• Social Media

    5 Social Media Tips for Introverted Business Owners

    • by

    Being an Introvert and a business owner in today’s world can seem a little (a lot) daunting. But as an Introvert myself, let me tell you how you can maintain a social media presence online without the overwhelm.

    Show up, without showing up.

    So, if you’re just dipping your toe, you might want to ease yourself in a bit and start first by getting to the point where you can show your face. There’s plenty of ways you can show up online, without feeling fully exposed.

    You can do picture only Stories… You can choose to not show your face in pictures at all, or choose to not look directly at the camera. Check out this Pinterest board of introvert friendly poses.

    Highlight other people.

    Use customer testimonials to get your point across, if you struggle to say it yourself. Sometimes that ‘humble brag’ can feel somewhat awkward. But if someone else says it… well that’s a whole different thing then!

    Feel comfortable.

    Create yourself a safe and friendly network on social media. One that makes posting feel less daunting. The beauty of social media means that you at least don’t have to ‘face to face’ with these people, yet you can still engage and take part.

    Be prepared to set boundaries about time you spend on social media and how you use it in your personal life, so that it remains a comfortable place for you to show up.

    Schedule your posts.

    Don’t even entertain the thought of getting into the habit of ‘refreshing’ and watching those stats roll in live. Schedule them in and take it out of your thought process. Let those stats be measured at the end of the week or month inline with the bigger picture (and not isolated).

    Be Yourself.

    So, forget the concept that you have to be a ‘certain way’ on social media… The only way you need to be is genuine. There’s plenty of successful business owners out there who maintain a social media presence as an introvert… Elon Musk, Bill Gates & even Mark Zuckerberg. So, you see you don’t need to put on some kind of façade for social media.

    Ok, so I know you might ready this and think ‘but are they really introverts? I’ve seen them speak on a big stage… I just couldn’t do that’. But as someone who regularly does Live streams and video (ok, barely comparable) Yes, you can learn to be confident at something… That I’m sure right now feels scary.

    Try some of these out and let me know how you get on. If you want more guidance on how to get the best out of your social media presence for your business. Then check out my 1:1 content mentorship, where together we can work on scaling your business online in a way that is manageable and comfortable to you.

    5 Social Media Tips for Introverted Business Owners | Content Clarity | Being an Introvert and a business owner in today’s world can seem a little (a lot) daunting. But as an Introvert myself, let me tell you how you can maintain a social media presence online without the overwhelm.
  • Content Planning

    3 Types of content you need to have in 2021

    • by

    Content marketing strategy has come a long way since the internet first started. Just having a presence on a website was ‘enough’ to sustain your business. But fast forward to 2020 and it’s a whole new ball game. But that doesn’t mean it has to be difficult or stressful… Heck no! I’m going to tell you the 3 types of content you need to be doing in 2021 to stand out online and drive your business forward.

    Long term content

    So many business owners go straight for the social media platforms when they think of creating content. It’s quick, there’s no great skill barrier… You create a profile and you’re good to go. However, much as it has a part to play. In order to take the pressure off of you showing up everyday to keep the traffic, leads and sales coming in… Long term content is out there standing ready to greet those who actually are looking for what it is you sell.

    Think blog posts, news articles, white papers (if you’re more technical), YouTube videos, podcasts (if promoted right).

    When your ideal audience are on Google looking for solutions, those babies are going to lead them right to you.. 24/7 (yippee!)

    Value driven content

    Back to social media, and the time has really come to slow it down a second. Look at what your posting. ‘Filler content’ (AKA fluffy posts) are dead. Quality over quantity every time. So, it’s time to stop with the mindset of ‘OMG I have to post daily’ and instead think ‘how can I create a scroll stopping, problem transforming post for my audience’ that really gets them taking action.

    With the time you save on creating ‘fluffy posts, you can now show up and engage instead… build relationships. So, think tips, tutorials, demonstrations, thought challenging posts.

    Short form video

    Video has been a powerhouse for many years and if you’ve still to make that leap and use video in your business… There’s no better time!

    However, video consumption has really been on the rise. So, if you’re sticking your head in the sand over TikTok and Insta Reels, then they really are the way forward. You may have noticed that even LinkedIn has adopted Stories (already well established on Instagram & Facebook)

    Now it’s worth bearing in mind that you should only ever take on a platform and/or content execution if it suits your audience and business.

    But with TikTok, Instagram Reels, Stories, Lives, IGTV & YouTube… There’s a video execution for everyone now. And if you can tap into the short form consumption of quick and easy to digest video, then you won’t regret it!

    So, there you have it… 3 types of content you really need to include in your 2021 plan. To keep your content knowledge and skills up to speed, check out The Content Academy… my Netflix style membership for solopreneurs & small business owners.

    3 Types of content you need to have in 2021 | Content Clarity | Content marketing strategy has come a long way since the internet first started. Just having a presence on a website was ‘enough’ to sustain your business. But fast forward to 2020 and it’s a whole new ball game. But that doesn’t mean it has to be difficult or stressful… Heck no! I’m going to tell you the 3 types of content you need to be doing in 2021 to stand out online and drive your business forward.
  • Business

    5 tools I use day to day as an entrepreneur

    • by

    Running your own business can leave you wearing many different hats. But to make sure you’re working as efficiently as possible you can’t do without a great set of reliable business tools to keep you sane. I’m going to tell you my 5 favourite business tools that I use every day (and can’t do without!)

    Trello

    I’m a total Trello queen! I don’t like learning new systems, especially if they are over complicated, so for me Trello is a no brainer. I use it for my running ‘to do’ list, as well as using it to manage my team (so, I can keep an eye on who is doing what), as well as having client boards, so everyone has transparency!

    But I also use it to categorise my entire content back catalogue, so that I can easily repurpose past content that has performed well, saving me HOURS every month! You can learn how to do this in Content Planning for Business

    5 tools I use day to day as an entrepreneur | Content Clarity | Running your own business can leave you wearing many different hats. But to make sure you’re working as efficiently as possible you can’t do without a great set of reliable business tools to keep you sane. I’m going to tell you my 5 favourite business tools that I use every day (and can’t do without!)

    Canva

    I’m an Adobe girl at heart, but Canva has stolen my heart of late and all on my current social media templates have been created on there, rather than In Design/Photoshop and WOW… What a game changer! So easy to edit on the go, share the latest version of the files with people and the ease of the drag and drop is just a no brainer!

    5 tools I use day to day as an entrepreneur | Content Clarity | Running your own business can leave you wearing many different hats. But to make sure you’re working as efficiently as possible you can’t do without a great set of reliable business tools to keep you sane. I’m going to tell you my 5 favourite business tools that I use every day (and can’t do without!)

    Facebook Business Manager

    As I run client Facebook ad campaigns, Business Manager for Facebook is a must. Easy to share ad assets with agencies, team members & clients.

    As a business owner though, the amount of control I can have on targeting, custom audiences, placement, frequency…. Hands down better than just clicking the ‘boost’ button. So if you haven’t already registered for it… Go, go, go!

    Facebook Creator Studio/Instagram Creator Studio

    There’s so many social media schedulers out there, but I do come back to Facebook’s own scheduler for Instagram & Facebook for the ability to schedule IGTV’s (and cross post to FB!) AND Instagram carousels, with auto posting… None of those annoying notifications to post.

    If you’ve not used it before, here’s a tutorial:

    StreamYard

    I record a lot of video in my business, from Live’s to screencasts, to interviews and StreamYard handles it all! I use in it The Content Academy for Q&A videos inside the private Facebook Group, which then allows me to download the recording and upload into the membership dashboard.

    Those are my top 5 tools for running my business… Which of these do you think could save you time in your business?

    5 tools I use day to day as an entrepreneur | Content Clarity | Running your own business can leave you wearing many different hats. But to make sure you’re working as efficiently as possible you can’t do without a great set of reliable business tools to keep you sane. I’m going to tell you my 5 favourite business tools that I use every day (and can’t do without!)
  • Business

    How people find your business online

    • by

    It goes without saying that in this day and age, people will expect your to have a website. But just how can you make sure that people can find your business online?

    Now whether your website is a simple 1 page website, or the full shebang… If people are vetting you before they buy, they need to be able to assess your credibility and buy into your trust factor… Your website is your shop window of the 21st century after all.

    Well don’t worry because I’m going to give you 3 ways you can make sure your business is found online.

    1. Regularly update your website

    Google (and let’s not forget the other search engines) absolutely love it when you keep your website content refreshed. Now most business owners think this means you have to regularly tweak home pages, about pages etc. But the most obvious (and best) way to do this is to have a blog section on your website where you regularly add new content to your website.

    The added benefit of doing this is you are not only stroking the search engines, but your increasing your likelihood of being discovered on Google. As every blog post is a solution to a problem your potential customer is actually searching for… 2 birds, 1 stone!

    If you’re new to the whole concept of planning & writing blogs for your business, then you can check out my self-paced course ‘Blogging for Business’ to make sure your blog content is useful & helping you get found online.

    2. Feature on other websites

    Huh? Yep, by featuring on other industry relevant websites (and having them link back to your website) builds up a bigger picture to the search engines about what your business does and who it’s for. Because the little Google spiders follow those links back and forth and can attribute something called domain authority (DA) to your site from the one you’ve featured on.

    The added benefit of this is that you also get exposure to that websites audience… So, choose wisely. Pitch ideas to website that aren’t just relevant (and have a good DA) but those whose customer base is your target audience. Win, win!

    3. Make sure your website is mobile responsive

    The search engines put quite a bit of authority behind websites that are mobile enabled and meet their mobile site requirements. And with 53% of worldwide web traffic coming from mobile users, it’s something you simply can’t ignore anymore.

    Most WordPress & Squarespace (and other web builders) have this built in as standard. But it’s always worth checking the experience on your own device to make sure navigation is as it should be. You can also sign up to Google Search Console, which will keep you updated about your sites performance.

    So, there you have it… 3 ways you can make sure you improve the chances of your business getting found online and start benefiting from a steady stream of targeted web traffic.

    How people find your business online | Content Clarity | It goes without saying that in this day and age, people will expect your to have a website. But just how can you make sure that people can find your business online?
  • Video

    Essential video kit for entrepreneurs

    • by

    So you want to create quality video content for social media, your website or maybe even create a business YouTube channel… BUT you don’t know where to start. Or maybe you just don’t know what video equipment you really need now and what can wait.

    Don’t worry… In this blog I’ll cover off the essentials so that you can set up an at home video studio on a budget (or in office, if you don’t work from home!)

    What camera do you really need?

    As a savvy business owner, the best (and free) camera to start with is always going to be your phone. Mobile phone video these days is pretty amazing and only getting better each year. So I highly recommend starting there… Simply lean it on stacked up books, furniture (or treat yourself to a budget tripod) and you’re good to go!

    Just make sure you bump up the settings on your phone to the highest setting. You want to record in 1080p as a minimum.

    Set a professional background

    Regardless of the tone of your videos, uber corporate, or fun and funky… You’re going to want to find a spot you can film in.

    Now this can be a dedicated area, or if you’re going to need to rearrange the furniture, make it as simple (but effective) as possible.

    Bookcases make a great video backdrop, as shelving allows you to showcase relevant things to your company and really show of your personality. Or just find a plain wall and start to add tall plants and a console table with a picture.

    Essential video kit for entrepreneurs | Content Clarity | So you want to create quality video content for social media, your website or maybe even create a business YouTube channel… BUT you don’t know where to start. Or maybe you just don’t know what video equipment you really need now and what can wait.

    But if you’re really struggling to find a great background, then you may want to get a really simple backdrop kit from Amazon and you can buy individual backdrop to clip on in a muted colour, or corporate colour, that you can pop up when required.

    Camera lighting on a budget

    Lighting can really make or break a video… Always use free light (AKA daylight) where possible AND keep the light behind the camera if you can (or balance the other side with a desk lamp if you need to).

    Essential video kit for entrepreneurs | Content Clarity | So you want to create quality video content for social media, your website or maybe even create a business YouTube channel… BUT you don’t know where to start. Or maybe you just don’t know what video equipment you really need now and what can wait.

    You can pick up ring lights (small and full size) from as little as $20 on Amazon and it’s a great fuss free lighting buy for beginners, because you don’t have to worry about the placement. You simply shoot through the hole.

    How to get the best sound

    There’s nothing worse than echoey, shouty or faint audio on a video and it’s such a cheap fix!

    Essential video kit for entrepreneurs | Content Clarity | So you want to create quality video content for social media, your website or maybe even create a business YouTube channel… BUT you don’t know where to start. Or maybe you just don’t know what video equipment you really need now and what can wait.

    You can pick up unbranded lapel mics from Amazon for around $14… Plug it directly into your phone (or you’ll need a converter if you’re working with a newer iPhone).

    Get that steady shot with a tripod

    If you’re ready to move up from the free furniture or stack of book options, then you can grab a budget tripod from Amazon for $20 or what about a small desk Gorilla pod tripod , which you can wrap around almost anything (trees, curtain poles… whatever you like)

    So there you go, a budget video studio set up so that you can start reaping the rewards from video marketing straight away!

    Essential video kit for entrepreneurs | Content Clarity | So you want to create quality video content for social media, your website or maybe even create a business YouTube channel… BUT you don’t know where to start. Or maybe you just don’t know what video equipment you really need now and what can wait.
  • Blogging

    Simple SEO to boost your website traffic

    • by

    SEO, search engine optimization, doesn’t have to be overly confusing or mysterious. I mean so sure there’s a lot of terminology to get to grips with… From meta descriptions, Alt text and don’t even get me started on the plugins you can use to help you.

    Sure there’s a lot to think about but if you’re serious about showing up in the search engines, such as Google, then you’ll need to understand the basics so you can start to climb up the rankings.

    Optimise your on-page SEO

    When it comes to any page on your website, blog posts included, you’re going to want to pepper those keywords throughout it… but where do you put them? Just as well you asked:

    Title – Use your keywords in the title, the beginning if you can.

    URL – Make sure you get the keyword in the URL (don’t make it too long though!)

    Meta Description: Don’t just use the auto fill, write a meta description that best promotes this blog post or page (this is what people see on Google, so make it click worthy!) AND get those keywords in!

    Body Text: More on this further on but you’ll want to get those keywords in here also.

    Image alt tags: Make sure you use these to describe what the image is (it makes your website more accessible to visually impaired) But it’s another place to put keywords.

    Keywords in your blog post copy

    As I said before you’re going to want to makes sure you get those keywords in here and pepper them through. Places like the first paragraph. Any heading you may use throughout your post or page.

    Don’t just use 1 keyword though. A little bit like Instagram hashtags, you’ll want to use niche, location, topical keywords throughout also.

    So, I could use “marketing for new businesses 2021” or “how to start blogging for business”

    Make your page or blogs easy to read

    Break up blog posts and pages with headers, bullet points… Remember how people consume content. They skim it, so make it easy to absorb.

    Also keep in mind people will be reading (usually most  visitors) on mobile phones or tablets, so  smaller screens. So keep paragraphs short and sweet.

    Google loves websites that are mobile friendly and you’ll be positioned better in search ranking as a result.

    Hopefully that wasn’t too ‘NASA’, the aim here it to always simplify things so you can easily implement things into your business and start to drive web traffic and sales!

    Want to learn more about blogging for your business, then check out my FREE blogging checklist.

    Simple SEO to boost your website traffic | Content Clarity | SEO, search engine optimization, doesn’t have to be overly confusing or mysterious. I mean so sure there’s a lot of terminology to get to grips with… From meta descriptions, Alt text and don’t even get me started on the plugins you can use to help you.