Keep it personal when using social media. That was one of the key messages from DK of MediaSnackers, who gave a very impressive talk in Aberdeen where we were both keynote speakers at the launch of the Cultivating Creativity project to develop creative businesses in Scotland. I learnt a lot (and yes, still have a lot to learn).
Now MediaSnackers have publshed their Top 50 Blog Posts about using social media, which I recommend as essential reading to creative, digital and cultural enterprises.
One important point emphasised by DK is that when using social media you should imagine you are in a room full of people, interacting with them on a personal level. Sounds obvious, but in a face to face situation you wouldn’t introduce yourself with your company name, you’d use your real name. You wouldn’t just talk, you’d listen too. You wouldn’t just say your mission statement like a robot, you’d tell stories about what you do. In other words, you’d be real, with opinions, stories, personality and humour.
Read the MediaSnackers blogs, including the ones about ‘The Business of Being Human’ and ‘Why Social Media Shouldn’t Be Outsourced’. These messages link in with a point I often make when advising creative businesses about marketing – your potential customers want to do business with real people, not with a “[email protected]”, or a slick corporate website, or a salesperson working on your behalf. For more about why it’s important to show your personality, not just your products or services, see the blog ‘Don’t hide your people!‘.
So when using social media in the creative industries, keep it social, not ‘corporate’.
DK from MediaSnacker with David Parrish at the ‘Cultivating Creativity’ launch at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen.
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