There are lots of things that go into running a successful business: marketing, branding, finding clients, making sure your customers are happy, time management…If you run a small business, you’ll know just how it feels to wear several different hats a day — and often more than one at a time! It can be a little overwhelming having so many different tasks that require your attention.
Here’s the thing: the most important thing is that there’s a strategy behind everything you’re doing. If you feel like you’re struggling to stay on top of everything, I’m guessing you haven’t found the time to analyse the strategy behind what you’re doing.
Strategy is everything in your business. It’s the key to successful branding that helps you attract dream customers, and it’s the key to content that tells people what they need to know about your business. Essentially, strategy forms the building blocks that guide every decision you make in your business. If you’re just starting out, you might think you don’t have time to plot your broader business strategy now, but let me tell you this: if you don’t weave strategic thinking into everything you do, your business will suffer down the line.
Let’s take a look at just how strategy can help you build the business of your dreams.
Brand strategy
To kick off, let’s zoom out and look at broader brand strategy. According to Bynder, brand strategy is defined as “the long-term plan to achieve a series of long-term goals that ultimately result in the identification and preference of your brand by consumers.” In other words, how the various parts of your business work together to help you reach your business goals — whether that’s being able to work 4 days a week, bringing in a certain amount of revenue, or connecting with a certain number of customers. Your brand strategy goes hand-in-hand with your brand story — you need a vision that you’re working towards. Once you know what your end goal is and the targets you’ll use to measure your progress, your brand strategy will guide what products and services you should develop, and how you can reach new people.
If you don’t have a brand strategy, chances are things feel a little haphazard in your business. Do you wake up every morning with no clue what you’ll be working on? If so, it’s likely you’re in need of an overarching brand strategy to guide you towards your goals. A brand strategist can help make sure the various elements of your business — from branding to content — are working together for you, bringing you closer to where you want to be. Often, with a little bit of tweaking, you’ll find yourself with a much clearer vision, and a better understanding of what you should be doing each day.
Social media strategy
Next up is your social media strategy. Hands up if you usually post whatever comes to mind on Instagram…Yup, we’ve all been there. When you’re a busy small biz owner, chances are social media falls pretty low on your (long) to-do list. The problem with posting without strategy, however, is that you’re unlikely to get your message across. In order to buy from you, people need to go on a three-step journey: they need to know your business and what you offer, they need to like you as a business owner, and they need to trust you.
Your social media strategy is designed to push your potential customers along the journey by providing them with the information they need to know. Let’s take a look at some examples of each type of content, and how they move your audience along the customer journey.
‘Know’ content
This covers the basics, and makes sure people are clear on exactly what you offer. It’s the starting point in the customer journey that turns followers into paying customers. Ideas include:
- Posts about what your business does
- Swipe-through guides detailing your services
- IGTV videos introducing you
‘Like’ content
This helps people get to know your business on a deeper level, and distinguishes you from competitors. It’s what makes us love brands like Oatly (fun) instead of Alpro (boring) or Monzo (fun) over Lloyds (boring).
- Fun facts about you
- Entertaining reels using trending audio
- BTS content showing us a day in the life of your biz
‘Trust’ content
This seals the deal: it ensures people feel comfortable enough to hand over their hard-earned money to you. They believe you’ll be able to help them solve a problem, and that your product or service is just what they need.
- Testimonials
- Client case studies
- Social proof
Cover these three types of content, and you’ll be well on your way to turning those followers into fans who love what you do, and want to tell their friends about your offer. Bring it on!
Content strategy
In a similar vein, you need a broader content strategy in place. You might have a podcast, newsletter, blog, Instagram account, LinkedIn account, and TikTok account on the go. Is your messaging consistent across all these touch points? How often do you share each type of content? Content can really make or break your business, so it’s worth putting the time in to establish a coherent strategy that’s tailored to your goals.
You’ll also want to think about how you repurpose your content. Repurposing involves taking existing content (like a blog post) and reworking it into a different format, like a series of tweets or an Instagram post. The idea is to stretch your content further, essentially giving you more bang for your buck. It also helps your audience remember what your business is all about, because you’re repeating key information. Your content strategy will inform what you post, where you post it, and how often you post it. It will ensure everything you put out is working for you (quality over quantity? Yes please!), and will save you time and energy in the long-run.
Strategising is one of my favourite parts of the job — I even went away for a CEO weekend earlier this year, to take some time to really dive deep into my biz. It’s always easier with an additional pair of eyes on your business, so if you’re in the mood to rework your brand strategy or social media plan, consider bringing me on board as your Creative Sidekick. If you have some great content but no time to make the most out of it, my repurposing package Content Booster might be just the thing for you. One piece of content turned into 30 snackable bites that you can share across your social media platforms. Want to find out more? Get in touch here!