What is IFTTT?

Carol Dekle-Foss

  I was inspired by both MaryAnn and Karen last week to link my Facebook page to twitter. I was so happy with this discovery, that I began to wonder. Could there be a social media management tool to link my other social media sites? That would be amazing, and a major time saver. It might even motivate me to post more.
So after a few hours sifting through google, I found IFTTT. "If This Then That. It works by automatically connecting platforms and services across the web. 

There are so many social media sites right? Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Google+, Youtube, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon, etc etc. Oh, and let's not forget blogging. One would need a clever marketing team to keep up with it all!  IFTTT helps tame the social media beast by using different 'recipes' that you create tailored to your needs and how you use the web. Let me share with you some of my recipes and my new social media strategy using IFTTT.

First, I just started using Hootsuite to post to my facebook page, twitter and Instagram. They only allow three social media sites for free. And that is where IFTTT can help. You create your recipes with hashtags to share to other platforms. Here is a screenshot with the recipes I am currently using.

The first recipe is a post from Instagram to my Instagram board on Pinterest. So now when I post to Instagram with the hashtag #terrarusticadesign, it publishes automatically to Pinterest. Love it! The second recipe is a post to Tumblr, and the third to Flickr. With Hootsuite, and IFTTT, that is SIX posts in just one step. How cool is that?? Unfortunately, IFTTT doesn't have all social media sites, like Google +, but I think they are adding more all the time.

I am in no way affiliated with IFTTT, I just love how helpful it is and thought I would share. It's a great tool that you can tailor to your own needs with many options. Their platform is also easy and fun to work with.

So what is your social media strategy? Do you use any social media management tools that work for you? How do you deal with all the social media options, and which ones do you prefer to use? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Facebook and Twitter and Paypal, OH MY! The Rabbit Hole that is the InterWebs by Karen McGovern

It's all MaryAnn Carroll's fault.

It all started with an *innocent* post by MaryAnn to the artists of  LMAJ discussing linking Facebook pages to Twitter, so that every post made to your Facebook also appears on your Twitter page. Great idea....That was Friday....

48 hours later I emerge, bleary-eyed and brain dead, hands cramped from continuous clicking and clacking on my laptop, lost in the bowels of social media rules, regulations, hacks and shortcuts.

What MaryAnn didn't realize is that once I get started on something web-wise, I do not stop until I have figured it out or hit a virtual brick wall.

Here's the deal. MaryAnn's suggestion (and a good one, I might add...) lead to more ideas and questions regarding how this all works. I have, like many artists on Facebook, more than one page. I have my personal page under my name, I have my art page under my business name (Beadkeepers). I also am in charge of the Facebook page for the organization I work for (Rare Species Conservatory Foundation). That's three pages. I also have three Twitter accounts, one for me, one for Beadkeepers and one for RSCF. Sure, it would be FABULOUS if posts to Facebook (which I use and post to almost everyday) could magically appear at the same time on the corresponding Twitter pages. I didn't even know you could do that BECAUSE I AM OLD AND DON'T GET THE TWITTER MUCH.

BUT, I do understand the value of social media when it comes to living in the 21st century, and if you have any presence online it's best to learn and UNDERSTAND as much of this stuff as possible. It's never a bad idea to expand your online toolkit if that is where you do the bulk of your communications, and frankly, it's UNAVOIDABLE. So let's USE this stuff, right????

First, I consulted the mighty oracle...Google. I learned much, and I am here to share...

Linking Facebook to Twitter is relatively easy once you stumble blindly around the Internet, which provides a solid 75% of the info you need. Lucky for you, I did all the stumbling. This link between pages and sites is great to promote your business or organization and is a huge time saver. No more posting one place, then having to start over someplace else!

Here's what you do. I am going to explain this as if you have more than one page on both Twitter and Facebook that you want to link because that is a bit tricky....First, log in to one of your Twitter accounts. Then, open a new tab and go to www.facebook.com/twitter and follow the prompts to open your Facebook page. 

Click the link allowing access from Facebook to Twitter (you need to do this for every page you link). 

You should then see a page with your personal page at the top and all your other pages listed below. Here is mine...

Next to each of your Facebook pages is a button to click that will link that page to the openTwitter account. Click the page you want to link to that account and hit Save Changes. VIOLA! You are linked!

Now, to link another page to another Twitter account, go back to Twitter, SIGN OUT and then SIGN IN to your other page. Go back to the facebook.com/twitter page and REFRESH. Find whatever page you want to link to that Twitter page, hit the Link to Twitter button and the new Twitter page will be listed as linked. Hit Save Changes and VIOLA! You have just linked two different Facebook pages (that you administer) to two different Twitter accounts (that you administer). Now whatever you post to these pages on Facebook will instantly also post to the correct Twitter page as well. THAT ONLY TOOK ME 12 HOURS TO FIGURE OUT. I'm sure a 10 year old child could have done it while I was in the bathroom. ANYWAY....It's a cool feature that can boost your presence on the 'Web and boost your sales as well.

Speaking of sales...you guys know that you can link your shops directly to your Facebook page, right? Under your cover photo on your business page should be a few tabs. As you can see on mine, I have a Shop Now button. Before it was Shop Now it read Call to Action. To link your shop to Facebook, click the Call to Action and a drop down menu appears. Select the Shop Now option, then put your direct web address in the box below for your Etsy shop, website, whatever. Since RSCF is a 501(c) 3 charitable organization, we have the option for a Donate Now button under Call to Action. I linked this to our PayPal donations account. This is super spectacular for us since we have over 15,000 followers  now and we have already gotten donations coming in since I created the button on Friday! 

In figuring out how to link the Donate Now button directly to PayPal, I also discovered something else. I figured out how to create a link in PayPal you can put in a post to SELL DIRECTLY FROM FACEBOOK USING PAYPAL ONLY. No Shopify, no middleman (other than PayPal) no FEES other than PayPal. I have to do a bit more research on this--it's so unbelievably easy it must have a catch somewhere. I've been discussing it with some webby folks and no one seems to have a 100% clear answer on Facebook's policies for selling from your page. Some say it's a no-no, others point out that selling through Facebook/Shopify is...well...SELLING, so what's the problem? I'm sure it has to do with Facebook wanting their cut somehow....Until I do some more digging I'm going to keep this nugget of info to myself. BUT I WANT TO TELL EVERYONE!!! Maybe next time....don't want to get anyone in trouble with the FACEBOOK POLICE. I'll keep you posted.....

In the meantime, I'll close with a recent design I created that is perfect for the season. An AMAZING carved labradorite skull set in sterling silver with a steel flower, brass bee, cast sterling silver twigs and a bronze dogwood flower. I created this in honor of Dia De los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. This wonderful holiday is celebrated on November 1st and 2nd. The traditionally Mexican holiday is a celebration and remembrance of those who have passed on, and feature elaborately decorated skulls called Sugar Skulls. I have created many sugar skull designs, but this by far is my favorite and my first carved gemstone skull. The labradorite is ELECTRIC! 

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween (if you celebrate) or a wonderful and heartfelt Dia De los Muertos. 

Now, GO MAKE SOMETHING AMAZING!

Maybe tomorrow....

Yesterday was my last day of school for 2014/2015. I have been a special education resource teacher for 31 years, 25 of those at Fabius-Pompey, a nice little rural district south of Syracuse, NY. It never fails.... I am working on paperwork (I HATE PAPERWORK) up until and including the last day. The problem.... well, it is the same problem that I have with everything that seems like a chore... procrastination.

I always get everything done that I need to and I tend to do my best under pressure. At 55, I am pretty sure that won't be changing anytime soon.  Procrastination MADE ME wait until this am to think about today's post. The truth is as I type this sentence, I still have no clue.

ughhh......

.......pressure is building

I think I have this.....

Yup - there is an "I'll do that later" list at home......

........I told the group was that I think it would be a good idea to have links to our individual FB pages. That was at least two weeks ago. In my defense, life has been a little on the crazy side (friends often look forward to my morning news reports on the latest family drama), so that has been put a few sticky notes down in the pile of things to do.

I do have a procrastination system. Notes to self (usually sticky), have notes all over desk, throw notes away as the work gets done, more new notes added, still have notes that have wrinkled edges and maybe some coffee stains on them (those are the ones that I try not to wish away), maybe rewrite those notes on a clean sticky note (maybe a new color will make me get it done), hold onto notes because I can do it tomorrow, time is running out, pressure, gather the dreaded notes with the most important on top and then.... finally, if it all goes as unplanned, things work out!

I haven't dreaded this task..... just haven't gotten it done.

In no particular order (If all went right, you should be able to click each picture- If not, give me a few minutes and I will have it fixed!!) -

Staci

Sherri

Mary Jane

Karen

Patti

Carol

Marsha

Barbara

And then there is ours. Yup.... this task of updating got somewhere lost in the fire of the year...... maybe this summer I will get on top of it!

We'll see.

MaryAnn (and Bill)

Of course I don't want to forget what we share as a group.

Love My Art Jewelry

I am now one step away from completing the task of making this a page. 

Maybe I will get on that tomorrow.

MaryAnn

Facebook, what gives?

by MaryAnn Carroll

Well, I must confess, I have been hearing many complaints about Facebook over the past few months, but had no clue what people were talking about. It wasn't until I was replacing some items in a local gallery, Cinch Art Space, that the owner and I got into a discussion about it.

I decided since I really wanted our first show to be successful, I decided I was going to take some time out to learn about it and run a few trial ads.

I think my initial reaction to the change is that it is not a good thing. As I researched it more, I started to change that opinion. Yes, it is true, Facebook is going to profit from this, but why not? Any of us would want to do the same. They are a business also.

I haven't done much in terms of my business Artisan Beads Plus, but keep telling myself I am going to.  It's like starting a diet..... you know.... I'll start tomorrow!

I have, however, taken an interest in how Facebook can work for Potters for Pets, our upcoming art event to benefit the CNY SPCA. I am, by no means, an expert. Quite the opposite, as I am still in the learning phase.

I have been paying for some ads. I think I have spent about $30 over the course of two months while I experiment. I am hoping that what I learn while doing this will not only bring in more traffic to our actual event at the CNY SPCA, but will also carry over to our Love My Art Jewelry business page when we decide whether or not promoting the page is financially smart.

I have been obsessing about how our page is performing. The more I obsess, the more I learn. There are tutorials online with some short videos that I also found helpful.

Here is a good link to get started - https://www.facebook.com/business/learn

Below are examples of what I use to see how things are going. My current campaign is a post campaign (vs. a campaign to promote the page itself). I have done both page promotions and post promotions. Also, if you don't like how your campaign is going, you can stop it at any time. I have done that a few times.

This graph shows the average performance of people that posts have reached since the page was started on February 10, 2015. You can see those that were reached organically vs. paid.

This graph shows a comparison of likes, comments and shares over two months. From what I have researched, your main goal should be to increase engagement with your fans, the more they are engaged, the more your page might show up in their pages, etc. 

This shows the total reached for all activity over the past two months.

And, most recently, I started to compare how Potters for Pets performs against some other pages that are of interest to me and have some similarities to my page.

I hope this helps you give you an idea of Facebook can work for you.

MaryAnn

Feedback Addiction - The Curse of Facebook by Karen McGovern

Many, if not most of us, have a Facebook page.  Either a personal page, a business page, or both.  And, many of us are members or hosts of Facebook groups as well.  On one or more of these pages (if not all) we post photos of our work.  And then, if you are like me, you wait for likes and comments.  Anxiously.  Impatiently.  Okay, obsessively.  Facebook may be a wonderful, magical way to connect with people, but it is also addictive and sometimes counterproductive.  Not just because you can be sucked into a time void while scrolling away, suddenly realizing you've lost three hours in what felt like  15 minutes, but because it's easy to become dependent on the instant gratification of the microscopic thumbs-up icon.  "How many likes has the photo of my new necklace design gotten??  Only seven? Seriously?  What's wrong with it? I posted it almost EIGHT MINUTES AGO".  And then the death- spiral of self-doubt begins.  We are relieved and probably way too happy when a photo gets a ton of likes, totally bummed if a photo seems overlooked.  Facebook is many things, but it ain't always your friend, nor is it a real reflection of anything but the whim of the moment.

 

 All artists need feedback.  True, real-time feedback.  As painful as it may be at times, honest feedback helps us grow and evolve and become better artists.  Is a thumbs-up really feedback?  I think of it more like a virtual pat on the head.  Don't get me wrong, I am delighted when a lot of people like my works, it feels great.  I just don't base my entire artistic consciousness on whether or not something I create is a hit on Facebook.

For real feedback I turn to those artists, friends and clients that I have a relationship with, trust and admire.  Yes, we connect online, many times through Facebook.  What they have to say carries far more weight than just the thumb icon.

My point is that I think Facebook should be used as an entertaining tool.  Don't take it too seriously and use it wisely.  You can expand your client base, reach out to and connect with artists and yes, share photos of your work.  Just understand that there is a lot of  useless noise out there, and filter the meaningful dialogue as best you can.

Oh, and turn the damn thing off every once in a while...it's not going anywhere, but you can.

Speaking of going places, I want to wish all our artist friends attending BeadFest a fantastic weekend!  I hope you all sell a ton...I'm so jealous.  Please share pics of the show!

Finally, I close with my favorite tool at the moment.  I love to make cuffs and bangles, and have, up until now, only had a round bracelet mandrel.  Great for bangles, but not so good for cuffs if you want to create an oval profile, which I prefer for cuffs.  I end up spending a lot of time bending and shaping by hand to get the nice, even oval shape I want.  Well, enter the bracelet bender I got from Gotta Getta Deal on Etsy!  Best $15.00 I ever spent.  Secure the steel bender in a vise, then simply fit your metal into the slotted end and curve, remove, flip, and curve the other side!  Perfect oval, easy-peasy!

 

 Since getting it I've been making tons cuffs, most recently lightweight, stackable bangle cuffs I call "Quickies".  To make them I use heavy-gauge copper, brass or nickel silver wire (10 and 12 gauge).  Endless possibilities from there...texture, patina, embellish, you name it.  I've posted some pics on my Facebook page...hurry over and like them!!!

The bracelet bender at work, and a few of the

Quickie stack bangle cuffs I have made

Online Communities and What I Have Learned

Being online, whether blogging, or facebook, etsy or pinterest, has opened up a whole new world to me.  I have made new friends, I have been able to promote my shops, I have found support, encouragement and advice, and have found some artists that I really admire, not only as artists, but as plain old wonderful folks.

One of the places I have found some very close friends is facebook, through groups.  There is one particular group, that is kinda small, which I love, because I feel like I really know those gals.  Its all beady ladies, one way or the other, and it’s a private group, so its always a party.  It shall remain nameless too, because I am selfish that way. (wink wink)

Here are some beady friends I got to meet in person- friends I first met online

Anyhow, I have learned a lot since I began my online journey.  I'd like to share a few of them.

1.        What I do is no secret.  So why not share what I know.  

I have learned almost everything I know because someone took the time to share a tip, or technique with me.   Who am I to not pay it forward?   I am forever thankful to everyone who has ever helped me to get to where I am today.  Whether it be splitting early bead orders with me, teaching me to solder or tips and tricks in business, I am soooo very thankful.  You all know who you are!  (gosh- each and everyone of you has probably helped me in some way or another)

2.       Put yourself out there.  The good will outweigh the bad.

Yes, I know putting your work online (like on etsy, flickr or facebook) puts you at risk for copying.  It may very well happen.  You can deal with it if it does.  People may try to make what you do, but may only do it once or twice while they try to find who they are as a designer or master a technique.  Yet there are those dreaded people who try to imitate what you make and undersell you, but they are NOT the majority.  Overall, the good that comes from sharing your work and pictures online outweighs the bad.  So don’t hold back out of FEAR.  Be confident in who you are as an artist, and do your thing.

3.       Do not compare yourself to others.

Oh my word.  This is one I struggle with.  Whether I am seeing a design I wish I had thought of first, or know of someone selling more then me, my first instinct is to compare and wonder what I am doing wrong.  DO NOT DO THIS.  I have learned to just say no to comparing.  Concentrate on my work, my goals, my direction, or I will be pulled all over the place, doing this and that and the other thing trying to keep up.

4.       Take care of your friends.  Be encouraging.  If there’s something of theirs you love, share it with the world.

This has been one of the most amazing things I have learned.  There is such a great community out there willing to give a shout out to other artists, a link, a facebook post, its just amazing.  So, be nice to your friends, the artists you admire, give them some “press” and share the love.  Encourage them, celebrate with them.  The relationships I have made with my like minded beady friends are like none anywhere else.  I value them, and hope I take care of them as much as they take care of me.

These are just a few of the things I have learned along the way.  I am sooo very thankful for the amazing people who are always there for me, behind the scenes.

What have you learned from your online adventures?