Shon Carter started Her-Mileun, a uniquely-named e-commerce platform for jewelry and accessories, in 2015. Inspired by her love of femininity, Shon named her business Her-Mileun as a tribute to empowered women. “Her” represents the true essence of beauty and strength that women embody, while “Mileun”- derived from chameleon – represents the distinctive ability that is instilled in every woman to adapt to any environment or occasion.
Her-Mileun offers a vibrant range of fashion accessories for women of all ages. From big, chunky jewelry to the most fashionable handbags and purses, Shon sells it all.
Shon loves to network and talk about her brand in person. She believes that word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool for any business owner. But when she’s not outside meeting new people, Shon relies on one key medium to promote her business:
Social media!
“Facebook and Instagram are my go-to platforms for all forms of promotion,” Shon said.
Shon creates her social media posts with PosterMyWall. “I just used PosterMyWall to create a Facebook post this morning,” Shon said. “The great thing about this site is that I don’t have to be a professional graphic designer to create stunning posts.”
Here are some of Shon’s best practices for creating dynamic social media posts to promote your online business:
Know your brand aesthetic
Shon’s first piece of advice was to know what you want, and what you’re showing others. Form an aesthetic that goes well with your brand, and showcase it in your promotions.
For Shon, the preferred design aesthetic integrates bright, traditionally feminine colors. “I love pink and purple, so I always add them into my work,” Shon said.
The Her-Mileun brand is very feminine, and Shon makes sure her designs convey it. When she creates promotion and sales flyers, she likes to add soft yet bold touches that she knows her customers will appreciate, such as the bright colors of her products against soft, muted pink backgrounds.
Select the right templates for your social media posts
The one great thing about online marketing is that you don’t have to start from scratch anymore. Shon loves to save time by using premade templates for her marketing designs. “With such great templates available, I had to put in less work to make my designs attractive,” Shon said.
When looking for the right template for your sales flyer, Shon recommends finding one that already has some elements that represent your brand. “This way, you just have to add your own content to make it yours,” she said. For example, the colors and soft imagery in the template below fit very well with Her-Mileun’s overall brand style. Adding a logo, some text, and a few personal details is all Shon needs to make her own design.
Make sure your product is the star
“I like finding simple designs that I can embed my product into and that won’t overpower the product. Adding too much to your design takes away from who you are and what you represent,” Shon said. According to her, your product should be the center of attention in each design you create. Place it in the center, and align your text so that it compliments the image. Avoid using too many illustrations and animations that might overcrowd your design and take attention away from the product.
Adhere to a social media schedule
Once you’re done designing the perfect flyer, you have to figure out when and where to post it.
Shon’s audience primarily comes from Facebook and Instagram, which is why these are her go-to platforms for promotions.
She believes that part of her continued success is that she creates a monthly social media schedule that she follows to make sure no platform is being neglected. For this, Shon uses Hootsuite, a social media management tool that allows her to schedule and automatically post across social media platforms. The result is that Shon’s Facebook and Instagram feeds are always filled with engaging content and promotional material.
Looking ahead
As Her-Mileun grows, Shon will continue to explore new ways to market her business.
When asked about her future plans, Shon said she would like to venture into the business-to-business category, and create a platform where she could connect with other similar businesses.
In terms of marketing, Shon plans to continue to use social media as her primary platform. Remaining aware of evolving online trends, she hopes to expand on her social media presence and create a following on platforms like TikTok to gain more traction.
