social media

When you’re running your own business, it can be tempting to wear all the hats, ALL the time – because doing everything yourself will, inevitably, save you some money.

But your time is just as valuable as the cash flowing in and out of your bank account, you know. Do you want to spend it coming up with quarterly content calendars and pouring over social stats, or would you be happier putting more hours into finding new clients and delivering a better service to the people you’re already working…

What is user generated content?

User generated content (UG) is, quite literally, content that has been created by and shared by the people who have either bought something from your business or interacted with your brand in some other way.

Traditionally, it has taken the form of online reviews, comments in forums, and mentions (good or bad!) on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. But companies these days are taking the trend for UG content to a whole new level by…

Most of us have struggled to keep customer engagement consistent across our social media channels. But why is that? What makes for the kind of post that people want to like, share, and comment on – and what puts them off from wanting to join in the conversation?

Why your posts might be turning people off

Your content could be missing the mark for many reasons. Here are just a few of the things you could be doing to self-sabotage your own social media strategy:

• You’re not sharing things your…

You might already be active on Facebook, and you may get the odd enquiry from your profile now and then – but I bet you’re not using this platform fullest potential.

Showing up isn’t enough. To really get the most from your Facebook marketing campaign, you need to be making the most of the network’s many incredible features.

Here, I’m going to talk you through five tips and tactics I often share with clients who are keen to grow their Facebook following.

How to use Facebook for marketing your…

LinkedIn has been a hot topic in my networking circles lately. It’s the social media site that’s often the most useful for business owners – but in my experience, it’s also the one that confuses them the most!

I was recently asked to present at a Pop Connect event, and because I always want my talks to deliver as much value as possible, I ran a poll that asked my networking colleagues which social media platform they needed the most help with. Instagram, Facebook and Twitter were definite conte…

What is influencer marketing?

Influencer marketing involves collaborating with high profile social media users who can help you promote your brand to communities that care about what you have to offer.

The idea is, you ask your influencer to mention your products or services in a post, Story or video, and include a link back to your website or social media profile so potential new customers can find you.

Most influencers charge a fee for the exposure (although some are open to product swaps i…

What is your tone of voice (TOV)?

In simple terms, your company’s tone of voice is a direct expression of the person who is running the show: you!

It’s your own distinctive way of talking and sharing information that’s heavily based on your personality and your values.

It’s your own way of wording things that makes your fans, followers, customers and behind-the-curtain lurkers go ‘ah! That’s definitely so-and-so!’

Why is it important?

Developing – and sticking to – the right tone of voice…

In the same way that posting regularly on social media can boost awareness of your business in your online community, blogging can help you share your knowledge with your followers and let them into your world.

It can be difficult to come up with consistently great blog ideas, though – and it can be even trickier to know how to use these concepts within your social media strategy for the best results.

Read on for some quick blogging tips, tricks and general musings that have been based on my m…

It started life as a ‘lip-synching’ app in 2017, but TikTok has grown rapidly to become the most popular short form video sharing app on the web. It allows users to create and edit snappy clips on virtually any topic, then overlay their quick film with music and other special effects to come up with something totally unique.

The great thing about TikTok is it promotes fun, authentic snapshots into users’ lives. Unlike Instagram – which is scattered with #ads and ultimately much more tuned in wi…

What are hashtags, and why are they important?

Hashtags were first introduced by Twitter, but are now used across pretty much all social media platforms, including Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and TikTok.

They are digital labels that provide you with a way of categorising your social media posts according to particular themes and topics.

By hashtagging words and phrases correctly, you can:

• Make sure your content is discoverable
• Increase exposure for yourself or your business
• Publicly con…