
Eazy Peazy Freebeez – Bakin’ With Fabric
Check out the latest Eazy Peazy Freebeez, Bakin’ with Fabric. It’s a handy reference guide to pre-cuts that you’ll want to save and makes a great handout for your customers. Hint, it’s found at Eazy Peazy Gal-Bakin’ with Fabric. Oh, and check out our new website too!
