Two weeks ago, I presented my thoughts on social media to a group of artists and fashion entrepreneurs at an event sponsored by the Greater Washington Fashion Chamber of Commerce (GWFCC). A quick recap from that discussion is available below.

Summary. Short. Sweet.

Social Media: Defined as many things: Frustrating, Time consuming, Difficult, Effective, Necessary.

How would I define social media today? CULTURE.

As artists and fashion retailers, you have the opportunity to communicate via your pieces which naturally mirror, reflect or create culture!

If you can show how your fashion mirrors, reflects and creates culture (and you infuse some fun and unique personality into the process), you’ll be able to engage new people and potentially turn new fans into new customers.

During our talk, I touched out the power of social sites like Twitter. One of our attendees,

Amanda Miller Littlejohn, live-tweeted the event and shared a mix of my thoughts, her take-aways and comments from others in the group. Here is a sample:

• How do we define social media? One person says “addiction” another says “time consuming” another “tedious” #dcfashionbiz
• Social media is the water cooler where we can talk globally #dcfashionbiz
• Developing your strategy: first create a goal-what do you want people to do with social media? #DCFashionBiz
• Blogging is hard if you don’t think about what you’re trying to do with it (who has an EdCal for your #blog?) #DCFashionBiz
• Social media is culture because ppl are talking about what they’re buying, eating, listening to, wearing #dcfashionbiz

You will notice that each tweet has the following hashtag: “#DCFashionBiz.” Hashtags are a great way to track online conversations. Click here for more information on Hashtags and how they can be used. You can follow the #DCFashionBiz for this event and future Fashionably Business events at: http://wthashtag.com/Dcfashionbiz.

A Few Helpful Resources.

• A Hashtag is a Terrible Thing to Waste
  • If you use Twitter, you should not overlook this opportunity to track conversations you are a part of, discover new discussions and connect with others.
• “Precious” and PR: A Major Awareness Opportunity
  • Does your fashion mirror or reflect a relevant cultural issue? Don’t shy away from the opportunity to connect with people who care. By embracing the issue, you may find yourself a new audience.
• Why Southwest Has a Special Place in My Travel Queue
  • Southwest is one airline that knows how to have fun AND share that fun online. A fun experience can go a long way. Think about how you can create a fun experience and share that with current and potential customers.
• Social Media: Plan For Your Entrance AND Your Exit
  • When you engage in social media for business, you need to have plan, one with clearly outlined goals and a strategy for achieving what you set out to accomplish, but you can’t stop there. For every beginning, there is an end. You should give some real thought to how you will transition from one campaign to the next.