Social Media Strategy for Small Business: Why Posting Isn’t Enough

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Posting on social media every day doesn’t necessarily mean results. Doing “random acts of marketing” isn’t likely to translate into sales.

Whatever you’re calling it, if there’s no plan behind it, it’s not a strategy. It’s chance, with the hope of a sale attached.

So before we get into how to build a real one, ask yourself three questions: What results are you actually getting from your current posting? Why are you posting what you’re posting? What is each post meant to do for the business?

If you can’t answer those clearly, this article is for you.

TL;DR: Don’t just keep posting randomly or sporadically. Create a strategy that leads to one measurable goal, create content that serves it, and manage that output.

When to Stop Doing Your Own Marketing (And What to Outsource First)

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You own it all, run it all, and do it all: sales, marketing, finances, the paperwork nobody warns you about.

Growing a business means less time for all of it, and the late nights are starting to catch up with you.

I see it all the time (it’s most of my business model), and it’s one of the hardest questions for founders like you to answer: how do you actually know when it’s time to stop doing your own marketing, and what should you hand over first?

TL;DR: Audit your time, calculate the value of your time, and compare it against how much it will cost to outsource.

Collect And Post Social Proof Without Annoying Your Team

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Your customers are sceptical. 

Everyone is trying to sell something and it’s exhausting listening to all that noise and reading all that… twaddle (this is a professional blog after all).

So what can you do to convince them to buy from you?

The most effective way to build trust is social proof (i.e. showing off your testimonials and results EVERYWHERE). 

In fact, 94% of buyers said they are more likely to buy after reading a trusted review.

Here’s how to collect and use it properly.

5 Marketing Channels (That Aren’t Social Media) You’re Probably Ignoring

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Social media is seen as THE marketing channel.

It’s so synonymous (such a grown-up word) with “marketing” that you’ve likely overlooked the power of other channels.

And if you’re in B2B, then you have missed out on some real big money makers.

So what else is out there you can use (that doesn’t cost the earth)?

How to Stay Consistent With Social Media When You’re Busy

The blog image/banner for "Stay Consistent With Social Media When You’re Busy"

You do the work for your clients.

But then the sun’s gone down, and you’re knackered. 

No time left for your own social media.

We’ve all been there.

The catch? No marketing, significantly less likely to get new clients.

It’s a tale as old as time.

The classic paradox, you’re so busy you neglect your own marketing.

*insert tumbleweeds*

Don’t actively sabotage your future pipeline.

Measuring Marketing ROI

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Are you tracking your marketing ROI? Do you know how to?

Probably not. And that’s the issue.

It’s not as if it’s rocket science…

It’s worse.

You likely have no idea what marketing is working and what isn’t.

Sure, a post might go viral, and you see more sales; that’s easy. But what about your other efforts?

Tracking ROI is seen as a dark art despite SO MUCH DATA being everywhere.

Here’s a clear and practical way for you to actually understand what works.

Should I use AI for Social Media?

Social Media Management

The question “Should I use AI for social media?” is one being asked by numerous businesses worldwide. 

In a time when resources are stretched and margins are tight, cash-strapped organisations are wondering if they can ask ChatGPT to look after their social media management. 

But it’s not quite as simple as that, as anyone who’s used it will tell you. 

Personal Brand or Unforgettable Personality?

Personal brand

Are you building a personal brand or an unforgettable personality?

You’d be forgiven for thinking that because LinkedIn is labelled as a B2B platform, you have to go to work in a suit and tie to be a member. That is until you spend more than 5 minutes there and realise that in a post-COVID world, suits and ties have been replaced with hoodies and unwashed pants.

It’s a little less stuffy than it once was.

What you won’t have missed over the last few years is the abundance of people claiming expert status at building personal brands for unsuspecting CEOs. Business leaders who have been led to believe that all you need to win is an exaggerated back story and a desire to bake cakes.

But do you need a personal brand, or do you need people to remember you for the right reasons?

Content is Just One Ingredient for LinkedIn Success

LinkedIn Success

If you are reading this newsletter, you have probably not yet figured out how to achieve LinkedIn success. You are quite possibly still lurking in the shadows, promising yourself that one day you’ll start posting regularly, but as yet, the perfect day hasn’t happened.

Well, instead of me copying all the usual shite you read on social media about how someone went from a shack in Timbuktu to a penthouse in Mayfair just from posting carousels about the art of carousels… I’ll tell you the truth.

True Stories about Perception on Social Media

Perception on social media

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a gazillion times… Perception on social media is everything and empty and lifeless social media pages are killing your conversions.

You might be busy. There might be putting chocolate hobnobs in the tin. You might even be shopping in Waitrose every other Tuesday. But when it comes to the perception of your business…

Well, that’s in ruins.

The growth of any organisation relies on people outside of your immediate circle being able to validate your brilliance. So whilst Susan up the road and Jeff from the tennis club have been passing your name around and generating a bit of business…