2015: The Year Things Change

      Anyone who knows me well knows that there is one thing I hate more than anything: change. I'm a rather simple person who takes pleasure in knowing that the next day will be the same as the last. Or at least I was. After this past semester, I realized that change is not as bad as I always made it out to be.

      I learned more about myself in my fall senior semester in college than the first three years that I spent at the University of Georgia. Blame it on maturity, knowing I only have a year left in school, or certain personal life events, but I decided to live this semester for Hannah. It has been the best decision that I ever made and changed me for the better.

     One of the best pieces of advice someone once gave me was to be selfish. It sounds awful at first but let me explain. My entire life I had lived to please others before myself. I gave up the real Hannah to be who people wanted Hannah to be. One day this last summer, I woke up and realized just how unhappy I was with my life and where it was going. It wasn't what I wanted for me. So I decided to finally take that piece of advice, and be selfish and chose to change my old ways to live for who I really was. Because in their own words: "If you don't live for yourself now, you'll never get the chance to do that again."

      So I did just that. I finally grew out of self-conscious, shy, and non-confident high school Hannah and embraced life the way I had always wanted to. I drove through Atlanta for the first time (I had a real fear for interstates once upon a time), I spent a weekend in the mountains backpacking, I realized just how great my friends are, I went out and had fun, I learned to drink coffee black, and I didn't hesitate to take the chance to make myself happy. Those all sound like such small unimportant things, but one by one I was learning how fun life could be once I stepped out of the box I had trapped myself in. Ultimately that was the change this semester, I found my happiness in just being me and stopped underestimating myself.

      As you can imagine, as a former change hater New Years was a holiday that I loathed. Now, not so much. The second half of 2014 turned out so well for me, that I have no reason to hate change anymore. In 2015 I get to graduate from the best university in the nation (yes I'm biased), move to Atlanta, start my business career with an incredible company, and whatever else God has planned for me.

     2015 is the year of big change for me. I'm going to learn to love myself even more through treating my body like the temple that it is, further dedicating my life to and trusting in God's purpose for me, and saying yes to what makes me happy. So in the words of Taylor Swift, "I think I am finally clean." Here's to being perfectly and unapologetically happy with the person that you are.

Until Next Year,

Hannah

What You Need to Know Before You Shop this Holiday Season

I've mentioned before that I work retail and love my job and coworkers. However there is one time of year when I don't: Holiday. The time of year that so many people look forward to, retail workers start dreading in September. There are multiple reasons that Holiday mentally and physically drains retail workers, some more obvious than others. For those who have never sat on the other side of the register this is what you need to know:

We hate Black Friday.

I used to shop Black Friday sales. I used to love the feeling of the hunt. Now you couldn't pay me to take a shopping trip that day. Black Friday completely mars Thanksgiving festivities for many retail workers. This year large department stores are opening earlier than ever Thanksgiving afternoon, ripping workers away from precious family time. Thanksgiving is about being thankful and grateful for our family and what we have. But then the entire country takes part in mass consumption, fighting for products, and yelling at retail workers when something accidentally rings up wrong. Not to mention that the people behind the counter have been awake just as long as you have, but still have to muster a smile about it.

Please don't kill us.

Please don't be rude to us.

Since sophomore year, I have spent most of my Christmas break away from my family alone in Athens to work. Unlike other college students who get to go home and relax, I won't be getting a break until summer. On top of that, I get to go to work where someone complains to me that if I don't ring up people faster they'll be late to their family dinner. It goes back to the old saying that you don't know everything someone is dealing with. Is it worth yelling at a 20-something cashier and demanding a manager simply because we can't honor your expired coupon? Should you really scoff at us when we ask for an e-mail? Yes our job is to make you happy, but don't get mad at us when we're trying to follow a company policy that is beyond our control. It will ruin our day and you'll forget about us within an hour.

We hate holiday music.

You may get in a joyous mood about the music playing, but don't ask our opinion about it. We listen to the same songs, on repeat every 2 hours, for nearly 2 months. We associate these awful remixes with long lines and customers everywhere. Just don't mention it.

Don't talk to us when we're on break.

I have been at the food court before and had people come ask me about store deals because they see my store name tag. Please just stop. If you see an employee outside of their store, they're taking a much needed, very short 30 minute break, and we don't want to spend it working. Think how you would feel if someone used up your break time to talk about work.

We're human, so we will make mistakes.

We've been on our feet for hours trying to help each customer find the perfect gift. We will get something wrong once in a while. How you choose to react is everything. Yes there are always a few bad apples but a real retail worker will go out of their way to make something right. Sugar gets a lot further than spice. I had a customer once who I had forgotten to honor their discount. Once I realized this, I did everything I could to fix it. This same customer came back later and brought me a bottled water because she could tell I was losing my voice from talking so much. It's people like this who make working holiday bearable. 

Keep it clean.

You may not realize this, but employees have to stay later than you when the mall closes and clean the store. When you stuff those jeans you decided not to get somewhere they don't belong or destroy an entire stack of perfectly folded thermals, someone gets to clean that up. One time last year we closed at 10 but were scheduled to be done cleaning by 11. We did not leave until 1:30 because the store was so destroyed. If you don't know how to navigate a pile, ask an employee for help. We would much rather help you than spend 30 minutes later refolding the mess you made in search of a large.

You touch it, you die.

If you need more retail eye-openers check out this article on Buzzfeed that is on point: 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/29-struggles-every-holiday-retail-worker-knows-to-be-true

The Walking Dead Coming to Life on Twitter

This post may come as a surprise considering most of my other blogs revolve around fashion and advice for social media outlets. But despite loving all things pink and girly, I'm secretly a nerd with a passion for The Walking Dead. Going beyond the typical zombie apocalypse script, The Walking Dead provides incredible acting and character development that has helped to weave an even more interesting story line. While staying alive is of foremost importance in the show, the theme of how far the characters are actually willing to go is most prevalent. Every new episode shows how at least one character gives up another small piece of their humanity in order to survive.

While the "walkers" and show's main character's may display hopelessness and like there is no way out, luckily for us we have Twitter to vent our thoughts. The Walking Dead is very alive on Twitter and introduces a new hashtag days before the new episode premiere airs. Most recently, the show utilized #WhereIsBeth to promote the latest episode that aired last Sunday, November 2nd, "Slabtown."

@WalkingDead_AMC does a fantastic job of starting hype early in the week for an upcoming episode by introducing a hashtag that resonates with viewers. For those who do not watch the show, Beth Greene is a central character who was abducted by an unforseen group last season. For months, the show's characters nor viewers knew what had happened to her, until last Sunday night. #WhereIsBeth was introduced  mid-week last week and continued until the show started. Once it did, the hashtags immediately changed to #Slabtown, #TheWalkingDead and user generated #Bethisode.

The Walking Dead twitter account live tweets during the entire course of the show but even better, they are constantly retweeting followers. This keeps fans engaged and excited about the show throughout the week. The result?

The Walking Dead is trending EVERY Sunday without being promoted along with other references to the show (notice Beth at the bottom). Tweeting before, during, after and engaging followers has proven to be a winning strategy for The Walking Dead and one that is easily adaptable for other television programs. So until next Sunday, #CAROL?!!

Check out The Walking Dead on AMC at 9 o'clock Sunday nights. And if you want to catch up, episodes are available on Netflix.

Are you a Facebook Narcissist?

We hear the lectures all the time in class to keep our Facebook's clean and professional for when employers check them. But have you considered what message you might be sending without even realizing it? While social media has completely reshaped how we connect with those around us in positive ways, it has also come with its pitfalls. Including the rise of Facebook narcissism.

Facebook is a magnet for narcissists everywhere. It not only attracts them, but can also turn people into one without even realizing it. The following are a few signs that your Facebook may be giving of a narcissist vibe.

1) There's only one person in your profile picture, that being YOU, for the majority of your profile pictures. Don't fret if your profile pic is of just you at the moment. Narcissists typically take great care with this forefront of their page. The pictures will most likely be filtered to hide unsightly features or add a tan. Poses will be made to highlight the best attributes of the narcissist, sometimes in a seductive way.

2) In the words of a song that I am not quite fond of, the narcissist lives by the "but first let me take a selfie" mantra. Narcissists love to update their selfie collection daily. They may have upwards of 2 or more selfie pictures a day. Captions on these pictures usually relate back directly to the person, how they changed their hair, their feelings on the day's events, or even compliment fishing for an extra boost of attention.

3) Having over 1,000 "friends" is another sign of Facebook narcissism. Which is actually slightly terrifying to me considering over a 1,000 people have access to your information. Narcissists love to put on a show that they have a huge network of loyal followers. They will accept almost any friend request as well as send them. Their Facebook may even have lax privacy settings to make their profile more visible to people who aren't even friends.

4) The narcissist will brag about their life in one post and put it down in another. The first tactic meant to put on a show, the second to get people to respond. If reading through status updates on a narcissist's profile, one might be confused as to whether the person is bipolar based on the wide array of positive and negative posts. 

The worst part about the Facebook narcissist epidemic you ask? Most narcissists are not even aware of their actions. The culture of social media and sharing can cultivate this mindset by accident. If you meet these criteria, you are not alone. Those aware of their problem can then work to actively prevent it from occurring again. 

Embracing Your Weekend

As a college senior, I've decided that it would be shameful to spend my weekends sitting at home watching Netflix. A quick description of my weekend adventures since Fall started.

Football Games and County Fair Treats

All of Bulldog nation will tell you that nothing is better than a meeting between the hedges. (Side note: #FreeGurley) I've made it a point to make sure game day Saturdays are spent in Sanford as compared to work or studying at home. After all, once I graduate I will be paying way more than $60 for season tickets. 

Making memories with my amazing friends

After a great game, me and the roommate made a spontaneous Sunday trip to the Perry Fair. My first time going since I grew up in north Georgia. To say that my life was changed by turkey legs, bloomin onions, apple dumplings, and fried cookie dough is an understatement. But it was great to spend the weekend with friends and country cooking.

Family Getaways

After weeks of school and the stress that naturally occurs, I was ready to get away from Athens. Fortunately, my aunt had planned a weekend trip in Big Canoe, a mountain community in Jasper, GA. My immediate family, aunt, uncle, cousins, and grandparents all met up to spend some quality time together for a peaceful lazy weekend. Even though it rained most of the time, we spent our days catching up and just enjoying each other's company away from the hustle and bustle of normal life. 

Big Canoe, Jasper, GA

Mountain Hikes

One of the best pieces of advice I was given as a freshman was to wait until senior year to complete my PE requirement. With the stress of graduating and finding a full time job for afterwards, my backpacking and hiking class has been a welcome outlet. This past weekend I said goodbye to social media and civilization and carried everything I needed on my back for a 3 mile hike up Black Rock Mountain. 

While my muscles are sore today from carrying a backpack up and then down the mountain, the solace I found was great. Some of the views were amazing and the pictures do not do them justice. Even though "roughing it" may not be for everyone, I think I may have found a new hobby.

Black Rock Lake

The best parts of my adventures is that I have been able to share my experiences on social media. Especially with those family members and friends who live far away. Instagram has been my go-to outlet lately and has been the definition of a picture is worth a 1,000 words.

@AEOProblems

"Hi, welcome to American Eagle! Did you need help finding anything today?"

For the past two years I have had the pleasure to work for American Eagle Outfitters as a Stylist (basically a sales associate but slightly different). I have been able to create friendships and share life with my amazing coworkers. That includes surviving Black Fridays, the entire holiday season, and typical retail problems as well. Part of me believes that because retail is such a demanding and taxing job that it is what leads coworkers in the same store to become so close. 

After I joined Twitter (2 months ago to be exact), it didn't take long until I found what has become my favorite Twitter account. @AEOProblems. That's right. While the said problems can be found in most other retail stores there are certain tweets that as an American Eagle employee I directly relate with.

The sentiments of all retail workers right now.

American Eagle inside joke right here.

While I was vehemently against Twitter for so long (for some reasons that I still believe to be true), I have enjoyed taking part in interacting with the @AEOproblems account. It has created a community beyond that created in-store between coworkers to American Eagle employees across the nation. You can share those retail stories that other people can actually relate to, rather than annoying your roommates with another story about a rude customer. Just another example of how people enjoy taking part in a social network and sharing similar experiences.

So here's to you American Eagle employees! #LiveYourLife

Fall into Fashion

    It happened fast. You woke up one morning and noticed there was a chilly wind and chose your leggings over your norts. There was talk of the return of pumpkin spice lattes and harvest festivals. Just like that, summer is gone and fall is here. And with the new season, comes the need for a new wardrobe. Here are some of the trends that I have noticed from the social media sites of some of my favorite places to shop:

1) It's All About Boots

Photo courtesy of Red Dress Boutique's Facebook page

Short boots, long boots, riding boots, cowboy boots, combat boots. This season boots are EVERYWHERE. You may be thinking, "I've been wearing boots during the fall for forever, why is this different?" That's because this season, you'll be seeing a lot less of flats than usual. Knee-high boots have always been a fall staple but booties and combat boots are on the rise for this season. I for one was always scared to try the more trendy bootie due to my shortness and the army-chic combat boot but these styles are easier to pull off than you might think. Pair a bootie with a dress and tights to help transition you into being comfortable enough to wear them with jeans or even shorts. And wearing combat boots does not mean you have to go all out retro. Instead try wearing them with jeggings, piko shirt and a bulky scarf. Your normal prep look can be easily modified to include combats.

American Eagle Knit Jeggings

American Eagle Jegging Sweater

2) Burgundy is the Hot Color

American Eagle is one of the few major chain stores that I still shop at (although that might be because I also work there). The store is known for taking classic closet staples and giving them a new twist or updated look to fit new trends. Their new fall floor sets so far have included a LOT of burgundy. Most likely inspired by the color of changing leaves, burgundy is a great rich color that will flatter everyone, much like navy or black. The knit jeggings would look great paired with a white or cream lace top and chambray button up. The jegging sweater is made to be long and therefore would look fantastic with some leggings, boots, and a scarf or necklace. Both of these items can also carry into winter to help out your cold weather closet.

3) Florals

Photo courtesy of Dress Up Boutique's Facebook Page

Don't give up on your bright summer floral prints just yet! It looks like the trend is continuing into fall fashion. The colors are more muted and the clothing offers more coverage so as to keep you cozy as the weather changes. Tribal and geometric patterns seem to be continuing as well. Add a floral top with some jeans and flats and take a typical drab fall outfit to fab. Just because summer is over doesn't mean you have to let go of fun prints and colors.

4) Crops and Hi Rise

Photo courtesy of Entourage's Facebook Page

Your crop tank and high waisted shorts of summer is undergoing a transition for fall. The early 1990s throwback look is still in with new crop tees and tops as well as high rise jeans. Paired together, even the most modest girl won't have to worry about showing her midriff. Being short, I personally love this look as it balances out my short legs but longer torso. The look can also be made to look boho, prep or a combination of both if you so choose.

You can take inspiration from these fall fashion trends or start your own. The most important rule of style is to make something your own and be confident in what you wear. And if you're ever in need of more help, I guarantee that your favorite retailers provide a lot of great content and outfit inspiration on their social media sites. So get ready for Fall, it's going to get colder before you know it!

Living a Pinterest Perfect Life

My name is Hannah Young and I am guilty of having a wedding Pinterest board. Before I knew it I had over a hundred pins of dresses, flowers, venues and so on. There came a point when the only thing I was pinning were wedding ideas and SURPRISE I'm 21 years old with no intention of getting married anytime soon.

So why did the madness start and where did it begin? My mom would tell you that it started when I was 3 when I would cry that I hadn't found my husband yet. To say that I was a planner at the wee age of 3 may sound hilarious but also sadly true. The most important thing to me for so many years was to graduate college, get married, have 2 kids and then live my Pinterest perfect life. The closer that I've gotten to graduation though, the more that has changed.

Me and my little brother. Even at a young age I was planning way more of my life then I needed to.

More and more I've realized that the life I want to live should not be defined by my Pinterest boards, but rather inspired by them. The days I spent pinning that wedding dress could have been spent with friends or more likely studying for the test that I was procrastinating on.

Don't get me wrong, Pinterest is a great tool for planning events like your wedding, what you want to fill your closet with next, or finding that great new recipe instead of eating Kraft mac and cheese another night. But don't get so sucked into the site that you forget your purpose of pinning.

That salmon  recipe may taste horrible but you won't know until you make it.

I still have my wedding board with it's cute "I do" title but I have sworn myself away from pinning on it. My time in college is too short to spend it planning what's ahead except for my career that is! Which naturally, I have a board for that too.

So what is my point? From this moment on, I challenge you to complete a Pinterest pin activity for each one that you pin. Crazy? Yes. But fulfilling? Definitely. Use the site for how it was actually meant to be intended. You'll never know how amazing that waterfall on your travel board looks until you visit it in real life or how great those homemade cookies taste until you make them yourself.

The Great Smoky Mountains, on an early winter morning. One of my favorite trips since I started college inspired by Pinterest.

So go on, stop planning and start living your Pinterest perfect life.

Pinterest for Small Business

In my first blog I talked about one of my favorite stores, Dress Up Boutique, and its social media strategy. While Dress Up was succeeding in some areas of social media, they were desperately failing in the Pinterest department. Which actually is not very surprising. Pinterest is a quagmire to a lot of businesses. How do you communicate your brand, mission, and core values within some random pins with short captions and boards? Rather than leave the Pinterest predicament as I did before I thought I would go into more detail as to how Pinterest can benefit small businesses.

Stores like Dress Up Boutique, Red Dress Boutique, Pitaya, Encore, Cheeky Peach, Entourage (the list could go on) and all other small business boutiques, Pinterest is the place to be. Pinterest is a social media platform that is largely dominated by millennial women ranging from the ages of 15-29. This just so happens to be the same age range that most boutiques target. The first step of any similar type of business that does not currently have a Pinterest profile is to get one. Otherwise they are missing out on a fantastic marketing opportunity.

Businesses should be thinking about the content they're putting out and the visual appeal when pinning. Being a very image-centric website, professional and content related pictures are key. Content that relates back to a blog, article or other interactive forums have been proven to have more "clicks" than those that relate back to a shopping site. Marketers should also use Pinterest as a way to generate positive consumer sentiment and loyalty to the brand rather than to increase sales. As other social media sites, one should always adhere to the 80/20 rule.

Pinterest can also be used to understand your typical customer better. Have a follower who is constantly repining your content? Check out their boards and interests. Even follow them back. After a while your home Pinterest page will be full of your potential customers and the content that they're interested in. It's almost like free market research!

Boards should be relevant and on track the the business' mission. It is very easy to get "pin happy" and want to start a new board with every new trend on the runways. The biggest mistake businesses make is having an overwhelming Pinterest profile with over 30 boards. Keep it simple. Have a board that relates to each new season's outfits. After a year evaluate which products had the most repin interaction and then delete! Yes you heard me right, take care of some Spring cleaning. Product that is no longer available or in season should be taken off Pinterest boards in order to keep a polished and up to date page. Can you imagine a small business that starts a new board every time they get new product in and never deleted anything after 5 years of business? Followers would be so overwhelmed that they may not even take the time to look through your more relevant pins. So keep it simple, on point, and on track with the business mission.

When in doubt, talk it out. Reach out to your fellow marketers and coworkers at your small business to see how they might feel about a pin or new board idea. What may seem like the next big Pinterest epiphany to you might actually not correspond to your business values and goals. Enjoy Pinterest but keep it relevant.

And when Pinterest is done right, this might happen:

Customer repins dress they like on Pinterest and get involved with the brand....

And then they buy it themselves. 

There goes my paycheck again. Some tips taken from: http://www.godigitalmarketing.com/pinterest-effectively-market-small-business/.

Facebook Etiquette and Bless Your Heart Moments

My southern girl attitude comes out when I see some things that my "friends" post on Facebook that I can only shake my head and say "Bless your heart" to. It amazes me the crazy and sometimes mortifying posts that I see on social media. The worst part is, even the website has failed to give some kind of etiquette guideline to follow. But have no fear, for I am about to share with you my Facebook "Bless your heart" moments.

1) Don't like or comment on old pictures unless you're best friends.
We all know that creeper. They just became friends with a person so they sift through ALL their old photos. Then they do the worst thing possible. They like or comment on a picture  more than a year old and everyone else can see it in their news feed. This is completely different than the close friend doing so to be funny. This is literally someone that you just met who you now know has seen every aspect of your Facebook profile. We are all guilty of Facebook creeping but at least leave it unknown.

2) Don't post questionable articles or facts.
Listen to your professor on this one. Always check the source or validity of a shocking or too good to be true article before sharing it. Sometimes we get caught up in the game of social media that we forget that what we post represents us. When I see that obviously fake Facebook hoax headline "Elvis Presley has been found alive in Kansas City!" I doubt your education and whether or not I should even keep you on my friends list. Before you re-post, always check Snopes or Google to make sure the article is actually true.

3) Don't post visually displeasing pictures.
So you broke your leg? Please do not share the picture of the bone jutting out of your skin with red flesh everywhere. The last thing I want to see when scrolling down my news feed is a photo of the spider you found in your house, your cat giving birth, or the latest injury you procured. A simple written status update will suffice and if I really want to see pictures I will message you privately. Just because you can handle the sight of spiders, doesn't mean your Facebook friends can (arachnophobe right here).

4) Use spell check.
The days of text speak on social media are over. While a lol or haha is appropriate at the end of comments, "IDK my BFF Jill" days have come to an end. Correct spelling and grammatical errors are also a no-no. The amount of people on my friends list who still don't know the difference between they're/their/there and a part versus apart makes me feel as though the public school system has truly failed us. Remember that employers check your Facebook for professionalism and how you choose to post a status says a lot about you. (Side note: As writing this tip, I had the sudden fear to spell check this blog five times.)

5) Manage your relationship status like an adult would.
I would really rather that you just did not have your relationship status on your profile than to change it to "It's Complicated" every time you and your boyfriend have a fight. Do not publicly air complaints or fights with your significant other for all to see. Just broke up? You can actually choose rather or not you want it posted to your news feed if you want to keep it private. Have respect for yourself and choose the high road before giving out all your divorce/ break-up details in a status update.

6) Keep sensitive information to yourself.
Don't post a vague status about your horrible night if you do not want people to ask for details, because they will ask for details. The status at midnight that says "I can not believe this is happening" is slightly worrisome and concerning. Call your close friends to talk out your problems before sharing only tidbits on your Facebook.

7) Have respect for those experiencing a tragedy.
This is probably my biggest pet peeve of all and probably a more personal request. Nothing irks me more than people who put themselves in the middle of a Facebook friend's tragedy. So many times a person will experience a death in their family and all of a sudden everyone and their mother are posting about it. Did you know this now deceased person? Do you know their family or close friends? No? Then shut your mouth. This time is not about you and nothing infuriates me more than people who jump up and say "I knew them and I am so sorry for this loss!" on social media when they really did not. If you truly wish to share your condolences take it offline and do it in person.


I could spend all day writing more tips but instead I will leave you with this: Use your common sense when posting on Facebook and think through your actions. Do not use it as a forum to air your personal drama but rather to connect with your friends and share fun, meaningful experiences. And most importantly, when in doubt just don't post it and save me from saying "Bless your heart."

Let's Play Dress Up

Fashion and style were not my main focus in high school. The majority of my wardrobe consisted of sweatpants and t-shirts. Growing up in a small town there was not much to choose from as far as shopping goes nor did I wish to spend my hard earned Ingles cashier paycheck on clothes that I felt I did not need. All of that changed when Dress Up Boutique opened in downtown Gainesville. The store offered a great selection of styles for affordable prices and that was when my love of boutique fashion began. While it may sound dramatic to say that I was tomboy turned girly-girl because of a local boutique, Dress Up played a large part in the pride I took in my wardrobe.

The result of my most recent shopping trip. 

Dress Up has grown tremendously since opening its first store in Dahlonega, GA. The small business now has 10 locations and an online store that you can view on their website, http://shopdressup.com/. To say that I have spent most of my work savings at their store is an understatement.

Since opening in 2009, I have seen Dress Up's social media morph from the jumbled content that is typical of a new start-up small business into what I believe to be a success story of what happens when social media is done right. Despite posting six times a day on their Facebook page, every post is relevant and showcases a new outfit from one of their collections. Dress Up has done a fantastic job of constantly bringing in new inventory and properly displaying it on its media platforms. It uses Instagram in a similar fashion, constantly posting new inventory and encouraging interaction with it's followers.

Dress Up does a wonderful job of always acknowledging its followers and even re-posting photos of customer's wearing their styles.

While Dress Up has mastered Facebook and Instagram, I feel that the store's Pinterest page could use some reorganization. Pinterest in itself can be a harder platform to grasp at times. In a few boards and pictures, a business must attempt to completely convey its brand without losing a potential consumer's attention. And unfortunately for businesses, repins do not always turn into sales. However I see great promise in Pinterest for small businesses like Dress Up. Unlike other platforms that require the consumer to follow their pages for content to appear on news feeds, Pinterest is a platform of exploring. A small business in Arkansas can have a pin go viral and lead to pinners around the country being aware of the business. In contrast to the astounding 119,799 followers Dress Up has on Facebook, the company only has 3,332 followers on Pinterest (as of September 1, 2014).

So why does the Pinterest page have so few followers compared to Facebook? I believe that Dress Up has lost sight of it's purpose on Pinterest. The store has 33 boards, some of which are completely unrelated to what the business offers such as "The Red Carpet" and "Celeb Style." But somehow the store stands for self esteem with their Mend Campaign, see http://shopdressup.com/pages/our-cause. I don't exactly see how celebrities that are society's image of perfection can be put onto the Pinterest board of a company that is trying to boost self image of girls. The solution for Dress Up's Pinterest is simple, go back to basics and look at what the store really stands for. More boards doesn't always equal more followers. I believe that if the less relevant information is removed and the boards that have potential are really invested into, Dress Up's Pinterest could be as successful as its Facebook or Instagram.

Dress Up is only a 5 year old company at this point, and it has already taken tremendous leaps and bounds with its store growth. I have no doubt that the store will continue to refine its social media presence and create a sense of flow between the various platforms.

Want to learn more about Dress Up Boutique? Visit them on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShopDressUp
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShopDressUp
Instagram: http://instagram.com/shopdressup
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/shopdressup/