Renaissance On A Plate – Crystal Civil
In order to promote my blog and build readership, I will use a few social media platforms. Social media is one of the most effective ways to gain followers and connect to people. I believe the most useful platforms for my blog are ones that allow me to showcase visual content and allow me to write short blurbs that will lead readers back to my blog and inform them of my whereabouts. I will use my social media accounts to stay connected to my readers and keep them up to speed on the latest news surrounding Harlem’s food scene.
Who I will reach:
I will follow individuals, companies and organizations that are closely related to my blog’s mission. Since I am focusing on the gentrification in Harlem through the food industry perspective, I will follow a handful of restaurants, bars, lounges, etc. I believe these small businesses will keep me informed on upcoming events, when a celebrity stops by, if they have community affairs, etc. The information these businesses post on their social media accounts will help me to generate new blog posts and connect to new people. Some of the twitter accounts of these small businesses include: @MelbasHarlem @SylviasSoulFood @AtTheWallace @GrangeBarHarlem @LaBodega47 @TheCecilHarlem @CornerSocialNY @HarlemShakeNYC
In addition to small businesses, I think it is also important for me to follow social media accounts created to promote other blogs and websites. The blogs and websites should focus on topics surrounding Harlem, including gentrification in Harlem, Harlem’s food scene or general news Harlem. If I establish a relationship with these website creators and bloggers, this will help me build my readership. If I re-tweet information posted by these other sites, they will most likely return the favor, which is a great exposure for my blog. Some of these blogs and websites include: @HarlemTrends (blog about “uptown culture, entertainment, restaurants and events”), @HarlemBespoke (a blog about “Harlem’s past and present from a designer’s point of view”), @WelcomeToHarlem (a website that promotes tourism in Harlem), and @HBANY (a website that supports Harlem’s small business).
A few additional social media accounts I will follow are people who can be considered “faces of Harlem.” Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson @MarcusSamuelsson, who owns two popular restaurants in Harlem, Red Rooster and Ginny’s Supper Club, would be great to follow because his restaurants are part of Harlem’s gentrified restaurant scene. Chef Marcus can also help my blog gain exposure because he has such a large following. Council woman Melissa Mark Viverito @MMViverito, who is also Council speaker, will also be a useful person to follow. She represents District 8, East Harlem and the Bronx, so she may be able to help me gain a better understanding of public issues, such as gentrification, surrounding the neighborhood.
The last social media accounts I think is important to follow is The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture @SchomburgCenter. This research unit’s twitter account may provide me with information related to Harlem’s, including historical and cultural content, and and will keep me informed on any events that may be held at the center.
My Accounts:
Twitter: I would post every day at least twice day. I would tweet information related to my blog, re-tweet interesting bits on information from other accounts and post links to other sites that may be useful for my followers.
Facebook: I would post on Facebook once or twice, every other day. I think my posts would focus more on the content on my blog and on events that may be useful to my followers.
Instagram: I think my blog needs visual contents to keep my readers interested. I will post a minimum of twice or three times a week. My photos will include food businesses in Harlem, before and after pictures of certain revamped areas in Harlem, construction of new businesses, pictures of the food I eat, etc.
Writing tweets and headlines:
Post one: Who’s down for a hearty Italian American brunch this weekend? #harlem #trufarestaurant #cozybistro http://bit.ly/1uYiL69 (19 characters left)
Post two: The Grange Bar & Eatery re introduces the farm lifestyle to Hamilton Heights. #harlem #farmtotable #alexanderhamilton http://bit.ly/1y2Kioa (0 characters left)
Post three: Time to take it back to the old days in Harlem #harlem #shorthistorylesson #gentrification http://bit.ly/1zfIMhO (27 characters left)
Post four: Southern BBQ and strong signature margaritas, what more does El Barrio need? #Harlem #Harleys #elbarriomargaritas http://bit.ly/1FgKe5w (4 characters left)