The Power of Twitter, by Tatiana – In The Mix #40

February 14, 2010 Tatiana EL-Khouri 0 Comments

A few weeks ago, I participated in a design challenge for the online magazine Utterly Engaged, which boasts being the 1st Wedding E-zine Inspiring budget savvy brides with style.  I found out about the design challenge via Twitter. With only 2 days before the registration deadline, I mobilized quickly to participate. My company Creative Force Floral partnered with Sugar and Spice Event Design to create a wedding tablescape with a modern twist.

What I didn’t realize at the time, was the challenge had been mostly advertised via Twitter the week prior. The end result was 14 design challenge team, various sponsors, and nearly 300 people in attendance. All amidst one of Los Angeles’ worst rain storms. For most LA natives, a drop of rain is enough for people to lose their minds while driving and cancel all their plans and stay put in their homes.

Part of me thought I was crazy joining the competition with only one week to prepare and execute a professional design concept. But the risk taker in me decided that the greater the risk, the greater the return. The return on my investment has been immense! In addition to contributing to a respected industry event,  making great contacts, getting published in Utterly Engaged’s upcoming issue, the event was a great example of the power of Twitter and Social Media for the early adopters of my generation and established businesses that are taking note.

Within the wedding industry there are a number of professional that are in the beginning phases of their companies, that are actively becoming rising stars in the Social Media world and the off-line world, such as The Broke Ass Bride. Their success has been fueled by their understanding and the ease of use of Social Media tools and the fact that they are a product of this generation. In every website that I have created in the last two years, I have trained my clients on the power of Social Media and have garnered attention to their products and brands through creating a consistent identity for their Social Media presence and offered creative marketing tools that have resulted in measurable outcome.

This past week I was able to make waves for my client Sheree Brown with her internet presence. She is a Capitol Records recording artist from the 80s that have collaborated with some of the greats in Soul music, like Stevie Wonder and Patrice Rushen. I created a custom Facebook Fanpage for her, http://www.facebook.com/shereebrownfanpage The response has been so great for her and I, within days she went from zero fans, to  over 300 fans! The number is staggeringly growing, which has amazed me because we have only accomplished the intial pahse of my Social Media Strategy for her. Beginning next week, she will be rolling out a weekly webisode that I am shooting and producing for her.

All this movement and reflection has excited me in building my own Floral company, but moreso in expanding my own Design/Social Media company, Creative Force Group. I have received more commissions for Custom Fan Pages and Social Media Strategy consultations in the last week. Next on the horizon for  Creative Force Group, is workshops and seminars to teach Social Media newbies and business owners how to maximize the power in social media.

What are your thoughts on how Social Media is transforming promotions for businesses and brands?

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You can follow Tatiana at http://twitter.com/CFFloral and http://twitter.com/ArtOfTatiana