The Social media Trap

When I work with small business owners on Business for London’s LONDON E-Business Support Programme, the conversation inevitably comes around to social media.

A lot of them tell me they hate it, they don’t understand e-business and feel fake or uncomfortable, they don’t know what content they should and shouldn’t share. They’re unsure which platforms to be on, what hashtags to use, how often to post, video vs still, story vs reel, what time of day to post, what day of the week to post… the list goes on and on. 

Many feel pressured to have thousands of followers and high engagement rates on social media. Instead of seeing it as a digital tool to promote their business, share inspiration and connect with likeminded people and customers, many businesses I work with, particularly jewellers, feel they’re failing if they don’t achieve these results. 

The truth is they’re not failing – they’re simply being told to do too much.

Realistically, you don’t need to be on everything, and unless you have a dedicated social media team with a person per platform, it’s not worth stretching yourself. You’re better off concentrating on the platforms where your customers are. 

It pays to do the research, so you understand what platform is good for your users and what content performs best. For example, Pinterest is great for attracting actively shopping clients. In contrast, Instagram is a good place to talk about your process, inspiration and product. 

A CONTENT CREATOR WHO MAKES VS. A MAKER WHO CREATES CONTENT 

Most business owners are not content creators; they are managers who create content, showing their products and their inspiration. It’s important to remember the difference – one is a full-time job, and the other is a necessary part of promoting your brand. Yes, an active social account is important, but it’s not the primary function of your business. 

Those fantastic engagement results content creators achieve is the ultimate pinnacle of success, but for most, that business model is neither achievable nor desirable. Most want to make and sell products to more people, without spending every hour on social media. Be wary of those who tell you this level of content is what you need to produce – they either don’t understand your business model, or they’re selling you something. 

I’m a big fan of researching competitors and customers. But they need to be the right competitors and customers. A young brand selling lower-value products entirely through socials is a different beast from, say, a fine jewellery company looking to increase market share in wedding and engagement. There are plenty of businesses turning over significant sums with minimum online presence, so it’s key to understand where you sit and what you are trying to achieve when determining your social strategy. 

Above all, it’s vital to remember social media is meant to be social. When I look at a brand online, I don’t want just to see picture after picture of product. It doesn’t matter how pretty it is if it tells me nothing about the brand’s values or motivation. It makes every post feel like a sell. And I don’t like being sold to – nor does anyone else. 

I like to be engaged in a brand’s content, with something that tells me more about the people behind it – especially if it’s a small business. And I don’t mean what hot drink they had that morning (#entrepreneurlife!), I mean what they love about their work, the processes they are proud of and what inspires them to create the wonderful pieces they sell. 

In all my years of working with small brands – particularly jewellers – I’m endlessly fascinated by the unique view each and every one has of the world and the creativity this leads to. This is what I love to see on socials, and so do others, including your target customer. 

Most importantly, be kind to yourself and think about what’s best for you, your business and your customer. Social media marketing can be rewarding if you focus on what you need to do and just use your voice.

ABOUT THE WRITER Sally Leonard is an E-Business Adviser working for Centa Business Services on the LONDON E-Business Support Programme. Sally has also been a consultant to the jewellery industry for nearly 20 years, specialising in small jewellery businesses across the UK. For questions and more information on her experience and workshops, visit https://www.centa.co.uk/e-business or email sleonard@centa.co.uk