Social Media 101
Our picnic last night was a rousing success, and now we’re off to Vancouver for the 3rd annual PNW MQG meetup. Pictures from the picnic will come soon, but in the meantime here is something to peruse.
Many thanks to Christine of Sew Bossi for preparing this for us.
Many thanks to Christine of Sew Bossi for preparing this for us.
One can discuss whether Modern Quilting is actually modern with regards to style and technique. However what is indisputable is how one is able to connect with the quilting community with the aid of social media. Tips and trends are shared instantly. One can influence and be influenced by like minded souls all over the globe thanks to the internet and the different available platforms.
The possibilities are almost endless and one can easily spend hours ploughing through all there is to see. If you are not familiar with the different social media platforms, fear not! The following will give you a preliminary introduction. I will narrow it down to what the modern quilting tribes are using at present.
If you look at the right hand side of our blog page, you will see several orange icons looking like this:
Go to the original icons and click on them. They will direct you to the different social media platforms we have chosen to promote our guild upon or where we have placed inspirational images.
– Facebook
Facebook allows you to find and connect with friends, with whom information can be shared. It also permits groups of people/organisations to create a platform to inform the public or just a select group of people about certain events or general happenings. One can post pictures, videos and articles. Email alerts are available for instant information sharing. Facebook members can normally post comments, show their appreciation for a site by “like”-ing it and encouraging friends to follow. Many “likes” and followers can promote tour guild, for example.
There are other similar platforms out there such as MySpace, but Facebook is most commonly used at present.
– Flickr
Flickr is a picture sharing site. You post pictures that you wish the public or only a select number of people to view. There are different public groups that one can follow, such as the Fresh Modern Quilt group, Pillow Swaps or Doll Quilt challenges, where Flickr members post relevant images to be viewed by larger audiences. One can “favourite” different photos, so that you do not lose track of those amazing inspirational quilts, for example. One can also show one’s admiration by leaving a comment.
There are other picture sharing sites such as Picasa, but Flickr seems to attract the quilting crowd.
– Instagram
Instagram is also a picture sharing site, but can only be uploaded through your mobile phone. Selfies rule here! If you are not much into cell phone picture taking, this is probably not the platform for you. However, like Flickr, you can view others’ images and get inspired.
– Pinterest
Pinterest is like a bulletin board, where you pin pictures that you love. You can have different boards according to category. You can “re-pin” images that are not your own, but one is advised to follow social media etiquette by always indicating the source. Copyright infringement is a hot issue, especially among the Americans.
– Twitter
Twitter permits you to type short comments. This is a media platform upon which interaction is swift and direct. It is very useful when making statements, announcements or to follow certain “important” figures. As this platform generates a lot of traffic, we felt it would be beneficial for the guild to have an account here to promote the guild.
– Bloglovin
Bloglovin is a way to follow your favourite blogs. As soon as a new post is created on a blog that you follow, it will be listed under your account.
– Google+
Google+ is an umbrella of all the Google platforms. It is also a place to read and share information with friends.
This concludes Social Media 101. If there are any questions or further explanation required, please do not hesitate to let us know.
Now go surf and get inspired!
I'm so sad I missed the picnic in the park last night. I heard it was super fun tho!!
I'm home with a broken ankle for now 🙁
Thanks Christine, for explaining all the social media stuff. I'm still trying to figure out how to post a photo onto the Facebook page….
See you next month 🙂
Christine
I have been trying to put a pin on Pinterest. Not sure if I am doing it correctly. When I go to my pins I don't see it there. Can u shed some light?