Part 2 of 3 in a Guest Blog Series

Greetings again from your friendly Intergalactic Ambassador to the Printerverse™, Deborah Corn, ready to talk more about social media.

In my first post, I noted that effective social media starts with creating a community. Growing your base of followers means making connections. Reach out, inform and open a communication exchange. We talked last time about two key social media channels, LinkedIn and Twitter. I’m moving on to a few other key channels, but don’t hesitate to click if you need a Part 1 refresher.

Instagram and Pinterest. If your business is visual, appealing to designers, creatives and other visual types, you need to be where pictures tell your story on Instagram and Pinterest. Instagram is where all the Millennials went when their parents figured out Facebook, and their user base is currently the fastest growing. Pinterest lets you create image boards, and is fantastic for curating collections by topic.

Facebook. Though Instagram is wildly popular, if you are looking for a place that is the whole package, Facebook can’t be ignored. However, there are a few parameters to keep in mind if you are going to play here. Most important: knowing if your community is there. Just because you are, doesn’t mean they are, so figure that out before you waste your time. Speaking of time, Facebook is about conversations, sharing, liking, commenting and can be time-consuming when done right. If you can’t invest that time, use it smarter elsewhere.  Lastly, Facebook can be a financial investment since Company Pages no longer have “free” access to those who have liked it. However, a $20 boost can reach several thousand people, and in the scheme of things it’s a solid investment. Just be careful; 20 bucks here and there each month adds up quickly.

Socialize Now…

If you haven’t done it already, come network at #PrintChat on Twitter every Wednesday from 4-5PM ET. The best and brightest from the print and integrated marketing community meet-up and tweet-up with an average of 1,000 tweets and 6 Million impressions per chat. Get all the details at www.printchat.printmediacentr.com.

Tune in for my Part 3 of 3 post when I reveal the last social media channel (and best in terms if visibility potential). Meanwhile, comment below or connect with me in social streams!