Editor's Note: Social Pottery Holly Goring

Appears in the Nov/Dec 2019 issue of Pottery Making Illustrated.

Truth is, I’m not the most social-media savvy person. Quite frankly, I forget to even look it. I’m not sure what that says about me, other than I’m a bit of an introvert. It’s a good thing I work in publishing because I’m more inclined to pick up a magazine than I am to scroll through my Facebook feed. It’s also helpful that we have such a wonderful, well-rounded staff that can fill in where I fall short. Kaitlynne Phillips is PMI’s social-media caretaker and champion. Not only is she constantly synthesizing magazine content into related posts, but she is also on top of adding relevant news from the office and the ceramic field into digestible nuggets for followers. While she is not the only one on staff working on our myriad social-media accounts, she works on the ones that I do keep up with—or try to anyway.

How does PMI use social media to connect with its readers?

By building relationships: Social media is not just about our brand connecting with customers, it’s about connecting people to people. We want to help readers grow their relationships in the field by connecting students with teachers, beginners with professionals, and makers with thoughtful consumers.

Sharing our expertise: Posting on social media allows us an opportunity to talk about what we know and what we want to be known for, showcasing ideas and established techniques by professional and up-and-coming ceramic artists. We share content on topics that are cutting edge for beginners and are worth exploring for life-long makers.

Increasing visibility in the field: Yes, peppering our social-media channels does give us the potential to increase our visibility and even become a content leader in the field, but we also do it because good information gets shared. So, the more we post about the artists and authors featured in the magazine, the higher the chances are that more people will see their accomplishments and start connecting with these ceramic artists. Helping artists to get their name out there is very important to us.

So, who’s in this issue that you will soon find ways to connect with on your Facebook or Instagram feeds? Naomi Clement, who shares her technique for making platters layered with underglazes and newsprint resist; Andrew McIntyre, who discusses his elevated, stoneware saucers with thrown and altered porcelain cups; Melissa Weiss, who demonstrates constructing coiled buckets; Ashley Bevington, who shares  how she builds and decorates ice-cream cone cups; Kajsa Leijström, who shows us how to make scallop-rimmed plates with stamped borders; and Jared Zehmer, who takes us from a two-dimensional drawing to a finished lidded coffee pot. We also have tips on processing clay from your backyard, smart record keeping for artists, ideas for exploring new teapot shapes, and inspiration for a portable gallery for you to try out and share.

Social media offers countless professional benefits for artists. As soon as I’m done reading PMI, I may just check it out!