I talk about art, design, and creativity
It took me 4 years to grow a 15k following on Instagram for my family’s restaurant.
The first 2 years were slow. In fact, over half of the followers have been acquired within the past year.
Slow doesn’t mean you’re not growing.
Things take time, so give yourself the appropriate amount.
Out of all the things that you do, only 20% of the tasks you execute bring 80% of your business.
Your job is to find out what that 20% is, and do more of it.
It doesn’t hurt to ask for help.
That’s it.
*Almost* making a fool out of yourself is the best way to learn the best content strategy for you.
Here’s why.
99% of content on social media sucks.
When brands and small business owners start posting content on social media, most opt for promotion and flyer-esque posts.
The above is the exact reason why most brands and small business owners don’t get traction and eventually quit social media altogether.
(People don’t care if you have a 10% off coupon on your page if that’s the only type of content you’re posting).
Let’s face it.
In 2023, making good content requires you to get outside of traditional sales messaging.
You must first find an emotional connection with your audience (this is what brand is made of), and create ways to tell that message through content.
Personally, I find it feels like a risk to steer away from the kind of content everyone else has (and by everyone else, I mean all the other small business social media accounts—you know which kind).
However, the results are clear.
If you create content that builds emotional connection with your audience, you might look like a fool in the process of doing it, but you will build a strong brand.
Here’s how I did it.
I posted a lot of content on social media for 4 years.
I’ll be honest with you, we’re not the most “aesthetic” spot there is, so relying on food pics alone wasn’t going to get us very far.
But, posting content with lots of personality was one half.
The other half was engaging with our community, doing partnerships with other businesses in the local area, and doing food giveaways.
Here’s how you can use a similar strategy to grow your own brand on social:
If this sounds like a lot to you, that’s because it is.
Brand building is hard work.
Brand isn’t built overnight.
If you’re ready to start taking your brand seriously, now’s the time to start.
P.S. I’m building a content club for people who want to take their brand seriously.
Want in?
Join the waitlist with 3 others today.
Do you remember the thing you told yourself you’d do last week but forgot?
Or the reminder you set on your phone but keep delaying because it never happens to be the right time?
Great.
Now that it’s on your mind, go do it.
Check that tiny task/errand/detail off that list and move on.
Do you have everything ready to go when you need it most?
Have you finished everything else so that you can focus on the main objective?
How fast can you go, and can you be more efficient?
Efficiency matters, even when you’re a team of 1.
It takes time to respond to DMs.
It takes time to create new pieces of content.
It takes time to generate ideas.
It takes time to write copy.
It takes time to build your brand.
Don’t underestimate the time and focus you need to do this for your business.
We’ve been running our business, Habit Factory, for nearly 3 years now.
To give some context, Habit Factory helps creatives grow through multi-week workshops that focus on professional development.
Within these 3 years, I’ve learned a couple of things.
And I’ve been thinking a lot about the last one lately.
Because if we don’t make enough money, we don’t have a business.
Additionally, I know what we offer is such a gem for any artist, freelancer, or designer looking to grow.
So here’s my decision.
Either the business grows, or it doesn’t.
Either we continue, or we don’t.
I certainly want to see more growth in the Habit Factory, so we’ll have to charge what we’re worth.
If you’re not going to work on it, it’s not going to grow
When you’re just starting out your small business,
Frequent content for your audience + work ethic + genuine passion = ingredients to start a killer marketing strategy for your business
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