The Blog is Back!

Well - it's been a long time on the blog! Somewhere along the line - social media took over. Know the feeling? Whether you are reading this as an individual, a small business or an organisation, the same thing can be said: Social media is everywhere and quite consuming. But... and it's a big BUT... it has really let us down lately. Before we go into that, a re-introduction or a re-introduction perhaps. I am Holly -the person behind the workshops and the projects and I will be writing these blog posts and trying to give you a bit on insight into what we do. And this is why social media has given us a sharp boot these last few weeks...

On the bank holiday weekend, I woke up to find I couldn't log in to my Instagram account. I have two accounts - one for Thread and Press CIC and one for my own artwork. Both inaccessible. In fact, suspended. I could appeal - so I did - but it was rejected - no further right to appeal. But no real reason either. Then I saw that my personal Facebook profile was disabled - permanently. After a bit of research (and that part if hard - its all AI technology, bots and no human customer service) I think this may have been because of a duplicate account. My account was hacked a year ago (hacking is common in accounts that run business ads) and I struggled to regain it I set up a new account and thankfully got my main one back. Unfortunately, I didn't shut down my other profile (if this is you, learn from me and don't have duplicate accounts left open). I think, somewhere down the line, AI 'technologies' have chosen to delete one account as a duplicate. Why my main account, the only one that had been used in a year, I don't know. I don't think I will ever really get to the bottom of it. I could lose myself down a rabbit hole trying, but I won't. So Instagram accounts associated with that account - gone too.

WHAT THIS MEANS

Actually, it was very refreshing not having to update social media. We still have our Thread and Press CIC Facebook page, but not having to post as much, without Instagram, was very refreshing. So much so, that we are going to be doing it a bit different going forward. Social media is great for reaching new audiences, reminding people that we are here. sharing events - it is very hard for businesses like us to avoid it. But, we are going to try a new approach - to use it less but more importantly to rely on it less. Social media platforms can just take away years of work. We want our content to be ours and we want to be better positioned to function without social media. So we are going to be doing the following:

1. We will be setting up Instagram again - in time - but this will function more as a digital business card going forward, and a way to signpost traffic to our website.

2. We plan on having BLOG special discounts (up to 50% off some workshop places in flash promotion events) as well as more features that give you more insight into what we do. We would love to feature your stories from our workshops. Tell us about it here and get a 10% discount off your next workshop.

3. We will be providing access to more recorded tutorials made via You Tube and uploaded to our You Tube channel Thread and Press CIC

4. Our Facebook page will continue to operate, sharing latest news and details of our sessions. But we will be monitoring our messages through Messenger less frequently. Anyone who contacts us that way will be directed to contact us by email or telephone.

IT'S EXCITING!

Personally speaking, this is a huge relief for me. I have a busy family life and up until recently, two Instagram accounts and two Facebook pages to manage. The time that social media steals from you is frustrating. I do love the way it helps me to connect to people but really, there must be a better way. And as a mother of three children, it is encouraging to be more present and less tried to 'feeding the machine'. This is hopefully the start of a better work-life balance for me - but also a way of bringing you all closer.

HOW DID YOU DO IT?

We would love to hear your stories and tips on how you have managed to rely on social media less. Particularly, if you are a small business. We understand that things change and we have to keep up with the times. But it feels like it's important to try. If you are happy to share your thoughts, please get in touch.