7 Ways To Jumpstart Your Creative Business With Social Media

If you have been running your creative business for more than a year, then you already know that there is an ebb and flow to sales. Summer in particular is a natural time for many creative biz owners to see a sales dip. This doesn’t mean that you should sit idly by and wait for sales to increase on their own, but it also doesn’t mean you should freak out.

Show your social media marketing strategy some love and try some of these ideas.

-Caitlin Bacher of Little Farm Media

1. Grow your social media following like a boss.
Now is the time to put some extra effort into growing your social media following. By the time summer is over, your followers will be ready and waiting to buy your products and services. If you are unsure about how to grow a relevant following, then let’s talk. My One On One Brainstorming Session will give you simple strategies that really work. These get booked at lightning speed, so do it now.

2. Spend extra time engaging with followers.
You won’t always have time to leave thoughtful comments and replies, but you do when business is slow. Get to know your followers, whether or not they are currently buying. You may learn a thing or two about what they are looking for, which may inspire you to create new products and services. Relax a little and enjoy the conversations. P.S. If someone makes the effort to leave a comment for you, then please reply. It is just plain rude to leave someone hanging. I don’t care how busy you are, unless you have 150k followers, you have ten minutes to invest in writing a short reply to each person. It doesn’t have to be a long response, but you need to write something.

3. Build your email list through social media.
You have no control over what changes your favorite social media platform makes, but you have complete control over your newsletter. If you want to increase your list fast, you need to offer something. A digital download, a coupon code, etc. Use your newsletter to develop a relationship with your subscribers. When business is slow, you have more time to put into your newsletter. It doesn’t have to be fancy or wordy, just genuine. How To Craft An Email Newsletter Your Customers Will Love will give you actionable advice to get you started.

4. Update your profile picture.
Enlist the help of a professional or a friend and update your profile picture. Your profile picture is the first thing people will see when they check you out on social media, so it better look good. Make sure you have a solid, clean background to make your face really pop. In other words, don’t crop an existing photo of yourself to use a profile picture. Take a photo specifically for social media use.

5. Revisit your branding strategy.
What words do you want people to associate with your brand? Does your social media communicate this? Here’s a fun little activity. Choose three to five words that describe your brand. Throw out boring words like “sturdy” and replace with buzz-worthy words like, “heirloom”. Now start to use some of those words in your captions, tweets, pins, and posts. Before you know it, people will start to use those words to describe your brand. Not sure what words to use? Let’s talk…mmmkay? Together we can craft a catchy tagline and tighten up your branding strategy in 60 minutes or less.

6. Optimize your photos.
Did you know that vertical images are a bazillion times more likely to be pinned on Pinterest than horizontal images? That’s a fact. Product photography takes time and if business is slow then you’ve got lots of it. Try experimenting with a variety of props, backgrounds, and lighting to hone in on your own style. The best way to stand out on social media is with visual images that are unique to your brand. If you do what everyone else is doing, then you will get lost in the fray.

7. Have fun!
Social media stops being fun when you try to be everywhere at once. Focus on two platforms and once you get the hang of those, then you can think about whether or not you want to add another. How do you know which two platforms to focus on? Start with two that you already love.

About Caitlin Bacher and Little Farm Media:

Caitlin Bacher is the bosslady at Little Farm Media, offering social media consulting and e-courses for creative businesses. Download her FREE eBook, “How I Gained 1,000 Pinterest Followers In One Month,” right here.