Getting Started in Facebook, Pinterest, & Twitter
Last week, we talked about a few popular social media sources and how we manage our social networks. Today, we’re going to go even further with social media and explain how you can create and operate your own social pages, as well as the advantages that come with having your business involved in social networks. We are going to focus on three major social sources; Facebook, Pinterest, & Twitter.
There is a good chance that you already have your own Facebook page, if you create a business page, you can easily switch between your personal page and business page. Just click on the down arrow at the top right hand corner of the page. When you click on this arrow you will be given the option to choose which page you are using, so you can easily post to one page or the other. To create your own business page on Facebook, click here and choose the options that best fit your business.
Why use Facebook? It is a great way to keep in touch with your customers by letting them know what kind of deals and events your business will be hosting. If your customers don’t know what is happening in your business, then what reason do they have to purchase your products? Social media is a great tool to let your customers know what you can offer them and to encourage them to make purchases by showing them how they can use your products and by offering coupons and deals. Just remember that you don’t want to force the sale. Be friendly with your customers; show them what you offer, deals that you can provide them, and remember to be sociable! Get involved with conversations about your products. You can even add pictures from events that you attend, show how you make the products, and provide words of advice on washing garments, etc.
If you would like to create a Pinterest business account or convert a Pinterest account that you already have into a business account, click here. To create a board on Pinterest, choose Create a board of the left side of the page. Give the board a category name so that you can add pins that are specific to that category; examples: Cheer Apparel, Baseball Clothing, and Sports Moms. You can create original pins by adding an image; just use the Add a Pin button when you’re inside of the board. When you add a pin, make sure that you link a webpage to the image. To repin a pin from another Pinterest board, select Pin it in the upper left hand corner of the image. To learn more about using Pinterest, check out Pinterest for your T-shirt Business.
A great reason to use Pinterest is because it provides a visual. You can show your customers the products that you can create for them and your customers can share these products on their own board. With a good image description and a link to where they can order your products, you can create great customer engagement. If you sell your products on your own or a secondary website, link your pins back to that site so that people who like the design can order it. We even have the Easy Prints® Pinterest page so you can repin pins from this page to your own boards to show your customers what you can create.
To create a twitter account, click here. Fill in your name, email address, and a password for your account. Make your username the name of your business. Once your account is created you can change your company’s personal information by choosing the gear icon in the top right hand corner (settings & help), and choosing Settings. Once in settings, choose Profile on the left side of the page to add your location, website, and mini bio. Include your business phone number in the bio. Check out this great resource if you are new to Twitter: https://business.twitter.com/start-tweeting
Why choose Twitter as a social source? Like the other social networks mentioned, there are a lot of users on this social network, making it a great way to expand your reach to more potential customers. One of the great aspects of Twitter is that every tweet is 140 characters or less, making your messages quick and to the point. Images are a great way to draw potential customers to your product, so be sure to add images occasionally as well as links to your website and other social networks (such as Pinterest or Instagram) to your posts.
If you do not have a lot of time to put into social networking, it’s good to start with just one social network and expand to other networks later, when you have more time. Try out the social network that best fits your needs. Social networking is a great way to connect with your customers and help your business grow!