In My Studio: Periscope

In the last couple of months I have been obsessively watching Periscope. In case you don't know Periscope I am writing this blog post to show how it works and how it can be used by your own small craft business.

What is it?

Periscope is a free video streaming app which you can download onto your device from the app store. It allows users to watch or broadcast videos in real time. What this means is that a bit like Skype or Facetime you can watch something that is happening right now. Whilst you are watching you are able to add comments which the broadcaster can see their end and also tap your screen to add hearts if you are enjoying what you are seeing. These broadcasts are then available for anyone to watch within 24 hours after which they are deleted.

How could this apply to my small craft business?

As a viewer:

Follow like minded crafters and small business owners for great advice and info. A couple I would recommend are:

Caitlin Bacher  @caitlinbacher    Small business advice, especially about social media strategies

Merriweather Council @merriweatherc  Wonderful and practical advice about Etsy

Recent Periscope from the Merriweather Council about optimizing your shop for the holidays

Danielle of the Merriweather Council

As a broadcaster:

There are many ways you could use periscope to video stream live to potential customers, collaborators and followers, here are some ideas:

1. Show off or demo a new product
2. Launch a new collection
3. Small business discussion
4. Tour of your studio
5. Work in progress
6. Behind the scenes look at a photoshoot or a craft show
7. Question and Answer session
8. Focus group (feedback on a new product)
9. Teach a technique, do a demonstration
10. Talk about a blog post
11. Celebrate milestones

How this could be used by the HV Etsy Team?

1. Host meetings: As everyone lives so spread out across our region meeting up has proved difficult. Persicope is a way that we could bring everyone together. One of the group leaders could host a periscope that them all team members could watch. They would be able to join in the discussion through their comments..
2. Go behind the scenes at craft fairs, interview vendors and team members

I am yet to pluck up the courage to do a scope myself but would love to do one in the future so follow me on Periscope at @saraho32. I would love to see fellow members start to do scopes so please add your address in the comments and also add any recommendations of people to follow.

Good Luck and Good Scoping!

Sarah

So Handmade

In My Studio: Hudson Valley Etsy's NEW Instagram Account

The Hudson Valley Etsy now on Instagram

Hudson Valley Etsy has recently started our own Instagram account. If you are a newbie to the whole Instagram revolution as I am, I hope this blog post will introduce the basics, inspire you to start your own account and encourage you to follow all the team currently on Instagram.

To start with Instagram is an online photo and video sharing network. It is a wonderful and fun way for small craft businesses to post pictures of their products, life, studios and inspiration in a quick and easy way. Photos can be manipulated within the app to give them some extra ummph so don't worry if your photo taking skills are questionable- in Instagram you can turn them into works of art within seconds.

Getting Started

1. To get started you will need an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or an Android handset. Go to the app store and download the free app to your device.
2. Choose a recognizable username, if you are starting the account for your small craft business in the interest of continuity choose a name consistent with your business name and Etsy shop name so that people can find you easily.
   

Organize Your Social Media With Hootsuite

I recently shared how easy it is to use Twitter to connect with your Etsy customers.   So you've done that, you're on Facebook, LinkedIn and a whole bunch of other sites you were told to join to promote your shop. Then you learn about ANOTHER site to join and you're ready to throw in the towel and never go online again.    I use to get that way too until I learned about Hootsuite.   I recently described Hootsuite to someone as "Information Overload!"

Hootsuite is an online brand management service which publishes to websites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare, MySpace, and WordPress. It is also a Twitter client.  There are SO many features to Hootsuite that I won't get into (because I don't want to pay extra for a premium account) so I'll just keep it simple with an introduction.

If this screenshot of my personal account doesn't scare you away, keep reading. :)

Instead of posting the same annoucement to different websites, Hootsuite is set up to be your one stop promo hub.  I currently have three twitter accounts, my personal Facebook, my Etsy shop Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram set up- I know! Crazy right???

The buttons next to the Compose Message box represent my different Twitter and Facebook accounts (the two Facebook icons are question marks, not sure why). These are the icons you click when you're ready to post. You can click more than one.  You can set up your dashboard with one or multiple tabs. The tabs are just for viewing, the buttons next to the message bar are for when you want to share something. The way I have mine sorted doesn't have to be the way you set up yours.

By selecting the buttons I mentioned, you can tweet to multiple accounts, share an Etsy link on Twitter, LinkedIn & Facebook at the same time. Another bonus is schedule posts ahead of time.  It's really fantastic! Don't be too hard on yourself if you don't "get it" right away. I know it's overwhelming at first, it took a while before I added Facebook, Tumblr & Instagram (which I call Tumblrgram) to the mix because I really wanted a good grasp of how the site works.  But it is a great way to keep your Social Media sites in order and see everything at once and not go from one site to the next.

If you have questions about setting up, or you use this for your business and love it/hate it, feel free to share in the comments.