Like most of you, I love social media. It’s been absolutely AMAZING for my business in the first year. I’ve been able to meet AMAZING creatives, had a few brides find me via Instagram & LOVE the sense of community it brings to my business!!

There are A LOT of opinions on how to use Instagram (or any form of social media) when you are a business owner. I’ve read articles on the topic, talk with industry leaders about it & over the last few months I’ve begun to develop my own opinion on what works & what doesn’t work & the ways I want to use it. Obviously, you’re entitled to your own opinion, too:) There are creatives out there who have a completely different social media strategy than I do and it works REALLY well for them!!! So there’s no “black and white” answer. So this is my opinion based on how it’s affected DSE…

First & foremost, ANYTHING that holds your business name or a close relationship to your business should reflect your business principles. If your clients see your personal Facebook, will they like what they see? Will YOU like what they see?! You SHOULD NOT be embarrassed or ashamed of what is out there. And if you are, fix it. I want EVERYTHING that reflects the name Dear Sweetheart Events or Katherine Schmoyer to reflect DSE & my personal life well!!!

The FACTS: When I started DSE October 1, 2013 I had around 150 followers (I changed my personal account name to my business name). The end of April 2014, I hit 1,000 followers; and I hit 2,000 followers 2 weeks ago. I’m not saying this to brag; there are other business owners that excel with Instagram way more than I do!! I’m saying this because I want you to see that I DO have credibility on this topic, and that I have been able to build a following using this method. With that being said, Instagram should NEVER be the main focal point of your business!!! I didn’t start DSE to build followers on Instagram; however my following DOES help brides & vendors to see my work & ultimately acts as “free” marketing for my business!! I have had quite a few brides AND vendors work with me because they initially saw my instagram, which led them to my blog and then to my website. See the pretty little cycle there?!:) Here’s what I do that WORKS for me…

I have one Instagram account for DSE & personal life. It’s a combo of business and pleasure. It’s personal stories, business tips, flower pics, working-full-time-while-owning-a-small-business-pics & stories of me & Matt. It’s EVERYTHING in one account. It works really well for me and I will never separate the two; here are two big reasons why:

– My business model is incredibly personal. The DSE Brand is very much a brand about my life… the things I love & the things that fire me up. My brand is VERY personal therefore I want my blog & instagram/social media to be personal, too.

– It’s real. It’s not always perfect. While I love a perfectly styled shot in gorgeous natural light, not all my ‘grams reflect that. They show messy, real, authenticate life. They show the highs AND lows of business ownership. I don’t EVER want followers to think I have the perfect life, because no one does. I want to encourage them to press on EVEN IN the “lows”, so I want to talk about my frustrations. (I do try to stay positive & uplifting even in the “lows”, but I always want to be “real”, too.)

My Instagram account has become an amazing avenue for me to get to know brides, other small business owners & other big dreamers. I’ve been able to expand my social media outreach because I combine business & personal. People want to follow someone they RELATE to, ENJOY getting to know and ultimately LIKE as a person!! By combining my personal life & business Instagram, I’m able to show people who Kat is – the owner of DSE, the wife, the big dreamer, the iced coffee & anything pink lover. Because I show all these aspects of my life, I connect with my following & build community. I firmly believe that my instagram account has grown so much in the last 6 months due to the fact that it is business AND personal!! My followers have become my biggest cheerleaders!! They RELATE to me in that they have similar dreams, struggles & likes/dislikes. So they want to follow me & see my journey with DSE!! My business model would not be the same if I had two separate accounts.

Like I said, this isn’t how everyone does it. And I’m not saying if your approach is different that it won’t work!! This is just what has worked for me, so I wanted to share it with you:) If you have specific questions, feel free to shoot me an email or leave it in the comments!!

How do you use Instagram with your business? What works for you? What doesn’t work?!

xo! kat