We’re excited to introduce you to someone who’s taking his favorite pastime to a whole new level through social media – skilled communicator and kiter, Michael K. Sherman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michael below.
Alright, Michael thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you think folks should manage their own social media or hire a professional? What do you do?
Whether or not you manage your own social media is entirely dependent on your circumstances. Ultimately, it comes down to what you’re trying to achieve and the role social media can play in shaping the outcome. Start by assessing your proficiency in strategy design, app usage, and content creation, and consider your budget and ability/capacity to engage with people who are interacting with your content. Larger business-oriented initiatives generally have a lot to gain when social media is integrated with a comprehensive communications and marketing strategy and managed by talented professionals. I blend my communications background with my favorite pastime to create and manage my own social media.
I’m a career communications professional with 30-plus years of experience in corporate internal and external disciplines. In 2017 I developed an affinity for flying large showkites and capturing and posting those experiences on https://youtube.com/michaelksherman. I’ve since become president of the Wisconsin Kiters Club and fly in kite festivals across the Midwest year-round.
Over time, I’ve refined and enhanced my overall production quality. In recent years, I’ve continued to build viewership and an online presence and prominence within the global kiting community. In addition to my Youtube channel, I established https://kitesup.org. The site is a destination for enthusiasts with insight from renowned kite builders and professional kite fliers on showkite design inspiration and flying gear, techniques, and practices.
Additionally, through my online presence and personal outreach, I’m marketing my video production services — https://kitesup.org/take-their-breath-away/ — to help festival organizers, often municipalities and chambers of commerce, drive event participation and attendance, spread goodwill among sponsors and across their communities to build economic wealth and regional prosperity.
“KitesUp!” apparel available through my online store celebrates the world’s healthiest addiction, because after all, life is more exciting with kiting!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
My undergrad is in broadcast production, so I entered the professional world with a trained eye and the ability to tell a story, and eventually strategically, through a public lens in a variety of mediums geared to different stakeholder groups. I found showkite flying — https://kitesup.org/2019/08/06/kite-flying-is-my-other-passion/ — at a festival in Milwaukee, bought my first kite soon after and have been capturing the experience ever since. My content stands out as a source of joy and inspiration for people worldwide, with an up-close, often serene look at some of the world’s largest kites and the people who fly them. And my kiting and kite festival productions are fast becoming another means of helping businesses and communities thrive. In addition to the global reach of my blog through social media channels, I’m most proud of my productions highlighting experiences at some of the nation’s largest kite festivals, including:
- Color the Wind Kite Festival, Clear Lake, Iowa – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACR0P3B7P0k&t=8
- Kites On Ice, Buffalo, MN – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQu2-V_AiSI&t=358s
- The Okoboji Winter Games Kite Festival — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbTRCUIGT_E
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creator is to find the most effective way to influence others. My content creation all starts with the framing of each shot, the movement of the subject matter across the screen and the ability to blend images together in a mesmerizing way to capture a viewer’s attention – to make the ordinary extraordinary. And when you’re capturing showkites, there’s nothing ordinary to begin with. From the production work comes still images used to capture the heart and mind to inspire viewership/readership. The camera, editing and design software, and social media platforms all contribute to shaping the end product and experience that drives engagement.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
Chambers of commerce, tourism bureaus, parks departments and departments of natural resources eager to put on kite festivals to contribute to their community’s quality of life and economic prosperity continue to be the best source of new clients. They understand the impact of video and how it can contribute to and enhance their current outreach and bolster their ability to operate as an economic engine for the regions they serve.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kitesup.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelksherman/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaelksherman
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelksherman/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/MichaelKSherman
- Other: https://michael-k-sherman.creator-spring.com/
Image Credits
Michael K. Sherman