Illustrated by David Flanagan
“Damn girl, you can eat.” Those words were the first sweet nothings that Patrick ever tweeted to me.
We met on Twitter. I was in the midst of a daylong food road trip with some friends for my birthday, and Patrick was in utter shock when he stumbled upon my feed full of buffalo wings, double-stuffed french toast, and juicy burgers. Long story short, we’re both foodies, and I was new to Providence, so we started making a weekly date of trying out every restaurant in Providence. And the rest is history, right? Yay, Twitter!
So, naturally, we heart social media more than the average bears. And I know plenty of you out there who do, too! So, for this holiday season, we decided to put together a little list of social media gift ideas to warm the hearts of your social media-loving family and friends … because those other so-called “social media gift guides” are shameful. For the record, nobody wants a #YOLO shirt or an Audible subscription. Actually, yes we do want an Audible subscription, but doesn’t everyone?
Anyway, let’s get down to the list.
Quarterly
It would be accurate to say I’m obsessed with Quarterly. What’s neat about Quarterly is that it’s quarterly, and you can choose who you want to put your box together. For example, if Patrick were to marry a man, it would be Tim Ferriss, author of the 4-Hour series, most recently the 4-Hour Chef (which is a MUST BUY).
Tim Ferriss is my favorite Quarterly box even though it’s $100 bucks. I make sense of it by saying that it’s $33ish a month. There are lots of social media celebrities and YouTube stars who have been chosen to curate boxes too. My favorite boxes so far are from Jason Kottke, Wander, and Unclutterer. If you want to give somebody a really cool gift, this is a great subscription to start with.
Fail Whale Necklace
This cute little fail whale necklace is made by Mary Beth Heishman on Etsy. It’s a two-inch, brass, hand-stamped necklace on a gold-plated chain. She’s @MaryBethsArt on Twitter.
Instagram Purse
I can’t get over these stinking cute Instagram purses that keep popping up everywhere, so I had to add them to the list. This particular one is gone now, but there are others!
Social Media Pillows
Personally, I want every single one of these for our office couch. There are lots of social media pillow makers on Etsy, and we like the ones from Adrene Sews, IconPillows, CraftSquatch, and GeekyGiraffe.
@ Name and Hashtag Necklaces
Patrick bought me one of these back in 2009, and I wear it to every Tweetup I attend. Way cooler than a nametag, right? These ones can be made in silver and gold, and a variety of styles. They’re handmade in New York by Survival of the Hippest.
Twitter Handle Burlap Pillow
This cool, modern, and primitive pillow by Elisa Petty on Etsy is pretty darn neat. She suggests using them as take-home gifts for clients. They’re hand-painted on natural burlap or white oyster burlap. They’re not up in her store anymore, but I’m guessing she’ll make more if you ask!
Good Social Media Books
Every social media lover needs some key books in their arsenal, and we think these ones are really important for becoming the type of business that people want to work with, and even hang out with: The Thank You Economy, The Impact Equation, Tell to Win, Enchantment, and Engagement from Scratch. I also just reviewed Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook which is a must for any social media geek.
Stitchagram
So neat. All you need to do is log in (or get their password) and you can turn photos into tote bags, pillows, clutches, and purses.
My Social Book
In 10 years, who knows if Facebook will still exist, or where all of the memories we’ve uploaded for the past several years will end up. I love the idea of giving somebody a “yearbook” of their posts and photos from Facebook.
Pinterest Ring
This Pinterest ring is no longer available by the seller on Etsy, and they don’t appear to be making any more. But how hard can it be to make? A ring, a bottlecap, cork paper, pen, and a pin. Cute idea for the DIY-er, and a magnet would be cool, too!
Social Media Monthly Magazine
We’re subscribers to this monthly magazine and were some of the initial supporters on Kickstarter. It gets better each month, and is a nice treat to read about social media on a real-life printed page!
Hashtag Chalkboard
This hashtag chalkboard would look awesome in any social media office, or on the walls of an event. There are also all kinds of other cool hashtag gifts on Etsy.
Social Media Notes
As mentioned, paper is a nice vacation from the digital screen. So, if you know someone who’s constantly glued, here are some “nostalgic” paper items from KnockKnock to help them fuse their two worlds together at the office.
Custom Flip Flops
Oh yeah. These are happening.
Twitter Bird Change Purse
I have the pig version of this to go with our BuzzFarmers theme, but these cute little birds are adorable, too. Every blue bird is a Twitter bird … right?
So, there you have it. And feel free to buy any/all of these gifts for us, too (heh). Except for the books, because Patrick and I can’t share, so we have at least two of each. Don’t even ask us how many copies of Crush It we have.
If you have any more gift ideas, leave them in the comments!
