Craft Focus - April/May 2020 (Issue 78)

95 SOCIAL MEDIA With more than 20k Instagram followers, Hawthorn Handmade has been highly successful on social media. Creative director Stephanie Carswell discusses the company’s online marketing strategy Which social media platforms does Hawthorn Handmade use? We’re on all the major social sites. Instagram is our main focus, with more than 20k followers, then Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. We’re also on YouTube, where we have more than 7k subscribers and over 350,000 views to date. Have these platforms helped you reach out to a new audience? Social media has always been a key part of our marketing strategy, but in recent years it has shown itself to be the most important tool, particularly in bringing in new customers. The wide variety of valuable content you can offer and the opportunities to target new audiences, both organically with things like hashtags and collaborations, and through advertising has brought in strong ROI compared to more traditional routes. We have used it in conjunction with our email list to great success and the two channels work hand-in-hand very effectively, turning ‘cold’ potential customers into loyal fans of our brand. How instrumental do you think these platforms will be as you continue to grow your business? This is a tricky one to predict! It’s harder to build an organic audience on social media now than it was a few years ago. The platforms are working ever harder to get you to pay and limiting your reach if you don’t. You need stronger, more dynamic content to get seen, and the rules of what does and doesn’t work change on an almost monthly basis, so keeping on top of it all can be tough. Our plan is to make sure it’s not our only point of contact with customers so that if they do pull the plug, we’re not left high and dry, whilst ensuring that the content we offer is fresh and authentic, so we’re more likely to get seen. I’m interested to see where social goes over the next few years as new aspects such as not showing likes or following numbers come into play. Do you have any social media tips or words of advice for other up-and-coming craft businesses? Be yourself! People are very attuned to anything that isn’t authentic and respond to posts that are clearly from you and are true to your brand. If you’re the face of your company, it really helps to be the main person on social media as you’re who your customers are buying into, not an intern or freelancer. My other tip is good photography. It doesn’t need to be professional, but clear, well-lit and nicely styled images can go a long way to improving your engagement and reach on all channels. Are there any social media groups, personalities or channels that you would recommend? For someone who uses Instagram Stories well and gives a fascinating behind-the-scenes look into her crafty world, Sara Davies’ personal account (IG @saradaviescc) is worth a look. Annie from The Village Haberdashery (IG @thevillagehaberdashery) uses social media in such a good way to promote workshops and new products in store, and over on YouTube, LoveCrafts are creating some really inspiring content including ‘The LoveCrafts Show’! hawthornhandmade.com SOCIAL MEDIA MATTERS Social status @craftfocus @craftfocusmag @craftfocus Did you know? To make sure your posts show up in Instagram searches and reach people who aren’t aware of your company, use suitable hashtags. It’s important to add the hashtags that other people are using rather than those you’ve made up yourself, so look out for words and phrases that relate to popular or trending subjects. FOLLOWUS... LIKED ON INSTAGRAM BY: The Crafty Kit Company @craftykitcompany Corinne Lapierre @corinnefeltkits Beacon Adhesives @beaconcreates Craft Focus is at the heart of the online community. Here’s a quick update on what’s been happening LIKED AND RETWEETED ON TWITTER BY: Dannells @needcrafters ExaClair Limited @exaclairlimited The Craft Cotton Company @craftcottonco