NCECA notes: Building a Marketing Funnel - Paul Blais

"Using social media to funnel customers to the checkout"

In spite of my somewhat snarky commentary, I found this talk the most useful thing I attended at this conference so far!

oh wait i know this guy, he's the potter's cast guy
Topics: marketing & social media
Picking up where the art degree ends - figuring out the business part of being an artist

 yeah this is right up my alley

Instagram, how do you translate it into sales?

• New world? 30% of sm businesses still don't have a website, but practically all artists do. If you're selling, you are a business. 
• Business 
• People are on the web. 89% of Americans are online. Spend 24 hr a week online. 
• Money Retail sales online in trillions "The spout where the money comes out"
• OKAY PAUL I'M PERSUADED LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW
• If you build it they won't come unless you bring them there
• Social Media strategy
• You can be hyper specific: gender, age range, zip code,interests - okay but HOW Paul
• Can be location independent OKAY BUT HOW PAUL 
• We build community
• Access - to you, your audience, to your field
• Community: talk to each other, learn the needs, foster belonging
• OKAY BUT HOOOOOOOOW PAUL
• Learn the needs: figure out what someone wants & needs in order to sell to them
• Foster sense of belonging - concept of branding. We can start to cultivate w soc media
• 3 rules*: 
• Don't be stupid
• Don't be boring
• Don't be a jerk
• Suggestion: engage jerks, turn relationship around. Doesn't always work. Or at least, you don't be a jerk, even if they are. 
• Growing followers:
• All of social media is about being social. Ask questions, reply to other people's posts
• Giveaways & contests - ask people to follow you to win. 
• Knowing what's up - why do people go on social media
• FB to check in w friends
• LinkedIn - checking opportunities
• Pinterest - inspiration
• Checking out
• Twitter - what's happening in the world
• YouTube - check all the boxes
• How long does content last? 
• Twitter 19 minutes
• FB - 5 hours
• insta 21 hours
• Linked 24 hours
• Youtube 20+ days
• Pinterest - 4 months (frm personal experience - sometimes much longer! I get visits from Pinterest to posts I made years ago. )
• What to do
• Twitter: think news, schedule your use
• FB Think Me & you, engage, pics & videos
• Insta: eye candy. participation is big, time your posts (every 2 hours? yeahno, not doing that) Google when's the best time
• LinkedIn Think "work", Career angles
• YouTube: Education & entertainment, be concise, title it well
• Pinterest: inspiration, Double-dip IFTTT, you can change link destination to sales page
• Hashtags: think findable, unique matters, Don't cluttery, put hashtags AFTER the post
• Your website
• Best social media! wait what
• It's your property, your rules
• Powerful? (hmm) 
• What is the purpose
• Communicate
• Connect
• Collect
• Commerce
• The Funnel 
• Conversion - moving person into an action
• Ask + do = conversion
• Convey: tell them what your product is about & what you have for them
• Convert: become a follower or a buyer
• Continue
• Customer
• Attracted
• Award (with email address, sale, purchase...)
• Await what you do next
• Convey & Convert is a lot of work, continue is easier. 
• Building the funnel
• Know who you are talking to
• Hashtags
• Don't just use clay-related :#iwantthis #coffeeshops, etc, to find audience
• What are you specifically asking people to do?
• Ask explicitly for comments or likes. (I'm from Maine, I'm probably not gonna do that)
• A specific goal in evey post
• New followers
• The Bio is important, apparently. Make sure website link is in the bio
• Your website is the hub. The goal of social media is to get them to your website. Get them onto our email list. 
• Separate personal & business accts? Maybe, not nec
• Don't use Etsy! You are building Etsy's business, not yours. 
• The more engagement, the more people will see a post
• reaching other than potters: interior decorators, gardeners, cooks

*Am I wrong or are these rules super obvious? "Oh, don't be boring, what a great idea, I never would have thought of that" "Don't be stupid? Damn it, I've been doing this all wrong."