Clerkenwell Design Week is a showcase for designers, who hope that the buyers from the big stores will snap up their wares. But Imogen has another trick up her marketing sleeve: social media. These days, if you’re not selling your products and ideas in cyberspace, you ain’t really trying.
Like many designers and small businesses, Imogen only recently set herself up on Twitter and Facebook, but she’s already seeing the benefits. “I’m relatively new to social media and am still getting used to it. I am, not surprisingly, a visual person, so while I love Pinterest, I feel as if I’m still struggling with Twitter. “I’m very keen to get better at it, as social media does allow you to reach a much wider audience than just having your product in a local shop. I’ve only been using it for a short time, but have already seen some benefits. I can get a reaction to my work quickly this way, which is incredibly useful and it allows me to connect directly with my customers, which is important to me.”
This, in a nutshell, is how Twitter helps businesses. Customers are no longer a faceless entity who may choose to buy or walk away. The designer is no longer a lofty being whose work may be showcased in an intimidating way. Through the powers of social media, the two can now connect. There can be a dialogue and thus a relationship is born.