It happened yesterday, and this week is the big launch! I decided to do something new and different with my business, and doing something new, especially in business, is always a crazy combination of scary and exciting. I started a community on Facebook that is geared especially to my customers and those who have been following my brand.
So how did I come to this decision? Facebook’s algorithms severely limit how many of my page’s posts cross my customers’ newsfeeds (unless I pay a lot of advertising costs), which sort of makes it, What’s the point? With this reduced page reach, I’ve been feeling like I’m talking to myself most of the time, and, frankly, I do plenty of that offline without doing it on social media. At the same time, there’s no denying the power of video, and by and large, my posts that include pictures and videos get the most reach and the most engagement.
When I first started out in business, shows and markets were the sustaining backbone of my revenues. While schlepping tables, canopy, and products around wasn’t fun, interacting and engaging with my customers was a joy! Now that I’m largely private label and wholesale with but two events a year, I miss engaging with my customers. This allows me to do so more, whether we live across town or across the country from each other.
This is going to be fun, I just feel it! And I hope you’ll join in the fun and the conversation. You can find our group at this link.
Good for you for starting a Facebook group! I’ve been nervous about starting one, so seeing you do it give me encouragement!
Thanks much, Alyson! I used to get very nervous about going live and could find every reason not to (usually, “But I’m not wearing makeup!”). However, when I rebranded and went coastal, it seemed natural to post videos from the beach where I’m bare-faced, wind-blown, and salty/sandy/sweaty. After that, it was much easier. The more you do it, the easier it gets, but doing it the first few times is really nerve-wracking!
Yay, Sara. Congratulations on your new group 🙂
Thanks, Donna! It’s been fun so far! 🙂