Are you author ready?

If you are considering writing a book, to help you to give your business an edge, you need to be well-prepared to ensure your book hits the spot.

What does that mean?

There are a number of key activities that ensure a non-fiction book is successful.

1: Know your marketplace

Who else writes in your genre?  What have you got to say that is different or deeper?  That’s usually your unique take on the subject.  Who publishes that kind of book?  And, most important of all, research how well your kind of book sells (tip: Check Amazon).

2: Get your focus

It’s important to know what your big takeaway is going to be.  When someone has read your book what will their ‘Aha’ be?  Keep that in mind and ensure everything in your book contributes to that.

3: Choose your publishing option

There are so many different publishing options that there will definitely be something for you, but you need to understand the pros and cons of each of these – traditional, hybrid, independent, self-publishing, on Amazon.  And they’re all different and offer different things.  Don’t choose until you understand what you’re getting into – but you do need to have made the decision fairly early in your book development process.

4: Plan the content

Non-fiction books are easier to plan than fiction.  There is a much more defined structure – and that makes them easier to plan.  You need to decide what each chapter is going to be about and what is the most logical order for these subjects.  Then gather the content for each chapter.  If you do this first, you’ll have a skeleton plan to flesh out and writing will be much easier.

5: Create your chapter recipe

Successful books have a structure that each chapter is built around, so creating this will also make the writing process easier.  Think of it like a recipe book, every recipe has the same structure – it helps people to get from the name of the dish (chapter title), through a familiar and easy to follow process (subheadings and types of information).  Best of all, once they’ve done one recipe, they know what to expect with the next one and don’t have to ‘learn’ a new process.

6: Schedule writing sessions

Your diary is your friend!  Make regular appointments with yourself to focus on developing your plan into narrative.  If it’s in your diary, it’s more likely to get done.  Choose times when you are at your creative best, not when you’re tired.

7: Editing & proofreading

Traditional publishers will edit and proofread your book, some hybrid and independent publishers also offer these services, but most don’t.  Never skip editing – your book will be better with a professional editor on your team.  Proofreading is the last thing you need to do before your book goes to print.

8: Publication

The time from when your manuscript is submitted to having your book available for sale varies hugely from publisher to publisher.  Traditional publishers may have a lead time of up to two years, while small independent publishers are much quicker and flexible and may be able to get your book out in less than 3 months.  If you self-publish you’ll need to do everything yourself, so it’s down to you!

9: Launch

Nobody knows your book has been published unless you tell them.  The six weeks prior to publication are your opportunity to build excitement and anticipation among your audience.  A launch day bonus bundle can do a lot to boost sales on your first day.

10: Marketing

Marketing doesn’t stop at the launch.  You’ll need a marketing plan that incorporates a variety of media to keep your book in people’s awareness.

*****

There’s a lot more to producing a book than just writing; the more you understand the more successful your book will be.

10 boxes your home page should tick

We all hear that phrase ‘Content is King’, but it’s not quite true for the home page on your website.  The days of 300 words of text are long gone, search engines are more sophisticated and visitors to your websites behave differently.  They’re reading on smart phones rather than desktops and they don’t have time to read much when they’re looking for something specific.

Your job as the website owner is to remove all the barriers between your audience and your message, so getting what they want is simple, with nothing that stops them at any point. 

Think of your home page as the contents index and you’ll be on the right track.

Here are my ten top boxes you need to tick:

1: Brand

Make sure your logo is a reasonable size, not huge, not tiny.  Use your brand colours throughout the website and choose a consistent font, ideally sans-serif (easier to read on screen).

In the Brand banner that appears at the top of the page (and every other page) include your contact information.  Don’t expect people to navigate to the footer or the Contact page to get in touch.  Top right is usually where people look for this kind of information.

2: Navigation

On a mobile device this usually appears in the form of a ‘hamburger’, but on a laptop or desktop screen a horizontal strip reduces the number of clicks your visitor has to do to get where they want to go.

Many people do know that clicking on the company logo will return them to the home page, but not everyone does.  Don’t make life difficult for those who have not yet discovered this and include Home on your navigation.

Typically, your menu should be – left to right:

• Home
• Your main product or service categories
• Any resources you offer
• Blog/News
• About
• Contact

Home should always be on the left and About and Contact the last two on the right – and, these days, About and Contact is more common than, About us and Contact us.

If you have media packs the Media page would normally site just before the About page, or possibly as a subpage under About.

A menu that ‘floats’ – i.e. remains visible as the user scrolls down, is also an excellent way to make life easier for them.

3: Banner

This is usually an image that sits at the top of your home page, under your brand banner.  My advice is ONE image and key message as scrolling marquees (those images that change every couple of seconds) are more of an irritation to your visitor than a support for your brand.

The image should help to support the message – otherwise it’s just eye-candy.  The last thing you want is your visitor wondering what it ‘means’, that’s a distraction from them taking the action you want from them.

4: Headlines

The key message/headline that appears in the banner should tell the visitor exactly what to expect from your website.  It’s the information that is guaranteed to be ‘above the fold’ (on the first screen they see before scrolling) and shouldn’t leave the visitor trying to work out if they’re in the right place.  If it doesn’t make sense to them, they’ll be gone.

A second smaller headline, can appear below the image, introducing what you offer.

Headlines are not an exercise in creative writing, they’re there to signpost people.  Good headlines tell people that either:

• They will get this benefit
• They will solve this problem

They should be positioned in ‘you’ language – not ‘we’ language.  In other words, ‘You get this’, not ‘We do that’.

5: Introduction

If it’s not abundantly clear, this is your opportunity to grab the visitor’s attention with your second headline (see previous item) and a short overview of the benefits they could get or how their biggest headaches could be removed.  Short = one or two paragraphs only.

6: Core offerings

There’s a good rule of thumb about website content – tell people what you want them to do, and make it easy for them to do it.  The next thing people should see is your core product or service categories; ideally with attractive icons or image in clickable boxes.

This works as a call to action – ‘here are our best offers, click to find out more’.

7: Introduce yourself

A short intro of you or your company can add another element to your home page.  You don’t need to reinvent the wheel; use the first paragraph of your About page and headshot.  People like to see who is behind the business.

8: Knowledge links

Sharing your knowledge demonstrates that you know your stuff.  That’s where your blogs come into play.  Having direct links to the last 2-3 blog articles is a good way to draw in people who like a lot of information before making a decision.

9: Build your list

As most marketers will tell you ‘The money is in the list’.  If you don’t already have an email list (and even if you do) an opportunity for people to join it is a good strategy.  Nobody joins a ‘subscribe to our newsletter’ invitation, so offer something that will be of real value to your target audience and set up your automated follow up system.  The form can go on your home page – ideally nearer to the top, I’ve seen it work well embedded in the banner image, as long as the message is right.  Nobody will see it in the footer!

10. Footer

The footer usually has links to your privacy policy & T&Cs, your company registration, any accreditations or validations and, maybe, your business address, but it shouldn’t be huge.  Some footers include menus, but ensure whatever is on your main navigation is the same as what is in the footer – multiple menus confuse!

What’s your point?

If you’ve been asked to make a presentation or you’re planning a pitch to a potential client, where do you start?

Start with the end in mind

What do you want your presentation or pitch to achieve?

What is that big takeaway for your audience?

Once that is crystal clear, every part of your presentation needs to keep that in mind.

Who is your audience?

The better you know your audience, the more able you will be to tailor what you say to their needs and expectations.

A professional speaker usually asks the meeting organiser for this information, to ensure their speech is on target.  If you do the same, you’ll not only deliver a better presentation, but you’ll also be remembered for your attention to detail.  That means that you’ll be asked to speak again by that meeting organiser.

What do you want to say?

You will have some key facts, ideas, information that you want to get across to your audience.  Now you need to look at each of these things and think about how each impacts your audience and make notes of that. 

What will they get or how will they benefit from each of your points?

Remember that your presentation is about the audience, not you, so you need to present each fact, idea or piece of information in a way that they can relate to.

Story structure

All good stories have a beginning, a middle and an end – and so do good presentations.

Typically a presentation has no more than 5 parts:

1.      Introduction: Setting the scene
2.    Key point 1: The first issue you want to present
3.      Key point 2: The second issue you want to explore
4.      Key point 3: The third and final issue you want to outline
5.      Summary/Conclusion/Call to action

When you’re planning your presentation, map out each of these and what you want to include.  This might include statistics, graphs, charts, stories, case studies, theory, models, etc.

The visual elements can go on a slide deck, but don’t fall into the trap of putting all your notes on the screen – then people will read rather than listen.  That’s not as effective in getting your point across.

Rehearse

You should know your stuff – or you shouldn’t be making the presentation, but there are bound to be some nerves, especially if you’re not used  to presenting.  If nothing else practise your opening.  And your closing.

There’s nothing worse than someone arriving on the platform and saying “Er, thank you for inviting me, er, I’m [your name] and I’ll be talking about [your subject] today.”  Firstly, that’s the fastest way to disengage your audience and secondly, someone else should already have introduced you.

Instead, start with a challenging question, a big fact that will make them sit up and take notice or an outrageous statement.

The same applies to your close – your job is to get them to take action and DO something, not nod and clap politely.

Finishing with “I think that’s it, then. Thank you,” is a weak close.

Tell them what you want them to remember and inspire them to action.  If you haven’t rehearsed, there’s a high chance that you’ll forget the key thing you want them to takeaway.

*****

Remember, if you’ve been asked to present or pitch, it’s because you’ve been identified as someone who has a strong message.  Don’t abuse the privilege by ‘winging it’! 

AI: Exciting or Scary?

Nobody would describe me as ‘techy’, I’m a words person, not a technology geek, but AI definitely excites me.  The potential is almost beyond belief.  For small businesses it offers opportunities to do some things that weren’t possible without expensive expert help previously, professional images for social media, well-written articles for a variety of purposes, good quality video and much more.

However, it’s also scary – how do you tell when something is real and something has been created by AI?

Is AI spoofing you?

I’ve seen ads that appear to have famous talking heads promoting the product, but I’m fairly sure that these have been created without any input (or knowledge?) from the celebrity involved.

I know it’s possible to clone a voice on ElevenLabs, and an image on Heygen to convert to video.  Put the two together with a written script and you can create a video of yourself talking to camera without actually doing it.  That means you can create a video of anyone if you have a voice file (hello YouTube!) and an image (Google images).  I’m not sure how copyright might come into play if the image is copyrighted, as you won’t be publishing it, but, in any case, I’m fairly sure that anyone who you replicate without permission, may have a viewpoint – and probably a legal case!

I’ve noticed that some ‘clones’ can be spotted by their very slow blink rate, but technology is improving daily, if not hourly, and, by the time you read this, that may have been fixed.

The latest AI spoof is the rash of new dating sites – where you’re actually talking to an AI bot, not that girl or guy in the picture.  Try suggesting meeting for coffee and you’ll get all kinds of excuses!

How can AI help you?

On the other hand, AI can save a ton of time.  I used ElevenLabs to turn 8 video modules into text – in a minute or two each.  I had to edit it (there were lots of ums and ers – and nobody speaks as grammatically fluently as they write), but it saved me hours of listening and transcribing.

I use AI to help with headlines and ideas for email campaigns, where the same information needs to be presented many times in different ways.  I always edit it into the client’s voice and style, but it saves me time (and the client money).

I find that a detailed brief and links to existing material usually gets a better result than a short overview.  It’s worth investing the time in creating that brief.

There are so many new AI tools being launched that it’s hard to keep up with them.  I came across The AI Rundown, a daily email newsletter that is really good at short overviews of the AI landscape.  If you’d like to subscribe to that – here’s the link.

Building Your Media/PR Plan: A Solopreneur's Strategic Guide

 

As a small business owner or solopreneur, you've probably wondered how to get your name out there without breaking the bank or hiring an expensive PR agency.  The truth is, you can create a highly effective media and PR strategy yourself – but it requires more than just firing off press releases and hoping for the best.

A solid media plan isn't about chasing every opportunity that comes your way.  It's about creating a strategic framework that aligns with your business goals, speaks to your ideal customers, and positions you as the go-to expert in your field.

Start with your foundation: define your 'why'

Before you even think about contacting journalists or crafting press releases, you need to get crystal clear on your core message.  What makes your business different?  What problem do you solve that others don't?  This isn't your elevator pitch – it's deeper than that.

Ask yourself: if someone could only remember one thing about your business after reading about you, what would you want it to be?  This becomes your North Star for every media interaction.

For instance, if you're a productivity coach, your core message might be ‘helping overwhelmed entrepreneurs reclaim their time without sacrificing quality’.  Everything you say to the media should reinforce this positioning.

Know Your Media Landscape

Many solopreneurs make the mistake of targeting every publication under the sun.  This scattergun approach rarely works.  Instead, create a tiered media list that reflects how your customers consume information.

Tier 1: Trade publications and niche websites where your ideal customers spend time.  If you're a sustainable fashion designer, this might be eco-lifestyle blogs, sustainable business publications, or fashion trade magazines.

Tier 2: Local media – often more accessible and surprisingly influential.  Local newspapers, radio stations, and community magazines are always looking for local business stories.

Tier 3: National media – the holy grail, but often the most competitive.  Only target these when you have a truly newsworthy story or unique angle.

Research each publication thoroughly.  What stories have they covered recently?  Who are their key journalists?  What's their typical lead time?  This intelligence will make your outreach far more effective.

Create your content calendar with media hooks

Successful PR isn't reactive – it's planned.  Create a 12-month calendar that maps out your key business activities, seasonal opportunities, and industry events.  Then identify the media hooks within each.

For example, if you're a financial advisor:

• January: New Year financial resolutions, tax planning tips
• April: Small business tax deadline stories, financial spring cleaning
• September: Back-to-school financial planning for families
• November: Year-end financial planning, small business tax tips

Each of these represents multiple story opportunities across different media outlets.  The key is to think like a journalist – what would their readers find valuable and timely?

Build relationships, not just media lists

Here's where most solopreneurs go wrong: they focus on the pitch, not the relationship.  Journalists receive dozens of irrelevant pitches daily.  The ones that get attention come from people they know and trust.

Start building relationships before you need them.  Follow relevant journalists on social media, engage thoughtfully with their content, and share their articles when they're particularly good.  When you do eventually pitch, you'll be a familiar name, not another stranger in their inbox.

Consider creating a simple CRM system to track your media contacts.  Note their interests, recent articles, and any personal details they share publicly.  This personalisation makes all the difference when you're crafting your outreach.

Diversify beyond traditional press

While newspaper and magazine coverage is valuable, today's media landscape is much broader.  Consider these often-overlooked opportunities:

Podcasts: Often easier to get on than traditional media, and perfect for detailed storytelling about your expertise.

Industry panels and webinars: Position yourself as a thought-leader while building relationships with other experts.

Guest blogging: Builds your authority and often leads to other media opportunities.

Speaking opportunities: Local business groups, industry conferences, and online events all need speakers.

Awards and recognition programmes: Many industries have awards specifically for small businesses or entrepreneurs.

Develop your story bank

You'll need different stories for different opportunities. Develop a bank of 5-7 core stories that showcase different aspects of your business:

1. Your origin story: Why you started the business, what problem you identified
2. Your biggest challenge story: A significant obstacle you overcame
3. Your client transformation story: How you helped someone achieve remarkable results
4. Your industry insight story: A trend you predicted or a shift you've observed
5. Your failure and learning story: A mistake that taught you something valuable
6. Your innovation story: How you do something differently from competitors
7. Your future vision story: Where you see the industry heading

Having these ready means you can quickly adapt to different media opportunities and always have something interesting to share.

Perfect your pitch process

When you do reach out to media contacts, your pitch needs to be concise, relevant, and immediately valuable.  Follow this structure:

Subject line: Make it specific and intriguing, not salesy

Opening: Personal connection or reference to their recent work

The story: One paragraph maximum, focus on the reader benefit

Your credentials: Brief explanation of why you're the right person to tell this story

The offer: What exactly you're offering (interview, data, photos, etc.)

Call to action: Clear next step, with your contact details

Keep the entire email under 150 words.  If you can't explain your story idea concisely, it probably isn't clear enough yet.

Measure what matters

PR success isn't just about the number of mentions you get.  Track metrics that actually impact your business:

• Reach and engagement: How many people saw your coverage, and how did they respond?
• Website traffic: Are media mentions driving visitors to your site?
• Lead generation: Are you getting enquiries following media coverage?
• Reputation building: Are you being recognised as an authority in your field?
• Relationship building: Are you developing ongoing relationships with journalists and industry contacts?

Set up Google Alerts for your name and business to monitor coverage, and use UTM codes (In Google Analytics - GA4) on any links you provide to media contacts so you can track traffic from specific articles.

The long game

Building an effective media presence takes time.  You might not see immediate results, but consistent effort pays off.  The business owner who regularly shares insights, builds media relationships, and positions themselves as an expert will eventually become the person journalists turn to when they need a quote or story idea.

Remember, you're not just trying to get your name in the paper – you're building a reputation as the go-to expert in your field.  Every media interaction, every relationship you build, and every story you share contributes to that long-term goal.

Your media and PR strategy should evolve with your business.  What works for a startup will be different from what works for an established business looking to expand into new markets.  Regularly review and refine your approach, always keeping your core message and business goals at the centre of everything you do.

The most successful solopreneurs understand that effective PR isn't about luck – it's about strategy, consistency, and relationship building.  Start with these fundamentals, and you'll be well on your way to creating a media presence that actually drives your business forward.

SME Marketing on a budget

When you’re running a small business you know marketing is essential, but if you’re on a tight budget, where do you start?

Content is STILL King!

Blog posts, how-to guides and interesting customer stories all contribute to establishing your reputation as an expert.  If you know your audience well, focus on the problems they want to solve and ensure that your content appears where they’re looking.

Social media is free

You don’t have to be everywhere, so find out where your target customers hang out and be visible.  Consistency and authenticity win over polished and slick.  Your top tips, customer stories, before and after images, behind-the-scenes insights all contribute to building a memorable profile.

The money is in the list

Email is one of the most cost-effective marketing methods – as long as your list is well targeted.  A highly focused lead magnet is a great start to start building your list.  There are lots of email marketing platforms that offer a free level to get you started, AWeber, MailChimp, MailerLite, etc.  Or check out AppSumo for a one-time payment for lifetime membership to Sendfox.

Get seen

Optimise your Google My Business profile and gather customer reviews to dramatically improve local visibility.  This is especially powerful for service-based businesses and retailers with physical locations.

Double your reach

Collaborate with complementary businesses for cross-promotion, joint events, or referral programmes.  This will extend your reach without additional ad spend.  Start by making a list of local companies who have a similar customer base to yours, then reach out.  It’s a win-win for everyone.

Lights, camera, action!

Short-form videos on social platforms are incredibly effective for engagement. Simple smartphone videos showing your process, customer testimonials, or quick tips often outperform expensive productions.

Who else do you know …?

Your existing customers are your best marketers.  Simple referral incentives can turn satisfied customers into active promoters, introducing you to their connections.  It doesn’t need to be a high cost incentive, be creative.  A great time to ask for referrals is at the point where you gather customer feedback.  When a customer has just told you how much they like you, they’ll be much more receptive to passing those warm and fuzzy feelings on to others. 

Don’t try to do it all

Pick 2-3 of these strategies and get them working well for you, rather than trying to do everything at once.  Give each one a good test run before deciding it does, or doesn’t, work for you – at least three months, but track and test as you go.

How to keep your newsletter audience engaged

The average person receives more than 120 emails daily, so creating a newsletter that cuts through the noise and genuinely engages readers is both an art and a science.  The difference between newsletters that get opened, read, and acted upon versus those that land straight in the trash often comes down to a few key principles.

Start with purpose, not promotion

The most engaging newsletters begin with a clear understanding of why they exist beyond selling products or services.  Great newsletters solve problems, provide valuable insights, or offer entertainment that readers genuinely want to receive. Before crafting your first issue, ask yourself: What unique value can I provide that my audience can't easily find elsewhere?

For example: Morning Brew's success in making business news accessible and entertaining.

The Hustle transforms dry entrepreneurship content into engaging stories.

The AI Rundown delivers bite-sized updates and ideas on emerging AI.

These publications succeed because they prioritise reader value over self-promotion, building trust that translates into long-term engagement.

Master the art of the subject line

Effective subject lines create curiosity, hint at the value inside, and maintain consistency with your brand voice.  They're specific enough to set expectations, but intriguing enough to encourage opens.  Ted Nicholas used to say that you should spend 80% of your writing time on the headline – and a subject line is just that.

Avoid overused phrases like ‘Don't miss out’ or lots of exclamation marks that trigger spam filters.  Instead, ask questions, use numbers or interesting facts, or create a sense of exclusivity.  Test different approaches with small segments of your audience to discover what resonates best with your readership.

Design for scanners, not readers

Most newsletter readers don't read—they scan.  Design your content with clear hierarchies using headers, subheaders, bullet points, and white space to guide the eye naturally down the page.  

Add relevant images, dividers, or highlight quotes to create visual breathing room.

Keep paragraphs short, typically no more than three sentences, and use formatting like bold text or italics strategically to highlight key points.  If the reader just reads the headlines, subheads and bold words, will they get your message?

Consistency builds anticipation

Successful newsletters establish and maintain consistent publishing schedules, whether daily, weekly, or monthly.  Consistency isn't just about timing—it extends to tone, format, and quality.  Readers should know what to expect when they see your newsletter in their inbox.

This doesn't mean every issue needs to be identical, but there should be recognisable elements that create familiarity.  Perhaps you always start with a personal note, include this month’s ‘aha moment’ section, or end with a thought-provoking question or observation.  

Personalisation goes beyond names

While including a subscriber's name in the greeting is a start, true personalisation goes much deeper.  Use data about subscriber behaviour, preferences, and engagement history to tailor content relevance.  This might mean segmenting your list based on interests, past purchases, or engagement levels.

Consider allowing subscribers to choose their own adventure by selecting topics they're most interested in or letting them control frequency preferences.  The goal is making each reader feel like the newsletter was crafted specifically for them, not just sent to a mass list.

Tell stories, don't just share information

Information is abundant and forgettable; stories are memorable and shareable.  Even in business or industry newsletters, weaving narrative elements into your content makes it more engaging.  Share case studies as stories, use customer examples, or relate industry trends to real-world scenarios that readers can visualise.

Stories create emotional connections that pure information cannot.  Readers remember your content and are more likely to forward it to colleagues or friends.

Create genuine two-way communication

The best newsletters feel like conversations, not broadcasts.  Encourage replies by asking questions, seeking feedback, or inviting readers to share their own experiences.  When readers do respond, actually engage with them.  Reply to emails, feature reader questions or stories, and acknowledge your community in meaningful ways.

Value quality over quantity

Resist the urge to include everything interesting you've found in a single issue.  Curate ruthlessly, focusing on a few high-quality pieces of content rather than overwhelming readers with options.  It's better to provide deep insight on two topics than surface-level coverage of ten.

Quality also extends to your writing.  Take time to edit, ensure accuracy, and maintain your unique voice.  Readers can sense when content has been hastily thrown together.

*****

Creating an engaging newsletter requires balancing creativity and data. By focusing on genuine value creation and respecting your readers' time, you can build a newsletter that not only gets opened, but genuinely impacts your audience.

How to shine on socials!

 

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the task of creating fresh social media posts every week.  This usually happens when you lose focus.  These are our top ten tips to help you to create content that connects.

1: Know your audience inside out

I bang on about this endlessly – but that’s because it’s not just useful; it’s the foundation for all your marketing.  If you know your target audience’s demographics, interests, and online behaviour, know when they're active, what content they engage with, and which platforms they prefer it will guide your entire strategy and help you create content that connects.

2: Maintain consistent branding

Use the same logo, colour scheme, fonts, and tone of voice across all platforms.  This creates a congruent brand experience that helps customers recognise your business instantly, whether they see your post on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn (or see your brand anywhere else).

3: Follow the 80/20 rule

Share valuable, entertaining, or educational content 80% of the time, and promotional content only 20% of the time.  This keeps your audience engaged without making them feel like they're constantly being sold to.  Share your top tips, behind-the-scenes content, customer stories, and helpful resources.  Remember that the more value you deliver, the more engaged your connections will be.

4: Post consistently with a content calendar

Plan your posts in advance, it’s much easier to create good content, when you work in batches.  Whether you use a spreadsheet, Google docs or something else to plan, using scheduling tools like Buffer, Hootsuite, or one of the many other schedulers enables you to upload your posts in one hit and then you can focus your social media activity on responding to likes and comments and engaging with others.

5: Use high-quality visuals

Invest in good photos and graphics, even if you're using your smartphone.  Natural lighting, clean backgrounds, and authentic images of your products or team perform better than stock photos.  Visual content gets significantly more engagement than text-only posts.

6: Engage authentically with your community

Respond promptly to comments, messages, and mentions.  Ask questions in your posts to encourage interaction, share other people’s content to enhance your reputation as a smart curator, and participate in relevant conversations.  Social media is meant to be social – treat it like a two-way conversation, not a broadcasting channel.

7: Leverage local and relevant hashtags

Research hashtags that your target audience actually uses, including location-based tags if you serve a local market.  Mix popular hashtags with more niche ones to expand your reach, while connecting with engaged communities.  Avoid overusing hashtags – quality over quantity.

8: Share behind-the-scenes content

People love seeing the human side of the businesses they follow.  Share your work process, introduce team members, show how products are made, or give glimpses of your workspace.  This creates emotional connections with your audience.  At the end of the day people engage with people, not organisations.

9: Monitor your analytics and adapt

Use platform insights to track which types of content perform best, when your audience is most active, and which posts drive the most engagement or website traffic.  Reviewing performance at least weekly will help to drive your strategy and focus on what actually works for your specific audience.

10: Stay current with platform updates and trends

Social media platforms constantly evolve their algorithms and features.  Stay informed about changes and new opportunities like Instagram Reels, LinkedIn newsletters, or emerging platforms.  However, don't chase every trend – only adopt new features that align with your brand and audience preferences.

*****

Consistency builds trust and keeps your brand top-of-mind.  Aim for a realistic posting schedule you can maintain long-term rather than burning out with daily posts.

Social media success doesn't happen overnight.  Focus on building genuine relationships with your audience, providing value consistently, and staying true to your brand voice.  Quality engagement from a smaller, targeted audience is often more valuable than having thousands of followers who aren't interested in your business.