#AFWk 5 Business Tips: Things Designers Should Avoid Doing On Social Media / Accra Fashion Week

With the amazing Accra Fashion Week 2016 on it’s way, AFWk in conjunction with FashionGHANA.com will bring you designer tips from time to time. The Accra Fashion Week which is scheduled to take place at the Trade Fair Center is said to feature a host of international designers from around the globe in and outside of Africa.

The main purpose is to create a business hub that can satisfy the creative and employment desires of the fashion industry and fashionistas of Ghana. With the growth of fashion in Ghana we have decided to bring forth weekly tips for those who wish to get involved in the industry.

This week, we look at a few pointers of things to avoid on your social media. Two weeks ago we broke down how to make money off social media, however we felt the content was too good that we limited it to registered members only on the Accra Fashion Week website. However, this time we look at things to prevent from happening on your social media. So read along!

1) AVOID PUBLISHING WRONG CONTACT INFORMATION
First and foremost stop leaving wrong contact information on your page. It is very important to be accessible with as much contact info as possible, however there is a serious diseased that has plagued not only designers but various businesses including professional businesses in Ghana. So many designer pages are riddled with wrong telephone numbers, emails and website addresses. It’s a very common issue of posting the information up and then forgetting to edit it after that contact information is no longer in use. The best thing to do is to have one contact information source you trust that you will always adhere to, be it an email or your website or even facebook where they will always receive a full list of your contact details, and then refer people to that. Not only have we faced this reaching out to designers on many occasions, but receive roughly 3-4 calls a day with people asking us if we know how to get intouch with a said person. So get your contact information right.

2) AVOID IRRELEVANT STUFF ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA
Don’t flood your social media with non relevant stuff. A lot of upcoming designers post their social life on their social media pages which is meant for their business. Unless your individual self, character or beauty is someone part of your business prop then please, leave it out of your presentation. It projects a self centered image to potential clients and diverts their attention away from your business to yourself. At which point their decision to even visit your platform is based upon viewing what they like or don’t like about you. Yes, all self centered attention seeking persons will like that, but remember it comes at the expense of your business, irregardless of how many likes it generates.

3) AVOID PUBLISHING ARGUMENTS AND DISPUTES
Leave all public disputes off your social media. Publicizing your public dispute on your social media or web pages should be a last resort and in many cases a no resort. Most times when people are in the heat of a public image battle, the pressure to restore their character kicks in and they take to their social media to highlight the dispute. Despite some of your fans knowing about the particular issue, there could also be many who have no clue and by doing so you drown yourself more in your accusers wish by making your following aware, who will eventually visit your opposition to also hear their side of the story. Do yourself a favour, always keep your disputes off your public social media. If you receive messages regarding the disputes then reply them personally. Fight your battles behind the face of your business, be it verbal, physical or legally. And if you wish, after you have won, you can make it public. This also includes arguing with followers. You are doing yourself a disservice by arguing with people who publish comments you don’t like. If you are not a celebrity where the comment has gone viral before you see it, then the best thing to do is just delete it, block the person and continue with your business. In fact even as a celebrity in many cases it is the best action to take execute.

4) AVOID POSTING RELIGIOUS CONTENT AND STRONG SOCIAL OPINIONS
Yes, we know you love your Allah, we know you adore him and worship him, we know your pastor told you not to put money over God but let your pastor run his business and you run yours. If religion is NOT an intricate part of your business branding then keep it off your social media and websites. Yes, it may strengthen your relationship with your clients who share the same faith, but you will be surprised how many potential clients who share a different faith or may be atheist it can turn away. This also goes for strong political or social opinions. Understand not everyone who appreciates your work and is ready to buy your bag of dress shares the same opinion you do. Although, there are some cases where doing the opposite might display you as a hero standing up to share your controversial views, but in any such situation, make sure it is well calculated and constructed to win more business, or that it is worth making it secondary to your business. As at now, we are very sure there is nothing in any religious book that states ‘not including religion in your social media is a gate way to hell’, so don’t disturb those who love your work but share a different faith.

5) AVOID HANDLING YOUR OWN SOCIAL MEDIA
Yes last but not least, you should not be handling your social media by yourself. You are a trained designer, a trained tailor, a craftsman! Social media is not an extension of your job, it is literally an occupation in itself, whole new dimension of time consumption, personality and skill. It is always advisable to hire a PR/publicist to handle it for you. If that is above your budget then get a relative or a friend who believes in your business, or someone who is looking for some extra change and willing to handle it for a small fee. Your social media presence is the only window people have into your business. A well presented social media atmosphere can make the public assume a poor man living in a hut is a CEO of a major corporation as long as he has a nice picture in a suit and takes selfies outside well established buildings. Not that we are encouraging designers to deceive people, but to ensure they do not underestimate the power of social media.

Thank you for reading. Once again if you are seeking to launch your career in the best way possible or establish yourself from a known brand to a mass selling brand showcasing at Accra Fashion Week might just be what you need to elevate your status. Visit Accra Fashion Week.org and register right away.

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#AFWk 5 Business Tips: Things Designers Should Avoid Doing On Social Media / Accra Fashion Week

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