Me (center) with VietSALON managing editor Anh Tran (left) and associate art director Yuiko Sugino (right) at the Los Angeles Digital Summit.

Me (center) with VietSALON managing editor Anh Tran (left) and associate art director Yuiko Sugino (right) at the Los Angeles Digital Summit. 

I am proud of my print publishing background. I have worked in this industry nine years, and there is nothing more thrilling than seeing your name printed in a masthead or on a byline. When I read magazines for pleasure, nothing beats a glossy. The art of making a bound book that readers hold onto is a sacred one. Everything from the finish of a cover to how it feels to turn a page is a source of pride and the sign of a job well done. I admire a completed issue the way many of you admire a complete, well-sculpted set.

But you and I both know that the publishing industry today is not what it was nine years ago. Social media and blogging have brought publishing to the digital space. The content you get in every issue of NAILS Magazine can be found on nailsmag.com and you can also find segments on our social media accounts (Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest). It is because of this ever-expanding digital frontier that the NAILS team attended a Digital Summit in Los Angeles. I wanted to share with you some of the major takeaways that I feel are applicable to nail professionals:
> Upload more videos.
> Post across channels. Take advantage of linking your Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook accounts.
> Play with new apps and image features like cinemagraphs and gifs.
> Create a consistent brand experience across all platforms.
> Don’t shy away from hashtags (in fact, you can use #nailsmagazine to engage with us).
> The first three words in the title and description of your video are the most important.
> Your authentic voice is what draws followers, so be true to yourself.

The point about authenticity is the one I heard the most, and was the major takeaway from the entire summit. We live in a day and age when our personal stories are as much of a product as anything else, and we can share those stories easily on multiple platforms. For NAILS, social media offers an unedited look at how a magazine is made. That includes behind-the-scenes images, commentary from our staff, and first looks at salon spaces and products in real-time. For you, authenticity might mean showing off more than a finished set of nails. Share videos showing your technique. Talk about salon culture. Let us get to know your face, voice, style, and personality from behind the table. Show us what inspires you or how you source your products. There’s an infinite number of ways to tell a story, but there’s only one you. So be real with your audience. The best story isn’t always the glossy, well-edited one. Sometimes it’s the raw, relatable story told in a whole new way that resonates most.

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