Social media is an important part of the content marketing strategy for a business: it’s the key to create a stronger bond with the audience.
It doesn’t matter if you run a small local shop or a big national company.
Social media is an essential piece of your business marketing strategy.
ARE SOCIAL MEDIA WORTH THE JOB?
When I joined the blogging world about 4 years ago, things were already starting to evolve and change.
At that time, Instagram had barely picked up steam, Snapchat was unpopular, Periscope and Facebook Live didn’t exist, and Pinterest was still getting legs.
The difference? Most of the biggest social media sites only grew in popularity over the past few years. And video (especially live video) only recently made its big debut.
In my opinion, this caused a lot of overwhelm and “squirrel” syndrome because so many new things popped up at once. It went a little something like this…
I should be on Instagram? Looks fun! DONE!
Oh, and Facebook groups are cool now? You know it!! I’m there!
And Pinterest isn’t just for recipes? Okay, I can do that, too!
You get the idea.
So, you move on to the next platform over and over again, eventually realising you’ve accumulated 10 different channels that all require your time, but aren’t delivering the results you were promised.
So, DO you need to be on every platform? Spending hours per week on social media?
NO.
So, instead of being on every single platform, go deep on 1-2 platforms so that your audience really gets to trust you and your brand and knows that they’ll get quality content every time they see your username pop up in their feed.
HOW DO YOU FIGURE OUT WHICH SOCIAL PLATFORMS TO TARGET?
Here are a few things I’d consider…
1. Where is your audience hanging out most?
This tip is the most obvious, but it’s true and worth mentioning. If you’re trying to build a business, then you have to get over the hump of only wanting to use social media platforms that feel comfortable to YOU.
I’ve heard plenty of people say that they have no idea how to use Instagram Stories or Snapchat, even though they know their target audience loves those platforms.
Bottom line: don’t just go hard on a platform just because YOU enjoy it. Do it because you’re invested in creating a community for your audience, too.
2. Incorporate video.
Whether you love it or hate it, video is the evolution of digital content, and at this point, it’s hard to disagree.
Pretty much every popular social media platform — Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter/Periscope — heavily incorporates video (and often live video) into their features.
So, when you’re trying to figure out which platform to hop on full force, consider which one you can rock video on in a way that feels comfortable to you.
Some ideas:
- Facebook Live
- Instagram Stories
- Uploading videos (or FB Live clips) to your Instagram feed
- Twitter’s live video feature
- Snapchat
3. Which platform accentuates your brand?
If you’re a graphic designer, Twitter may not be your bread and butter. But Instagram might work since they’re largely visual.
If you’re a motivational speaker, you may find it more worthwhile to do twice-weekly Facebook Live classes than to post recycled quote images on your Instagram, because you know that will speak more deeply to your audience.
It’s not only about your preference, but also about which platform brings out the best of your brand.
SO, WHAT’S THE POINT OF SOCIAL MEDIA?
Social media CAN help you grow your list and sell more products or services.
But in my opinion, the MAIN goal of social platforms is to connect and engage with your audience.
So, instead of thinking of social media as a way to “convert” people, think of it as a way to build a deeper bond with someone.
Don’t just try to grow your number of followers because that somehow seems important. Focus, instead, on creating quality content and engagement on just a couple of platforms, and the community will come.
Social media have also successfully broken down barriers between companies and their customers. Now, instead of calling a customer service line, many people turn to Facebook or Twitter to solve problems or find information.
Customer care with a responsive and caring reputation, is a powerful way to offer support through social channels.
SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT AN EMAIL LIST. AND YES, YOU NEED BOTH.
Social media can be a fabulous tool for brand awareness.
But it is not an email list.
And it will probably never directly bring you the same results (revenue-wise) that an email list can.
So, first and foremost: focus to grow your email list with some valuable content each week.
And then move on to social media. But like I said, just 1-2 platforms where you can be engaged and intentional, rather than spreading yourself too thin and connecting deeply with no one.
If you want to start a newsletter or to create lead magnets for lead generation, or simply want some tips to grow your email list, please get in touch.
With love
Francesca
How to start your own business
To start your own business, you need a solid plan. But most of all, you should maintain a ‘can do’ attitude as you will step into the arena of this competitive world. You will get out from your comfort zone.
I don’t know what is the reason. Maybe you are on maternity leave, and you are looking for a better work life balance. Or maybe, you have a strong passion and know that being self-employed is right for you.
BONUS: Download a free guide that reveals hot to market your business in 2020
START SMALL WHEN YOU WANT TO BE AN ENTREPRENEUR
Whatever your reasons for going solopreneurs, it is better to start small and then scale your business later. I know it is really hard to do everything yourself, but it saves you a lot of money when you are just starting out.
HAVE SAVINGS
I think you will agree with me on this one. Your business will not make money immediately so you need to have some savings.
I had very little savings, but I did have (and still do) a supportive partner who knew that for some time me he would have to taken the burden of our household bills.
I’d recommend building your savings for at least 6 months: this should give you a cushion.
You need time to market yourself, potential clients to discover you, plus allow for any time difference between working and getting paid.
MAKE A BUSINESS PLAN
This is very important because it will guide you through the path. Where do you see your business in 1 tear? And in 5 years?
To write the perfect plan, you must know your company, your product, your competition and the market intimately.
You have to research, research. research.
Know your market.
This took me lots of time but it is time well spent.
I’m a digital marketing consultant that also offers website design and SEO. In my immediate area, I know there are many companies and freelances doing the same thing. Anyway, I don’t believe are we all chasing the same clients.
WHAT PROBLEM YOUR BUSINESS SOLVE?
I started my own business because I realised that small businesses don’t know that they can sell more thanks to the online marketing.
They have a website but they don’t know how to analyse the traffic to sell more, or how to use social media to engage and giving a better customer care to their customers.
Only in the UK, in a recent, almost two million UK small businesses don’t have a website!
INVESTING IN YOUR DIGITAL PRESENCE
You need to invest in your digital presence if you want your business to stand out from the competition. If it doesn’t, there’s a good chance that potential customers will stroll right past your business and on to the one that showed up in their most “near me” mobile search.
In fact, over half of “near me” searches result in a store visit.
It isn’t enough to just be present online, you need to be active too. So please keep your social media account updated.
OPTIMISE FOR LOCAL SEARCH
“Near me” searches have increased greatly since the rise of mobile. In fact, one-third of all mobile searches are related to location.
In order to capitalize on these micromoments, you need to optimize your small business’s presence for local searches.
NETWORKING
Tell everyone, ask people to go for coffee.
Don’t just say what your business do, but how you can help.
On Instagram I always find smart women I am happy to get in contact.
Maybe you can’t work together, but she maybe knows someone that needs your help.
This is also a good way just meet up for lunch as often being an entrepreneur, means solitude. I work infinitely better at home, without distractions, however I need to have human contact at least once a week.
Looking for more advice? Drop me an email and let me know what questions are on your mind.
With love
Francesca
Why do you need social media to grow your business
Social media is an important part of the content marketing strategy for a business: it’s the key to create a stronger bond with the audience.
It doesn’t matter if you run a small local shop or a big national company.
Social media is an essential piece of your business marketing strategy.
ARE SOCIAL MEDIA WORTH THE JOB?
When I joined the blogging world about 4 years ago, things were already starting to evolve and change.
At that time, Instagram had barely picked up steam, Snapchat was unpopular, Periscope and Facebook Live didn’t exist, and Pinterest was still getting legs.
The difference? Most of the biggest social media sites only grew in popularity over the past few years. And video (especially live video) only recently made its big debut.
In my opinion, this caused a lot of overwhelm and “squirrel” syndrome because so many new things popped up at once. It went a little something like this…
I should be on Instagram? Looks fun! DONE!
Oh, and Facebook groups are cool now? You know it!! I’m there!
And Pinterest isn’t just for recipes? Okay, I can do that, too!
You get the idea.
So, you move on to the next platform over and over again, eventually realising you’ve accumulated 10 different channels that all require your time, but aren’t delivering the results you were promised.
So, DO you need to be on every platform? Spending hours per week on social media?
NO.
So, instead of being on every single platform, go deep on 1-2 platforms so that your audience really gets to trust you and your brand and knows that they’ll get quality content every time they see your username pop up in their feed.
HOW DO YOU FIGURE OUT WHICH SOCIAL PLATFORMS TO TARGET?
Here are a few things I’d consider…
1. Where is your audience hanging out most?
This tip is the most obvious, but it’s true and worth mentioning. If you’re trying to build a business, then you have to get over the hump of only wanting to use social media platforms that feel comfortable to YOU.
I’ve heard plenty of people say that they have no idea how to use Instagram Stories or Snapchat, even though they know their target audience loves those platforms.
Bottom line: don’t just go hard on a platform just because YOU enjoy it. Do it because you’re invested in creating a community for your audience, too.
2. Incorporate video.
Whether you love it or hate it, video is the evolution of digital content, and at this point, it’s hard to disagree.
Pretty much every popular social media platform — Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter/Periscope — heavily incorporates video (and often live video) into their features.
So, when you’re trying to figure out which platform to hop on full force, consider which one you can rock video on in a way that feels comfortable to you.
Some ideas:
3. Which platform accentuates your brand?
If you’re a graphic designer, Twitter may not be your bread and butter. But Instagram might work since they’re largely visual.
If you’re a motivational speaker, you may find it more worthwhile to do twice-weekly Facebook Live classes than to post recycled quote images on your Instagram, because you know that will speak more deeply to your audience.
It’s not only about your preference, but also about which platform brings out the best of your brand.
SO, WHAT’S THE POINT OF SOCIAL MEDIA?
Social media CAN help you grow your list and sell more products or services.
But in my opinion, the MAIN goal of social platforms is to connect and engage with your audience.
So, instead of thinking of social media as a way to “convert” people, think of it as a way to build a deeper bond with someone.
Don’t just try to grow your number of followers because that somehow seems important. Focus, instead, on creating quality content and engagement on just a couple of platforms, and the community will come.
Social media have also successfully broken down barriers between companies and their customers. Now, instead of calling a customer service line, many people turn to Facebook or Twitter to solve problems or find information.
Customer care with a responsive and caring reputation, is a powerful way to offer support through social channels.
SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT AN EMAIL LIST. AND YES, YOU NEED BOTH.
Social media can be a fabulous tool for brand awareness.
But it is not an email list.
And it will probably never directly bring you the same results (revenue-wise) that an email list can.
So, first and foremost: focus to grow your email list with some valuable content each week.
And then move on to social media. But like I said, just 1-2 platforms where you can be engaged and intentional, rather than spreading yourself too thin and connecting deeply with no one.
If you want to start a newsletter or to create lead magnets for lead generation, or simply want some tips to grow your email list, please get in touch.
With love
Francesca
Why do you need social media to grow your business
Social media is an important part of the content marketing strategy for a business: it’s the key to create a stronger bond with the audience.
It doesn’t matter if you run a small local shop or a big national company.
Social media is an essential piece of your business marketing strategy.
ARE SOCIAL MEDIA WORTH THE JOB?
When I joined the blogging world about 4 years ago, things were already starting to evolve and change.
At that time, Instagram had barely picked up steam, Snapchat was unpopular, Periscope and Facebook Live didn’t exist, and Pinterest was still getting legs.
The difference? Most of the biggest social media sites only grew in popularity over the past few years. And video (especially live video) only recently made its big debut.
In my opinion, this caused a lot of overwhelm and “squirrel” syndrome because so many new things popped up at once. It went a little something like this…
I should be on Instagram? Looks fun! DONE!
Oh, and Facebook groups are cool now? You know it!! I’m there!
And Pinterest isn’t just for recipes? Okay, I can do that, too!
You get the idea.
So, you move on to the next platform over and over again, eventually realising you’ve accumulated 10 different channels that all require your time, but aren’t delivering the results you were promised.
So, DO you need to be on every platform? Spending hours per week on social media?
NO.
So, instead of being on every single platform, go deep on 1-2 platforms so that your audience really gets to trust you and your brand and knows that they’ll get quality content every time they see your username pop up in their feed.
HOW DO YOU FIGURE OUT WHICH SOCIAL PLATFORMS TO TARGET?
Here are a few things I’d consider…
1. Where is your audience hanging out most?
This tip is the most obvious, but it’s true and worth mentioning. If you’re trying to build a business, then you have to get over the hump of only wanting to use social media platforms that feel comfortable to YOU.
I’ve heard plenty of people say that they have no idea how to use Instagram Stories or Snapchat, even though they know their target audience loves those platforms.
Bottom line: don’t just go hard on a platform just because YOU enjoy it. Do it because you’re invested in creating a community for your audience, too.
2. Incorporate video.
Whether you love it or hate it, video is the evolution of digital content, and at this point, it’s hard to disagree.
Pretty much every popular social media platform — Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter/Periscope — heavily incorporates video (and often live video) into their features.
So, when you’re trying to figure out which platform to hop on full force, consider which one you can rock video on in a way that feels comfortable to you.
Some ideas:
3. Which platform accentuates your brand?
If you’re a graphic designer, Twitter may not be your bread and butter. But Instagram might work since they’re largely visual.
If you’re a motivational speaker, you may find it more worthwhile to do twice-weekly Facebook Live classes than to post recycled quote images on your Instagram, because you know that will speak more deeply to your audience.
It’s not only about your preference, but also about which platform brings out the best of your brand.
SO, WHAT’S THE POINT OF SOCIAL MEDIA?
Social media CAN help you grow your list and sell more products or services.
But in my opinion, the MAIN goal of social platforms is to connect and engage with your audience.
So, instead of thinking of social media as a way to “convert” people, think of it as a way to build a deeper bond with someone.
Don’t just try to grow your number of followers because that somehow seems important. Focus, instead, on creating quality content and engagement on just a couple of platforms, and the community will come.
Social media have also successfully broken down barriers between companies and their customers. Now, instead of calling a customer service line, many people turn to Facebook or Twitter to solve problems or find information.
Customer care with a responsive and caring reputation, is a powerful way to offer support through social channels.
SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT AN EMAIL LIST. AND YES, YOU NEED BOTH.
Social media can be a fabulous tool for brand awareness.
But it is not an email list.
And it will probably never directly bring you the same results (revenue-wise) that an email list can.
So, first and foremost: focus to grow your email list with some valuable content each week.
And then move on to social media. But like I said, just 1-2 platforms where you can be engaged and intentional, rather than spreading yourself too thin and connecting deeply with no one.
If you want to start a newsletter or to create lead magnets for lead generation, or simply want some tips to grow your email list, please get in touch.
With love
Francesca