What your small business social media marketing is REALLY missing...

...and how to fix it!

That sounds overly confident, doesn’t it?

I get that. In fact, I’d guess that the first thing that crossed your mind was to go and check the state of our social media marketing efforts...ahh!

The truth is, all of us will have gaps. That’s ok!

The nature of 'the beast' is that we seem to be in a constant struggle to:

“identify your ideal client”

“be consistent”

“give value”

“be vulnerable”

“be professional”

“BE BETTER”

…and so much more!

In the meantime, a hundred new experts are popping up in our industry and scooping up the followers.

We are also expected to appease THE ALGORITHM. Well, good luck with that.

It wouldn’t be the first time that I have seen actual arguments between multiple “Linkedin experts” over the latest changes to how many, if any, hashtags will skyrocket your exposure.

Take a breath.

Instead of diving into a deep despair, let’s unpack the methods that AREN’T CHANGING and will definitely give you a boost and perhaps even inject some joy back into your marketing efforts!

Let’s begin.

Having studied a number of people and organisations that are genuinely (I checked) successful, I would like to share with you some key points on what I have found to be true.

They don’t go viral on every post.

Absolutely – they do get a lot of attention on an occasional post but, usually, the content is not something relevant to their business or core values.

For example, (The Queen of Social Media) Rachel Pederson’s most ridiculously viral post was a picture of her wedding ring, and the story behind its size. Besides that, and with an audience of over 2 million followers, I would say most of her content gets a few hundred likes, some grateful comments and a LOT of saves and shares.

It builds over time. The majority of us don’t need to be viral megalomaniacs. If we’re honest, most of us are simply looking for consistent, local or industry attention that keeps a steadily growing flow of prospects ‘to our door’, while being able to maintain our dignity, authority and sanity.

This brings us onto what you share.

‘Value is in the eye of the beholder’

We all know that we are being stalked by AI and our feeds are flooded with what we happen to have googled last Saturday. That being the case, it is easy to start to think that there is nothing left under the sun for us to talk about.

Poppycock.

The truth is, you and I will both rewatch the same delicious-looking recipe or car dis-mantling video every time it pops up. In terms of business development, we will binge-watch everyone’s advice on a particular topic until that issue is no longer an issue – even if we already knew which action steps we needed to put into place.

In exactly the same way, you can be sure that there ARE people looking for or interested in, what you have to say. DO NOT discount your knowledge on the basis of a supposedly ‘flooded market’. You are the answer that someone is looking for.

YOU are more important than your brand.

I know, I know…that sends most introverts into panic and the traditionalist businesspeople into head-down, double-chin grumbling.

We would all like to believe that a beautiful brand, fresh paint and lovely products are enough to keep the crowds coming. Sadly, that’s not the case. Even Greggs and McDonalds need to market. Nike, Apple, Samsung – all need to keep their brands fresh in people’s minds.

The biggest brands in the world have outgrown their ability to consistently use their founders and key people as the face of their companies. You have not.

The biggest brands seek out PEOPLE to speak on their behalf – relatable people, celebrities, children…but you are at an advantage! You are still relatable. You have you and your team. You have customers. You have personal profiles. The people – the stakeholders – behind your business are who will bring in the audience that will leverage the quality and desire for your business offerings. There is SO much more to be said on this!

More is better…but don’t burn out!

It is so sad to see someone you followed and respected hit a wall in their creativity, physical and mental wellbeing, or their business progression because they have invest all they have for too long. Don't be that guy. Life is short...and beautiful...and...go back to point one. ⬆️

There are SO many ways to create many fantastic pieces of content from very one, quality piece. Don’t believe me?

Here are some practical tips to implement in your small business social media marketing...

From one good blog or a medium-length video (3 minutes or more of value), you can create upwards of 6 pieces of content, suitable for every platform you may be present on, as an individual or as a brand.

We are sad and unfortunate 'slaves to the algorithms', in terms of:

• ensuring it notices that you are a ‘creator’ and will be sticking around;

• you are producing original content worth diverting a good audience to;

• proving you are informed and relevant to the people you say you want to entertain, serve, inform, etc.

But once you get the knack of how to template topics to be versatile and ‘chunkable’ (this is my own word - we can all be Shakespeares!), you’re ahead of the game.

Don’t spend days creating a sparkling video, posting it and then hating your life…for another week!

Make that one video work for you.

Use Content Pillars

This will go a long way to creating the freedom for you and your team to be able to take a step back and truly choose how you want to represent. Which trending song you use, how many sparkles to add...those are all just toppings.

Identify the types of content that your particular audience most relate to and appreciate.

#Tip DON'T 'google' others in your industry just before you do this exercise. It will influence what you choose and how you communicate it.

You DON'T want that. No, really.

You want your key topics and styles to be the same things that your actual customers like about you.

To begin with, brainstorm content that falls within the following 4 broad categories:

• Education – what value do you offer? What offers do you know will change the lives and/or businesses of your prospects? What knowledge do you have that keeps your customers coming back for more?

• Entertainment – are your team comedians in the making? Do you have a particular flare that your current customers and supporters find hilarious?

• Emotion – your business community, inspiring people in your community or industry, great developments linked to your business, causes you support.

• Engagement - asking questions that are relevant, poignant, hard-hitting, makes people feel like you 'get them' and encourages them to get involved in the conversation.

From here, for ourselves and our clients, we like to use aspects of Rachel Pederson’s Content Domination 365 method.

From your brainstorming, split your ideas into 12 main topics relating to your business.

Then research or come up with 30 great questions relating to each of the 12 and craft content around each question.

This gives you around 360 days of content ready to get your brand all over your chosen platforms.

Use the 4 Types of Content

Long Form Video – Anything over around 1.5 minutes / 90 seconds. Ideally, long form video should be instructional and packed with knowledge and solutions to problems your customers face.

Short Form Video – Under 60 seconds. Even YouTube has a specific section for ‘shorts’ now! Short form video keeps people coming back for more. Use it for specific updates, short form tips, brief solutions to problems, offers, etc.

Long Form Text – Blogs and articles are still extremely powerful forms of long-game SEO. When writing on a topic you are passionate about or an expert on, give as much value as you can.* Don’t forget to optimise these pieces and update them regularly. When planning, it’s well worth doing some in-depth keyword research for individual and long-tail keyword phrases that align with what people are looking for online. Stuck for content ideas? Refer back to the 365 method! Answer questions people are actually asking! Google likes to hear from you, too!

Short Form Text – Insights, personal opinions, reference links, ‘follow for more’ special offers, excellent post copy, quotations that change mindsets…The list is endless and valuable. You can even break up your long form text and video transcripts to save on hours of brain-squeezing!

Perfect Your Hooks!

Basically, don’t be boring. How you introduce your content is key! Have a think about what makes you click on a link or stop on video. Use keywords in the headers and first 10 words of what you say or type. Show clearly what problem you are solving or what the end result will look like.

Don’t be afraid to give away too much!

This is the final and MOST important point I'd like to share with you, today.

YOU are the expert and by sharing, publicly, for free what you know, you build a sense of trust and need (for your help) in others.

The truth is, most people will hire experts to avoid having to do something themselves IF they know they’re an expert for sure!

Worried about copycats? Nobody can do you, like you!

Your personality, skill, style and pizzazz and connection with your kind of people will be what draws them to you. Your small business social media marketing should literally just be an extension of that!

Once you can teach these concepts to yourself and your team (and remind yourselves regularly - part of why I'm putting this into written form for myself!), then, HAVE FUN.

If it all starts to become hard, stagnant effort, you’ve lost your freedom. Rethink what you and your team love and how you want to share it – your way.