Photo via Bessie Black Photography
Each month I interview inspiring lady bosses about the social media strategies used to grow their business. This month I am chatting with the lovely Kat Schmoyer, founder of Dear Sweetheart Events and Creative at Heart Conference. Kat is crazy talented! She plans beautiful weddings, designs stunning floral arrangements and holds amazing large scale events for creatives around the country, and makes it look easy. Because Kat runs two businesses, she also has to manage multiple social media accounts. Keep reading to find out how she does it and more!
Tell us about your businesses, Dear Sweetheart Events and Creative at Heart.
Dear Sweetheart Events is a wedding planning & floral design company based in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia! We design and execute weddings for playful couples up & down the East Coast!
Creative at Heart Conference is a conference for big dreamers & small business owners of any creative field. Our motto “Here’s to the Creatives” rings true in the practical yet inspiring content we share, and the heart for community we hold so dear!
What 3 words would you use to describe each of your businesses?
Dear Sweetheart Events: playful. classic. heartfelt.
Creative at Heart Conference: genuine. inspiring. family.
Photo via Hope Taylor Photography
What social media accounts do you use for business and what are your favorites platforms?
I love Instagram (DSE, C@H) – it’s definitely my favorite form! I do have a Twitter, Facebook & Instagram for both businesses, but find that I spend the majority of my time on Instagram for both! It’s visually appealing and a great way to connect with others!
What is your social media strategy? How do you use social media?
I use social media to share bits & pieces of my life & the life of each business! I think the important thing is to understand your audience and what THEY are looking for!!
For DSE, I want to attract brides as well as small business owners, so I plan my post schedule accordingly. For C@H, we are attracting creative boss ladies who are either already a business owner or in the process of jumping in! I think understanding your audience allows you to use social media to the best of your ability so that it can not only MARKET to your ideal client, but also be a SOCIAL platform for you to connect with those you want to build community around!!
Photo via Bessie Black Photography
What social media accounts do you love?
Ohhh I love so many!! I LOVE @shaycochrane – that girl is on fire & inspires me with her gorgeous posts!! I also LOVE to follow @caitlinwilsondesign for inspiration (I’m obsessed with her products!). For business advice and inspiration, I love @laracasey, @withgraceandgold and @marymarantz!
What are you proud of? Where do you feel you have room for improvement?
I work hard to have a consistent Instagram feed and do get excited when I see how the “puzzle” pieces come together!! I am NOT proud of how I use (or don’t use!!) Twitter – ah! I’m TERRIBLE with it!! I am also currently working really hard to use Pinterest better; I don’t really consider it social media since it’s more of a search engine, however I know it can also be looked at as a social media platform!
Photo via Bessie Black Photography
What tools do you use to help schedule and plan social media?
I currently schedule Facebook posts right there on my Facebook page! I LOVE that it’s easy & free!! For Instagram, I use Planoly and love it!! I have an upgraded package so my team members can also have access to the feed, and I can switch between DSE & C@H very easily! I can schedule posts & see my feed while I’m planning it out (my favorite feature!)!
[bctt tweet=”Work on two {social platforms} & once you feel confident in them, move to others! @dseweddings @katiewilliamsen” via=”no”]
What advice would you share with other lady bosses?
Don’t let social media overwhelm you!! If you feel stressed about what to use or how to use it, think about what your ideal client would use & start there!! I also say that you should focus on TWO FORMS first – don’t try to tackle EVERYTHING at one time!! Work on two & then once you feel confident in them, move to others!!
Photo via Hope Taylor Photography
Anything exciting you have coming up in the next few months?
Yes!! I’ve got a SURPRISE launch coming up for DSE in early October – yay!! (Get the latest by signing up for Kat’s amazing newsletter!)
And for C@H, we have a one day event called Fall for C@H that we’re hosting October 9 in Lexington, VA (tickets are still available – join us here!). And we have our larger 2 day conference in Memphis, TN in November (we also have limited seats available & I’d love to meet you there!).
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Kat has so much great social media advice and she is spot on when she recommends focusing on two social platforms when getting started. Don’t get caught up doing #allthethings. Be sure to check out C@H, and if you are attending the Memphis Conference, let me know, I’m planning on being there too! Here are all of the places you can find Kat:
Dear Sweetheart Events: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest
Creative at Heart: Instagram | Facebook
As I fellow pink lover, I can’t help but mention Kat’s love for the color too. I can’t get enough of her beautiful office sprinkled with bold pops of pink and her adorable Kate Spade bag. Swoon!