Sweetline | Small Business Consulting

create + innovate

noreply@blogger.com (loving. living. small.) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 01:41:00 +0000

I recently discovered incredibly creative and innovative design collective, Berg. This design company really pushes the envelop when it comes to experiencing elements of modern day digital use. Their current collaboration with Dentsu London, Making Future Magic, showcases how color and style from the everyday world can be created from new design must-have, Apple's ipad and a little inspiration.

Whether you are a design collective like Berg or a shop owner who curates vintage finds, your online presence should make your readers, clients and passerbys feel good - yes! Thoughtful style and connection can be infused into your digital world. Click here to learn a lot more about Berg to pick up some serious inspiration.

A Sweetline Status

noreply@blogger.com (loving. living. small.) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 02:35:00 +0000

After a very busy summer, I am able to catch up a bit and restyle my dedication to the Sweetline and the Sweetline blog with new content, new interviews, new ideas and more. I am definitely still in a bit of an overdrive but am currently taking steps to create even more balance in my work life and real life. Often, as many of you small business owners know, these things cross over. I wanted to take a moment and share what Sweetline is and how I can work with you. I also will be sharing a fab client launch and some social media style that I've been working on for the last few months for iconic brand, DKNY.

*Sweetline's Services*

Sweetline is a consulting-style company for companies and brands looking to create, evolve or grow their online presence. I work with both small companies (a shop owner, a pr firm, an interior designer, etc) and large brands (DKNY, Fast Company, etc) I am the person for you if you need helping defining your editorial voice on your professional site, social media 101 or if you want to create new social media communities, strategy and style.

*A Sweetline client launch*

The very lovely and very talented, Rachel Gill, of La Bella Bungalow has just launched her online presence for her brand new e-decorating company. Already a lovely blogger and stylist, Rachel was ready to take her love of design style to the professional level by launching a business to help people virtually decorate their homes in both an affordable and chic way. I worked with Rachel over the summer to concept and define her editorial voice on her professional website. Click here to check out La Bella Bungalow and hire this girl - she knows design + decor!

*Influence & Apples*

I've been working with a cutting-edge production and creative company in San Francisco that is doing some very cool + innovative viral and community projects. Two of these are The Influence Project for Fast Company and the DKNY Fragrances facebook community launch. While the brands are both huge, the social media work and style is very personal - the sign of the social media times.

*Extending Blog Out Loud even further*

I've also been keeping Blog Out Loud going with a fantastic NY event this past June and an upcoming LA event next Tuesday, 9/21. I am so proud of BOL and the community. I started this last year purely because so many people wanted to learn about how to use and integrate social media into their own businesses. What better way then listening to people that are already doing it - and doing it well. This next panel is very exciting - a true lifestyle panel with the fashion, food, travel, culture, cool mom and home remodeling verticals represented. Yes!

And in other news....for tons of fabulous social media inspiration, click here to enjoy the Shine Online series. Also, my home office where I run Sweetline was featured on Unplggd - check it out right here. And I was also sweetly part of Nesting Newbies 4th issue and also the premiere issue of Rue magazine for loving. living. small. and Sweetline.

:: what happens online does not stay online ::

noreply@blogger.com (loving. living. small.) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 21:02:00 +0000

A Sweetline Story

If you told me four years ago (pre-Twitter and Facebook but some time after Friendster) when I started blogging that I would have tons of new real life and true friends that I would have dinners with, parties with and great conversations with, I wouldn't believe you. After all, I started my small space design blog, loving. living. small. to digitally chronicle my own design inspirations and I would sit alone after work, write a post, publish it, well, so I could read it. I didn't even realize that people were "reading" my blog until I received my first comment two weeks later from someone other then my mother. But the truth is now - in 2010 - blogging and social media communities are fantastic places to meet new friends and connect with real people both on and, most importantly, offline.

I want to encourage all of you to GET OFFLINE! Take your connections and e-relationships to the next level in life and continue to trailblaze and inspire with your new friendships. Many of us immersed in the daily regimen of social media conversations understand and accept that the social media platforms like twitter and facebook are just another type of platform to communicate. Like the telephone or email, tweeting and posting are ways to talk to each other and relate. But I feel there is a point where you can evolve those e-friendships and engaging in real life, in person can solidify these relationships. Whether it's on the phone or at a great new restaurant, enjoying an e-friends company is where it's at.

So how do you do this? A fantastic way to meet online people, offline is at events, like Blog Out Loud, the network I co-founded that holds offline events for creative people interested in learning more about social media. While the Blog Out Loud events are to inspire and inform new-to-social media people, we are also all about meeting and connecting with people in person. There's something honest and comforting by observing that the you are not in this blogosphere alone. Even incredibly successful bloggers have time management issues, not always nice comments and some days just get overwhelmed. I know I do! Like anything, by seeing that you are in good {and very nice} company, you are given an extra push to keep going and creating. So attend events that stem from digital media - they are very popular. I also suggest taking those DMs to email or the phone. I've had amazing business opportunities for Sweetline and loving. living. small. via Twitter by simply responding to a DM with a "Let's take this to email and chat". And if a blog inspires you, send the blogger an email and tell them in a simple and honest "Hey I love your blog" way. Keep that new email relationship going and remember that you have the blog genre in common and you have already connected.

Overall I hope everyone embraces being online as an opportunity to connect offline. There's always opportunities to meet new, like-minded people in sincere ways and take it into real life.

Speaking of Blog Out Loud, we are hosting BOL7 in Los Angeles on Tues, 9/21 at Rose Tarlow Melrose House. Click here to RSVP and attend to meet our incredible panel of lifestyle bloggers and tastemakers.

:: social media should spark real life inspiration ::

noreply@blogger.com (loving. living. small.) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 04:28:00 +0000

lately I've been "faning" facebook communities of brands, stores, even restaurants that I like. Why am I doing this on my personal fb page? because their feed comes into my wall and I often get updates, funny notes and exclusive leads on happenings and style in their respective communities. I look, I click, I read, I may enter a contest and I am pretty much done. I hardly every go to the store or visit the site from their fb page. does my contest participation measure success?

And how does this translate to real life?

I have been wondering the real reason why there are these social media communities and after reading an engaging article about "social media success" I can see I've been along the right track. the purpose of these platforms is to a) connect with like-minded people and b) inspire REAL LIFE situations with these brands that are positive. I can say that A) is happening but is B)? And what is more important for these real brands - people talking about them (A) or people experiencing them (B)?

The article, written by Augie Ray, is questioning the difference in succeeding in social media marketing (that would be A) or social media (that would be B) ???

The answer is B. Or it should be. So why are more brands not doing this but rather focusing A - or their marketing strategy. What about their actual product? Yes, it's popular and smart to have a fb community and, yes, it's popular and smart to engage, share, connect. But it's equally important for your community to realize the brand instead of talking about how cool a contest was. I do believe there is a C) option - something of a hybrid of the two and I am looking forward to seeing that become the norm. More to come...I am sure.

Read the entire article on the Forrester Marketing site right here.

:: Social Media Week Los Angeles | 9.20 - 9.24 :: Sweetline is on the advisory board

noreply@blogger.com (loving. living. small.) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 20:51:00 +0000

We are thrilled to be part of Social Media Week Los Angeles as an Advisory Board member. This inaugural week will be a fantastic series of panels and events focusing on social media impacts, style and love through the lens of Los Angeles brightest social media stars. Social Media Week is a global platform that connects people, content, and conversation around emerging trends in social and mobile media. Delivered primarily through a network of internationally hosted conferences and online through social media, Social Media Week literally connects hundreds of thousands of people every year through learning experiences that aim to advance our understanding of social media’s role in society.

Click here to learn more and stay tuned for information about our upcoming panels.

:: shine online :: christine kirk | social muse communications

noreply@blogger.com (loving. living. small.) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:09:00 +0000

Hello Sweetline friends! Hard to believe it's nearing the end of July?! There have been a lot of neat things happening at Sweetline and quite a busy summer. It's good to be back on the blog and I'll be sharing all of these events with you. I also am happy to present a pretty amazing and fab SHINE ONLINE interview with the savvy, smart and lovely Christine Kirk, owner and visionary of Social Muse Communications. Christine runs a one-stop shop for PR and online communications 3.0. With years of lifestyle and brand experience, Christine can shape and extend your brand to the masses with elegance and style. Let's hear what she has to say about social media, authenticity and encouraging companies to jump into the social media mix.

You are the owner of Social Muse Communications, a social media/PR company that consults luxury travel, restaurant, technology and lifestyle brands looking to extend beyond traditional PR efforts and embrace and engage in social media tools and communities. What was the inspiration behind your company?

My clients are the inspiration for my company. New technologies, social media, and the recent economic downturn, have changed the face of the media landscape for good. Social media isn’t just a fad, it’s the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution. Over the years, I have heard complaints from many clients that a traditional public relations campaign just isn’t cutting it for them anymore. There is no one way to reach your target audience. Simply securing a placement in a glossy magazine is not going to cut it anymore. A brand must get in front of consumers through many different channels of media – print, broadcast, online, blogs, and social networking sites. Social Muse Communications provides the ultimate in PR and Online Communications 3.0 – a unique blend of traditional media relations, online marketing, online advertising, and social media strategy.

Social media has grown rapidly in the last year and is an important role in a company's brand. What would you say to companies that are hesitant to getting into the social media mix?

A brand doesn’t have a choice whether or not to get involved in social media. If your brands not already engaging in social media, I guarantee that your customers and consumers are already engaging on your behalf. People are talking about your brand online whether you like it or not. What are they saying about you? The choice a brand has, is how well it engages with those people online, how it propels positive conversations forward, and how it responds to negative feedback. An expert online communications professional can help a brand navigate all that and more. If a brand is not actively engaging in social media, they are giving up control over conversations consumers are already having. By participating, you can help steer the perception, and make sure that your competitors aren’t swooping in and engaging with your customers…and ultimately stealing them away.

Many smaller companies and brands feel overwhelmed when it comes to engaging in social media - there's so much going on…all the time. What advice would you give for cutting through the "noise" and really connecting and e-relating to like-minded people?

Engaging with the public online requires a certain amount of finesse, and even a level of psychology, to be effective. Taking old PR and advertising messages and applying them to social media is not going to work. You’ll be ignored or even deleted from a user’s lifestream. It’s important to work with an online communications professional who understands how to be conversational with a brand’s fans while maintaining the brand’s integrity, and how to be engaging by being an excellent content producer, and creating online videos, photos, blog posts, etc. on behalf of your brand.

Authenticity and keeping it real are key elements for successful + quality social media. Like any relationship, being sincere is important. Many people want to share their products/services with their communities without coming off as pitching or salesy. What are tips for balancing messaging - personal and pitch?

I always recommend looking at the content a brand posts online in increments of 25%:

25% of the time: Provide information completely unrelated to the brand but that is relevant to the overall industry the brand is in
25% of the time: Respond directly to incoming comments and feedback from your fans
25% of the time: Post engaging content that fans can relate to – online videos, photos, blog posts, etc.
25% of the time: Announce company news. Yes, you can use more formal sales tactics here. If you’re doing all the other parts 75% of the time, users won’t mind being pitched once in a while.

Time management is a big challenge for many small business owners. People often want to just connect all of their social media platforms for efficiency. What are do you think about this and what are some tips for making this happen?
I dissuade anyone from doing this. Each social network is different and how you use Facebook vs. Twitter vs. LinkedIn vs. MySpace should thus be different. To sync them all together (meaning where you update one to update all the others) is missing the point of social media. Your Twitter followers might be a different demographic that your Facebook fans – they don’t want to hear the same things. Also, on Twitter, it’s acceptable and even encouraged to Tweet multiple times a day. On Facebook, most people don’t care to hear from a brand multiple times in the same day. Treat each social media tool and its users with respect, and learn what works, and what doesn’t work for each. Or, just hire an expert! Brand’s have dedicated staff for all sorts of positions, and social media is now one of the most significant forms of communications that spans across advertising, marketing, customer service, and brand reputation management. Doesn’t that deserve specific attention? It’s not about if you participate in social media, it’s about how well you’re doing it.

Thank you, Christine!

Click here to check out Social Muse Communications and to contact Christine. There are tons of goodies on her site. Christine also has a fabulous twitter community - you must follow her @luxuryprgal

Want to read more interviews from digitally savvy folks?
Click here for a full list of past SHINE ONLINE interviews on the Sweetline blog.

:: twitter meets real life :: how a simple tweet can impact your brand

noreply@blogger.com (loving. living. small.) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 23:27:00 +0000

Sweetline's been chatting about twitter quite a bit on the blog because next to your website, twitter is the most important online tool for your business. here's a story that will inspire you to get on twitter and connect with like-minded people that can be potential business partners, clients or supporters.

When I was in NYC a few weeks ago for a little R & R, I had a business meeting in mid-town. As I wandered a bit through the chaos of Times Square, I noticed a tent in the middle of the square with Key To The City on the awning. Right away I knew what it was because of Twitter. One of the brands I enjoy following on Twitter is DKNY because I like the brand and because I like the gal who's managing the twitter account. She's fun, fab and frank - love that combo. A few weeks ago, she was tweeting all day about various destinations all over Manhattan and the other boroughs, mentioning Key To The City as she went. I mentally compartmentalized it for a later digital date and - boom - walking by the tent, there it was! I immediately went over to investigate further because I hadn't had the chance to go online to see what it was. Created by Paul Ramierez Jonas and produced by Creative Time, Key To The City is "a citywide public art project that allows every New Yorker and visitor to open spaces in all five boroughs." Yes! I got my very own booklet and an actual key (see my photo above) and was able to spend some time during my trip to check out the provided places, each one having a special lock to use your key on - super cool!

By simply following a brand I like on Twitter, I was exposed to an incredible free art project that has expanded my love for this type of work and has inspired me to find more. I also checked back on the site and have become a fan of many of the sponsors of the art project, including Creative Time. People are reading and retaining your tweets so keep it going or jump on and connect with your community.

:: a Sweetline check-in ::

noreply@blogger.com (loving. living. small.) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 15:25:00 +0000

It's been two months since Sweetline launched and we wanted to do a little check in with you and share some thoughts about our company, our process and our projects. We've already spoken with and met so many talented and creative people - we love this work!

Our Company ::

Sweetline is an online brand project management company that offers two lines of interaction -

1 :: We work with lifestyle clients to get their online presence up and running

2 :: We work directly with brands to do online ideation, strategy and social media engagement for specific projects and/or overall brand building and extension.

We work with lifestyle clients - shop owners, product makers, artists, photographers, creative types - by collaborating and guiding the online presence in three ways. We You can package them together or go a la carte ::

Defining and concepting your online voice for your professional site
Teaching your how to jump in to social media and build your own community and also how to engage in others
Project managing the website design and build with a 3-party vendor

Our marketing and ideation work is for companies looking to engage with their communities in specific ways and targeted way.

Our Process ::

The Sweetline process can go quickly. We can get you up and running in 4 - 8 weeks, depending on the scope of work. We want you to get up online so your presence can do it's magic and your community can engage with you - that's what we are about.

Our projects are collaborative and we ask that you dedicate your time to the timeline. (We will be right there with you the entire way!) There is work on your part too and you will actually view your own company in a new light. Think of Sweetline as part-sounding board, part-manager, part-cheerleader and part-partner in the process. Your biggest client is YOUR OWN and creating an online presence is key.

Our Clients ::

We couldn't have asked for better clients to begin this adventure with so thank you for jumping in and taking this journey with Sweetline AND (of course) for your own online presence. We are currently working with lovely and talented clients - a soon-to-be launched e-decorating company, a high-end kitchen & bath hardware company and a vintage home decor shop owner. Sites and social media to be launching soon so stay tuned!

We welcome meeting you :: contact Sweetline if you are looking to get your online presence defined, created and custom built to launch online.

visit :: Sweetline's official site

follow :: @sweetlineagency

email :: rebecca@sweetlineagency.com

:: the heart of the editorial schedule ::

noreply@blogger.com (loving. living. small.) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 06:20:00 +0000

I've been blogging consistently for over three years now and have definitely developed my own style for posting content and social media updates but that's because I had time on my side. I slowly created categories after realizing my blogging pattern and, essentially, my editorial schedule was born. If I started blogging now, I would skip right to the heart of the blogging matter - an editorial schedule. yes!

Keeping a social media editorial schedule is THE best time management tool you can use and it's easy to set up. Consider your blogging categories. Sweetline's are listed in the sitemap on this blog. I blog under those few categories - all of my posts are relevant within this structure. From there, pick how many days you wish to blog and start filling out a consistent pattern of post topics. Keeping true to this schedule will make your blogging life efficient and solid.

:: design inspiration in one place ::

noreply@blogger.com (loving. living. small.) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:40:00 +0000

since your online presence is super important in 2010, consider having a list of resources to check out as you continue your presence journey. I love SquareSpace, a premium site that provides templates and designs for blogs and sites. The gallery of clients is full of great design ideas and content. Click here to check it out.

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:: 3 reasons why twitter is the most important tool to rock ::

noreply@blogger.com (loving. living. small.) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:09:00 +0000

oh, twitter! How you've truly changed the way people communicate - for the better. Real people want real communication and the accessibility and style of Twitter has truly provided that platform. Although Sweetline is a very strong advocate of blogs and their support for professional sites, we do feel that all brands, companies, creative types must be on Twitter. Why? Here are 5 reasons.

1 :: People are talking so join the conversation or miss out

Every day, every second, people are talking so join in and take part. The beauty of Twitter is that your community is so much broader then just your niche. If you are a creative person - you reach ALL creative people. Not just, say, furniture designers if you are a furniture designer.

2 :: Twitter IS the first impression and once it's lost, it's lost forever

These days most people search a company or brand on Twitter and THEN contact them for their services. If you are not there, you most likely lost them as a customer. People want to know that you care about your own brand so when/if you work with them you care thoughtful.

3 :: Twitter is the modern search engine

Want to know who's talking about striped pillows? Go to Twitter for a mini-focus group. Make your Twitter handle searchable via meta tags to end up in all the proper conversations. Business HAPPENS on Twitter - done and done.

Many people still say...oh twitter, i don't really get it....you NEED to get it for your own company's sake. It's actually a fantastic tool that will only help you with your brand so embrace it, learn it and have fun!

Follow Sweetline @sweetlineagency

:: build your community online & meet up offline :: What's Hot 2010 :: Mass Mingling

noreply@blogger.com (loving. living. small.) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:15:00 +0000

:: Our group of masses at BOL 3 last year ::

We've been getting ready for the big BLOG OUT LOUD 6 event in NYC on Monday and definitely are excited! It's a great evening and an opportunity to meet tons of like-minded people and e-friends in the real world. Also known as mass mingling, real-life meet-ups stemming from social media communities are all the rage - and we get it! So many of us e-know each other and meeting in person bonds new friendships and business-ships. Trend Watching's June newsletter is all about mass mingling and it's fantastic to know that we are part of it over at BOL!

I posted over on the BOL blog that "We definitely know that long gone are the days/nights of feeling "isolated" while typing away on the keypads. Now is a time where like-minded people are connecting online and meeting offline - YES! I often share with people who aren't into social media yet that it IS relating, just in a different form. While it starts online (yes, it does take a bit to get used to at first), it's really a vehicle for forming relationships, friendships, business-ships that can be taken offline and in-person"

As you build your own social media communities, consider meeting up with new e-friends. Take advantage of possible living near a new e-friend because you never know where it can lead.

Social Media --> New Connections --> New Opportunities in Life --> New Business Opportunities --> Success

Click here to read the full TREND WATCHING JUNE 2010 article here to be on the pulse of mass mingling.

:: shine online :: Jeremy Knight of Canned Banners

noreply@blogger.com (loving. living. small.) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 01:08:00 +0000

Welcome back to Sweetline's Shine Online series and hope you had a lovely holiday weekend! Today we have a great interview with Jeremy Knight, owner of Canned Banners. We love this digital resource - a place for companies to make their own flash-banners. Yes, your very own advertising! Many small business owners don't have a lot of extra money to spend on an advertising campaign and Canned Banners let's you be part of the ad mix as well as add reach to your company. Let's hear what Jeremy has to say about presentation (super important in 2010), ease of use and thoughts on using both advertising and social media as ways to extend your brand.

Your company, Canned Banners, is genius! You allow people to build a professional-looking Flash-based banner ad for a great price. What inspired you to create Canned Banners?

It really is genius, isn't it? The initial inspiration came from my business partner, Myles Younger, who is a client-side marketing guy. The first thing to know about Myles is that he's an expert complainer. He can craft an exquisite gripe on nearly any subject imaginable. One day he was complaining to me about running banner campaigns for his company using a traditional online ad agency. The process takes a lot of time and money and you never really know what your going to get until it's done. If you need a simple banner fast, there are relatively few options for you. He asked me if someone could make a website where people could plug their info into a template and get a banner ad fast and easily. I said yes, and soon the brilliance of Canned Banners was born unto this world.

Many small business owners have a ton of stuff on their plates and even getting their online presence up and running is challenging. How easy (both from a creative and an efficiency standpoint) is Canned Banners to use?

Really quite easy. Creating a banner with Canned Banners takes about 5 - 10 minutes. One of the key things that we strive to do is make the process quick and easy so you can get in and get out. Being small business owner's ourselves, we know that if it takes longer than that, no one is going to do it. Some similar sites out there give you a whole bunch of customization options which most people won't use or bother to figure out. Our site gives you a small handful of options so you don't need to spend all day creating a basic banner campaign.

We love your templated banners and advertising is an important step in a brand's evolution. What are your thoughts on balancing both ad campaigns and social media as platforms to share one's brand?

Remember those cereal commercials where at the end they would say, "part of a balanced breakfast"? And they'd show a bowl of cereal surrounded by a glass of juice, some milk, toast, a grapefruit, 3 waffles and a filet mignon? I think that's a good approach to online marketing. There's such a low cost to trying new online marketing tactics that you might as well try them all, review your results, and keep doing only the things that worked. You can spend a bit on search, a bit on social networking, a bit on display ads, and see how they all work. The online arena has such detailed ways to track success that it's easy to see what's working and what isn't.

Sweetline believes that design of a site and/or social media platform is important and should feel relevant to one's company. You guys seem to be passionate about design as well. Can you share your thoughts on design and the impact it can have?

I think design communicates straight to the viewer's subconscious. People get a "sense" of your brand by the design of your materials (banners, brochures, websites, logo etc). Take restaurant menus for instance. A one second look at a restaurant menu will immediately give you a "sense" of price, quality, type of cuisine, etc. even before you read the words. That's design doing it's work. The font, color, layout, imagery, etc, all working together to establish a tone for your brand. It works the same for menus as it does for your logo, website, banner ad, brochure or business card. All marketing materials have a tone and communicate something to the viewer's subconscious. The question is, what is that tone, and how do you control it. Design lets you control that tone. Businesses who don't put thought into design are communicating to the viewers' subconscious but they have no control over what they are saying.

Thanks, Jeremy! Click here to check out Canned Banners and get your ads up and running.

Check back every week for a new Shine Online interview that will inspire your online presence.

Up next |Brand new online blog presence, Bride Bound, and thoughts on being a newbie in a digital world.

:: market your brand without "marketing" a dose of inspiration from seth godin

noreply@blogger.com (loving. living. small.) — Sun, 30 May 2010 17:42:00 +0000

as we are rolling along on the social media train, a lot of people have opinions on a lot of different things and, you know what, that's a good thing! but, in my opinion, one person has maintained a level of authenticity and understanding of this new Relationship Era and that's Seth Godin. Candid, thoughtful, soulful and smart, Seth's words universally resonate and seem to capture a snapshot of where we are in the social media worlds. (As they say, a picture says 1000 words)

I was reading one of Seth's older books (older being only four years ago), Small is the New Big, and came across a statement that made so much sense to me, I think it just altered how I perceive my own business and work. Seth states, "Markets engage in conversations, but marketing often doesn't. Most brands are actually monologues, not dialogues. A conversation might create a better, more robust, and useful brand..." YES!

So many people want to do marketing for their brand rather than market their brand. What should we be doing then? Establishing your "brand" and enjoy a dialogue, a 2-sided conversation, with your community. Sure, you can have a marketing strategy in place but when you execute your plan, embrace your market.

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:: blog out loud 6 | nyc | 6.14.10 ::

noreply@blogger.com (loving. living. small.) — Fri, 28 May 2010 04:52:00 +0000

So excited and thrilled to announce...

BLOG OUT LOUD 6 NYC 6.14.10

www.blogoutloudevent.com

Erin Loechner of Design For Mankind
@erinloechner

Meredith Barnett of eBay's The Inside Source
@theinsidesource

Alison Feldmann of The Etsy Blog
@teenangster

Amy Dragoo of ABCD Design
@abcddesigns

Michelle Ward of When I Grow Up Coach
@whenIgroupcoach

RSVP

rebecca@sweetlineagency.com

meganatthebeach@mac.com

:: best online prep tip | buy your domain name for $8 ::

noreply@blogger.com (loving. living. small.) — Wed, 26 May 2010 22:11:00 +0000

We posted this tip over on the BLOG OUT LOUD blog last year and wanted to share it with all of you! Our fave tip for getting ready for your online presence - buy your domain name. Buy a few if you aren't sure - for eight bucks a pop, it's worth it! We use godaddy.com and it's easy to forward your completed website or blog when you are ready.

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:: blog out loud 6 :: NYC | 6.14.10

noreply@blogger.com (loving. living. small.) — Wed, 26 May 2010 04:11:00 +0000

We are thrilled to share that BLOG OUT LOUD 6 will be in just a few weeks in New York - our first east-coast event. Rebecca created this social media community about a year ago after observing that a ton of small business owners were interested in blogging + social media but didn't know how to get into the mix. Partnering with beach bungalow 8 on this neat venture, BLOG OUT LOUD has become a popular event series that is inspiring and accessible. In fact, BOL was definitely one of the inspirations of Sweetline! We are just getting ready to share all the details and goodies over on the BOL blog so stay tuned!

Check out more on the BLOG OUT LOUD site and follow @BlogOutLoud

:: start capturing your behind-the-scenes ::

noreply@blogger.com (loving. living. small.) — Mon, 24 May 2010 16:00:00 +0000

We love spending a few minutes a day clicking through our bookmarks. We have them separated into categories (DESIGN, HOME, PAPER, MUSIC, POP CULTURE, etc) and it makes it easy to get a quick hit of inspiration. We recently clicked onto fashion site, Kate Spade. We've always been a fan of Kate Spade's website because it completely represents the brand + culture + style of the fashion brand AND there's tons to enjoy behind-the-scenes, which basically is their blog. From the happening of the recent photo shoot (pictured above) to their WE LOVE section (just like Sweetline Suggests), the website is a fantastic example a company being professional yet sharing tons of personality.

The neat thing is - you can do this for your company too. Next time you have a neat event at your shop, take your employees out for lunch or launch a n

ew line - shoot it with your camera. This is a great opportunity to then share your personality with your social community. So go ahead and capture those behind-the-scenes.

By the way, how cool is the new media component on Kate's site? Just click into one of the frames and play a video right there. We first saw this on fave home design virtual mag, Nesting Newbies. Love this!

:: Images via Kate Spade ::

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:: shine online :: Timothy Dahl | @Charles_Hudson

noreply@blogger.com (loving. living. small.) — Fri, 21 May 2010 16:00:00 +0000

This week's Shine Online features the incredibly talented + couldn't be nicer Timothy Dahl of modern do-it-yourself network, Charles and Hudson. Timothy has extended his very popular blog/site to a network - five sites that cover anything and everything home design, renovations, green building, home protection, , kitchens, paint and diy. Using the the same style across the board, Timothy's thoughtful and solid online brands truly makes and impact AND has resourceful and engaging content. yes! Plus we want to share that Rebecca (that's me!) and Timothy met because of blogging. (One of Sweetline's favorite rewards from the blogosphere) Enjoy the interview that talks about presentation, engaging in social media (and being consistent) and the importance of defining your voice (and sticking with it!)

You are the creator of Charles and Hudson, the online destination for do-it-yourself enthusiasts. You truly have created a resource across your five websites. How have you defined your voice on all of your sites and kept them unique while infusing the Charles and Hudson style into each?

Great question! Separating the content has been easy but finding a consistent voice for each site has been more difficult. Although each site will find its own identity, the overarching theme will remain powered by Charles & Hudson which is focused on independent DIY resources and products within reach of most homeowners.

You have a roster of contributors that write for Charles and Hudson. How important is it to have your writers share their own personality while keeping your brand in tact? (this is for companies that will have multiple bloggers)

Before bringing anyone on board we require multiple writing samples and really prefer they have their own blog. The content of their site is secondary to their voice and personality. We've got industry experts, stay-at-home moms and professional writers who contribute to our sites and we require they all work to their strengths and interests which keeps the content accurate and enjoyable for our audience and our writers.

Charles and Hudson has a fantastic design - easy to read, modern, fresh and accessible. How important was the design of the sites when you were getting up and running? What advice would you give to someone just approaching their website design and build?

Design is everything. Invest time and a bit of money into sorting out a template that you can be happy with for an extended period of time. Make sure it's flexible enough to add widgets and features as you desire but a solid enough platform that can withstand a lot of traffic (being optimistic) and a lot of content.

Once a website really gets filled in and has some depth it will take on a life of its own. I'd recommend getting on your own domain and hosting the content yourself.

You have really embraced social media with Charles and Hudson. Did you create a social media plan when you first started? If so, how did you go about creating a strategy that spread the Charles and Hudson brand while managing your own time? Can you suggest one social media application that new-to-social media folks should consider?

You hit the nail on the head with "managing your own time". As Betty White said "Facebook is a waste of time." It definitely can be and the same can be said of Twitter. There are times when that's fine but it's important to focus on your goals when using a social media platform. Take note of benchmarks and measure your progress.

I've found Twitter be a great place to connect with industry folks, PR reps, retailers and other bloggers. Facebook has been better to connect with our general audience. This mix will undoubtedly change and It could be very different for you and your blog.

Try and determine where your audience "lives" and give them what they want. Don't make it tough for a fan or follower to decipher your message or content. They started following you for a reason, don't change the game.

{thank you, Timothy!}

Enjoy all of the Charles and Hudson sites right here and follow @Charles_Hudson (They are a rad twitter feed and often do promotions and giveaways right on twitter so stay tuned!)

Check back every Friday for a new Shine Online interview that will inspire your online presence.

Up next | Jeremy Knight of Canned Banners chats about advertising, presentation and style.

:: belong ::

noreply@blogger.com (loving. living. small.) — Thu, 20 May 2010 16:00:00 +0000

A definite inspiration for Sweetline has been my ever-evolving resource, Blog Out Loud. I co-founded this free resource last year purely as a place for creative people to gather and get information and inspiration to start and maintain social media communities, like blogging. It's been an incredible experience, in particular, meeting really fantastic people who are eager and willing to engage in social media. Talk about like-minded!! Love this! I wanted to share some highlights from one of our five events and hope you can join one of our free event soon. A little exclusive peek - we are heading to NEW YORK this June! So get ready for some east coast blogging love. You can check out the official Blog Out Loud site right here and @blogoutloud.

:: who is your biggest client? :: YOU ARE!

noreply@blogger.com (loving. living. small.) — Wed, 19 May 2010 19:00:00 +0000

Sweetline is all about encouraging small business owners to embrace their biggest client - their own! We are here to help guide this process and inspire small companies to get up and running. One of the first points we address in our consultations is the importance of embracing your brand - first.

We definitely get the daily crunch. Most creative small businesses run 110% and it's busy - working with clients, concepting new ideas, placing orders, finishing tasks. It's easy to push off your online presence because, well, you are busy! But keep in mind that you are potentially losing business! These days people refer to your website FIRST before they contact you. If you don't have a site, blog or some social media community then you possibly could have just lost an interested party. Why? Because your online presence symbolizes that have taken the time to care for and represent yourself well. Some people may feel that if you haven't taken the time to invest in your own company then you may not invest in their project. It's so important in 2010 to have both a fantastic business (which you already have) as well as presentation. Be your BRAND BEST - Sweetline is here to help!

:: 5 tips for creating your online elevator pitch ::

noreply@blogger.com (loving. living. small.) — Tue, 18 May 2010 00:09:00 +0000

do you have your elevator pitch for your business down? your 30-second description of your company, services and culture? all businesses - big and small - should have a solid + concise presentation to share with people in just a few seconds, or the length of an elevator ride. Having this memorized in your back pocket will only help you to connect with people in life both on and offline. Since social media often allows for short and sweet points, crafting your pitch can help you get in the 140 character mode. Also, the elevator pitch style of writing will help you as you begin emailing a hello to new blog contacts and e-friends. Sweetline has a little elevator pitch, or short story, that highlights what we do and who we are. We share this via email with new clients and potential relationships. As you put your digital story together, consider these few tips to help you along your way.

Sweetline tip #1 :: 100 Words

Your online elevator pitch should be about 100 words or a solid paragraph. Short + sweet is key here.

Sweetline tip #2 :: Stick To Your Goal

The goal of your digital elevator pitch is start a conversation! Remember this as you draft your digital description. Keep on track and stay streamlined.

Sweetline tip #3 :: Highlight your Ws

Make sure to share who, what, where and why your company does what it does in a clean and clear manner.

Sweetline tip #4 :: Emphasize Your Niche

Focus on what you can offer clients versus why someone should work with you. This is a much more positive tone and one that is often overlooked. Sharing what you offer will encourage people to contact you. Telling people why they should work with you may turn them off.

Sweetline tip #5 :: Say It Out Loud

Your digital elevator pitch should be fairly similar to your offline pitch (with a few more hyperlinks) Practice your pitch out loud and see how you feel. If there are any lingering questions then revise your thoughts. Your pitch shouldn't leave any wonder about you or your services.

Want to learn more about drafting elevator pitches that can only help creative people - like you - to get up and running with new clients and people? Click here to enjoy even more tips.

:: shine online :: meredith barnett of eBay's The Inside Source

noreply@blogger.com (loving. living. small.) — Fri, 14 May 2010 16:30:00 +0000

This week's Shine Online is a goodie, folks! We have the lovely and savvy Meredith Barnett, Editorial Director of eBay's popular online design mag, The Inside Source. Meredith also created the very resourceful shopping social community, StoreAdore. We are lucky to have her on the Sweetline blog so enjoy taking a read of Meredith's perspective on presentation, defining one's voice and sticking with it plus the power of community.

You're the Editorial Director of ebay's The Inside Source, the rich online destination that " harnesses the eBay shopping community’s real time buying and selling activity to curate proprietary insights that shape the retail industry and American consumer’s lifestyles." You also provide tons of content that is relevant to the style of site you are producing - which makes reading the stories more cohesive and easy. I would say you have been very thoughtful about your "online voice". How important is it to define one's online voice and stick with it?

I think it's important to first be thoughtful about who your audience/reader/user is, and then the voice evolves from that. The The Inside Source, which we describe in brief as eBay's digital style magazine, our audience is a female who is interest in style (fashion, collecting, interior design) but not an expert or a professional. She likely reads Daily Candy and Lucky magazine and loves to shop. She may be a rabid eBay shopper, or she may be more of a casual fan, but she is aware of the bounty available on the online marketplace, though she often feels overwhelmed or unsure about what to look for. Our job is to curate the eBay shopping experience (200 million products and counting!) to help her unearth the coolest, chicest most stylish stuff. Our "voice"--one I would describe as conversational and informative, but never didactic--comes from that.

We love The Inside's Source's idea of "curating" a large community. In this case, ebay! The online world of blogs and sites can be overwhelming and many social media newbies don't know where to begin to even start joining other social media communities. (there's millions of places to visit online!) What tips would you give to someone who is looking to engage/curate other social media communities that are relevant to their personality and/or company to then join?

The word "curate" is a hot one right now. It has been used to talk about everything from how vendors are chosen for a store or flea market to how music is selected for an event. (See this recent article in the NY Times on the topic: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/fashion/04curate.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=curate&st=nyt) At The Inside Source, our definition of "curate" is really to edit the eBay shopping experience according to what is fashionable, trendy or stylish. We do that through a variety of content types. For example, our trend reports look at what is hot from an "expert" perspective (what's on the fashion runways, etc) and interpret it using products that are available on eBay. We also do frequent profiles of major style makers to find out what they are obsessed with in fashion and interior design. It's always fascinating to see what these influential folks are searching for right now.

Examples of trend reports:

ZigZag Trend: http://www.theinsidesource.com/topics/home_and_garden/view/trendlet-alert-zigzags/
Neon Trend: http://www.theinsidesource.com/topics/fashion/view/suddenly-everywhere-high-voltage-neon/

Examples of profiles of style makers:

Designer Lars Nilsson: http://www.theinsidesource.com/topics/fashion/view/designer-download-lars-nilsson/
Designer Rachel Roy: http://www.theinsidesource.com/topics/fashion/view/designer-download-rachel-roy/
Interior Decorator Miles Redd: http://www.theinsidesource.com/topics/home_and_garden/view/decorator-download-miles-redd/

If you are asking about curating a selection of online communities to be a part of for either personal or work purposes, I would say that the nice thing about the internet is that everything is interconnected. So start with a few sites or blogs you like (or ask friends) and then go to the ones they link to (check out the blogroll) and so on. For example, on The Inside Source, we often profile other sites and bloggers that we love or think are influential.

I also think traditional trade publications shouldn't be forgotten about, especially for business purposes. In fashion, for example, Women's Wear Daily is still a really important resource--whether you read it in print (like I do!) or online.

You created online store location community, StoreAdore, where you believe " in the wisdom of crowds." Love this idea in many ways, in particular, to the power and strength of social media communities. What advice would you give to a company that hasn't jumped into social media yet?

Also, you've given your community members a fantastic forum to share their voice about stores and the cities themselves. As social media has become more mainstream, has your own community become even more vocal and willing to share? What trends are you seeing this year?

StoreAdore.com (www.storeadore.com) is a web-based guide to the best boutique shopping around the country and online. Our site combines editorial reviews/profiles of stores and user reviews. We also allow users to participate in the conversation via message boards. My advice for other companies looking to build up a user community is

Don't underestimate the size of the audience you need to generate substantial user-generated content. I recently read a statistic that says that something like .1 percent of users who go on a site actually post content. You need a LOT of users to generate substantial content.
Think about ways that you can "reward" users for posting content and becoming "leaders" in the community -- Yelp and FourSquare have done a good job with that.
Think about how you can engage with -- not compete with -- the big guys

{thank you, Meredith!}

Definitely connect with Meredith! Follow @storeadore and @theinsidesource.

Check back every Friday for a new Shine Online interview that will inspire your online presence.

Up next |The talented Timothy Dahl, creator of home design and diy network, Charles and Hudson.

:: make it easy for your readers to connect to you ::

noreply@blogger.com (loving. living. small.) — Wed, 12 May 2010 22:58:00 +0000

social media is all about connecting so make it super easy for people that want to connect to you, to connect to you. Best way to do this - place your linkable social media icons front and center on your website or blog. When we built the Sweetline blog, we wanted to make sure our readers (like you!) had access to our twitter feed and the blog's RSS so we placed them right on our site. A lot of of sites have their social media icons in their site map, hidden away in their about section - we say place 'em out in the open. We love the look of a consistent icon or image to represent your social media with your own brand. (see Sweetline's logo template in the picture above). And of course, have fun with this! Make your social media icons feel good + look good! Check out this neat link full of 975+ social media icons to download for free - yes!

:: look back to get a fresh start on now ::

noreply@blogger.com (loving. living. small.) — Tue, 11 May 2010 22:35:00 +0000

there is so much going on - online - all the time! and time is a big concern for many small business owners. We completely get it too! Finding time to create quality content that resonates with your community and your own company feels overwhelming sometimes. IF you are new to the social media mix and are still curious how all if this "happened so fast" consider checking out the past to see how we got to today. Fuel Your Blogging, a neat branding resource, has wrapped up the top blogging trends for 2009. From the rise and domination of Twitter to the emergence of bing as a relevant search engine to Apple iPhone apps helping you connect to others on the go, digital style is moving ahead and it's exciting!

For a quick catch up from where were were to where we are, check out these lists here and here.