On being a Social Media and Marketing Guru

It's not enough just to have a website and hope people find you these days.

If anyone had told me I'd have to become a website designer, SEO, Analytics and Social media guru as well, I would never have believed them!

It's not enough that us creative folk make things in the hope of selling them to our 'ideal' client, we have to actually hunt down and join in the places our 'ideal' clients hang out.


BLOGGING

Now... I've been blogging for what feels like forever. At first I had another blog which I generally used as a diary about my own personal life. A way of documenting everything that happened on a day to day basis. A lot more fun that keeping a pen and paper journal as I could add photos too. That blog eventually turned into encouraging, motivating and supporting others that were fellow creative's.

When I started 'Inspired by Script' I was mainly doing calligraphy commissions for the public and private sector. Mostly bespoke work in a variety of forms. Then, with the arrival of the foiling machine my work took on a whole new pathway and as everyone who has known me for a long while.... the rest is history. This blog is now mainly consisting of my Wedding Invitations and Stationery. As the blog is attached to my website, most of the visitors are arriving to read about wedding stuff..... however there is more to me than that... so perhaps I'll make it a bit more personal... like I did my other blog.


FACEBOOK

Well, you have to find new ways to attract your customers and with the general age group my Brides and Grooms come from it's really no good hanging around Yahoo Forums, like we did in the old days... oh hell no! We now have to hang around Facebook, not a hard transition for me to make from blogging. Facebook is a sort of 'Micro Blog'. A pretty quick way of getting your latsest pictures out there almost before your paint has had time to dry.
The only real issue I have with Facebook is that they constantly push you to pay them for people to actually SEE your work. That's never going to happen from me! I'm a Yorkshire lass.... we don't spend money unless we have to right? Facebook even tries to get you to pay for more likers! What? So even if you see someone with 1,000's of page likes it's not a reflection on real people who have genuinely liked your page!

My blog is free... so why should I?
No... the best way for people to see your work is by LIKING, SHARING and COMMENTING.
You can help me out here (Puts a really cute, smiley face on)  https://www.facebook.com/InspiredByScript


TWITTER

Ohhhhh Twitter.... and tweeting and all that stuff. Nope, try as I might, I just don't 'get it'. Me and Twitter never really hit it off when it first came out... and I'm no further forward. I think the problem I have with it is, it's more for words than pictures... I'm much more a picture kinda gal, which is why.... https://twitter.com/SuePixieSimpson

PINTEREST is the place for me. It's over flowing with creative people. I'm not sure whether it's a good marketing tool and whether I'll ever get any customers from it... but it sure as hell is a great place to have your pictures shared and inspire others.

I not only have boards for my own work, but colour inspiration boards for couples as well as boards for great recipes, inspirational quotations, out and about, garden ideas as well as creative boards for my arty friends.

Pinterest is a virtual pin board and  an absolute must for me!
Find our pinterest board here if you haven't already
http://www.pinterest.com/pixiesuesimpson/

Well.... that's Social Media covered..... but there's oodles of other stuff we need to learn too. Apart from building the website,  we need to keep on track of HOW people these days actually use the internet, how they find people, how they shop, how long people spend on your site, visitor to sales conversion rates, In-bound marketing, Search Engine Optimisation....Zzzzzzzzz.... have I sent you to sleep yet?

For the most part, that vast majority of people work by trial and error.
With my own website, I try something for a month... so how the visitor stats go and then change it. It's all very much swings and roundabouts and as soon as you've learnt one thing... the industry has canged and you've gotta learn something new.


One thing I know... pictures gain far more interest than words. No-one wants to read anything these days. My first website was VERY wordy, this one less so and there are others that rely solely on pictures with the smallest amount of words possible.

Perhaps it's the way of the world? 
This instant everything. 

Perhaps we need to be kept amused and entertained? 

Perhaps we are bored with the old ways and need constant stimulation?

What's your thoughts and feelings on this? Do you have the same issues too?
Feel free to comment below or send me an email to inspiredbyscript@yahoo.co.uk
I'd love to hear from you on this one!