Tips on Marketing with Social Media for Makers Class with Michaels

We live in a time where both social media and social media marketing are critical to the success of most small businesses. Within Sewing & Crafting, knowing how to optimize each platform can be the difference between a thriving business and the inability to get out of the “hobby”-zone. But with constantly changing algorithms and shifting consumer preferences, staying on top of social media marketing and knowing how to use each platform can feel like a lost cause. In collaboration with Michaels, it is my hope that through a basic understanding of each potential platform and how to connect and streamline them all network will make this daunting task more approachable with lasting results.

Upon opening any social media app and enjoying its content. there seems to be a constant trickle of social media tips from content creators that may or may not work and may or may not be credible. So why am I the right human to share these insights? My Mx Domestic journey began in 2016, which was shortly after I completed my second Masters Degree in Business Administration. The quality of my sewing work generally garnered positive responses, so I decided to test out my newly acquired education with Mx Domestic. And once I performed a basic market analysis of my first social media platform (which was Instagram at the time), I was ready to enter the platform with my penetration strategy focusing on becoming a personality-based entity and set my plans into motion. Once I understood Instagram, I moved on to Facebook while setting up my blog & newsletter. Next I developed my Pinterest, then YouTube, and most recently TikTok. And at the time of me writing this, my stats for each platform are as follows:

• Instagram: 127,050 followers
• Facebook: 38,000 followers
• Facebook Group: 12,700 members
• Blog: 33,000 average monthly views
• Newsletter: 20,000 subscribers
• Pinterest: 9,600 followers
• YouTube: 95,000 subscribers
• TikTok: 345,000 followers

As I’ve gradually built up my social media network (and consequently the Mx Domestic community), by focusing on one platform at a time, I was able to truly uncover and formulate the type of content needed to optimize each platform. And, as much as some folks won’t want to hear this, each platform is very different, has a unique value proposition for the end consumer, and requires a unique style of content. While part of this is a result of how each platform works, the dominant demographic of each platform also dictates the appropriateness of the required content.

In collaboration with Michaels, I have developed a course on Tips on Marketing with Social Media for Makers that was held live on January 6th, 2022 at 3 pm CT. The class is geared toward handmade business owners and will focus on how to optimize each social media platform (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, Blog) for maximum impact. The first half will focus on content creation for each platform based on a single project. The second half will take a deeper dive into the value proposition and specific strategies of each platform to help narrow focus of content for maximum growth. Make sure to click the link or the embedded video below to watch the full course.

Tips on Marketing with Social Media for Makers Full Course

For my own social media use, I have discovered that understanding the “value proposition” of each platform is a major factor in the type of content that I create. Simply put, a value proposition is the perceived value that a customer has on a specific product. In the case of social media, the value proposition becomes the reason why a human would choose to use a specific social media platform over the other. And while the apps themselves market their own “value proposition,” this might be different than the reason your niche uses each platform, which you’ll learn to amend over time as you get to know your community.

Value Proposition

• Instagram: Fun and simple photo sharing platform (visual medium)
• Facebook: To make the world more open and connected (storytelling/community-based)
• Facebook Group: A place for Facebook users to opt-in to shared experience (ability to niche down)
• Blog: Trusted source of information on specific topic(s) (voice of business, specific value-add)
• Newsletter: Direct link to consumers who have opted in to stay connected (call-to-action)
• Pinterest: To bring everyone the inspiration to create a life they love (search engine)
• YouTube: Long form videos for education or entertainment (tutorial or topic-based)
• TikTok: Long form videos for education or entertainment (tutorial or topic-based)

Basic Demographics

• Instagram: 32% 18-24; 35% 25-34; 73% of all teens use platform.
• Facebook: 7 in 10 US adults use Facebook. The perception is that active use skews older.
• Facebook Group: Niche specific.
• Blog: Bloggers skew younger with 21-35 accounting for 53% of bloggers. Perception correlates branding.
• Newsletter: Niche specific.
• Pinterest: 32% 18-29, 34% 30-49, 38% 50-64; 50% outside of US
• YouTube: 95% of 18-29 use (also binge watchers), 91% of 30-49 use; 49% of 65+ use
• TikTok: 28% Under 18; 35% 19-29; 18% 30-39; 19% 39+

To learn more details demographic information, check out https://www.omnicoreagency.com/category/statistics/.

Content Types

• Instagram: Primary – Photos; Secondary – Reels (separate algorithm), Stories (swipe up call-to-action)
• Facebook: Primary – Share blog posts; Secondary – Share topical content to support community/blog topics, share other content creators in niche (builds community)
• Facebook Group: Opportunity for consumer get closer to your brand; Share opt-in & community content
• Blog: Primary – Hub for Brand-specific content; Secondary – build up Newsletter through pop-ups/sign-ups, PR
• Newsletter: Primary – Call-to-action for consumer; Secondary – share community content
• Pinterest: Primary – Include Pinterest-worthy image on Blog post & share; Secondary – creating lists of inspiration
• YouTube: Primary – Tutorial or topic-based original content; Secondary – new Shorts feature
• TikTok: Primary – Short-form videos utilizing in-app trending concepts or sounds; Live-stream ideal for retail

The key to optimizing each platform is to utilize every feature, which creates a unique touchpoint to the user.

Putting it Into Action

Click here for a helpful worksheet and checklist.

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