theUniqueBead | Social Strategy
Overview
I, as a mixed Native American artist and seamstress, needed to establish an online presence, brand awareness and credibility in a new and unfamiliar community due to an opportunity in historical costuming, which is a predominantly white space.
Problem & Solution
I was new to Instagram and had no idea where to start. It was the beginning of the pandemic, I didn’t have any help due to quarantine and the clock was ticking on my publishing deadline for Foundations Revealed. I needed to learn fast and start building a presence. My solution to this problem was to join the Foundations Revealed costuming competition, but instead I was approached and asked to write an article for them so I chose that opportunity instead.
Goals/Requirements:
- Be memorable
- Build credibility and authority
Process
One of my main goals when I started theUniqueBead was to work with Foundations Revealed, an online sewing and historical costuming academy. I would measure the success of this goal by the number of articles published within a timeframe of six months. It was an ambitious strategy, but ended up being more successful than I could have imagined.
I started a blog for other mixed indigenous people like me and ended up publishing two articles on the history of beadwork in the United States for Foundations Revealed. Later that year, I was asked to participate in their DICE committee to revamp the rules and regulations for the upcoming competition so that it would be more inclusive. I was then asked to be a judge for that same competition.