When I started in this business, I never expected the many twists and turns that were in my future.
Those of us at the Vintage & Antiques Community on G+ do our best to inform our customers and assist our sellers. We cover business topics, social media, research, reproductions and fakes, photography, branding, customer service, accounting and much, much more. I don't think that any of us, thought that so much would change so quickly...but here we are.
A quick list of tips to help you stay informed and in the game.
- No matter your age, learn the hashtags. Not the ones that are obvious but those that are popular and in sync with what you sell
- No where to use those hashtags i.e. Instagram, Twitter, G+, Pinterest and the differences there may be between different hashtags on different platforms.
- Look up a potential hashtag, prior to using it - you don't want to include yourself in something completely different than what you were thinking:)
- Hashtag styles are a loose interpretation of original movements or styles i.e. an item may not be from the style time period, yet the common use of hashtags has made the name popular and it has now taken on new life. Normally, I would be against this but Internet has created a very large train that already left the station. The best we can do is explain the differences in our listings and/or posts. By example, would be Chinoiserie. The original meaning: Recreated designs, made in Europe, to mimic the very popular Chinese art/architecture movement of the 18th century. Technically to be Chinoiserie (Chinois is French for Chinese), they need to be made outside of China. These days, it means anything old, new or in between that has an Asian motif or style. Use the hashtags, but know the real meaning and include that in your listing.
- I've noticed that listings are getting shorter and shorter. Many times without any reference to timeline or history. In my opinion, save short and sweet for Twitter and Instagram. You want your listings to have information. Not everyone knows what they're buying and they're looking for a little bit more info than "Vintage Book Shelf - Looks Great!":) Accurate measurements and a detailed description, shows that you care about what you're selling and that you care about your customers.
- We're all involved in many Social Media platforms. Try to give a little extra attention to two of them. Become involved, don't just post and run. If it's Instagram, let your customers know who you are aside from your vintage treasures. They want to see a story, a life...an actual person behind the business.
- If you're on G+, join some communities that interest you, apart from Vintage & Antiques. Have discussions, ask questions and expand your virtual horizons.
Good luck out there everyone and look for my next post on Complicated Vintage in the 21st Century
Thank you for reading!
Pam
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