This post was written on www.carnsight.com by guest author, Jill Misson. Jill Misson is a freelance writer and broadcaster with over 20 years of experience working on radio stations in the UK and around the world. As a presenter and producer, she has hosted programmes, podcasts and documentaries for the BBC and BFBS.
Your favourite radio station is probably on in the background while you are busy working, driving or washing up. The familiar sound keeps you company without demanding your full attention yet certain conversations catch your ear and draw you in to listen more closely. The challenge for the team behind the scenes is to create compelling content that appeals to their particular audience, provokes a response or keeps them tuned in for longer.
Radio producers and presenters need a constant supply of fresh ideas to set up interviews, features and phone-ins to fill programmes. Press releases may drop into their inboxes every day but they don’t just sit around waiting for emails to tell them what to cover and who to speak to. The creative process is much more proactive than that with a drive to produce original content by finding untold stories and new voices.
So where do the ideas come from and how are they turned into on-air content?
News
All radio stations cover the news to some extent so that’s a good place to start. Current affairs can be considered from various angles by reflecting different viewpoints or delving deeper than the headlines. Most newsrooms still get daily newspapers delivered and producers will scan them for ideas as well as searching online on websites and social media.
Programme teams have access to shared newsgathering diaries where events happening on a fixed date are added in advance with relevant contacts which helps forward planning.
Breaking news can mean dropping everything that was lined up and starting from scratch with little time before broadcast. Guests need to be found quickly. Trusted speakers who have been interviewed before on related subjects will often be called up to comment but producers also ring around other potential guests and book them at short notice.
For local radio, there is an appetite to show how people in the area will be affected or to discover how they feel about a topical issue. Reporters will go out onto the streets to record vox pops to gather a range of thoughts. Posting on social media can also bring in case studies, particularly in specific groups connected to the story by location or interests.
A big news story is always a good hook for content so pitches to a radio station can land well if they are well-timed and relevant with knowledgeable speakers available for interview.
TV & Film
Popular culture gets everyone talking from the latest plotline on a popular soap opera to the must-see movie at the cinema. TV and film can therefore be a source of good ideas for radio, not just for reviews or interviews with the stars but when stories or ideas portrayed on screen can be opened out for wider discussion or to offer advice and greater insight.
Everyday Life
Stand-up comedians come up with sketches from observing the world around them and the same goes for radio. Some of the best content starts from a simple observation that can spark a talking point. Listeners can relate to a presenter revealing an embarrassing moment or chatting about a personal experience and in turn share their own anecdotes.
Questions
A random thought or question can create fascinating content. What have you always wondered but never fully understood? People love learning new things so producers will search for experts who can explain a concept, show how something is made or answer queries on a phone-in programme.
Success
It is often heartwarming or inspiring to hear about other people’s achievements particularly when there is an element of triumph over adversity. People who are prepared to talk honestly about their own journey or personal experience, including the highs and the lows, can make great radio content. Someone at the top of their game in any field can share tips to help others succeed. To tell the story of a successful business, try to focus on the people in the company rather than the product or service you are trying to sell.
Nostalgia
We all love any excuse to look back with rose-tinted glasses and reminisce. Stories that trigger memories are a rich seam of content and can lead to warm recollections or moving accounts. This can work well on local radio where people in a community can come together to share their experiences of a school, a workplace or a venue.
Campaigns
Producers keep an eye out for fundraising events and charity challenges as they often lead to people who are passionate about raising money or awareness for a cause for personal reasons. Experiences of illness, bereavement, disability or mental health can make for strong content. Ongoing campaigns to achieve a goal can also prove interesting if listeners can follow progress and feel part of the journey.
Occasions
Certain events roll around every year so spotting an occasion like Valentine’s Day on the calendar might suggest a theme. However, finding a new way to cover it is the tricky part as so many ideas will have been done to death so an original or unusual idea is key.
Sharing stories
As you can see, radio producers find their ideas everywhere and can make content out of anything. They are always on the lookout for new people to meet and new stories to tell.
For more on the world of radio broadcasting, check out Jill’s previous blog on preparing to be on air and working within time constraints.
Originally posted to www.carnsight.com by Leigh-Ann Hewer
Being a PR can be really fun and exciting. That coverage buzz you get when you land a piece you worked really hard on is incredibly rewarding.
But it’s also not an easy job.
It’s an incredibly fast-paced industry and requires PRs to wear a lot of different hats. You have to be resilient and tenacious. You have to be great at writing and creative problem-solving. You have to be able to work with all kinds of different people.
The most challenging part by far, however, at least as far as I’m concerned, is learning how to balance the mental load.
As a PR, you have a lot of plates to keep spinning. You’re working across a number of different accounts and likely have a number of projects on the go for each of them. If, like Carnsight, you work across different sectors, these accounts could be vastly different, requiring different processes and approaches on any given project. Any given day, even! Your tone of communication is likely to shift from one email to the next. You’ll likely have to shift mental gears multiple times throughout the day.
Luckily, when you’ve had a bit of practice at it, it gets easier and easier until most of the time you don’t have to think much about it at all.
But that can still take a mental toll. It’s a lot of mental work. It’s a lot to balance in your mind.
I definitely found that this balancing act was the trickiest thing to master when I joined the industry. In fact, I still struggle with it at times. Maybe no one ever does master it completely. But there are definitely things you can do to help yourself, and today I wanted to share some of my top tips for managing that mental load.
It’s paramount you don’t try to keep everything stored in your brain. It’s too much to ask of yourself to remember everything. Instead, write everything down. To do lists, notes, even little sketches. Get as much of the information out of your head and on to paper. It’s much easier to manage when it’s there.
If all you have is one massive to do list then you’re quickly going to become overwhelmed. Try to group tasks and to dos together in a way that makes most sense to you. Maybe it’s by client, maybe it’s by type. I usually go with the former but I’ve also tried batching tasks related to how long they’ll take to complete as well eg. 5min tasks, 15min tasks, over an hour tasks.
The advice, eat the frog (or the elephant or whatever) first is great. But I do think there are times when the opposite might actually be helpful.
Eating the frog first is basically doing the hardest task on your to do list first. That way you might have the most energy for it and you’ll get the big dreaded thing out of the way before anything else. I love this, an it can be a great way of ensuring your prioritising correctly and using your energy in the most efficient way.
However…
Some days, eating the frog is just too much. It’s important to know how to check in with yourself and understand what your brain needs on any given day. Sometimes, on harder days, letting myself start by ticking off some nice and easy quick wins allows me to build a bit of confidence and momentum before getting stuck into the big hard task.
Know yourself well enough to know when you need to eat the frog and when you need to nibble away at a few side dishes first.
In an ideal world, our working lives and personal lives would remain entirely separate and sacred, but unfortunately our complex brains mean that regardless of how great our work-life balance is, one will usually impact the other.
This is especially the case when it comes to managing the mental load. If you’re stressed and overwhelmed in your personal life, it’s going to be very hard not to carry that into work. The same goes the other way around too.
In order to be your best self at work and at home, you have to get good at taking care of your own needs as well as rushing around after others. It’s so much easier said than done, right? Many of you reading this might have children, be caring for someone or be working multiple jobs or balancing multiple projects. It’s so much easier to give the advice than to take it. But it is worth bearing in mind.
Being your best self will look different every day, just like your needs both professionally and personally will change every day. Be as kind to yourself as possible and remember that it’s nothing to be ashamed of if your work or personal life seems to be bleeding into the other. Just take note, take a deep breath, and ask yourself ‘what’s one small thing I can do today to feel more at peace in my work/home life?’ (or in control, or happy, or fulfilled – whichever feels most resonant to you).
Despite what society likes to tell women all the time (
) no one can be perfect and no one can have it all and get it right 100% of the time. You must and I mean must know when to ask for help or delegate some of your overwhelming mental load to someone else.
This shows strength, maturity, self understanding, effective communication. The list goes on and on. Asking for support is vital. Find someone you feel secure asking, and if you can’t find someone, well frankly reconsider who you keep close by – both professionally and personally. Everyone deserves a helping hand when they juggling a lot.
So there you have it, my quick tips for managing mental load at work. They’re not anything ground breaking, I confess, but I hope if nothing else this serves as a reminder that if you’re a PR struggling a bit with mental load at work, you’re not alone.
Celebrate those coverage buzz wins, take breaks when you need and remember, you got this!
For more tips on mental health and productivity at work, check out my blog on managing stress in PR.
Bristol Academy of Voice Acting (BRAVA), is thrilled to announce the appointment of Fern Dunn as social media and community manager, who joins from globally renowned British animation studio, Aardman.
Fern is a communications specialist with nearly a decade of experience working across the creative industries in Bristol, including the independent multi-arts venue and cinema, Watershed. With a degree in Graphic Design and an MA in Curating from UWE, Bristol, Fern has a passion for all things communications – from social media to web design, to copywriting and print design.
Fern brings her wealth of communications and social media knowledge to the BRAVA team to continue to help them realise their growth ambitions.
She also runs the Cary Comes Home Festival, a biannual film festival that celebrates the Bristol roots of the iconic Hollywood star, Cary Grant. Fern has hosted events at the Hippodrome, Trinity Centre and St Mary Redcliffe Church – and even Hannover, Germany, bringing the magic of vintage cinema to all.
Fern Dunn said: “The voiceover world is fascinating, full of talented people and amazing stories. I can’t wait to delve in and start creating content to showcase BRAVA and the breadth of work of its Talent.”
Melissa Thom, Founder and CEO of BRAVA said: “It’s brilliant to have Fern on board, she has fantastic creative skills across a multitude of areas. She will drive the strategy and implementation for our social channels, ensuring our community of professional voice actors is targeted with relevant and inspirational content.”
BRAVA offers personalised training in the art and business of voiceover and is aimed at professionals who are interested in adding voice acting to their skillset or for those who wish to work on voice, impact and presence in the workplace and beyond.
About BRAVA
Founded by experienced voice actor and communications consultant, Melissa Thom, BRAVA brings together acting and voice experts from the UK & US to deliver best in class training and advice about the industry.
At BRAVA, all learning is done online, meaning students can learn at their own pace, wherever they are. Training is offered as personalised 1-1’s or group sessions and covers a wide range of topics, including Getting Started in VO, Corporate, Commercial and Narration, Characters, Audiobooks, Performance Techniques, Home Studio, Marketing, Vocal Health, VO & Shakespeare, Voice, Presence, Impact, Presentation Skills and more.
Find out more at www.brava.uk.com
Wow, what a response! Our latest project, dubbii broke the Top 20 on the App Store and Google Play charts on launch weekend, with over 25,000 active users.
Partnering with the fabulous Rich & Rox, social media influencers of ADHD Love fame, dubbii is a body doubling app to help ADHD people with their household tasks.
We were incredibly excited to work with ADHD Love on a different kind of self-help app and as their ongoing tech partner, we’re in it for the long haul.
We’re committed to staying engaged with the community to find out exactly what the audience wants and how best to provide it. 
There are many pros to using social media to promote your business, with few cons. If you are just starting out, establishing a presence on the platforms can be completely free if you are doing it yourself. Once your business grows, investing more in your social media presence is a good idea. This could be by outsourcing this aspect of your business to a social media agency, or by having a marketing team take them over.
Businesses with better customer service tend to see better customer loyalty. Responding to direct messages on social media or comments on posts is a way to speedily and efficiently provide customer service.
Email marketing is currently one of the most successful ways to convert leads into customers. If you have the budget to run social media ads and promote lead magnets, this is a great way to grow your mailing list.
Facebook is one of the oldest and most established social media platforms, therefore it is important to ensure you have a business presence on this platform. It also has the most social media users at just over 3 billion, out of those on this list. Depending on your business industry and your budget, it will depend on the success you see on this platform and how is best to use it.
Organic reach on Facebook is difficult and most businesses utilise social paid advertising or post boosting on Facebook. (This is then shown on both Facebook and Instagram as the platforms are connected and both owned by Meta).
But if your budget is limited, one way to still make the most of Facebook is to set up a group instead of a page and drive people to join this group. This will act as a concentrated space to nurture the group members.
Firstly, ensure your profile is set to ‘professional’ status rather than just ‘personal’. This feature gives you access to support, analytics, and tools that a personal account doesn’t.
Instagram is all about optimisation. It has a wide range of features, which is great! But it’s especially important on this platform they haven’t been half-hearted, and they have been optimised.
This includes optimising your bio and profile, the links in your bio, your Instagram shop, and any direct messages or automated messages page visitors might receive.
If you already have an established presence on Twitter – great! If not, now might not be the best time to start a new account. With the change in ownership when it comes to Twitter, it has undergone a lot of changes. Furthermore, with the new verified paid structure the platform is prioritising the content of accounts that pay to use the platform rather than those that don’t.
If you want to set up a new Twitter account, why not consider Threads…
If you also use Instagram and are looking for a Twitter alternative, Threads could be the answer. The latest Threads stats show the platform now has 130 million users (that’s a lot). Despite being a fairly new platform, it’s showing no sign of slowing down or users changing their minds and closing their accounts.
Compared to Twitter, Threads also has a more generous 500-character count, compared to the smaller 280 offered by Twitter. Plus you can post videos up to 5 minutes long.
YouTube is often referred to as the second largest search engine after Google. It has the second most users after Facebook. Therefore given its high user rate, it’s an excellent place to promote your business. Short-form video content you post on your social media can be turned into long-form video content for your YouTube channels, providing customers with a more in-depth, exclusive insight into your business.
There are lots of SEO features and opportunities on YouTube your business can utilise which can assist in driving more traffic to your website.
Most users use Pinterest as a vision board or a source for ideas and inspiration. There’s nothing stopping you from using Pinterest if you have the means and resources to create content for this platform; but it is ideal for businesses to ‘showcase’ e.g. interior design businesses, fashion designers, virtual assistant tips and advice, home improvement businesses or planning a vacation and hiring a travel agent, just to name a few.
Anything related to showcasing, ideas creation, products, or just mood boarding, is ideal on Pinterest.
Last but by no means least – TikTok. The good thing with this platform is you can repost your Instagram reels onto TikTok, and vice versa, meaning you can appear on both platforms without having to create brand-new content for each!
This platform is an excellent place to partner with influencers (as well as on Instagram), showcase your products or services through catchy and fun short-form video content, and make the most of user-generated content (this is content created by your customers on their experience with your service or product).
___________
Trusty Social is a social media marketing and management agency. We aim to improve the online presence of busy businesses through social media while positively impacting the world and donating 3% of our profits to social justice initiatives. Find out more by visiting here and get in touch with us here!
Originally posted to www.carnsight.com
Maybe it’s generational, or perhaps it’s just a mix of personality and communication style. Either way, I can’t deny a professional pitfall of mine is working up the confidence to pick up the phone and dial.
But it’s so important.
Hearing someone’s voice on the phone helps to develop trust and can build better relationships, especially if the contact is purely digital/remote. It can also be a quicker and more direct way of reaching someone when emails get lost in the inbox. Organic conversations can flow and things that may otherwise go unsaid can arise in this more natural form of reciprocal communication.
And yet, this aversion is apparently becoming more commonplace. One article describes the phenomenon as “telephobia” and shared that one survey of UK office workers found that 70 per cent of millennials experience anxious thoughts when the phone rings, while Gen Z was described as ‘generation mute’ by some.
But, when you work in PR like I do, that ‘phone call phobia’ has got to go. Of course, it’s not as simple as flicking on a switch, and the transition to cool and confident doesn’t come overnight. But it is absolutely a skill and attitude you can work towards honing, just like I am.
Different approaches will suit different people more, but are all equally valid.
For some, charisma comes naturally. Confidence is as easy as breathing, and speaking on the phone is a breeze if not a joy. But for those of us who find it a little harder, the route to success can be the classic ‘fake it ‘til you make it’. You can be whoever you want on the phone, so try adopting a persona. A version of yourself that is calm, cool and collected. It’s still you, and it’s still genuine, just with a little false pep to get you feeling confident.
Another tip from communication coach Mary Jane Copps, who is known as “The Phone Lady”, is to
print or cut out pictures from a magazine of a smiling person and look at that while talking on the phone. Apparently, this can help you feel more comfortable with how the other person is receiving your conversation. It also helps to humanise the conversation. It is also said that certain aspects of body language can still translate through the phone and the voice, such as smiling – speaking with a smile can affect your vocal tone. It can also release natural mood-boosting chemicals in the brain like dopamine and serotonin.
For the people pleasers of the world, this sip can be a hard one to swallow. But swallow it we must, because it really is true – you’re not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. And that’s okay.
When calling someone up in a professional context, I try to strike a balance of being polite but direct. In PR, the people you’re calling are generally busy people doing busy jobs, where time is precious. So don’t be blunt, but at the same time, try not to beat around the bush and waste words. Be impactful with your time. But also remember that the person on the other end is just that – a person. Being genuine, kind, and respectful is equally as important.
I might not feel like it, but remember you’re allowed to call someone. Especially if they’ve given you their work number. It’s not automatically intrusive or taking up time, and if it is – they’ll let you know, and that’s okay too. Just be respectful. Make sure you’re recognising someone’s working days/hours. If it’s not someone you speak to often such as a new journalist, check they’re the correct contact (e.g. they still work for the publication and haven’t moved on!). Relevance is also key in that instance – try to keep your discussion relevant to them.
As you develop professional relationships, you’ll also come to understand how different people prefer to communicate, and you can navigate from them.
These tips may help you in the short term to build confidence and get familiar with professional phone calls, but it’s not necessarily a long-term fix. That’s because sometimes you need to understand why you fear something – the anxiety that drives the aversion and apprehension – to properly address it and move forward. When you know what the problem is, you can research and adopt more targeted strategies that specifically address the root cause.
Some of the reported reasons that Millennials and Generation Z like me might dislike making phone calls include:
But how can you figure out your root cause?
Aside from speaking to someone with more expertise than myself, I’d start by making one of those calls, and as soon as you put the phone down, grab a piece of paper. Sit with your mind and body for a moment, and really analyse what you’re thinking and feeling. Try to name the emotion or write some of the phrases floating in your mind and put pen to paper. If you can identify some of these things, you might unpack a common theme or feeling which can point you in a good direction for what you want to work on developing. Emotion wheels like the one below (courtesy of The Junto Institute) are a great tool to help dig deeper with this exercise:
At the very least, I always try to remind myself: what’s the worst that can happen?
Technically this depends on the context of the call, but generally, the stakes are never that high. You might get a sharp decline or a blunt hang-up, but that’s rarely the case, and if it is, it’s really not the end of the world. Even though sometimes it can feel like it is (silly, I know – but this kind of stuff isn’t always rational, it certainly isn’t for me otherwise I’d have no trouble here) it isn’t. I’m still growing my confidence when it comes to this, so I’m by no means an expert. But if you’re a bit like me and have found this skill one that needs a little TLC, then I hope this blog has been helpful, or at the very least, validating. Now, if you’re interested in a refresher on PR strategies and tactics, have a look at this article here.
How do potential customers decide if a business is a friend that shares the same beliefs as them, or if they are a foe that shouldn’t be trusted? A business blog could be the answer.
If you think about your own buying experience, you might start your journey by researching a product online. You might browse a website to view the products or services on offer and you’ll come away with a flavour of what that company is about. The tone of voice will have impressed you or put you off, as will the colour scheme or what they have covered in the body of the website. Then it’s likely you’ll look at a few more websites to compare different companies, but what would make you take that leap to go from prospect to customer?
A business that truly expresses its personality by talking openly about its ethos, its brand journey, the people behind the brand, and some of the relevant issues surrounding the organisation is more likely to build trust among prospects than one that doesn’t. And one of the best ways to get this much information across is by publishing a business blog.
One of the best things you can do as a business is empathise with the problems of your prospective customers. Think about customers you have helped in the past and put yourself in their shoes. How were they feeling at the start of their journey, and how did you make their lives better? Then talk about these problems in your blog. Perhaps you can help customers with a service because they don’t have enough time to do a certain task themselves, or perhaps you have a product that will save them money. Talk about the issues affecting them so they can see you understand where they’re coming from. If they feel understood, they are more likely to trust you.
It can be so tempting to sell, sell, sell on your website, but it would probably be more helpful for your customers to be able to read a pros and cons list of a particular product. It takes a certain confidence for a brand to offer an objective view of the products they sell, but the likelihood is, the more honest you are about the fact your product or service will suit some people but not others, the more likely your prospects are to trust you and want to buy from you.
Build a strong relationship with your existing customers and engage with them throughout their customer journey too. By better understanding their experience of working with you, you will have more of an idea what new customers want to hear. By addressing issues as and when they arise, you can adjust your offering and then tell prospective customers how you are always evolving to give your customers what they need.
Business blogs might feel like a lot of work – to produce content consistently isn’t easy. But the benefits of having a regular dialogue with your customers and prospects is a great way to build a relationship and demonstrate your personality. If people feel like they know you, they are more likely to trust you and what your business stands for.
If you would like a business blog on your website that accurately reflects your voice and values, but simply don’t have the time to dedicate to it, drop me a line and I would love to help.
Originally posted to www.carnisght.com
The desire to be socially accepted is growing along with our loss of authenticity. Creating content around trending topics and awareness days is common practice for businesses using social media. This can be used as a great tool for voicing your opinion on a certain topic or raising awareness on an issue that your organisation finds important. However, jumping on every bandwagon under the sun can have a negative effect on how your business is viewed. Here is why.
A lot of businesses seem to have the following mindset: “everyone is talking about ___. I am going to talk about ___ too,” drafting up a generic post that we have all read many times before. The problem with this is that it puts a block on both creativity and authenticity. While these are important topics, there are only so many times one will stop scrolling to read something we have read many times before.
Many businesses over-incorporate awareness days into their social strategy which overtime results in damaging the human connections that we create through sharing real stories and true experiences. Instead, choose a few awareness days that are relevant to your industry or important to your team and run with them.
In an article by 2030 builders, Woke Washing is defined as:
“The act of using social justice themes in marketing campaigns to create a positive image for a company without taking any meaningful action. This practice has become increasingly popular as companies try to capitalize on the growing trends of purpose-driven consumerism.”
It’s easy for businesses to claim they are socially and environmentally conscious while continuing to do very little, if anything, to genuinely support these claims. Showing support through social media is nice. However there needs to be evidence that this support extends into the real world. An example of how this can be done is through updating or discussing company policies or sharing the credible contributions your business makes to address actual social or environmental issues. Remember, unethical marketing is never cool. Be honest. If you know your business needs to level up, post about how you plan on doing so instead.
Focusing too hard on being socially accepted may push you into forgetting what your business is all about. And being authentic on social media is just that! Be yourself and show off talents and personality that are unique to your brand. Set your business apart from others. Create content that is original, be creative, stick to what you know well and don’t forget to have fun.
Are you looking for more tips for creating a strong social media strategy? Why not check out our blog on the three key differences between a B2B and a B2C Social Media Strategy?
Originally posted to www.carnsight.com
Working in PR can be highly demanding with PR pros wearing a lot of different hats, and so managing work stress is an important aspect of the job. From being responsible for maintaining a positive public image for clients or organisations to handling crises and juggling multiple tasks simultaneously, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Despite the many pressures of the job, adopting effective strategies for managing work stress can help PR pros find balance and success in their roles.
One of the keys to managing work stress in PR is prioritisation. To stay ahead of the curve, it is essential to create daily to-do lists, use project management tools (I personally enjoy Trello, Notion and Google Cal) , and set realistic deadlines. There will always be lots of different things vying for your attention, but having good prioritisation skills will ensure you stay organised and in control of your workload.
Effective time management is also crucial for PR professionals who have to juggle multiple tasks, from media relations to event planning. Things like blocking out time for tasks, learning when to say no, and taking regular breaks to recharge and maintain focus are all great ways to better manage your time.
I know it’s a cliché, but stress-reduction techniques like mindfulness and meditation really can help us manage our work stress. Mindfulness and meditation, exercise, and deep breathing exercises are all effective techniques that can help us stay grounded and reduce anxiety. It is important to find a technique that works best for you and make it a habit to practice regularly.
Active listening, conflict resolution, and setting boundaries are all skills that can help prevent misunderstandings and reduce stress. When PR professionals communicate effectively, we can work more efficiently and avoid unnecessary stress.
If work stress becomes overwhelming, don’t hesitate to seek support. Talking to a supervisor or manager, leaning on the team, or even seeking professional help from a therapist or counsellor can all help manage stress and maintain good mental health. It is essential to remember that seeking support is a sign of strength, not weakness and we all need people to lean on and talk to from time to time.
Ultimately, managing work stress in any role, including PR, requires a combination of effective time management, stress-reduction techniques, communication skills, and seeking support when needed. By adopting these strategies and being open to help, we can better navigate the demanding world of PR while maintaining our own well-being. Remember, as Carnsight’s Jess always says, it’s PR not ER, and so it’s okay to prioritise your mental health in times of need.
Originally posted to www.carnsight.com
Social media has revolutionised the way we conduct business, and a strong social media presence is now a must-have for entrepreneurs. Whether you run an Etsy store, a vegan restaurant, a construction company or an accountancy firm, knowing how to present yourself confidently on social media is crucial to your success. However, as a small business owner, it’s common to feel a little apprehensive around social media. Maybe you find it challenging to navigate. Today, we want to provide you with some valuable tips for boosting your confidence and upping your social media game.
Authenticity is one of the most powerful assets you have as a small business owner. In contrast to the days of slick and polished ads, today’s consumers crave content that feels genuine. Share your journey, your challenges, and your triumphs. Allow your personality to shine through in your posts. Authenticity fosters a connection, and connection builds trust.
Remember that you are not competing with large corporations with massive marketing budgets. You don’t have to be like them. Think about what sets you apart from the competition? Perhaps it’s your handcrafted jewellery, your quirky sense of humour, or your passion for sustainability. Heck, maybe it’s even your love of your adorable office dog. Highlight what makes your business special and flaunt it without fear.
Knowing your audience inside and out will help you create content that resonates with them. That being said, I want to give a bit of controversial advice. If you’re totally new to social media, try not to get too bogged down in this. It’s still important, of course. And if you want to see results, you’ll need to make content with your target market in mind, however, I’ve seen business owners time and time again that get so wrapped up in what they think people want to see that their content loses that genuine sense, that spark. Don’t try and copy what someone else is doing to gain success with your target market, instead use what they’re doing as inspiration and see what you can do to put your own stamp on it.
Don’t give up. You’re not going to see results overnight. Like anything, a large and engaged following and community on social media is something that takes a lot of work and time to build. The best thing you can do to move towards that is focus on consistency. Consistency is the key to building familiarity and trust with your audience.
Social media is all about, well, being social. It’s about networking and building relationships. Don’t be afraid to reach out to fellow small business owners or influencers in your niche. Collaboration can be a game-changer for growing your audience.
Social media is ever evolving, and what works today may not work tomorrow. Experiment with different types of content, hashtags, and strategies. Don’t be afraid to pivot if something isn’t working as expected.
Every like, comment and share is a little victory. Celebrate these wins! Small steps forward can lead to significant leaps in the long run. Don’t get so caught up chasing the thousands that you forget the hundred that truly matter. Share your successes with your audience, and let them join in your joy.
Running a business can be overwhelming, especially when it involves maintaining a strong social media presence. After all, it’s another thing to do, and we get that. Don’t forget to take care of yourself. Schedule regular breaks, practice mindfulness, and seek support when needed.
You could even hire a lovely PR and social media agency like Carnsight to help lighten the social media load! ;p
Above all, remember to have fun with your social media journey. It’s a platform to express your passion, creativity, and expertise. Enjoy the process, and let your enthusiasm shine through. Your audience will pick up on your positive vibes.
Check us out on social media to see how we put these tips into practice ourselves.
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