We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Krystle Nickels. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Krystle below.

Krystle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you think folks should manage their own social media or hire a professional? What do you do?

I decided to manage my own social media so that I could cultivate a genuine online presence, tailor my personal brand and engage directly with my audience and followers. This meant that I could just be me… I’m able to authentically represent myself and my interests.

Managing my own social media has led to increased engagement, a more authentic connection with followers and a better understanding of my audience’s preferences. It has also allowed me to showcase my skills, achievements and personality in a way that aligns with my personal and professional goals.

Authenticity is the cornerstone of creating a brand that truly reflects who you are and what you love. It builds trust with your audience- as people appreciate genuine connections. When your brand aligns with your true self, it resonates more profoundly, attracting like-minded individuals and fostering a loyal community. Authenticity sets the foundation for lasting relationships, credibility and a creates a distinctive identity in a crowded market.

A direct connection with my audience allows for not only authentic engagement but also immediate feedback and a deeper understanding of their preferences. Managing your own social media grants you the advantage of immediate feedback, as you can gauge audience reactions, comments and sentiments in real-time. This instant interaction helps you understand what resonates with your audience, allowing you to refine your content strategy and tailor future posts to align with their preferences. Being able to tailor my content to meet my audience’s needs and maintain a dynamic and responsive online presence is one of my top priorities. This allows me to strengthen my relevance and build relationships with my audience and followers. By authentically interacting with my audience, acknowledging their comments and incorporating their feedback- I create a sense of community. Sharing personal insights, behind-the-scenes glimpses and responding to messages also helps strengthen the emotional connection with my followers and enhances long-term sustainability and success of my brand.

Krystle, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

In 2020, I created Krystle Marie Blog. It was a bit out of my comfort zone but I wanted to share my passion for home decor and inspire others with decorating their own homes and creating their own version of cozy. Including budget-friendly home decorating tips and inspiration was one of my main goals. I love showing others that everyone deserves a beautiful living space, regardless of their budget and that a well-decorated & cozy home is within reach for everyone.

Sharing my love of simple DIY projects is another one of my passions on Krystle Marie Blog- through tutorials and videos, I share not just the finished projects but the joy of the creative process itself. There’s no greater joy than creating something for your home using your own unique style- that to me is what truly makes a home cozy.

Krystle Marie Blog also includes some of my favorite recipes and family recipes too. I love not only sharing home decor inspiration but also a taste of my life too. I grew up in a family that loved to cook and bake. And being able to share some of my favorite recipes that I loved growing up is something very personal to me. Creating a cozy home with family recipes is one of my favorite ways to warm up a living space.

Aside from Krystle Marie Blog, I wanted to create a name for myself & I’ve done this through Instagram (@krystlemarienickels). I now have over 24K followers and this is where I get to truly be me and share my own unique cozy style. I have a slight obsession with antiquing and thrifting & I love showing how you can decorate your home using second hand items. I love sharing my thrifted finds and how I incorporate them into my home decor. Thrifted home decor adds a touch of character and a touch of history & that to me, is cozy. I also share my love of decorating inspired by nature. I describe my home decorating style as “cozy farmhouse garden cottage.” I have created a small community on Instagram that loves creating a cozy home & enjoys my home decorating style, inspiration & tips.

It’s always been a dream of mine to own a shop filled with all of my favorite home decor items. This dream came true in 2022 when I opened Nickels Creek Mercantile. Not only does it have brand new home decor items but my favorite part of my shop is the “pre-loved” home decor section- my version of thrifted home decor including items I’ve previously used to decorate my home and also local antique finds. My next goal is to own a brick & mortar shop filled with antique and thrifted booths mixed with brand new home decor. I want to create a shop filled with character, charm, history and all things cozy.

I recently shared on Instagram last month, that I am writing my first home decorating book. This is something that has been in the works for a few years and something that was so surreal to finally be able to share. There’s nothing I love more than combining my love of home decorating with my love of writing, I’ve always been a writer- ever since I was in elementary school. This is an absolute dream come true. I’m still in the process of writing but it was important to me to share with my followers because I want to include them on the journey- I want them to help select the book cover, I want to share little snippets of what I’m writing and sneak peeks of special home stylings that tie along with home decorating tips that will be included in the book.

One of my biggest accomplishments, to date, has been being published in The Cottage Journal magazine. I was featured in the Country Cottage issue that hit newsstands in September 2023. There’s no greater feeling of joy and accomplishment that seeing your home featured in a magazine that you admired and read for so long. The article captured my love of cozy decorating along with my love of gardening and creating a cozy home not only indoors but outdoors too.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Consistency. Regularly sharing content not only keeps your audience engaged but also establishes a reliable presence. It creates an expectation among followers, building trust and loyalty. Consistency in posting, style and messaging contributes to a cohesive brand image, making your content recognizable in the vast sea of social media. This reliability becomes a key factor in retaining and growing your audience over time.

Engage. Engaging with others on social media through comments, likes and shares is a powerful strategy for growing your social media audience. It not only supports fellow creators but also shows a collaborative spirit. This kind of engagement goes beyond self-promotion, it contributes to a dynamic and supportive social media system where everyone benefits from mutual interaction.

Use social media features such as reels, still photos, stories, polls, etc. Get your audience engaged and keep them engaged. Reels offer a playful way to showcase snippets of your daily life, capturing attention through visual storytelling. Still photos serve as a snapshot of your aesthetic, providing a visually appealing feed that aligns with your brand. Instagram stories offer a behind-the-scenes look, creating a sense of intimacy with your audience. It’s also an excellent platform for sharing quick updates, sneak peeks and engaging polls that encourage interaction. The use of polls not only gauges your audience’s preferences but also invites them to actively participate in the decision making. These features contribute to a well-rounded social media strategy, keeping your content fresh, engaging and tailored to the preferences of your audience- which is key to social media growth.

I’ve also written an e-book titled, “Home Decor Blogging 101” – which unlocks the secrets to successful home decor blogging as a comprehensive guide for beginners. And while it is tailored towards those who would like to start a home decor blog- and in chapter 4, I cover “Creating engaging and visual content” leading into chapter 5, “Building your online presence and community” both of which include tips that can be used with any brand- that are basics to building your social media. The e-book is for purchase on my website: www.nickelscreekmercantile.com.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Many years ago, I had a business mentor- Jennifer Allwood. She was such a bright light for me and taught me so much about creating my brand, building my brand and growing my brand. I learned how to build my business while keeping my family a priority. She has an amazing weekly podcast show, The Jennifer Allwood Show, as well that is filled with business advice, mindset guidance and inside know-how from experts to help you run a profitable business. Her podcast is one of my favorites! She provides mentorships but also provides a lot of free resources for business owners who are looking to grow their business online.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nickelscreekmercantile.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/krystlemarienickels
• Other: e-Book: https://nickelscreekmercantile.com/products/ebook-home-decor-blogging-101-beginners-edition

Image Credits
Photo of myself: Ashley Jo Photography