Here's a super quick recap of the keynote address by Kiersten Hathcock, founder of Mod Mom Furniture and recent contestant on ABC's Shark Tank.( Aired April 1, 2011 - See episode and results here)Kiersten shared the social media INSIDER insights she gained over the past 3 years and how she learned that through 6 basic steps she could differentiate her product, build a globally recognized premium brand that had demand far exceeding her production capacity (which she has since expanded!) and with a marketing budget of $0 !
These are the 6 points:
- Know your brand before Reaching out
- Be Yourself. Be Open. Share.
- Keep it simple and relevant when contacting media
- Develop relationships with like-minded companies/designers
- Pick the social medial platforms that work for you (you don't have to do them all!!)
- Don't be afraid to reach out for help.
Kiersten emphasised to everyone in the audience that through networking using social media including Craig's List, Facebook and Linked-In she was able to connect with people who could help her accomplish the tasks she needed to do in order to grow her business. All without spending any money, and just through the generousity of the people she reached out to and barter and trade (she build 2 toy boxes in exchange for her web-site design).
So with no money to put into any kind of marketing, the willingness to ask for and accept help, and the understand that only through Networking could she achieve the goals she has for her business she was able to receive not just the 1 shark tank offer of $90,000 but several offers for capital investment in order to grow her business
Anyone who was at the Monday ASFD Dinner at the High Point Country Club can attest that it was an very informative talk on how an individual, designer, retailer, wholesaler, or any business can differentiate their brand, attract media attention, and free promotion all through the power of free social media.
Due to overwhelming requests, we are working on posting a video of the presentation and powerpoint slides for all of you who could not attend due to other market commitments and for those of you who were in attendance and wanted to share the knowledge with your clients, friends, and customers.
We will let you know via @A_S_F_D on Twitter as well as via this blog when and where you can find that info.
Stay Tuned.
